The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-04-27

this column once recognized means
tremendous valuation to the prop-i-
etor. The advertisers, especially
those having women's apparel and be-
longings for sale, soon grow to know
and patronize the paper in accordance
with its social rating.
There Is literally at the present time
no department of newspaper work
in which women have not practically
exemplified the fact that they stand
equal with men as reporters. AS war
correspondents. for nerve and accu-
racy they mads enviable records in
the Spanish-American and South Az
rican wars. But 1t is as an inter-
viewer that the woman newspaper;
writer is beginning to excel In this
lies her unQuestioned success. 1t is
here that a natural patience stands
her friend in the hour Of need 1t is
here also that her intuition serves
her well.
The average woman does not I'M
derstand politics. Possibly the rea-
son for this may lie in the fact that
up to the present time she has taken
little active part in the workings Of
the great machine which turns some
presidents in and others out of the
White House. But this does not mil
itate against her availability and
strength as an interviewer, because q
woman more naturally than a man
carries out instructions. When de-
tailed to some important work of this
nature she is quick to add to her
current knowledge such specific in
formation as is essential in the case.
She rarely returns empty-handed
from an assignment, and the newspa-
per woman of standing Is recognized
FOR accuracy Of detail.
II I were asked the most important
essential to success in a newspaper
writer would reply "tact!" and again
"tact!" There are other essentials,
of course. and among these, in addi-
ton to good memory, which is nat
urally strengthened by the severe
| training IL to be enumerated an in
stinct for news. This means not only
to keep abreast Of the doings OF the
hour. but to know at hearing or
glance q really good thing when one
comes across 1t, to seize upon and
use 1t forthwith. yet never under any
circumstances to be led into the fatal
perfldy of playing traitor. Another
essential II not only to be equal to
emergencies but to cultivate the fac
ulty Of deciding quickly and wisely.
This last IL by no means easy even
| to . veteran writer.
Interpreted with the hard work are
bright bits Of happiness along the way.
There are many compensations for
the life of self-abnegation in the
stanch. elevating friendships with peo-
pie who otherwise would not have
been met by the newspaper writer
save in the discharge of duty-friend-
ships in which shop" IL forgotten, in
which the real woman is recognized
and her talent met upon the only
plane on which clever woman will
allow 1t to be met.
Tho question Of equal pay for equal
work Is perhaps less agitated in news
paper Offices than elsewhere in pur-
suits where women come in active
competition with men.
The outlook Is decidedly encourag-
ing to woman Of good health. To
one with perfectly normal way OF
looking at life and things generally;
who, wishing to support herself, has
yet no capital other than brains and
energy to invest, l would decidedly
recommend newspaper writing. There
is no appreciable danger Of the ranks
being overcrowded. for the artless
young enthusiast who enters this field
soon becomes aware that she has un-
dertaken no child's play. but is act
ually engaged in the hardest work
of which the strongest, most deter
mined natures can be capable. Such
being the case, the result is inev-
itably the survival of the fittest 1t
is field in which idlers and drones
will not be tolerated. but in which
there is plenty Of room for the earn
est women of the land.
What gift of prophecy but would
have been ilouted to scorn In the pio-
neer days Of women newspaper
writer's had the assertion been VEN
tured that the close Of the nineteenth
century would have witnessed the
spectacle Of women writer's In charge
of departments Of the leading news
papers and magazines Of the coun-
try! Yet now even the most preju-
diced q observant persons must real
ize that before the twentieth CEN
tury reaches its zenith there will be
not one but many clever women NIL
ing with honor the positions of city
and managing editors of great metro
molitan dailies.
Puzzle Of the Marine Barracks.
4 Among the interested visitors at the
marine barracks at Washington on