| Show THE LURE OF NEWSPAPERING broken bones coats of tar and feathers blazing night-time duels imprisonments conflicts and quarrels galore all in the name offree press andfree speech too freely interpreted Probably smiling as he wrote it the editor of the Sandy Independent observed in 1895 Friend Higgins Judge Will of the Iron County Record is adding glory to the profession makingrecord asfoot-racer That isnoble calling and one which might come in handy some day We know of some editors who might have been better off had they not neglected this branch of their newspaper education Softening of editorial language inlater day undoubtedly contributed to fewer such conflicts But so long as one person expresses an opinion in print thatcontrary to the views of another clash -physical or verbal -can result Itallmatter of how upset the reader may be and how those with opposing opinions convey their reaction Outright fisticuffs are quite rare today in comparison with the time of UtahJjournalistic beginnings Those early-day battles often werenprinted in the paper that was involved Frequently in fact neighboring or competing publication put the story in type sometimes reporting only on hearsay James Beadle editor of the Reporter sufferedbroken collar lesser injuries when assaulted on November 1869 His editorial Corrine publication Utah bone torn scalp and otherBrigham City street on tirades against the court system had resulted insummons to appear beforeBrigham City magistrate and Beadle was attacked as he walked out of the courtroom Beadle himself reported the incident While passing from the courtroom to the street receivedviolent blow on the back of the head which prostrated me almost senseless upon the ground Whether more than one took partdo not know alldistinctly remember isconfused rush and trampling of heavy boots and whenrevivedwas being raised by my friends who were taking stock of my condition generally Columns of the Salt Lake Herald reportedJuly 1872 incident in Ogden in which Charles Penrose editor of the 267 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
