The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-01
NEW BOOKS
PRACTICAL. JOURNALISM

PRACTICAL JOURNALISM. COMPLETE
MANUAL OF THE BEST NEWSPAPER
METHODS. By edwin L. shuman, Author Of
'steps Into Journalism New York: D.
Appleton 6 Co. Price $1.25.
Mr.. Shuman himself has had wide, |
varied and practical experience in the
making of newspapers, and in this vol
ume he sketches the methods of the
elder day and goes into details as to
that wonder of human intelligence, the
modern newspaper, setting before the
ambitious Would-be journalist, the diff
culties Of pupilage to the art and the
satisfaction which awaits the conscien-
tious worker who recognizes the vast
potentiality Of we'll wrought journalism, in
the betterment Of human conditions. Mr..
Shuman is not, like some writer's on this
subject, extremely dogmatic as to meth
DDS in journalism. He shows, In very
interesting way, how work is done In the
leading newspaper offices, fully equipped
with all modern appliances for the speedy
collection of news and Its prompt pre-
| sentation to readers, morning, noon af-
ternoon and evening. He devotes con-
siderable space to the editing of country
newspapers, the law Of libel and the law
| of copyright, handling the latter, his i'm
portant subjects and their defects, with
singular ability. He begins with a sketch
| of the evolution Of the press and traces
progress in this country up to the be-
ginning Of the civil war, which Mr.. Shu-
man rightly says made the Americans a
nation of newspaper readers" the anx-
| iety to get news from the front genera
/ ting a tremendous demand for neWspa-
pers, this demand stimulating new inven-
lions to meet it, and bringing about Won
derful changes in mechanical appliances;
ultimately bringing into successful ope-
ration type-setting machines, marvellous
printing machines and stereotyping of
pages, color printing and folding appara-
tus, etc., while the leading papers spend
princely sums on cable and land trans
mission of news, and the telephone saves
the reporter from the long and weary
tra1nps Of the elder day. All first-class
journals have an artists department tc
, adorn the pages with pictures of current
happenings and cartoons. Mr.. Shumar
: describes all the details Of each depart
ment. He is not very enthusiastic as
, to encouraging women to take up news.
: paper work, but women will read his re.
marks with interest as he tells them the
difficulties they may expect His chap
3 ter on getting news, editors and thei
Y methods, qualifications for Journalism ant
5 'errors,'' are Interestingly suggestive
8 There is differentiation or methOdS AM
S always will be.
: Mr. Shuman< rightly contends that tn
t American newspaper press Is in advanc
t of that of every other nation as ex
$ preston of contemporary life. "As
t whole" he says, 'it is closer to the PEG
| pie, OlSp plays I1OIc fN1SOlOuS -CuLC1 " lot
u has a finer mechanical equipment an
d has more capital and a larger income a
= it's command than the press of any othe
: country"
d PARs1FAL. A MYSTICAL DRAMA. T
l, Richard Wagner Retold in the Spirit Of tt
Bayreuth Interpretation. By Oliver Hucke
,r illustrated by stassen. New York. T.
- Crowell & Co. Price IS cents
- The author of this translation, o
% rather paraphrase, of this fine opera
e, Wagner, is an Oxford and Berlin schola
- who has made a long and intelligent stu6
:, Of it at Bayreuth. "ParsifaI' was tt
80 last Towering of Wagner's genius. 1t
=. based on the medieval legend Of tt
J. Sangrael or Holy Grail, which tells no
"A the chalice used at the Last Supper /
,s Christ and his apostles was carried fro
10 the Holy Land by Joseph Of Arimathe
=. to special sanctuary in Spain, to !
n cherished and guarded by holy ban
W. the "Knights of the Grail Mr.. Huckel
~ parap is fine and impressive.