Year: 1869

count of just how things really are-and


sometimes, fear, how they are not. The


reporter must never weary of doing his
duty to that large constituency to which
he speaks every day-the largest any man
can speak to-the mighty public.


To illustrate what impudence will do
let me relate an anecdote. A message
once arrived at certain newspaper Of
flee that frightful murder had been COM
mitted in a small village near by, and that
the inquest on the murdered body was to
be held in the course Of the day. Re-
porters were, of course, dispatched from
all the various city newspapers to give an
account Of the affair On their arrival at
the village they were informed by the
coroner rather an unusal circumstance
| that he would not allow any of them to
be present at the inquest. The reporters,
however, were not to be put off. They
held consultation" among themselves,
and resolved on course of action. AS
each witness came out of the cOroner's
room he was politely taken in charge by
a gentleman of the press standing near
the door, and ushered into another room
where the other members of the craft
were sitting around large table, looking
very solemn, after the manner of officials.
The witness was then told to repeat over
his testimony the same as he had done be-
fore the coroner, the reporters remarking
that they were there to record it for the
satisfaction of the public. Being mostly
"young men from the country" and not
particularly sharp, the witnesses supposed
it was all right, and proceeded to give
their testimony with even greater volu-
bility than they had given it before the
| lbo L., ~f fbo
| occupying four or five closely printed
columns, which appeared in the morning
papers, was due, aside from the work, to
the enterprise-or shall we say impudence
of the reporters.


Capital stories are told of the different
varieties of reporters, especially of those
OF the old school, which is now. happily,
passing away. There is the frightfully
eager reporter, who is always on duty,
never forgetting his mission. remember
one of this class who was reused from his
slumbers, one night by disturbance on
| his doorstep. His alarmed spouse COM
PEELED him to descend and see what the
matter was, and on opening the door, he
discovered man stretched across the
threshold in fit. "Mary, Mary!' cried
he to his better half, bring me my note
book and candle directly here's para
graph come to the doorw Such eager
ness for work as this shows itself in diff
ferent forms. An enterprising English re-
porter had heard that Lord Palmerston
was to be present at an archery meeting
in small country village in Hampshire,
and he accordingly posted down to the
place. Lord Palmerston's task was to dis
tribute prizes to some half a-dozen blush
ing young ladies, and the whole company
present didn't number much above score.
His Lordship performed his task with un-
usual grace and good humor, dare say
giving the young ladies paternal pats on
the head, but making only the most COM
monplace observations. Our stenographer
waited most anxiously in his place until,
to his horror, he saw the proceedings
brought to close without speech from
the Premier This was more than he
could stand. He rushed from his corner
to the noble Lord, who was getting out of
the room as fast as he could. MY Lord,
I beg your pardon, but really this won't
do" "What do you mean, sir 7" was the
reply of the astonished statesman. "Why,
you've made no speech; I've come all the
way from London to report it, and |
must have a speech of some sort"
Whereupon, it is said-and this story
is q true one-~that the good'tempered
old gentleman turned back, and detained
the retreating audience for twenty min
utes, while he gave them a genial disserta-
ton on the good qualities of English
women in general, and of Hampshire
lasses in particular. On another occasion,
however, he made up for this complais-
ance. He was attending an agricultural
| dinner, and saw large gathering of re-
g., r,,J
| speech of his certain to be valuable. But
he made up his mind not to speak-no
man knew better when to hold his tongue
and accordingly he slyly sent down to
| the gentlemen of the press" slip of
were written the words. "This fish won't
bite!"
An American reporter of st. Louisa
very genial fellow, by the way, and well
known all over the country among his
profession-was once sent by his paper to
report speech of Kossuth, at the time the
distinguished foreigner was visiting St.


Louis. He (the repoftet) went, as he sup
posed, to the proper place where the
orator was to hold forth. There was
| large crowd of Germans on hand, and q
great deal of enthusiasm The meeting
had not begun. Before long, however, the
proceedings commenced with speech
from man who spoke in foreign tongue,
and whom the reporter supposed to be
Kossuth, though he was of course unable
to report him. On going back to the
Office he found he had made very slight
mistake as to the location of the meeting.
1t appeared that the meeting he attended
was German Debating Society, and the
orator whom he supposed to be Kossuth,
was an individual named "Wild, d car
penter," who was just about to open the
debate of the evening, which was: as or
is not lager beer intoxicating ?"


But the most enterprising reporter
ever knew was gentleman who is now
| an editor in New York, and who, some
years ago, when g reporter las he SAYS,
though | will not vouch for the correct
ness of the statement, reported two meet
ings at once in front of Tammany Hall
one being held inside, and The other out
side. He was sitting about midway be-
tween both of them, and was, possibly,
"half seas over," also.


The following is the feat of a Western
reporter, hailing from Nevada: The edi-
tor received the following SIS his first man.
ly effort 1--WE are informed that the
gentleman hoo stood on his head under a
spile driver for porpos of having tight
4 pair of butes drove on, shortly afterwards
found hisself in Chiny, perfectly nakud,
without cent in his pocket. He writes
that it is his intenshur of returning by
way Nv the Paris exposition"


Not many years ago, 1t is said, when