美国名人 杂志作者 艾达·塔贝尔.docx
美国名人杂志作者艾达塔贝尔IdaTarbell,1857-1944:SheUsedHerReportingSkillsAgainstOneoftheMostPowerfulCompaniesintheWorldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-17:51repeatByPaulThompson2010-4-24Photo:loc.govIdaTarbellwasoneofthemostsuccessfulmagazinewritersintheUnitedStatesduringthelastcentury.BOBDOUGHTY:PeopleinAmerica,aprograminSpecialEnglishontheVoiceofAmerica.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.TodayShirleyGriffithandRayFreemantellaboutreporterIdaMinervaTarbell.IdaTarbellwasoneofthemostsuccessfulmagazinewritersintheUnitedStatesduringthelastcentury.Shewroteimportantstoriesatatimewhenwomenhadfewsocialorpoliticalrights.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:IdaTarbellusedherreportingskillsagainstoneofthemostpowerfulcompaniesintheworld.ThatcompanywasStandardOil.IdaTarbellchargedthatStandardOilwasusingillegalmethodstohurtordestroysmalleroilcompanies.SheinvestigatedtheseillegalbusinessdealingsandwroteaboutthemforamagazinecalledMcClure's.ThereportsshewroteledtolegalcasesthatcontinuedallthewaytotheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates.(MUSIC)RAYFREEMAN:IdaTarbellwasbornintheeasternstateofPennsylvaniainNovember,eighteenfifty-seven.Herfamilydidnothavemuchmoney.Herfatherworkedhardbuthadnotbeenverysuccessful.WhenIdawasthreeyearsold,oilwasdiscoveredinthenearbytownofTitusville.Herfatherenteredtheoilbusiness.Hestruggledasasmallbusinessmantocompetewiththelargeoilcompanies.Ida'smotherhadbeenaschoolteacher.ShemadesurethatIdaattendedschool.Shealsohelpedtheyounggirllearnherschoolwork.Idawantedtostudyscienceatcollege.Mostpeopleatthattimethoughtitwasnotimportantforyoungwomentolearnanythingmorethantoreadandwrite.Mostpeoplethoughteducatingwomenwasawasteofmoney.Ida'sparents,however;believededucationwasimportant-evenforwomen.TheysenthertoAlleghenyCollegeinnearbyMeadville,Pennsylvania.Shewasnineteen.Ioc.govIdaTarbellwasoneofthemostsuccessfulmagazinewritersintheUnitedStatesduringthelastcentury.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:ThosewhoknewIdaTarbellincollegesayshewouldwakeupatfouro'clockinthemorningtostudy.Shewasneverhappywithherschoolworkuntilshethoughtitwasperfect.Ineighteeneighty,Idafinishedcollege.InAugustofthatyear,shegotateachingjobinPoland,Ohio.Itpaidfivehundreddollarsayear.RAYFREEMAN:MissTarbelllearnedthatshewasexpectedtoteachsubjectsaboutwhichsheknewnothing.Shewasabletodosobyreadingtheschoolbooksbeforethestudentsdid.Shewasasuccessfulteacher,butthework,shedecided,wastoodifficultfortheamountshewaspaid.Soshereturnedhomeafteroneyear.AsmallnewspaperinthetownofMeadvillesoonofferedherajob.Manyyearslater;IdaTarbellsaidshehadneverconsideredbeingawriter.Shetookthejobwiththenewspaperonlybecausesheneededthemoney.Atfirst,sheworkedonlyafewhourseachweek.1.ater;however,shewasworkingsixteenhoursaday.Shediscoveredthatshelovedtoseethingsshehadwrittenprintedinthepaper.Sheworkedveryhardatbecomingagoodwriter.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:MissTarbellenjoyedworkingforthenewspaper.Shediscovered,though,thatshewasinterestedinstoriesthatweretoolongforthepapertoprint.ShealsowantedtostudyinFrance.ToearnmoneywhileinParis,shedecidedshewouldwriteforAmericanmagazines.IdaTarbellfounditdifficulttoliveinPariswithoutmuchmoney.Shealsofounditdifficulttosellherworktomagazines.ThemagazineswereintheUnitedStates.ShewasinParis.Someofherstorieswereneverusedbecauseittooktoolongforthemtoreachthemagazine.Yetshecontinuedtowrite.Severalmagazinessoonlearnedthatshewasaseriouswriter.RAYFREEMAN:AmannamedSamuelMcClurevisitedMissTarbellinParis.HeownedamagazinenamedMcClure's.MisterMcClurehadreadseveralofherstories.HewantedhertoreturntotheUnitedStatesandworkforhismagazine.Sheimmediatelyunderstoodthatthiswasaverygoodoffer.Butshesaidno.SheproposedthatshewriteforMcClure'sfromParis.IdaTarbellwrotemanystoriesforMcClure's.ShedidthisforsometimebeforereturningtotheUnitedStates.Herwritingwasverypopular.ShehelpedmakeMcClure'soneofthemostsuccessfulmagazinesofitsday.OneofherfirstjobsforthemagazinewasaseriesofstoriesaboutthelifeoftheFrenchEmperorNapoleon.TheserieswasprintedinMcClure'sMagazineineighteenninety-four.Itwasanimmediatesuccess.Theserieswaslaterprintedasabook.Itwasverypopularforanumberofyears.