The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-07-10
PAPERS MADE IN JAIL
Prison Journalism Has Elements Of
Human Interest Attractive TO the
Reader.

Chicago Tribune:-Since journalism has
reached point where every trade, creed
and hobby has its magazine, and there is
even magazine for magazine makers, it is
not very surprising to find that there are
numerous prison journals, remarks the
Kansas City Star. 1t is more surprising,
however, to discover how we'll written some
of them are and how much humor and
pathos and observations upon human life
hold the readers interest Recently Will
liam Marion Reedy, commenting upon this
newly developed literature declared that
''the prison press is on higher literary
plane that some of the most successful
daily papers. He appeared to be particu-
larly impressed by the absence of maudlin
self-pity and by the thought of "what a
wealth of the romance OF experience is
locked up in the penitentiaries.
At the first glance humor seems to be
the most conspicuous quality of these prison
papers, but perhaps that's because it is so
little to be expected. The cheerful verses
about baseball, the quotations from Josh
Billings, the editorials inveighing against
knockers and "gloom boys and the
whole pages of genial paragraphs of news
done in the style of country paper make
these prison papers give first impression
of being little like Life or Judge. There
is suggestion of humor even in some of
the headlines, as in page of locals labeled
''Of Local Interest Only This caption
seems particularly bizarre in connection
with such news as this from No. 6494:
''There is pretty little white kitten in
the kitchen which we editor is tempted to
take, steal and carry away to his sanctum
sanctorium for an Office pet. The only
pets we have are type lice, and they are
very unsatisfactory. We don't know if
there is law in Oregon against stealing
kittens, and our fear of being arrested and
sent to the penitentiary is all that prevents
us from kidnapping said kitten.
Nor is such paragraph a rare one.
favorite species of prison journalism humor
appears to be the fun of writing of prison
doings in the vein of the old time rural
scribe. AS, when guard goes deer hunt
ing, the editor of Lend Hand takes occas-
sion to remark, eye editor is anticipating
a nice, juicy venison steak-perhaps."
Or the humor may be more yelled:
''Head hunky gone out trusty; second
Aunky promoted to head aunky; our office
devil advanced to second Aunky. Check!''
Lend Hand recently even carried this
habit of testing about prison life to the ex
tent of getting out state fair number,
and it spoke of the Portland rose festival,
the Salem cherry fair and the Elks' conven-
ton as coming so sage of "reminiscences,
which must have caused him bitter pang
or two:
''Do you remember, old timer, the first
girl you took to the fair? How you called
at her house (ostensibly to see her pa) for
two weeks before you got up courage
enough to ask her to go to the fair? And
even yet you don't remember just how
you managed to blurt it out. And when
she said eyes you beat it for home with a
palpitating heart and queer feeling that no
one yet has been able to describe. You
then spent two days getting the top bug
gy' and harness ready. 1t was carefully
cleaned and polished SO that it would out
shine all the other fellows in the neighbor-
hood. When you drove up to her house
did you fall over yourself when you got
out of the buggy to help her in, or did you
sit tight and pull her in by the hand?
For this was your first girl, you know.
Then, during the fifteen mile drive over to
the fair town, what in the world did you
talk about Oh, you don't remember.
Well, you wouldn't tell if you did, but if
you married the girl year or two later she
could tell you every word of it if she
would; but she won't. After your arrival
at the fair you spent the day and dollar
and six bits buying her lemonade, peanuts
and candy. Maybe her folks came along
in wagon, trailing you up, and if they
did they brought along an enormous lunch
of ham sandwiches, chicken, pickles, light
biscuits, plenty of real butter, honey, sew
eral kinds of jam, cake and-oh, what S
the use? Anyway, you went over to the
grove and had dinner with them. Then at