Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-01-11

@IHA@:
Debating MIDNIGHT DISPATCH.
the ability to write paragraphs, but
was a forceful political editorial
writer.
Well, this Renaissance Of the news
paper paragraphers' mutual admira-,,
ton society reminds your correspond
ent that there is to-day existing .
similar organization, or series of or
CARNATIONS, in this city. There are
coteries of Washington correspond
ents who exchange news day after
day, or. rather. night after night
They help each other along. and
thereby give their papers better serv-
ice. For example, the correspondent
of New York paper runs across an
item of no value to his readers, but
which would prove to be very inter
esting to the readers of a Chicago
paper. Forthwith he sends that item
to the correspondent of a Chicago
paper. In return more than likely
day will not pass until the CORE
spondent of a Chicago paper finds
something which will be valuable to
his friend from New York, and he
sends it to him.
Then there are agreements among
half a dozen correspondents that they
will divide all news of general oin-
terest. Thus it often happens that
one newspaper each in New York.
10
and San Francisco will have an ex-
elusive item of valuable news. OnS
man out of the party has found somes
thing interesting and has divided it
with his partners in this news bust
ness, and all of the other newspaper
correspondents are ''scooped."
Whenever there is a river and har-
Dor bill reported from a committees
Of the house the representatives of
newspapers interested in river and
harbor improvements divide up the
bill, each taking a part Of it and go
ing over every item, not solely with
a view to giving his own paper the
local news, but with a view of looking
after the interests of the other CORE
spondents in this syndicate of fellow
workers. AS a result each one Of
them gives his paper better ando more
complete service than any one cor
respondent could do, working on the
bill by himself.
For example, one correspondent of
paper in Buffalo, another each in
Detroit, Chicago, Grand Rapids and
ST. Paul, will go over the bill with
view of getting all of the items Of
interest to readers residing within
the vicinity of the great lakes. When
they have concluded their work they
get together and make up complete
dispatches. The result is that they
completely cover the case, and any
one correspondent outside of this
combination will be likely to fall
short of the successful work of the
combined workers.
| So there are trusts forming every
where and in all sorts of business.
In union there is strength, and
wherever men can trust each other
in combining their work and capital
it is to be expected that they will do
so. The writer had q hard expert
ence with the combine on great lake
news about ten years ago. and
achieved success only by accident. The
combine had worked up their bill with
| customary skill, and it was good
| work, too. But late in the evening
your correspondent. representing the
Detroit Tribune; Milwaukee Evening
Wisconsin and st. Paul Globe, found
Congressman Sam Stephenson. Of
Michigan, q member OF the commit
tee, who knew the bill by heart be-
cause of his careful painstaking work
upon every item Of it, and dear old
Sam dictated a dispatch which COW
cred the great lakes even more COM
pletGiy and entertainingly than it was
told by the combine boys. Ste
phenson gave reasons for each appro-
priation, and that of course nobody
but a member of the committee could
do. Until this day the writer has
never told his competitors how he
managed to get up such a good dis
patch. As a matter Of fact it was
Sam Stephenson's work, and the cor
respondent was merely an amanuen-
sis.
The stories of how the Washington
correspondents strive for exclusive
| news for the papers served by them
would fill volumes. and all of them
would be interesting. particularly to
the-snewspaper men, the editors -
| well a. the news gatherers.
enrrwr N URR