The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-08
PRESS PERSONALITIES.
II Society Did Not Demand These
Papers Would Not Print.
by Harriett PRESCOTT spofford.

BY Harriet Prescott Spofford.
Washington, Sept. 6.-There is an
unpleasant amount of complaint, in
concerning the personalities to be found
in the modern newspaper. But If the
practice of printing personalities is an
evil there is an easy way to correct it,
and that is to show no interest in them
The press furnishes only what people
want; and when they cease 20 want
personalities the press will cease to
give them.
The present writer, lodging once in
the same house with a woman who re-
ported with great particularly and ac-
curacy the social gossip of Washington
for several important journals in diff
ferent parts of the country, saw a let
ter this reporter received from the wife
of an eminent justice. telling her that
she was going to such a function and
would wear such dress, with an elab-
crate description, and enclosing a $40
bill. The reporter, who measured the
honor and dignity of the press by a
high standard, sent back the money.
But the Justices lady was at the said
function and was heard to say: "Oh,
there comes that reporter! Let us get
away before she can see what we have
oni"
Another letter ran: Dear -: Miss
So and So is to visit us next week. DO
give her as pretty toilettes as you can,
so that she may send the papers home,
and let them see there what belle she
is" Miss So and So was ,elegated to
Soma ono alec m draSS I'm. for this re-
porter never told anything but the
truth as she saw it.
1t was because people wanted her
personalities that she was invited ire
quently to dine in state at one foreign
minister's; that the carriage of the en-
bassy with its great grey horses ana
gold-laced liveries was sent to take
her out after an illness, that dozens or
fine claret were presented to her, and
that foreign minister's beautiful wife
gave her a string of milky amber
yard and half long.
Another minister's wife begged her
one day when her own hats came over
from Paris, to accept an exquisite one
of Vivots that would have cost $40
in New York; and at another time an
enormous box full of silk artificial flow
ers; and when the minister was given
another charge she sent for our young
reporter and told her that What she
had published about them had been Of
great service, and placed on her I'm
ger an emerald surrounded with large
diamonds.
One day a colored lad stole some
trifies of jewelry belonging to our re-
porter The local press took the matter
up with good natured commiseration.
Presently the wife of one of the south
American ministers sent her a pin and
earrings of fine but small rubies. 1t
was the time when people wore short
pirch- beck chains big as cables, with
big lockets; more than one of the peo-
pie who, in public, dislike PERSONAL
ties, sent her such a chain, and of the
hugest. A charming bronze, little and
lovely hound, came from one of the
legations; from another of them came
a fine gilt writing apparatus of great
beauty.
Nor were all these gifts from the
foreigners, by any means. set of
most delicately carved pink coral was
presented to this society reporter by
an American lady, asking her to ac-
cept them. as they had lost their value
| for herself. And another persons, wife
| of a prominent member OF Congress,
| sent her a fine gown, lined with silk,
! almost unheard of at that period, and
| fifty dollar bills, saying she had had
! no time to attend to her Christm asing
or her charities that year, and would
| our reporter kindly buy her own
| Christmas gift with one of the bills,