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COLLEGE GRADUATES IN JOURNALISM.

EDITORS HERALD-CRIMSON.-I was surprised to learn by a short article in the HERALD-CRIMSON recently, how many graduates of Harvard on Massachusetts newspapers were also graduates of the college papers. I knew, indeed, every one of the men mentioned, and their present positions, but like those who live nearest any odd or fine work of nature and for that very reason never realize the wonder of the scene as perfectly as do visitors from a distance, I possessed no definite realization of the part which the college papers have done in fitting men for journalistic work. It is certain that since the growth of college papers, the college graduate in a newspaper office has become less the "horned animal" he was in Horace Greeley's day. At least, his horns are now covered with thick rubber, and not until frequent labor at erasing many choice effusions of the brain, have worn that rubber out are the points allowed to show. By that time the animal generally has strength enough to warrant the display.

Whitelaw Reid of the Tribune, Charles A. Dana, of the Sun, Carl Schurz, formerly of the Nation, Murat Halstead, of the Cincinnati Commercial, George William Curtis, of Harper's Weekly, are a few of the horned animals whose rubbers have worn out, and who now bring the bright point to view in all their writings. The most of these, it may also be remarked, pastured at Harvard. Having occasion recently to write to Mr. Joseph Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune, the great pioneer paper of the West, to obtain certain facts about college newspaper men, I learned from him that of the past Tribune staff whom he remembered, eleven were college men, and of the present staff, the business manager and eight others are college graduates. That certainly is a good showing,-though I must admit, sad as it may seem, that Yale sent more men to the Tribune than any other college, not even excepting Harvard. Of course, it is true that many of these newspaper men hold only subordinate places; in fact, I know of one friend of mine, who has attained a great title, but little pay, on a small paper in the West, and who is an instance in point, He wrote recently, that he was holding the position of third assistant editor. I regarded this as a remarkably good position, until I learned-through other sources that the second assistant editor was the boy who ran errands and carried copy. But certain it is, if the testimony of a number of eminent journalists who today hold leading positions can be relied upon; certain it is that the men with collegiate education are appreciated, provided they do not try in the first day to edit the entire paper. Charles Dudley Warner, well known as an author and correspondent, says: "There is a sort of editorial ability, of facility, of force, that can only be acquired by practice, and in the newspaper office; no school can ever teach it; but the young editor who has a broad basis of general education, of information in history, political economy, the classics and polite literature has an immense advantage over the man who has merely practical experience."

GRADUATE.

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