The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-25
wAITER r. wH1TMAIN.

Perhaps not more than one out Of
each thousand readers OF a daily morning
paper could tell the name OF Its night
editor; In the city of publication he often
has fewer acquaintances than the Gun
/ reporter; special doubled-leaded articles
do not appear over his signature and at
the head OF the editorial page his exls-
tence is not even noted; yet the gather
ing and printing of the news-for which
the public really buys the paper, is his
daily, or rather nightly work, for his
hours OF labor are while other men
slumber. His Identity Is merged into
that OF the Herald, the Times. or the
Journal, as the case may be. The papers
glory is his own; it's failures are his
shame, its news scoops" his reward. He
does a prodigious amount of work, quiet
ly and without ostentation-for the pure
love OF 1t, without thought of the size
of the check which he gets on Saturday
night. Loyalty to his paper Is part Of
his religion, faithfulness the chief article
of his creed. To get the news" he will
sacrifice his brother.
Faithfully unto the end he serves the
public and his paper; then ten-line AS
sociated Press item announcing his de-
mise is headed, His Thirty In"-thirty
being a newspaper term for all finished.
At the little restaurant around the corner
where the force takes the midnight lunch,
some one remarks. Poor old Bill! He
was a hill Of good newspaper mani
A new night editor Is at his desk. the
Herald comes out as usual and the pub
lie wots not of the difference.
Drop in to see the night editor at q
busy hour, say 2 o'clock In the morning,
and, il you succeed In getting to his
desk at all you'll find him with a mass
of typewritten papers before him-seen-
lngly piled in hopeless confusion, IN
spite Of the fact that he knows just
where TO place his finger tips on any
item-story he'd call it, for In newspaper
parlance everything is story, whether
= It be a six-column account of the assas-
2snation of q king or five-ltne state
5nient OF the winners ut aSbench show
Here Is the special "stuff" that's coming
left is that political scandal from WASH
ington, and beyond on that file hook is
the .'leader or introduction for lat
murder trial, the details of which are
already in type. Half a dozen pencils
with big soft, black leads, sharpened to a
needle point, lie beside his shears and
paste pot; as many more, the leads worn
4 to stubs, have been thrown aside.. The
green eye-shade is showed we'll up on
short-stemmed pipe with Its blackened
bowl, comes in short nervous puffs from
his lips Hours ago he threw away the
thick black cigar with which he set
tied down to his nights work-its end
nervously crushed between his teeth
long after 1t had ceased to hurn.
The night editor scarcely looks up as
you rustic the papers piled upon the
floor. A half artlculate grunt is his only
greeting. He hasn't time for words
'Busy!" is likely to BIO the only answer
8you,ll ret ia any inquiry unless YOU
have an item Of news. Flo is. not In
Stentionally impollte. but his mind is at
work on the printed pages yet to come
from the press. Pictured on his brain
+! Is an outline Of each. clear as though
tho open paper were spread before him,
s"cut It to a stics!" he almost snarls IA
+ he scarcely glances at a typewritten story,
n column in length. which an assistant
has Just laid before him Short and
sharp are the few words he speaks to
his associates, hut they arc obeyed with
out question or comment.
"A sensational news item from a distant
correspondent comes mover the wires; II