Part 3 (2/2)

SUBJECTS FROM THE DAY'S NEWS In his search for subjects a writer will find numberless clues in newspapers Since the first inforiven to the world through the columns of the daily press, these coluestions Any part of the paper, from the ”want ads” to the death notices or the real estate transfers,point of a special article The diversity of topics suggested by newspapers is shown by the following examples

The death of a well-known clown in New York was followed by a special feature story about hio paper

A newspaper report of the discovery in Wisconsin of aink froht be produced fro writer to send for information to the discoverer of the process, and with these additional details he wrote an article that was published in the _Boston Transcript_

A news story about a clever swindler in Boston, who obtained possession of negotiable securities by ed certified check, was made the basis of a special feature story in the _Providence Journal_ on the precautions to be taken against losses froetic ested a personality sketch of hiazine_

The publication, in a newspaper, of some results of a survey of rural school conditions in a Middle Western state, led to two articles on why the little red schoolhouse fails, one of which was published in the _Country Gentleman_, and the other in the _Independent_

From a brief news itehter, in taking summer boarders in their old far how to secure and provide for these boarders on the ordinary farm The article appeared in _Farm and Fireside_

OFFICIAL DOcuovernment officials are a mine for both subjects and riculture one may consult the bulletins of the United States Departricultural experi food, and other phases of home economics, are also printed in these bulletins State industrial commissions publish reports that furnish valuable -men's insurance, sanitary conditions in factories, and the health of workers Child welfare is treated in reports of federal, state, and city child-welfare boards The reports of the Interstate Commerce Commission, like those of state railroad co material on various phases of transportation State and federal census reports often furnish good subjects and material In short, nearly every official report of any kind may be a fruitful source of ideas for special articles

The few exaest various possibilities for the use of these sources

Investigations made by a co the Committee on Resuscitation from Mine Gases, under the direction of the US Bureau of Mines, supplied a writer in the _Boston Transcript_ with ers involved in the use of the pulmotor

A practical bulletin, prepared by the home econoement of a kitchen to save needless steps, was used for articles in a number of farriculture a writer prepared an article on ”the most successful farmer in the United States” and what he did with twenty acres, for the departazine_

The results of a field, Illinois, as set forth in official reports, were the basis of an article in the _Outlook_ on ”What is a Survey?” Reports of a similar survey at Lawrence, Kansas, were used for a special feature story in the _Kansas City Star_

”Are You a Good or a Poor Penman?” was the title of an article in _Popular Science Monthly_ based on a chart prepared by the Russell Sage Foundation in connection with soations

The _New York Evening Post_ published an interesting special article on the ”life tables” that had been prepared by the division of vital statistics of the Bureau of the Census, to show the expectation of life at all ages in the six states from which vital statistics were obtained

A special feature story on how Panama hats are woven, as printed in the _Ohio State Journal_, was based entirely on a report of the United States consul general at Guayaquil, Ecuador

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS Almost every science and every art has its own special periodicals, froe number of subjects and much valuable material that needs only to be popularized to be s of scientific and technical societies, including the papers read at their raphs and books, are also valuable How such publications iven below

The report of a special coiven at its convention in Philadelphia, furnished a writer withby Electricity,” that was published in the Sunday edition of the _Springfield Republican_

Studies of the cause of hunger, o and published in a voluer in Health and Disease,” furnished the subject for an article in the _Illustrated World_ Earlier results of the saazine of one of the Chicago papers

Froleaned material for an article entitled ”What Chance Has the Poor Child?” It was printed in _Every Week_

”Golfer's Foot, One of Our Newest Diseases,” was the subject of a special feature in the _New York Times_, that was based on an article in the _Medical Record_

That the canals on Mars may be only an optical illusion was deazine of the _New York Times_, by means of material obtained from a report of the section for the Observation of Mars, a division of the British Astronomical association

ANTIcipaTING TIMELY SUBJECTS By looking forward for weeks or even azines are constantly doing, a writer can select subjects and gather material for articles that will be particularly appropriate at a given time Holidays, seasonal events, and anniversaries may thus be anticipated, and special articles may be sent to editors some time in advance of the occasion that in collecting material a year before the intended time of publication