American essays -- 19th century; American fiction -- 19th century; American poetry -- 19th century; Short stories, American
"I found a newspaper that would sell out. It was in a large Southern
city: I don't care to give its name. The proprietor was in ill health
and wanted to leave the country. It was a good plant, and it was
clearing $3,000 a year above expenses. I got it for $12,000 cash, put
$3,000 in bank and sat down and wrote out a neat little advertisement
to catch the young would-be journalists. I sent these advertisements
to some big Northern and Eastern papers and waited for responses.
"My paper was well known, and the idea of getting a place on it to
learn journalism seemed to strike the people just right. I advertised
that as there were only a limited number of places to be filled, I
would have to consider applications in the form of bids, and the one
bidding highest for each position got it.
"You wouldn't believe it if I told the number of answers I got. I
filed everything for about a week, and then I looked over the
references they sent me, sized up the bids and selected my force. I
ordered them to report on a certain day, and they were on time, eager
to go to work. I got $50 per week from my editorial writer; $40 from
my city editor; $25 each from three reporters; $20 from a dramatic
critic; $35 from a literary editor, and $30 each from night and
telegraph editors. I also accepted three special writers, who paid me
$15 per week each for doing special assignments. I was managing editor
and was to direct, criticize and instruct the staff.
* * * * *
"I discharged the old force, and after an hour's course of instruction
I turned my new staff loose upon their duties. Most of them had
graduated with high honors at college and were of wealthy families,
who could afford to pay well for the splendid advantage of entering
them in Binkley's Practical School of Journalism.
"When the staff dispersed, eager and anxious, to their several duties,
I leaned back in my revolving chair with a smile of satisfaction. Here
was an income of $1,400 per month coming from and not paid to my
staff, besides the $3,000 yearly profit from the paper. Oh, it was a
good thing.
"Of course, I expected a little crudeness and stiffness about the work
of my staff at first, but I calculated that they would err on the side
of fine writing rather than otherwise. I lit a cigar and strolled
through the editorial rooms. The leader writer was at his desk working
away, his high, intellectual forehead and broadcloth clothes
presenting a fine appearance. The literary editor was consulting an
encyclopedia with a knitted brow, and the dramatic critic was pasting
a picture of Shakespeare above his desk. The city force were out news
gathering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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