The Worthington advance., 1901-01-04
NEWS ITEM TRUSTS.
Washington correspon ndents Believe
IN the Combination Idea. = - :.
First Newspaper Writers' Organisa-
den Was q Mutual Admiration,
1oeiety-Modern Methodso1
. ""a.<.Nzs News Division.

49,. Especial Washington Letter.l
1.-TWO old newspaper cronies met
II here recently and passed the
..,s early evening hours in rambling
and exchanging "reminiscences. just
before time for nightcaps, one of the
white-haired veterans of the pencil,
paste and shears said:
Il think that newspaper talent of
the present day stands on its merit.
A man is no longer employed on 4
reputable journal because he is the
son of somebody or the friend Of an
influential pull. It was not always SO.
II remember when was some
years younger I was doing editorial
paragraphs on a morning paper. At
that time the man who did para
graphs generally did the clippings.
It was a delightful combination, a.
you shall see.
Zone day I received a circular
signed by three paragraphers-one
from the Brooklyn Argus, one from
the New York Commercial Advertiser,
and one from the New York Herald.
They proposed the organization of a
Photographers association, the object
being to promote friendly and fra
ternal feeling and better acquaint-
ance.' A list of the newspaper para
graphers who were invited to join
the association was submitted. In a
few, days I received another circular
in which it was stated that favorable
responses had been received from the
following: -
George F. >Babbitt, Boston Post;
Cecil T. Bagnall, Turner's Falls Re-
porter; J. NJ. Bailey, Danbury News;
George D. Bayard, Brooklyn Argus;
Nathaniel Burbank, New Orleans. Re-
publican; Robert J. Burdette, Bur
lington Hawkeye; George L. Catlin,
New York Observation-Disclosures; w.
A. Croffut, New York Graphic; I. NJ.
Gregory, Rochester Democrat; Charles
Burdette Hart, Baltimore Gazette; j.
G. P. Holden, Yonkers Gazette;C C. B.
Lewis, Detroit Free Press; "P. /.
Man," New. York Herald; E. M.
Rewey, Worcester Press; Spicer, Bos-
ton Commercial Bulletin; Samuel w.
Small, Atlanta Herald; Stiles T. Stan
ton, Norwich Bulletin; - Alexander
Sweet, San Antonio Herald; Ausburn
Towner, Elmira~ Advertiser; Stanley
Waterloo, St. Louis Republican; Fran
els Wells, Philadelphia Evening Bull
letin; w. A. Wilkins, Whitehall Times;
j.. H. Williams, Norristown Herald;
E. E. Wood, Chicago Evening journal,
making membership of "a out of the
80 to whom circulars were sent.
"Ehe association was formed and
officers elected. The ballot was b,
mail, tickets having been sent out il,
the same manner. The dues were one
dollar a year. An annual dinner was
to be held in some central city, but
I think none ever came off. Photo
graphs were exchanged, so was wit,
and for season the reader was re-
-galed with the wit of the Paragraph
ers' association and none other. The
funny man. who tried to make him.
self famous on his. own merit had
hard shedding. His stuff was never
copied, and he remained in the shade
of obscurity until new blood in the
infringement of reputable journals
fred out the association of mutual ad-
mirer and employed men for their
worth.
.''Thus the first newspaper trust
busted. Like all others engaged in
the monopoly business we went too
far and overreached ourselves. Look
over those names and you will recall
the careers of some of the men. The
newspaper men of the country have
knowledge of all of them. The casual
readers will remember some of them
It is not many years since j. NJ
Bailey made the Danbury News
known throughout the length and
breadth of the land with his wit and
humor. It has been full 20 years
since Bob Burdette made the Burling-
-!