"A report of John Smith, the banker's case."
"Right. One column. And you?"
"I have an account of the President's forthcoming journey to the South."
When all the reporters have passed, they go to another room to reduce their articles to the required length. Over six hundred correspondents, scattered all over the globe, send in their telegrams[9] by special wire for the most part; and the conversation, which we have just overheard in the office, begins again, this time with Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, London, Berlin, &c.
"What have you for us this evening?" says the editor to his correspondent in Berlin.
"Bismarck threatens to send in his resignation."
"One column."
"Boulanger has just received an ovation at Lille. A riot is feared in Paris," wires the Paris correspondent.
"Capital! send two columns."
"A scandal in Rome. The Marchioness of N. has run away with her husband's secretary."