The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-08
From the New York Sun.

"HE time was 12:15 o'clock yesterday
 afternoon. Jack Hammond, the
 tall and serious young man who Is a press agent for the democratic national committee, sat at his mahogany desk in the Fifth Avenue building doing some thing or other important Presently he was aware that person had passed the swinging gate and was circling gut the desk as if planning to alight
 Mr. Hammond looked up. There con fronted him youth with a hat in his right hand, a notebook in his left. The eyes of the youth were blue and wide open. He breathed like one who had been running. He said;
 ''Where can I find MT. Hammond?
 Being assured that MT. Hammond was already found, the visitor asked if he was too late.
 Too late for what?' inquired MT. Ham mond
 ''ro get the news"
 What news? Tell me who you are, please"
 As the boy explained a rosy light dawned on the democratic national pub licist. The boy was nthe School Of Journalism opened yesterday at Coium- bia. Prof. Robert E. MacAlarney had as- signed him to interview Professor Mac Alarney's friend, MT. Hammond.
 Happy to oblige Bob MacAlarney and the School of Journalism," said the se- rious MT. Hammond. Now, just what can I do for you. Bless you, boy. any thing I know is yours"
 q was afraid it would be too late l understood you went to press at Il o'clock. Had a class at Il, though, and couldn't get here"
 '.very good" chirped the serious MT. Hammond mptitude-promptitude, say, is the thing I'd emphasize above everything else if I were running school of Journalism. You know if costs news paper a fearful lot if 1t goes to press late How much--oh, about s1oo min ute"
 The inquirer found a pencil fin the last pocket that he explored and made his first note. Here, in his maiden interview was a man with facts and figures. Al the invitation of MT. Hammond he drew up a chair and told the expounder of Wil- son sentiment just what ile was after.
 Professor MacAlarney," he explained. .'assigned me to come down here ana ma out how real reporters on the New fork newspapers interview politicians, how you manage your bureau and how you get tainted news into the papers
 .Is that all you want to know? Well, where do you want nae to begin?"
 1,sc Hammonds desk. where he could write easily and fast, and said:
 .sWhen the reporters call at the national headouarters, who do they come to firstg'
 ..u-m-m-m,'' said Mr. Hammond. Well. vou can say that they often come to see me-official capacity. you understand
 And what do you do?"
 "Hand 'em out canned stuff usually"
 "Canned stuff? What in the---''
 ..Canned stuff said Professor Ham, mond of the university extension course, lis the name we have for typewriter in terviewG. statements. straw polls and such that is manifolded and given to all newspapers to do what they want with. In a word it's easy money for space grabbers."
 The Columbia Journalist had got "canned stuff" into his notebook. but at space grabbers' he paused. MT. Ham mond then made it perfectly clear that some reporters are paid by the column The phrase was preserved in the note book for Professor MacAlarney
 And then what do you and the re- porters do?' pursued the young man with the wide open blue eyes.
 we hold whispered conversations" said MT. Hammond. warming to his job.
 What about?"
 ''Oh, we have lunches. You know what lunches are--news lunches about this and that and often something else. It's in this whispered conversation that the report CTS get the tips that make big stories in the papers. You know reporters are always looking for the unusual. Dogsone 'em, they don't give a snap for things that are happening every day.
 You have heard of Mr. Dana's re- mark about the dog? No? Well. this will help you in your Journalistic work a reporter came in one day and told Mir. Dana that he had good piece about dog that had bitten man. and Mir.