Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/324

 308 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

minutes before I o'clock. In a few moments the " stickful " was set, read, and in the foreman's hand. A short telegram had been lifted from the first page and had displaced a less important item on page 3. The space gained had been shifted to the top of the war column, into which the late bulletin was dropped. At last the word was given; the cartoon etching had come down and been tacked on its base; the forms were closed, the set screws driven home, and the task accomplished at five minutes after the appointed hour. On the galleys lay three and one-half columns of " overset." Page-proofs were made, and the weary but elated editors went home to await eagerly the printed edition, which was distributed at noon next day.

So much of detailed description seems necessary to give a fairly vivid idea of the working conditions under which this practice paper was sent to press. To the members of the class were thus brought home certain typical problems of the daily paper: the collection of news, the preparation of it, the estima- tion of its value in both space and position, the proportions of different kinds of matter, the exigencies of final make-up. Under the strain of the night's work the students were tested in a search- ing fashion. Resourcefulness, good judgment, coolness, were demanded. While for the most part the different men did about what was expected of them, several distinctly failed to meet the emergency effectively, while others one fellow in particular who during the quarter had seemed aimless, if not indifferent surprised all by their alertness, adaptability, and industry. There could be no better illustration of the different ways in which stu- dents react to academic exercises on the one hand, and to calls for action, accomplishment, on the other.

The Daily Times was on the whole a success. It sought in no sense to be a model paper, or to introduce innovations. It aimed simply to conform to the best standards of alert, dignified, self- respecting journalism. The editorial page was by common con- sent the best of the four, and might challenge comparison with any save the leading metropolitan papers. The first page looked well, and corresponded closely with the Chicago papers so far as the choice of news went. The only conspicuous mistake of judg-