The Republican journal., 1904-06-23
A UNIQUE NEWSPAPER.

The Atchison, Kansas, Globe is a
unique newspaper There is ho other
paper like it in the world. Its editor is
E. W. Howe, author of four notable
novels, the originator of the Atchlson
corn carnival, an admirer of band music
and with very decided views on music
generally, hater of shams in whatever
form, and la writer of very vigorous Eng
fish. Recently young man who had
been for three weeks a reporter on the
Atchison Globe published his expert
ences in another Kansas paper. He
said that part of the system success
fully followed by the Globe for twenty
seven years was to give all the news
briefly and to the point and then print
your fill up stuff and trash" OF his
experience in newsgathering he said:
| must say the people of Atchison
treated me nicely while l was With
them. for which | thank them. A few
people joshed me, and asked me what
oats was worth: if ! had any young
chickens on foot, and any in the shell;
and one day when | was wandering
around up on Commercial street hunt
ing for news, a big dutfer says to me
kindly: Are you lost, sonny; | see
linn no. but would be, morally, at any
rate. if l stayed in his old town, and
asked him if it was for sale, and what
it was worth. He Informed me that |
could have his share very cheap. | ask
ed lady in West Atchison if there was
any news. She said, NO, nothing ever
happens out here; | would fall dead if
there did" If man has a constitution
like horse, is a tireless worker. is full
OF vim, energy, get-up and don't care
what becomes of him, | would advise
him to go into the newspaper business.
Tie Globe printed the article from
its ex- reporter in full, and the editor
commented upon it in his characteristic
way. What he said of the system
that has won success for the Globe is
OF interest:
The Globes plan is to send its re-
porters all over the town and vicinity
to hunt for news. They are expected
to return every hour or two, and hand
in their copy, which is sifted, or ac-
cepted or rejected, by managing edi-
tor-who, by-the-Way, is a woman, and
all the new reporters we have tried
admit that she is kind and patient. Ii
two or more reporters hand in the same
STORY" the better one is accepted.
Certain reporters have certain territory
as the court house, the city court, the
undertakers' shops. ETC., and they al
ways write news originating there
but all of them are tree to work in the
Big Field-the field where the best
items originate-that is, Commercial
street. Another peculiar thing
about The Globe office is that it has no
advertising solicitor; that is, no adver-
Using solicitor who does nothing else.
The reporters, including the society
reporter, solicit advertising, and the
proprietor and editor and advertising
manager are reporters.
This recalls an experience the writer
had on a daily paper more than third
of century ago. The principal pro-
pmetor was millionaire with literary
tastes and peculiar IDEAS as to jour
naIism, and his two partners were both
very able editorial writers. The pres
ent writer went on the paper as night
editor. but soon had other duties added,
including those Of city editor, The
papers speciality had been its editorials
and the news features had been neg
lected. An attempt was made to get
the three proprietors. who were the
editorial writers, TO contribute to the
news columns. One of them went to
the Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs
and was prevailed upon to write some
letters from that noted Southern re-
sort. He wrote two, about half a
column each. One described the prep
arations for entertaining a large crowd
which did not come, and the other was
devoted to dissertation on the shallow
waShbowlS furnished for the use of
guests. The writer of these letters was
his editorials were second in ability
to none written in this country at that
time. Another of the staff was pre-
vailed upon to write up local happen
ing which would call for perhaps doz-
en- lines. He spent an hour or two
writing and rewriting and finally gave
it up and turned the matter over to
the night editor to be put in shape for
publication. This simply illustrates a
fact that is not generally realized-t
the writing of bright, snappy news
paragraph is something that can only
be attained by practice, unless you are
specially gifted in that direction. And
the Atchison Globe aboundS in bright,
snappy news paragraphs.