The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-16

days openly acknowledging my ine1peri-
ence' trying only TO convince people that
l earnestly and honestly desired the right
to labor, l had succeeded In obtaining
four paying positions. Two Of these were
Of the future, one immediate and certain,
the other acceptable only so far as I chose
TO place my confidence Ia the gentlemanly
instincts Of the man who offered It,
Still | was not satisfied The other
woman still clamored for more opportunity.
To the newspaper offices ! made my way.
The boomerang is IN n big white building
The other woman had not the least idea
OF the mysteries that lie hidden in the
may intricaces OF a great newspaper Of
dee. In the business part OF the establish
ment | took the cashier into my confidence
| wanted TO get work on the paper-not l,
but the other woman.
The editor is the man you want to see. :"
It reilly made me feel a year younger
7 went up in the elevator. The other
woman also went up in the elevator with
trembling knees and quiverlug lips. The
editor was n very big man. Proverbiany
he is impossible when II comes TO small be-
ginnings In Journalism. At the gate which
shuts out humanity from the owls who dig
within q boy met me.
II want to see the editor" said the other
woman tlmorously.
Guess it's the city editor you want 10
see"
II wasn't. II was the managing editor
But how should the other woman know
that? She had no way Of finding out. Az
ter a moment or two they admitted me into
his sacred presence. / told him a plain
unvarnlshed tale Of the other woman. He
said that the woman who fancied she
wished an opening on newspaper was a
very foolish woman and knew nothing Of
the hardships journalistic women have to
encounter. He was very earnest and said
every word as II he meant 1t.
PROFESSION OF HARDsHIPs.
''we have only one young woman on our
forces he said. only think. One must
have some regard for a woman. she sim
ply can't be sent on the same work that
men can. Why, Just the other day a girl
came in here and l told her the same
thing l am telling you, | think Il any real
iEation Of what It means 10 be a newspaper
writer could be brought To you you would
give It up in minute. It is the hardest
Of all professions. woman is handi-
capped. Reporters are sent In all sorts OF
places where a woman never by any posi-.
bility can go"
But" said I. ''it a woman Is obliged 20
earn her living and thinks only thinks, she
can write isn't II better for her TO try1"
Decidedly no. You want work. Why
don't you keep on doing the kind Of work
you are accustomed tor
81 have never done any work at ALL"
answered.
Then that editor became a tribe less pes
slmistic. He told me that there was mar
ket for short stories and II l knew any
good human news stories he would be glad
to consider them, A salaried position was
quite out OF the question. Even this was
better than trying for positions through a
registration office. II gave one chance
at least 70 show what one could do.
In the next newspaper ofhee ] asked for
the managing editor. The experience IN
the other office had taught me that he is
the man who presides over the destnies OF
ambitious literary asplrauts. A managing
EDITORS sanctum Is always back OF all the
other offices. One has TO pass a formidable
bodyguard before one gets In. 1t doesn't
tend TO increase ones confidence IN ones
self TO be obliged TO state the exact bust
ness on which one wishes 10 confer with
him But II has 10 be done, l have never
seen managing editor We; whom one
could see the nrst time he tried. The
stenographer was on guard outside she
editors door Ic was impossible
10 see him, II had a manuscript 20 sub
nit well and good. n not, in polite terms
/ would better 90 home and write one
Again ] told my story and again It WIS |
alphabetically received. The stenographer /
knew all about newspaper conditions II ! !
eould write abort stories and they were