The mirror., 1922-07-13

the reference do not mean to imply that
they are all relentless taskmasters. In
deed, they are prone to be liberal, tolerant
and helpful toward the young reporter, but
insist on the importance of impressing the
necessary virtues on the immature news
paper" mind. Every newspaper has its
peculiar organization spirit,-I recall
reading somewhere of writer's reference
to this spirit as newspaper "soul," which
to my mind is very fitting when once
absorbed is wonderful incentive to do
ones best. "A code of ethics also exists
that causes much hair-splitting contro-
versy, and am convinced equals the legal
profession for intricacy and fnesee. From
this last statement the reader will surmise
that have reference to the legitimacy of
apparent deceptive methods in obtaining
news, but which is justified by the gen.
orally recognized principle that news
papers first duty is to the public it serves,
therefore, is it not justifable to practise
tact, diplomacy (polite deceit as it were)
and discretion in obtaining the facts of a
story to disseminate for the public good
Certainly. Therefore, let us proceed to
soliloquize,- or should say, reminisce:
In the second city, of a great agricul-
tural state of the Southwest, whose fame
is world wide as the greatest producer of
a we'll known cereal that is the chief in
gredient of the "staff of life," had the
good fortune few years back to obtain
employment as cub-reporter on the city's
leading newspaper, as well as the States,
or at least one of them; and the pleasant
and congenial associations formed, to-
gether with the educational value of the
few months spent in that position will al
ways be source of much comfort to me,
and believe me, were it possible, would
not trade what mental richness 1 carried.
away for goodly sum in legal tender.
On that particular newspaper, which
for the purposes of this narrative we will
call the Blade, from the owner and editor
down to the humblest- employee, were as
fine bunch of men and women as a man
could ever hope to be associated with both
from professional as well as a personal
standpoint, and each and every one of
them were thoroughly imbued with that
spirit referred to in preceding paragraph
as constituting the soul of newspaper. 1t
might be we'll to insert here that a fra
ternalism exists among newspaper folk that
l have yet to see eclipsed in any other pro-
fession, and the members of the Blade or
ganization were deeply conscious of and
actuated by this bond of common brother
hood in their everyday life. I should
gratefully state here that l was the re-
cipient of many evidences of the afec-
tionate bond, and I trust made my own
unselish attitude known on divers oc-
casions.
The city editor, whom we will call Mr..
Hamilton, was youngish man in the late
thirties, who, however, gave one the i'm
preston of being much older, due no doubt
to his valiant service in the Great War as
a highly efficient officer in that wonderful
branch of the U. S. service called the S. o.
S. (service of supplies) that virtually
sprang into being overnight, as it were,
out of seeming chaos, and will 60 down
in history as one of Americas miracles of
achievement Mr.. Hamilton's deep sense
of responsibility and loyalty to his paper
probably accounts for his older appearance
also. Naturally, listener rather than a