The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-27
THE CITY REPORTERS WIFE
Has Little of Her Husbands Society
and Has a Hard Time.

Cornelia Rees, in Newspaperdom.
One might unhesitatingly venture to say
that the ever ambitious reporter is contin-
ually confronted by murderous hours for
duty; such as make the correct timing Of
his pleasure of dining and rising two very
painful and tedious experiences of the re-
porter's wife; in fact that is how I found
them. He rises at II o'clock noon, has
breakfast shortly after p. m, of for the
Office about 2:9O, arrives home. after COM
pleting his afternoon assignments, for an
other meal at $780, but doesn't dine until @;
he then leaves for that sainted office little
after z, absolutely prepared to cover his
usual territory, police stations, hospitals,
city hall, hotels or whatever the editor sees
fit to assign him to. After covering his dis
trfct, to the entire satisfaction of his own
individuality, he returns to the office and
looses no time in grinding out a batch of
Office work is practically over at 2:30 un-
less something unusually startling breaks
out and then in all probability he is de-
tanned until a. M, and possibly later.
He usually reaches home for sleep about
a. M, and very often it is nearly 5; but
he offers a satisfactory excuse. Il have
been over at the Press Club: you know, l
through my daily toll" OF course the kind
hearted little wife readily accepts the apol-
ogy. The hours of a reporter at home
awake are about three out of twenty-four.
And that is the married life" newspa-
per mans wife has to contend with The
reporters sleeping hours are practically
as exciting at times as when he is awake,
all unbeknown to himself. The slightest
echoing of bell, for instance the unsen-
sational church chime; causes him to semi
consciously call: "Boy-boy-wheres the
fire? Quick, call up the Electrical Bureau"
Such gibberish and speeches while in that
deep slumber. It's just awful But, poor
fellow. he's so wrapped up in his profession
that one must let him ramble on, uncon-
scfous of his surroundings. One delight OF
the average newspaper mans wife and
you'll confess that he has to be very
''solid' at the office to reach that unde-
nlably lofty height, and that is the entree
to the theaters; to travel on passes and so
ON. have reached the conclusion that this
should be sufficient warning to any girl still
in her blissful state of bachelorhood. l
advise all young ladies who are fond of
society to shun the company of newspaper
correspondents in particular.
Can it be possible that he forgets that a
wife is home day after day and counts on
that anxiously-looked-fo day off to vary
the monotOny of life?-to dress up, for in
stance, in ones very best: to dine down
town; to visit or go theatring, and all
that sort Of thing. It's the same old story,
and the newspaper correspondent addressed
his spouse thus: "I'd rather remain at
home, and read up little bit; I'm so very
tired; I've had a hard week Of 1t this week. ="
and that's the way he feels and talks.
What is rest to the reporter is undoubtedly
monotony to his better half 'Oh. it must
be just lovely to be a newspaper man 5
wife" That's the greeting the reporter s
wife usually receives from half the peo-
pie she meets But they don't know his
employer don't realize, and IL is certainty
that the publisher don't know. If they
realized the life of the scribe's wife, it
would be different, nevertheless they'll
learn, perhaps
Experience and close range observation
of an enthusiastic newspaper man by a hui
man nature student points out that he Is
very much effected with 'office color" that
is, two-thirds of his life is devoted to work.
Social duties bore him, and he appears
panied when the little details about the
house or home are mentioned. He is fell
low who rarely admits he is wrong in a
discussion when hopelessly routed. and
has no mercy on victim in the same posi-
ton When addressing his wife. he dis
plays a very affectionate disposition, but
she is frequently compelled to take a cross
word from him, because things went wrong
at the office, but il is quickly followed by
an apology. He is good-hearted fell
low as ever lived and isn't half as cruel
as many people believe him TO be.
The only trouble with him is that when
he gets his salary, he is entirely too liberal
everybody shares a portion of il with him.
III is nearly all spent before he reaches
home, treating his friends to cigars, lunch
cons and so forth. Then he gets an ad-
vance.