The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-02
Development Of a Successful
One Discussed.
Described in q Story Before
Kansas Editors.
RISE OF TOWNLE z.
Of the Kansas Farm
er's Boy.
What an Editor Demands Of a
Newsgatherer.

The following paper was read by I.
l. Kiene of the State Journal before
the Kansas Editorial association Thurs
day afternoons.
First class newspaper reporters are
not numerous The qualifications which
are necessary in the perfect reporter
are so diverse that there are few who
meet the full requirements. 1t may be
discouraging to the aspirant for jour
nalistic honors but it Is nevertheless
perfectly safe to say that OF the large
number OF young men who seek an en-
trance TO the newspaper profession
through the reporters room not one IN
20 is adapted to the business toward
which his inclination leads aim.
A reporter can not be made of the
graduate of Yale or Harvard any more
than from the boy who has completed
course IN the common schools, unless
there il in the individual the peculiar
adaptahliity which can not be acquired
in colleges, nor any where else An i'm
perfect piece of marble can not be
chiseled into a finished statue, nor can
a perfect reporter be developed from
the person who lacks the Inherent quail
ificationa which are rare indeed
al sucr essful reporter must have a fair
educatIon-he is all the better if he has
received a thorough college training,
for il oroadens his horizon-he must
possess the ability to express a thought
clearly and succinctly; he must have a
great degree Of tact, an easy but not a
bold address. an unlimited supply OF
In this sketch 1 shah follow the career
Of successful reporter through the pro-
cess OF development in city Of 10000
people with two or three daily papers
1t Will t,e assumed that he had nearly
or quite all of the qualifications enum-
Grated 2 bove-
James Townley, the hero Of this little
story, vas reared on a farm and it
naturally follows that he knew the mean
ing of work If he did not reach the
parental home in the evening quite 50
as of al Ia
have been because he had fingered in
the field to attempt to solve the question
Of perpetual motion or had forgotten
himself beside his ploW while
he devoted his attention to
little book which he carried
in his lip pocket and which may have
been -DarWin's Descent OF Man or the
Adventures OF Dick Dead Eye" and the
probability is that it was the latter.
One dey the boy was induced by some
one TO write neighborhood notes for his
weekly PAPER Can you imagine with
what a doubtful mind he first chronicled
the fact that James Johnson's COW had
strayed away, or the wife of John
Tonplzlns was recovering from an at
tack Of influenza? His notes were
breezy and neWsy for he appeared to
see things OF interest that would escape
the serious notice OF every, one else in
the neiShborhOod and the number of
rabbits bagged by VIM. Eastman and
the sue essfu1 feat of Josiah Williams
who broke the township record fOrhusk-
Ing corr. were faithfully chronicled-
In the winter months ToWnley went to
school and by a method of rigid econ
omy am self-sacrif1ce his father made
Il possible for him to go to college, after
he had finished the course in the dis
rr1ct SCHOOL. He completed his acad-
emic course without achieving special
distinction and then found that the
parental resources had been exhausted
and that he must shoulder his own
burdens and earn his living. The OPP
p0rtunify came to him before he had
evolved definite plans for his future. A
nelghbot had called the attention of
the editor of a daily paper to his work
on the weekly and he was told by the
former shat he would be given a trial
ais a. reporter on the Herald. TOWn1ey
had once seen a reporter at a political
convention and had watched him with
keen interest while men who were guild
Ing the fortunes of political parties, OF
who thought they were, gave way be-
fore him, found him a good seat and
appeared anxious to honor him. and it
appeared to Towniey that a reporter 3
lot was an enViable one He could
scarcely realize that he was about to
assume this delightful position himself
and that at last he was to be able to
write of the things that he saw. His
ideas OF the duties OF a reporter were.
however. crude and incomplete
When Townley was shown into the
presence Of the editor he felt like a