The native American., 1838-05-05

I WEALTH OF EDIToRs.-The notion general,
prevails among the patrons of popular journal
the editor is 'gettng rich." 1t may be instructive
to some Of our good patrons to learn how an editor
makes his fortune. One case will illustrate thou.
sand.
| An individual sends up his name as subscriber
postage 25 cents. He sets down and calculates
when he will get his paperten days to 90, and ten
to return--in twenty days he expects to bless his
eyes with the sight of his new paper Twenty
days elapse but no paper-he waits patiently five
days longer-no paper yet-he sits down and
writes agan-postage 20 cents-next day he re-
ceives the paper, but his second letter has gone,
and the editor is taxed with his impatience. He
is now subscriber and reader Of the Journal
and has cost the editor but SO cents. Receives the
paper three months, and sends up an obituary
postage 25 cents. Three months afterwards he
changes his residence, and writes to have the di-
rection Of his paper changed-postage 25 cents
Receives it three months at his new residence, and
having grown wondrously wise by nine months
reading of weekly journal, he conceves, brings
forth. and forwards ''communication''-po
25 cents He is now highly gratified that he has
become Observation-Disclosures forward with min
gled emotion of impatience and selCcomplacency
to the time when he sees himself in print, as large
as life. The set time arrives-the mail comes
he is first at the ofice--receives his paper
sketches its contents with apa plating heat, drops
it in disappointment, and sighs out-no commune
cation. Another week wears away between hope
and fear. The mail comes again-he hurries to the
|office--receives his paper-examines it hastily,
then carefully, but no communication. That is
too bad-endurance can bear no longer-he throws
the paper down in pet, and DEGREES bitter things
against the editor.
,Jnt hoe ooct
Why the fact is, the editor had not more than gone
half way through his crude, senseess effuson till
he very deliberately rolled tup and lighted his pipe
with it. Oh, cruel offence never to be forgiven!
And in less than six weeks he receives from his
much injured subscriber very ill-natured letter,
taking exceptions to the character ofhs paper, but
no allusion to the last communication-postag as
usual, 25 cents About two months afterwards,
the editor is in strait for the needfuhe goes to
the post office, hoping to get remittance
few third-rate exchange papers, and lttle lank,
Thumb paper looking letter make up his receipts.
With no very enviabe feeling he tears it open and
it turns out to be the discontiaudnce of his cele-
brated subscriber, with notification, that he is
ready to pay when called on-postage 25 cents.
Six months elapse and the account Of the delin-
quent subscriber is drawn off and sent out In
the course of the next six months, the agent with
much uIthculty, collects the amount oil the expired
subscription SO, and after retaining it in his own
hands for some months, he finally encloses it in a
letter and marks it double, to advertise there is mo-
ney in it-postage SO cents. The letter arrives,
and the bill is under parthe broker knocks off 25
cents. The credit is entered in full three dollars,
and now, more than two years after our subscriber
first introduced himself, his name is finally er-
Plunged.
And now let us review the transaction and see
what handsome speculation the editor has made,
Seven letters from the subscriber postage 25
cents each, 81 75 letter from the agent, mark
ed double, postage so cents; discount on the bill
25 cents-amount so; current money received
2,75; balance Of cash received, above expenditure:
of the same, % cents-ust about enough te
pay clerks fees and the expense of mailing the
paper.
Thus has the editor furnished his subscriber his
paper for year gratis, and gained in return his
everlasting ill-will.
If editors could only have enough such subscri-
hers, they would ''get rich' with vengeance
Three thousand such would break down any print
ing establishment III the state.