The Washington herald., 1909-03-07
EDITING IS STRENUOUS
News May Be Dull. but the Life Never So, in Min
ing Camp-He Must Have Nerve, Too

ceSSIEl IN so Tar as ne Auapls not Only MS
journalistic policy. but his business and
social being 10 the requirements Of his
environments. says Dick" Linthicum, in
the New York Post. Mark Twain and
Bret Harte are perhaps the most distin-
guished eXemplars of failure in this re-
gard. according TO Mark Twain. and in
truth the story Of the trials and tribula-
tlons Of an editor Of newspaper in a
Colorado mining camp which follows is
strongly reminiscent of pages from Mr..
Clemens.
Il perceived at the beginning" said a
veteran editor. that success would de-
pend less upon my ability TO collect and
write the news Of the camp than upon my
versatility in other lines-in the field Of
diplomacy. for instance; in the science OF
geology. IN the activities of politics. in
the arts of horsemanship and snow-shoe-
ing. in the capacity Of an authority upon
all subjects in dispute. and in impressing
the community with the belief. if not the
fact. that the editor could not be bullied
nor bluffed.
The prime requisite Of a mining camp
editor. however. is imagination. and II he
be not possessed Of * as a natal gift, Il
viii develop as a result Of environment
and association There Is a sound psy-
Geological reason for the exaggeration Of
statement characteristic Of dwellers in
mountainous country The rarifed at
mOsphere constantly plays tricks with
the eye The actual height OF a noun
tain is always greater than appears from
a visual survey. One approaches gulch
or defle with the intention Of leaping
across IL. only to find when on the brink
that it is hundreds Of feet in width. Thus
Il Is that the moUntaineer. constantly de-
ceived by nature, always enlarges upon
or expands a statement in order 10 ap-
prOximate the truth
There is another reason more concrete.
a mine has been defined as a hole in the
ground. owned BY a liar. and there seems
TO be some foundation in the fact for this
definition. The mining camp editor is the
publicity agent. the spokesman and some
times the partner of the man that owns
the mine.
Imagination Aroused.
TT does not take long for the influence
of altitude and association TO enable the
newspaper man OF the mining camp to
see great possibilities in a prospect hole
nor readily TO recognize a weII-dressed
stranger as a visiting Eastern capitalist
with millions of dollars behind him His
conscience soon ceases 10 rebel when he
refers editorially 10 his camp as the
greatest mining camp in the world'-as he
always does. A mining camp newspaper
man who cannot MAKE a visual survey
Of the shafts and tunnels penetrating the
giant hills in a new camp and not have
graphic visions OF huge mills. reduction
works, and smelters. and then boldly
prophesy their speedy erection. had bet
ter be back in the 'effete East (mining
camp term) doing leg assignments on a
city daily or routine for the city press
association.
I believe It was my training as an edi-
tor in a mining camp that enables me
now to write fiction that I can SELL con-
tinued the veteran. parentheucally.
The most cheerful thing about running
a newspaper In a mining camp is that
you catch the spirit Of optimism that per-
meates everybody and everything, and
when the editor is not chasing rainbows
of his own manufacture he is chasing the
rainbOws or the prospector and the miner.
Notwithstanding the irrational opti-
mism Of the camp and the idiosyncrasies
developed by environment and associa-
tion, the mining camp editor does much
sane, serious, and important work under
difficult and trying conditions.
Editors Difficulties.
The collection Of news in a mining
camp IS attended with hardships and
dangers unknown 10 the newsgather in
the towns and cities outside Of the min
ing regions. The most important news.
ike the other products of the camp
comes out Of the ground. and subterra-
mean reporting has its disadvantages and
its discoUra gements. The newsgatherer
OF the camp cannot get his mining news
in the same way he gets the ordinary To-
cal happenings. In the matter of a birth.
a wedding, a personal item or any affair
relating 20 social or domestic life, the edi-
tor Is sought out and voluntarily inform
ed, but the mining news he must literally
dig out for himself. The prospector or
miner who has property Of value is,
as rule. secretive by the very nature of
his calling except when he has some pur-
pose to serve through publicity. The fel-
low who has struck pay ore and doesn't
need money for development and doesn't
wish 20 sell is about as uncOmmunicative
as q malcfactor Of great wealth before an
investigating committee. II he is looking
for financial assistance or trying TO make
a sale. he is eager that you shall have
full information. SO is the fellow who
has a good showing. or Is Just about to-
strike it, but neither Of them is willing
10 tell you about ii. They wish you TO
see il; they are afraid you might doubt
their statements. How absurd, They
Will give you a kind Of an idea about it,
but they wouldn't dare to tell you how
good il is they wish 10 be ultra-cOnserv-
atiye about IT, You are advised that you
will find iJ very much better than they
have stated. And being a good editor,
whose judgment must necessarily be in
fallble. you go
Mines Widely Scattered.
'The mines are scatterd over a wide
area The particlar mine you are to view
may be miles from the town, IN which
case you VIII go IN horseback. provided
the sure-footed little cayuse doesn't OBJ
jet and refrains from buckinE you OF
You may draw prize as once did in
horse rode over a trail Of slide rock.
where chipmunk wouldn't be sure OF
its footing. in an altitude Of 121C0 feet
once I visited "A big working tunnel
with the superintendent The dump al
the portal was leo feet high. When we
came out he mounted his horse. rode out
calmly 90 the edge OF the dump. touched
the horse with his quirt whereupOn the
animal sGuatted upon its launches and
slid 90 the bottom. arriving on all four
legs. I heard the superintendent call
Come on as he disappeared over the
brow of the dump Would I expose my
SELF IS q tenderfoOt editor by riding
down the trail? Not J. Ny life was de-
voted 20 newspaper work, and this was
rart cf the game. I was not acquainted
with the horse I was riding. I did not
even know his name. but / rode out TO
the edge of the dump. hit him with the
whip and, to my extreme qualification
he tcbosganned down that dump as II
that were his regular daily stunt