The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-10-23
MEN WHO WORK OVERTIME.
Actors, Clereymen, School Teachers
and Newspaper Men.

n Newspaper Men.
Harper's Weekly: Recently I have
talked with a number of men who work
hard in their various professions. The
comedian of a stock company in a well
known New York theater said: ITO be-.
gin with, we lave a new play every week.
I am always at the theater every after
noon at about 2 O'Clock, and am often I'M
able to leave till G:30 or even later, espe-
cially on Mondays and Tuesdays, when
the new play has not begun to run
smoothly. Similar long hours prevail. of
course, evenings. My mornings are taken
up with rehearsals for the play that is
to be put on the next week. This. with
the time I ave to devote to studying my
lines, takes about fifteen hours a day. 1t
Is pretty heard, but after a talk, the
other day, witt a friend who had just
come in from playing one-n.ght stands,
I congratulated myself on having a COM
paratively easy lot in life.
The ordinary weekly routine of a prom
inent out-of-town clergyman with whom
l talked Is as follows: "All day Sunday
is taken up with the regular routine of
church work. Every night in the week
there is some kind of a meeting which
requires my presence. On Saturday / pre-
pare my sermon. During the month or
quarter come the conferences and other
meetings at which I am expected to be.
present. The church conducts an en-
ployment bureau, q free dispensary, a.
kindergarten and other auxiliaries, all
of which l visit once or twice a week
inns, by the way, does not include meet
ings of educational, fr%aternal, political
and other organizations for which I often
nave to prepare addresses; nor the calls
On the eleven hundred member of my
.sONgr6g2 ton. Las war come of nv time
was employed in marrying eighty-two
couples, attending nearly one hundred flu
nerals and making about one thousand
calls"
l have a friend who Is a school teacher
Ind he says that he earns every cent Of
his salary: II average about twelve
hours work a days" said he, and dur
ing my vacation I devote about half my
time to special reading in connection with
future school work. The i"ntroduction Of
supplementary work in the schools, the
taking up of special subjects one or two
hours a week, require extra reading and
studying"
To many the newspaper reporter ap-
pears to lead a life of pleasure. But the
reporter we see on the stage-the Jour
naiist' with the notebooks never seen
in real life. Here is what one of the re-
porters on a big morning paper told me,
and as l have been through the same ex-
perience. I know it is substantially cor
rect: Il get to the office at 1870, in or
der to read the papers half an hour be-
fore the noon assignments are given out.
Soon after II I am sent out on a story. If
1t Is not very important or is not far
away L may have two or three to look
after. Under ordinary circumstances I
return to the office before 6 and write my
copy. AS soon as it is finished and I haye
my dinner I start out on evening assign
ments, returning as soon as possible, for
the earlier one gets his copy in the more
space he is paid for in the paper. No
one can tell in advance when or where a
news story will break out, and I always
keep a packed grip at the office"
Even the wealthy work overtime, and
most of them pay the penalty, sooner or
later, in one way or another. 1t is said
that George Gould is at his desk at 8;
o'clock every morning when he is in the
city.
The only recreation Russell Sage has is.
when he steals an hour for a drive. John
D. Rockefeller has already bartered hts
stomach for his wealth by working long
hours.
A prominent physician recently said to.
me: Up to a generation ago the watch
word was, Look out for your stomach
Now it is, Look out for your nervous sys-
tenn An eight-hour union for profess
sional men and men who work with their
brains ought certainly to be seriously con-
Sidered.'