The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-10-04
PERSONALITIES oF rAE pRsss.
By Harriet Prescott sporord.

to be found in the mod
ern 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 to
want personalities the press win cease
to give them.
The present writer, lodging once in
the same house with a woman who
reported with great particularly and
accuracy the social gossip of Wasn
ington for several important journals
in differen parts of the country, saw
a letter this reporter received from
the wife OF an eminent Justice. tell
ing her that she was going to such a
function and would wear such a dress,
with al elaborate description, md IN
closing 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: ooh, there comes
that reporter! Let us get away be.
fore she can see what we have on"
Another letter ran: Dear;
Miss So and So is to visit us next
week. Do give her as pretty toilets
as you can, so that she may send the
papers home and let them see there
what a belle she is" Miss SO and SO
was relegated to some one else to
dress up; for this reporter never told
anything but the truth as she saw it.
It was because people wanted her
personalities that she was invited
frequently TO dine in state at one for
eign minister's; that the carriage OF
the embassy with its great gray horses
and gold laced liveries was sent TO
take her out after an illness; that
dozens of fine claret were presented
to her, and that a foreign minister's
beautiful wife gave her string of
milky amber a yard and a half long.
Another minister's wife begged her
one day when her own hats came ov-
er from Paris, to accept an exquisite
one of Vivots that would cost $40
in New York; and at another time an
enormous box full of silk artificial
| flowers, and when the minister was
given another charge she sent for our
young society reporter and told her
that what she had published about
them had been of great service, and
placed on her finger an emerald SUI,
rounded with large diamonds.
One day a colored lad stole some
trihes of jewelry belonging to our
reporter The local press took the
matter up with good natured comnis
Grafton. 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 pinch beck chains
big as cables, with big lockets; more
than one OF the people who, in public
dislike personalities, sent her such a
chain, and of the hughest. A charm
ing bronze, a 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 tn,
foreigners. by any means A set o.
most delicately carved pink coral wal
presented TO this society reporter by
an American lady, asking her to ac
cept them, as they had lost their val
ne for herself. And another person
wife of a prominent member of con
gress, sent her a fine gown, lined witt
silk, almost unheard Of at that pei
iod, and a year or so later inclosed L
her two 500 bills, saying she had ha
no time to attend to her Christmasin
or her charities that year. and woul
our reporter kindly buy her ow
Christmas gift with one OF the bills
and use the other in charities?
It was the wife Of one Of the pres
, idents who. on the celebration Of
private and personal anniversar,
gave her, without being requested,
place 10 review the proceedings an
make notes And it was the wife {
another who displayed 70 her tn
trousseau of a white house bride
much were her personalities in d.
mand that, when this reporter sent
note to the first lady in the land, asl
ing what she was to wear on a certai
occasion. the note received satisfa
tory reply.
That this same reporter was give
board at various times at leading h
tells for the sake of having her le
ters dated from those hotels and thu