Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1923-01-06

boy edl,crs u<.d 70 eychsns. their
publications. There was no prpht in
this. but the amateurs we're MOI IN
The game for pront anyway, ana sr-
changing papers war ono OF tns mo-
absorbing interests Of the bu~
Since money wes scarce Win me fpy
editors they ala not buy many oontri-
buttons. Generally an editor cyuid
EARLY write enough copy, iDciu1ins
editorials. poems. local Items, seriae,
and ioke~. 20 iii his own sheet. but
the amateur Journalists watched ore
snothers publications closely. and y
a boy seemod weak on his rhymes ~
his plots, ne vas apt % receive NUN
erous offers n copy euamitt>d ~ Do
usual rstc> by more versatile yrfisrs
T'venty-flvs or 80 cents wss ~
usual price for contribution.
Josephus Dsnier. oner.
/ Most II the struggling editors yer.
more than anxious 20 dispo~s % ths'F
own surpiu- COPY than % purchase
material from their fellow Journalists
/ Thus. Mr.. Ifuss has in q scrap-took
/ a post card from Joaephus Deui~is
/ Offering 20 sell him a st,ry for 90 cents
! Mr. ITuss ran across this piece ~ IN
answered correspondence not long ego
and decided n vrito b Mr.. Dan
lels about H. He wrote that b. "a
GREETED his delay in replying, but thst
ne would be glad % sccevt thu stcry
a. tho price quoted By the author.
Mr.. Daniels replied In equal rsrio1s-
nees that he believed. according % fh-
statute 81 limitations, ne could 20
longer Re held 10 his offer and that
he would DO obliged 20 withdraw g.
Mr.. Daniels II one Of tho fsv ans
teur journalists who have become pro
fessionsis. ono 81 me Foeeiis 81
| mates that about ons-thirf % the t>,y.
who we're so eager FOR literary Ssrns
ere now connected with literary wort
~ sorne sort, but not many of th.rD
are Journalists
Twice a year ne Fossil- pubn-h |.
Fossil magazine for their own enjoy
mont. and they gather for occasional
3 meetings and Tor tho snnuri banquet
One = tho topics % conversation
when Foesrs get together N 81 % WIN
tho amateur journalist has become ar
tinct. Ths chsngs IN roc. rfio~ rtIi-
lngE which prevented ne papers hefnx
, mailed i1 largo lots oheaoiy vzs
Z
Yet other less obvious causes hay. h-6
something % Do With thu decline Of
auateurdorn
Tho chief explanation Offered 60 ttr.
Z no boy - tgfav hss more r,~--v.
2 more pleasures, AMI nora in-~-,~ss
! than tho boy n N, seventies o. even
~ tho ninsties. n a BOY has literary
T lesnin1s hs writes for hts school os,>r
Thu high school or ool-y- psp>~ e
not the sanns type % publication 80
: Tho old amateur she>'s. tho Fossil.
say. The school paper = governed
strictly b. school policies end n con-
'sins chiefly school news Ths rr,s-
teur papers. IN ths other hand. var.
o written entirely according 10 tho taste
r ~ tho editor or group % editors Som.
. ~ tho hoy journsf~-s we've srnpr.~..r
- by the fact 'hs, tho prs~s has {. 80
: ou~ mission. Ths- printed ~ssshtv
y editorials snd called fhe'r oAp~~u ~
y such inpre~s'v. names 80 thu (sran-
q thu Oracle. srri N. R.scv7n~. O.na,
z editors whose minds ran nors 70 u.
> popular and humorous oau~f tnesi
sheets names s,ch ~ th> Imp ~ IN.
Z Young Joker.
y At the hsfest 90 th~ arrAssrrv ;oe,r
Z nslis'sn period sino~t every town pos
ss~~~d at least ons proud boy >r3fo
- and soprs places had halt o dorer
y Then. after tho nineties ths nsv ger
'e erations OF bows had nsw intersSss
"a Tho Fossils say that tho Oh styis .
J. amateur Journalism cannot return. an.
x that the Fo~rils viii die out gradually
l. They Limit their membership IN On
* amateur editors and printers OF n
y real amateur Journalistic period an
= they are satsfied 20 SEQ their mem
~ bersh.p diminish rather than inoress,
70 They are a cheerful. chuckling srou,
ne Even when they think - TIE far "a
ture they look forward philosophical
On 20 what ono Of them calls "a sad bu
10 beautiful time when ths last q, ~
20 tribe viii stt in solitary silence az
OK F'oesil dinner. and drain a glass Of ol
M vine vintage ~ 1920 20 tho~s vh
IN tho course OF nature no longer liv
re except ~ tho happy memory u ms
~ single Curvivor."
Se