Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1881 — The Reporter. [ARTICLE]

The Reporter.

There are oertain faculties a reporter must neoessarlly possess, which, if not natural, can rarely, if ever be acquired. It may be and improved, if present in some degree; but hey can scarcely be imparted where he germ itself is altogether wanting. I* must possess the faculty of intuitively seizing upon the essential sea tures of any occurrence which he may be entrusted to report, whether it be a single speech, an entire meeting, or some important public aflkir extending over days, or even weeks- It would never do for a reporter, either while an aflkir is in progress, or upon Its termination, to be anxiously cogitating with himself as to what he should retain and what he should reject. All this must be settled by the fhculty of which we are speaking, and which must attract, as to a focus,

the really important points—grouping them in their proper order and within the neoessary limits, without loss of time or any special effort being involved in the process. He must also have an Intuitive perception of the relative value of words with all their shades of meaning, so that he may be able to employ Just that particular word which shall convey to the read- , er the exact sense and meaning of the original. And with this latter faculty must be combined the gift of facile expression and natural apd correct arrangement, for woe unto him if he be under the necessity of writing and rewriting before he can get his composition into something like proper form. A reporter, too, requires a well-balanced mind, a cool head, and an impartial judgment. We do not say a reporter should have no fixed principles, no private opinions of his own, but he must be careftil nojb to allow these opinions to influence his reports. In h» degree he should aspire to something like the impartiality of the judge, who, while on the bench, knows nothing of friend or foe, put decides simply upon the merits and altogether apart from personal considerations. A reporter also requires to be able to concentrate his thoughts upon his work in any circumstances. While others around him are in a state of the wildest enthusiasm, he must be perfectly cool, and absorbed only at his work. An audience, after having been held spell-bound by some celebrated orator, may rise to his feet, and, by vociferous cheering and the waving of hats and handkerchiefs, give reliefto its feelings; but the re>orter must meantime ne careful that le loses not one word of the elaborately irepared and masterly peroration; or, f he seek relief, it must be in the •< stretching of his cramped fingers, and the re-pointing of his penis in readiness for the next leaker. At the scene of some terble catastrophe, others may indulge lnsymtoms of distress; but the reporter must be engaged in taking a survey of all the surroundings, ana at the same time making himself acquainted with all the painful and oftentimes sickening details. In times of political excitement and contest, the caution, prudence, and judgment of the reporter are frequently put to the severest tests; and it will be well for him in such times if he bear in mind the old maxim, to have long ears and a short tongue.