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:HernextprojectwasaseriesaboutthelifeofAmericanPresidentAbraham1.incoln.Shebeganherresearchbytalkingwithpeoplewhohadknownhim.Sheusednothingtheytoldher,however;unlessshecouldproveitwastruetothebestofherability.McClure'sMagazinewantedashortseriesaboutPresident1.incoln.ButIdaTarbell'sserieslastedforoneyearinthemagazine.1.ikeherseriesaboutNapoleon,thePresident1.incolnstorieswereimmediatelypopular.Theyhelpedsellmoremagazines.ShecontinuedherresearchaboutPresident1.incoln.Throughtheyears,shewouldwriteeightbooksaboutPresident1.incoln.(MUSIC)RAYFREEMAN:MissTarbell'sreportsabouttheStandardOilCompanyareconsideredmoreimportantthananyofherotherwritings.Hernineteen-partserieswascalledTheHistoryoftheStandardOilCompany.McClure'sMagazinepublisheditbeginninginnineteen-oh-two.Ioc.govSheusedherreportingskillsagainstoneofthemostpowerfulcompaniesintheworld.HerreportsshowedthatStandardOilusedillegalmethodstomakeothercompanieslosebusiness.Onemethodwastoselloilinoneareaofthecountryformuchlessthantheoilwasworth.Thiscausedsmallercompaniesinthatareatofail.Theycouldnotselltheiroilforthatlowapriceandstillmakeaprofit.Afteracompanyfailed,StandardOilwouldthenincreasethepriceofitsoil.Thiskindofunfaircompetitionwasillegal.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:MissTarbellhadtroublediscoveringinformationabouttheStandardOilCompany.Shetriedtotalktobusinessmenwhoworkedintheoilbusiness.Atfirst,fewwouldagreetotalk.TheywereafraidoftheStandardOilCompanyanditsowner;JohnD.Rockefeller.Hewasoneoftherichestandmostpowerfulmenintheworld.MissTarbellkeptseekinginformation.ShewastoldbyonemanthatRockefellerwouldtrytodestroyMcClure'sMagazine.Butshedidnotlistentothethreats.ShesoonfoundevidencethatStandardOilhadbeenusingunfairandillegalmethodstodestroyotheroilcompanies.Soonmanypeoplewerehelpingherfindtheevidencesheneeded.RAYFREEMAN:IdaTarbell'sinvestigationsintoStandardOilwerepartlyresponsibleforlaterlegalactionbythefederalgovernmentagainstthecompany.Thecasebeganinnineteen-oh-six.Innineteeneleven,theSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesruledagainstStandardOilbecauseofitsillegaldealings.Thedecisionwasamajorone.Itforcedthehugecompanytoseparateintothirty-sixdifferentcompanies.JohnD.Rockefellerneverhadtoappearincourthimself.Yetthepublicfelthewasresponsibleforhiscompany'sillegalactions.TheinvestigativeworkofIdaTarbellhelpedformthatpublicopinion.Thatinvestigativeworkcontinuestobewhatsheisknownfor,eventhoughsomeofherlaterwritingsdefendedAmericanbusiness.Shediedinnineteenforty-four.(MUSIC)SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:ApicturehassurvivedfromthelongagodayswhenIdaTarbelltookonthegiantStandardOilCompany.ItshowsJohnD.Rockefellerwalkingtohiscar.Itwastakenafterhiscompanyhadlostanimportantcourtbattle.Heiswearingatallblackhatandalongcoat.Helooksangry.Severalpeoplearewatchingthefamousmanfrombehindthecar.Oneisaverytallwomen.MisterRockefellerdoesnotseeher.Ifyoulookcloselyatthepicture,youcanseethefaceofIdaTarbell.Sheissmiling.Ifyouknowthestory,hersmileclearlysays:"Iwon."(MUSIC)RAYFREEMAN:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyPaulThompson.mRayFreeman.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:AndmShirleyGriffith.JoinusagainnextweekatthistimeforanotherPEOP1.EINAMERICAprogramonVOA.