candidate must have his especial "organ."
As necessary qualifications for an entrance to
the realm of printers ink, I should place above
all others observation. It was the constant ad
monition of a veteran who trained many a novice
in the art reportorial: "Whenever you see a group
of men talking, find out what they are talking
about. Whatever 'interests mankind interests a
reporter." The ability of using one's eyes and
ears will gain a surplus of news in a field from
which a novice has gleaned nothing by simply
asking : "What's the news tb-day ?" A certain
suivaler iii Norio must characterize the gatherer
in an interview, whether successful or not, He
may have occasion to use his man again. Then
he must have ability to place in proper shape the
material he has gathered ; to "draw it out" or
"boil it down" at will ; to compose hastily and
yet carefully ; to write to the point and not scatter
his energy, and to give a neat legible manuscript
to his compositor. Permeating all, must be his
ability to spell correctly and to command good
English ; to discriminate rapidly in synonyms
and to use readily figurative language.
The next point comes last, not as least but as
mechanical, and that is a knowledge of the corn•
posing and press rooms. This qualification can
not be too strongly insisted upon. Without it
the new reporter finds his manuscript mangled or
himself embarrassed by being called upon occa
sionally to read proof when his ignorance of the
"cases" and use of type causes all his trouble; or
as an editor he finds his composition costing much
more than a neighboring office, and is powerless
because not understanding the system of composi
tion or its measurements; he finds his foreman and
his printers wasting time and yet cannot show
positively where the delay is, and he is utterly
unable to cope with questions affecting economy
in paper, ink or press. Should his press become
unmanageable he is at an expense for a practical
machinist; should a patron wish some unusual job
work he is compelled to talk through his foreman.
Precisely such knowledge will carry a practical
THE FkEE LANCE.
printer—one who began as "devil"—to a success
ful editorship where a literary editor will come to
an untimely valedictory.
To Cornell College belongs the honor probably
alone in this country, of establishing a Professor
ship of journalism looking to a thorough training
which will fit a man as well for this field as the
other courses in college qualify him for their respec
tive ends. It is not among the impossibilities
that it will provea success. Such a course should
embrace recitations in the elements of English, its
composition and the essentials of Rhetoric, in
general Literature; in History, both political and
civil ; in some ancient or some modern language
—preferably German—for word discrimination
and synonyms and a constant practicum in type
setting, proof reading, presswork and press
machinery.
Such a course pursued carefully to the end can
not fail to fit a man for journalism. But never -
theless, if an aspirant to editorial honors cannot
pursue it he will find it immensely to his advant•
age to follow a good course in English and the
Modern Languages, whilst constantly correcting
his style, increasing his vocabulary and familiar
izing himself with the apparatus about a thor
oughly equipped printing office
LEAVES OF A DAIRY FOUND ON THE
—was only flirting with him. I wonder if
he will understand it in that way. He's only a
Freshman I know, but then he has such hand
some eyes ;he plays base ball too. I really think
if this were not such a good place for flirtation, I
could fall in love with him easily.
June 13. Ha, ha! fate seems to be working
well in my favor. It seems that at every turn I
meet those same lovely eyes ; and even now I am
afraid to look from this page for fear of meeting
their pleading gaze ; for I know I should do some
thing foolish. He tries so heard to please me.
0 he smiled at me divinely as I came out of the
CAMPUS.
S. E. S.