Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-23

500 10 1000 different newspapers. The more
important Of these publications come In du-
plicste, sometimes IN trlplicate, so Il will
be seen that the amount Of printed matter
handled Is really enormous.
Each paper or magazine as It is received
at the bureau Is checked off: this work be-
ing quite simple. It Is then turned over to
a reader" who looks carefully through
every page to study the contents. Tho
readers have in front Of them a bulletin
containing a list Of subjects on which they
are to make clippings. Some bureaus that
clip to file matter away for future refer
ence cut nearly everything in a paper,
Others, that clip simply FOR "orders" that
they have to supply. cut, Of course only
matter on the order subjects.
Tho readers task is a most agreeable one
to the girl with a thirst for knowledge, for
It gives her a passing view at least of all
current topics. 1t may be interesting to
note some Of the subjects upon which clip
plings are made. Municipal ownership is
now one Of the most popular subjects upon
which information is desired Persons who
are interested In pending legislation which
touches the question Of municipal owner
ship go to a clipping bureau to find what
are the latest results OF ether peoples
observation and experience Contractors
WHO are on NUe LOOKOUT IOE business pay
the clipping bureau handsomely for notices
Of new buildings to be constructed or public
works, such as sewers, bridges, roads and
the like, for which bids can be offered
Philanthropists and others interested in
child labor wish to gather arguments and
statistics on the subject of preparing to
defeat or enact OF legislation bearing
uDon It.
The bulletin in front Of each reader Of
the bureau contains a list Of all those sub
jects on which she is expected TO make
clippings. AS a new order comes in It IL
added to the bulletin. The work OF the
reader is to mark in blue pencil the ar
ticles or paragraphs to be clipped and TO
put on each a number Of the order. The
marked papers are then turned over to
the girls who do the cutting. inexperienced
girls are given this part OF the work. Then
comes the sorting Of the clippings and
their distribution into envelopes ready for
the persons who have ordered them. Lastly
these envelopes are turned over to the
shippers" who forward them 70 patrons.
Generally newspapers are read by one
set of girls and magazines by another. 1t
takes a goody amount Of gray matter"
to quote the manager of bureau, "for a
person to an intelligent and satisfactory
reader. Discrimination is needed in order
that proper selections may be made. Per-
haps II is because women are more pains
taking than men that they are TO be found
in most of the clipping bureaus. Begin
ming in the checking or sorting depart
ments, the girl finally Is promoted to the
readers desk, where If she likes the work
at all she generally spends very pleasant
days, stopping now and then TO read closely
a paragraph that is of special interest to
her and elsewhere Swimming quickly
through matter which is also interesting,
but which does not for a moment concern
her. The working hours for the clipping
bureau are usually from 70 5 80 o'clock.