The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-01-12

From the bHHalo hNrhAHe
NJ Dear Miss Burr:-May ] ask
you candidly for Information which
know your experience can truth
fully give me9
FIRST let me tell you my story
am graduate OF Detroit Cen
trail nigh school After graduation
took a year NJ Ann Arbor. leayinS
Michigan university for WeilesleS
rollpge. where completed The
Sophomore year. But during The
aurnfner Of 1915. M father was
killed m an auto collision and I
found our financial status was not
What the family had supposed
Whllo IA college, b0Tb AZ 1TTVT
,ran and Wellesley. was associate
editor ~ college publications and
grew 10 Ike the work and, they
rag. showed great aptitude for Jour
nslisn
when ! found on the settlement
Of ms fathers estate that would
have 70 earn my own living. nay
Thoughts turned 70 newspaper work
Thru friend Of my father ! have
ohtaipcd an opening IN New YORK
on one OF the dsilies. and am more
than anxious 10 begin at once.
But Miss Burr. am meeting Win
great opposition from mother and
nv one brother. They tell me The
experiences girl reporter meets
with. particularly in large cities, ar
such that they would not allow me
to encounter them.
Now, Miss Burr. am twenty
nearly twenty-one years old-am
Ieyel.headed. not striklngly hand
some. altho my friends call me
pretty, and my enemies have been
known 10 acknowledge that ! am not
plain 7 have been 20 the Pacific
coast alone and two years ago spent
several weeks In New York. and |
think am able 70 take care OF my
self.
Miss Burr. ! want you 20 tel me
the plain truths there any dan
Ter In being a girl reporter. or Ia II
. figment OF my no<hsxs over
worked irnAgtnatiomf The paper |
an going 20 wurk OBI car gain
the opnsenf az my too dsvucs1 fam
fly--has several vsilknovn woman
writer's ON In stan. and notice
they have murdsr case assignments
and often police storiss-
Thanking you for IN carry reply,
I remain.
Yours grstsfuiiy.
HELEN AMsDES.
Miss Amsden's personal iettsr lies
before mo for careful consideration.
and shall try. for her bensnt and
for the information Of othsr young
women Who may look with longing
10 a career In Journalism. TO treat
the question with absolute candor
Are there dangers TO gfrl report
ers--particular parils 10 which a
man Ia not subjected.
Yes and no.
Yes, because an ambitious city
editor with more zeal for n boat. or
SCOOP as we often term II. than
for the personal welfare OF his stat.
often gives a woman reporter an as
signment which Is bound to- place
her in danger. IL she IL under or
ders from the city desk. there IL
but one OF two things TO do In such
an emergency-accept the assign
menl or hand In her resignation.
When young women begin on 4
newspaper they are usually put on
general" II they want the fun news
paper training. Exceptions are as
fistants to society editors, but the
average aspirsnt for favors In jour
nallsm does not care 10 travel that
tame avenue 20 success.
Right here in Buffalo we have had
In my time one or two instances OF
real peril TO women employed on the
STATS OF our dailies.
A friend OF mine had been doing
special work along certain line Of
investigation regarding men out OF
employment She had. al the in.
ssiEation Of the editor. written some
facts and a great deal of sob sister
stuff and had signed her name 70
The articles which had appeared four
times weekly for more than a month
One morning, she sat writing In
her Office which she shared vifh
three other women. when the ofic
boy appeared with a request for her
20 step outside the door 10 speak
with man who would not come Tn
The man vas young, not overly
wcllclothed. and did not meet her
gaze after the Arst quick look OF
inspection.
AS he talked. he kept his hand in
his right hip pocket and before he
had spoken three sentences the girl
scnsed something WAS wrong. She
glanced back thru the half-opened
door The women writer's were hard
At work. Not one OF them caught
her look of apprehension.
The man, however. noticed n.