Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-02-22
Men Who Aid
City's Papers
Continued from page one)

stories Not only are the papers han
dicapped in this direction, but tele-
graph and telephone facilities are fire.
quently limited. This state of affairs
often prevents the correspondent from
getting good story to his paper, al
though he may have all the facts in his
possession. All of these circumstances
are known, however, and recognized
by the managing editors and ego" as
excuses for what seemed negligence at
the time.
The country correspondent is not
supposed to sleep. Technically he is
always with his ear to the telephone
taking orders by "long-distance" or
else waiting for the messenger boy
with his yellow envelope and sigma
ture book. In his book of instructions
the correspondent is given emphatic
orders to be in touch with the tele
phone or telegraph at all hours of the
day and night, so that he can be given
an assignment with as little delay, al
most, as a staff man in the home Of
flee. Not only must he be on the alert
after events that will read well in the
columns of the city papers, but also
must he be prepared to respond
Immediately to an order to secure
an interview with some "leading
citizen" or investigate some report
which may have reached the managing
editor. He may be required to hire an
automobile and race 'cross country in
pursuit of some clew or he may be re-
quired to secure photographs of per-
sons who may feature among "the
killed" or be the principals in some
crime or scandal. There is no time
given him to ask for explanations, in
structions, or just what he is supposed
to get. There is no time for question
ing concerning possible expense, loss
of sleep or meals. The live correspond
ent, however, never thinks of these
things. He promptly forgets his fam
ily and his body and obeys orders like
the faithful servant he is. That he
must get what he is told to, and that
delay will not be tolerated, is the one
principle under which the correspond
ent works. Due consideration Of espe
cially trying circumstances or obsta-
cles is made by the man at the city
desk, it is true, but the circumstances
must be very trying and the obstacles
almost unsurmountable. The country
correspondent does not expect quarter,
neither does he give it. The story his
paper wants is the one that his paper
gets, no matter whom it may concern
or what interests may be involved.
First and foremost, the correspond
ent must be reliable. Exaggeration,
Justification or, worst of all pure
taking" will not be tolerated, and
the guilty correspondent is "fired -
Immediately his faults are found out.
There is always some reader or sub
scriber Of the city papers who sends an
indignant letter exposing the CORE
spondent and his questionable story. A
sharp reprimand usually comes before
dismissal. 1t behooves the correspond
emit, therefore, to obey his instructions
to the letter. Far better it is for him
to let his paper get scooped" than to
wire libelous article or story that
may call for retraction in the next
issue. Next to reliability comes alert
ness. The correspondent must have a
"never-asleep habit To be success
full he must be in touch with everyone
in his county who is situated at foun-
tain head of news. He must have on
his staff the police, the sheriff s Of
flee, telephone and telegraph operators