Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
THE IRISH EDITOR
Running a Country Newspaper is No
Small Undertaking.
PROFITS ARE IN INVERSE RATIO
How the News is Gathered and
What It Amounts To.
TRIALS AND TROUBLE S
IRISH EDITOR
HE
PROFITS ARE IN INVERSE RA7I
TRIALS AND TROUBL les

Copyright 1900. ty Seumas MacManus.)
Written for The Evening Star.
The Legana my Universe. issued from the
chief town in the heart of our hills, is sup
posed to voice the opinion Of us Donegal
mountaineers.
Though its advertisements claim for 1t
the largest circulation of any weekly paper
in the northwest. I have the audacious
temerity to brave It's certain tfunders by
taking 1t as typical of the struggling weekly
which just exists in many such out of the
way corners of Ireland.
The Universe claims everything from
5000 circulation in normal states of our So
cial atmosphere up to twice that number
when it contains account of dance or
a funeral. But from 600 to 500 copies
would be a more truthful. even if 4 less I'M
posing. claim-and this, too includes the
free copy given to Larry Managhan, the
mail car driver, who carries the agents
parcels, by way of remuneration for prompt
and faithful delivery.
The staff of the Universe-the owner the
manager the cashier the editor, subeditor,
assistant subeditor, reporter and foreman
printer-is named Michael MacCailin; and
Michael is likewise office boy, general man
and, when occasion requires it. working en-
gineer=
Reporting ut 60 Cents a Week.
Many country weeklies can afford the
luxury of a reporter whose salary begins
at half crown go cents) a week, and very
gradually grows to s.. to 81 and even some
times to s.. Michael had had the ambition
of maintaining reporter but his expe-
riende increased the fatuous dream faded.
Michael often solaces himself. however. by
occasionally retaining what he styles Our
Own Special Commissioner at a high sal
ary as he informs his awe-struck readers.
n tha x-c t.,,,. .h,,
draws the princely salary is Michael him
self: but the outside world labors under the
belief that for their particular behalf he
has imported leading London continent
tai Journalist, and this superstition. while
fiatterinG 10 Michael and beneficial to the
tardy circulation of the Lesananny Uni
verse. does no one any harm.
If Michael and the Universe would live
in moderate decency, 1t is absolutely neces-
sary that he should draw all the salaries
accruing-or almost all of them. True, he
must pay compositors. The composing
room (Which Is likewise the editors ofhce)
sports five boys, who, setting the Universe.
acquire trade and moreover get from
Michael bonus of half a crown a week.
The cleverest of the five, indeed who makes
up the forms, gets siXpence extra. When
the forms are laid on the press, the editor
does not disdain to shed his coat and take
his turn. with his composing staff, at the
crank Of the cylinder machine that grinds
out the organ Of public opinion at the rate
of a hundred and eighty copies an hour.
On occasions of intense excitement. when
it is wise to anticipate the public clamor-
ing for several score extra copies Michael
gets the loan of Matthew Carrabin's yard
boy, big, brawny Commy Gidea, who, TAX
ing the crank all by himself. galops the
machine to four copies minute. while
Michael and his five boys stand by in open
mOuthed Amusement. And when Commy
gets out of puff he puts all six of them on
the machine and tolerates them Till he has
got his wind again. On these occasions,
too. Commy Gildea is sure to be attacked
with a phenomenal thirst, which requires
the editors feeling wee Roguey Mulhern to
keep carrying pots of porter in vain en-
deavor to "squelch''-as Commy expresses
1t.
Expenses Are Not High.
In oil, then, il probably requires from
81 to 81 a week to run the Universe. Michael
charges a penny @ cents) a line for local
advertisements. and sixpence line for off,
clal advertisements. London advertising
agents vouchsafe him standing ads about
DR.. Kewremalls pills. and Madame Rite
nuff's EExir Vital, at a penny a line
which is his second most important source
of income; official ads being the chief
So. after Michael has industriously and
conscientiously labored all the week with
both hand and brain-after he has sifted
the worlds workings to intellectual wheat
for his dependent clientele-after he has
tramped to the corners of his constituency
and raked in the births and deaths and
marriages, the fnquests and dances council
comings and goings of the many men of
Importance in whom his readers in
terested, the police courts. the accidents
and the extraordinary happenings-after
he has recorded all this and distributed 1t
in four-page broad sheets far and wide over
his bailiwick, paid his hands and reckoned
his accounts. he finds accruing to himself
net weekly income of from six to eight
dollars.
There are a host of weeklies In more
thriving and populous parts of the coun-
try, which. after paying five dollars a week
to a stenographic reporter. remunerate their
owner-editcr with three times and four
times five dollars-the former being q fair
average.
Copy With the Scissors.
The editorial duties on tine Legananny
Universe both very easy and very diff
ficult Independent of local reports and
items. Michael could coax more copy with
the scissors from the daily papers than
would fill his paper ten times over. But
he must find room for a eulogistic article
upon the success of canon Boyls young
son Tommy at the examination for entrance
to Maynooth College Of Divinity: minute
and detailed description of the funeral cor
tege that trod after the last of poor Owen
MCCLELLAN. with names and full address of
every man, woman and child present. is
absolutely imperative, and let him at his
peril dare presume to publish the follow
ing weeks issue Of the Universe without
giving in a prominent place the supplied
account of Miss McGettingan's tea party
to which he was not invited! He must read
his correspondents copy three times over
to make sure that he has located (and ex-
punged) all the libels open and concealed.
He must publish THE Bard Of Bunlinn's'
elegiac lines. thirty-nine stanzas. on the
sad death of his bosom friend, Johnnie Nc
Cormac-whose chief recommendation Is
that the poor victim had gone to a sphere
where he not Likely ever to hear of
the preparation. He must keep one eye
on Jimmy Coyle's potato patch (ready to
announce the first tuber of the SEASON.
and the other on the policy Of the nation.
To the crowned heads Of Europe he must