The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-17
NEWSPAPER ENGLISH.
Some Odd Phrases Used by Tn.
trained Correspondents.

Telegraph editors and copy readers a
newspapers run across great many 70.
markable statements in the copy 70.
:eived from country correspondents and
even from the press associations. Trits
expressions become habit with cor.
respondents and it is one Of the duties
Of the copy reader to eliminate these
when he comes across them. A desk
man" on the Kansas City Star took
the trouble to jot down such Of these
as he came across from day to day.
Some Of them are actually weird, a
follows:
HE was overcome by smoke In the
upper story"
''The man was fatally wounded. He
may die"
1.-THE supposed to be dead Jones stab
bed the alleged murderer twice. infiict.
ing fatal wounds which he cannot sur.
vive"
"Jerrel was blown about thirty feet.
He leaves a family"
"Smith was shot twice by the allied
slayer, one ball entering the intestines,
the other penetrating his right lung.
The coroner is investigating. Blood
hounds have been put on the trail.'
Writers often have things occur in
the most remarkable places. The fol-
lowing instances have actually appear
ed in newspapers or have been dragged
out of copy by editors before they got
into print:
1.-THE man was shot twice in the sa-
LOOM"
"He fell upon his being shot"
"He was shot in The suburbs
Gle was injured in the fracas."
"She whipped him upon his return"
"He kissed her passionately on her
temperance"
HE kissed her back"
HE walked in upon her invitation"
"she seated herself upon his enter
ing"
"She tainted upon his departure"
"He chung to her weeping"
"They gossped upon his downfall"
Dead persons often do stranger things
than one would suppose. Witness the.
following:
1.-THE suicide on reviving said"
Before he died the deceased said"
Triteness however, is the besetting
sin of unframed correspondents. The
following are old friends and will be
readily recognized by newspaper read
ers:
1T is reported on the highest author
ity by one who has the ear of the pres
dent. but whose name is suppressed
COR obvious reasons, that" The in.
formation that usually follows a state
ment of that kind is as valuable as it's
Introduction is authoritative
The correspondent who concludes his
story by saying: "It said the story can
oe supported by facts" seldom sees the
story in print.
Some of the most common examples
Of triteness are:
1T was a gala day" or red letter
lay, as the case may be.
1.-The police are in suspense"
"He broke down and confessed"
1.-THE distracted husband" or wife.
"A we'll known citizen" On one oc-
:asion the correspondent put it: "A well
known citizen. who is also a well-to-do
farmer
There is general alarm here owing
to indications OF recurrence of the
disturbances"
Everybody is Of the opinion to tho
effect that"
HE spoke in part as follows"
sour little town was thrown into
ferment Of excitement this morning
BY
1.-THE citizens are free to say that the
law will never take its course"
Deceased was Mason If high do.
gree"
John Jones the erstwhile senior
member Of the cash grocers. Jones
Bros. has
"Your correspondent has learned"
"The expression is used advisedly."
''Mr. Gibson was a highly respected
citizen and known to almost every man
woman and child in the city,"
IA general denial was entered"
Henry Smith was the first white
child born on the townsite.''
1.-THE Ryan college with all its con.
tents was burned today. There was over
zoo pupils in the building at the time"
mo one was hurt, though Proprietor
Barker was slightly injured
1.-THE captain was rescued in precar-
ious condition.
Sometimes men write what they do
not mean. For instance. here is tele-
gram from New York: John Kropf.
who made fortune and lost it laying
stone sidewalks. committed suicide last
night" Mr.. Kropf made his fortune
In laying sidewalks. but probably lost
1t otherwise.
The possessive case is sometimes
written In strange fashion. The follow
Ing instance was detected in a letter
from q country correspondents: 1.-THE
man whose wife died's house"
The prefixing Of a mans occupation
or Office often produces queer results In
print:
United States Deputy Marshal Smith
-" etc. But the most remarkable
actual case OF this kind is the follow.
ing: