The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-23
"NEWS" HEELERS AT YALE.
REPORTERS ON TRIAL LEAD
AN ARDUOUS LIFE.


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They're Made Editors by Competition and
Running Errsnds IL One or IYhcir
Tasks-An Early Morning Heat on
Fire mat Wasn't Appreciated
NEW HAVEN. May 22.-Arnong all those
working for undergraduate honofs at
Yale no n puts In longer hours than
the reporter for the Yale Daily Ners.
commonly known on the campus as the
news heller. No candidate for football
honors ever shaved harder than does this
patient news gathmer.
There are nov eleven places on me
Neus stan open to each entering class.
Long custom has given the majority
OF them to members Of the college or
academic department, but in the last
few years three have been set aside for
members Of the Sheffield Scientific School.
The competition In the former. because
OF the greater number of places to be
filed. runs over two years. but Shelf men
land their three places at the first tryout.
At different times In the year there APP
pears in a corner OF the Yale Neps the
brief announcement that on "a certain
day competition for places on tho paper
/ viii be opened. At the hour nam ed any.
swarm into the entry of White Hall, the
Yale dormitory. in the basement Of which
are located the Neps Offices. RI
When the editorial stat Of the paper Is
ready to receive the green material
waiting outside. the door Of the editorial
sanctum is opened and the freshmen
swarm in. The Dom is large with a long
table running on one side for the general
stan and a small desk on the opposite
side for the assignment editor. Two
smaller offices opening out are for the use
Of the business manager and tho editor. y
As soon as the Newspaper sheep are
herded into the main Office a hush falls
on the crowd as the chairman OF the news
board outlines their duties. The candi-'
dates are then turned over to the assign
ment editor for inspection and the whole
system Of the work is carefully gone over
and explained. -
Places are given the candidates accord
ing to the credit received. There are
three kinds of credit-assigned. unas-
signed and errand. For aoh article that
appears the writer receives 30 much
credit. and the amour OF work done by
different heelers varies. The average
amount OF material printed during each
competition is between 10000 and 100. 9
words from each man, but some candi-
dates have gone through a competition
without having more than 5000 words
appear in the paper. while others have
passed the maximum limit. ---i7'
Two rivals in the field may turn in the
same story equally well, covered. and fire.
quently in such cases both men receive
credit, although only one story Is printed.
For securing interviews or for even call
ing on leading men OF the university for
news, special permission has to be secured
from the assignment editor. An inter-
view has to be submitted to the person
from whom it was secured and he has b o
attach his signature to 1t.
The feature that makes the competition
so heroically~ strenuous Is that OF giving
word credit for errands. For attending
to Neus business a certain number 81
words are allowed for each hour thus
spent and a patient group OF heelers is
frequently to be seen waiting at the outer
onlce for a chance to run errands.
Each night one man is selected as night
man. He stays until the last piece OF
copy goes to the printer.
move along a routine line. but OCCASION
ally n Of the heelers develops a sudden
scheme and puts it into action before the
astonished editors ave a chance to catch
him. Recently the night man on the Ners
was awakened from a quiet doze he wal
enjoying in tho Office by the fire bells.
1t was about ? A. NJ. and the number
tolled out was u student apartment on
Wall street, Breathlessly the heller ran
over to the campus and into an entrance
Of Durfee. What happened after that
was a subject Of dispute between the
heller and the editor. calmly sleeping
there before the interruption. From a
review 'of the stories told it would seem
! that the heller succeeded in awaking the
managing editor by pulling out a paiama
sleeve. and when he thought that he had
his man safe awake went on %hurriedly
to explain his plan. The editor nodded
his head sagely and the heller flew away
to the printers. Next morning the other
heelers stared at the paper and said very
unoomplimentary things Of themselves.
Some one had landed a SCOOP. The man
who did the trick. however, just at that
time was in hot water with the chairman
Of the Neus board. the managing editor.
On waking up the next morning the
chairman declared that he had no knowl-
edge Of, giving any permission to publish
the fire story. It took the heller most
Of the morning after to establish his case
and get his credit.