The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-04-12
WEALTH or EDIrons.

| The notion generally prevails among the patron,
OF popular journal, The editor j. getting rich"
may b. instructive 10 81 our gOod patrons "a
learn how editor makes his fortune One case
| viii illustrate a thousand.
| An individual sends up his name as a subscriber
postage 25 cents. lie sits down ard calculates
when he will get his papcr--ien days % 90, and ten
TO returnin twenty days he expects 10 bless his eye
with the sight OF his new paper, TNenty days
elapSe but no paper--be walls patiently five DAYS
lunger-no paper yet-he sits down aud writes 81 gain
postage % cents-nexl day he receives the paper
but his second letter has ne and the editor taxed
W'th his impatience. He is now subscriber and
reader Of the journal and has cost the editor but
% cents Receives the paper three months, and
sends up an obiuary-poSage Is cents. Three
months afterwards he changes his residence, and
writes 10 have the direction Of his paper changed
postage % cents. Receives II three months al his
new residence, and having grown wonderousIy
wise by nine months reading weekly Journal, be
conceiyes, brings forth, and forwards "coMAirsi-
CAT1oN--postage 25 cents He is now highly grail
fed that he has become subScriber-looks forward
with a mingled emotion Of impalience and Selfcon-
paeency to The time when he secs himself in print
AS LARGE As LIFE. The set time arryes--lhe mail
eomes-he IS first at the ofiice-receiving his paper
sketches its contents with palpilating heart
drops il IN disappointment, and signs out-no com
muncation Another week wears away between
hope and fear. The mail comes again--he hurres
to The ofhce-receiyeS his paperexamines il hastily
then carefully, but no communication, That Is too
bad-endurance can bear no longer--he throws the
paper down in pet, and DEGREES bterthings against
the editor
But what is become Of the communication WHY
the fact Is, the editor had not more than gone half
way through his crude senseess effuson, till he
very deliberately rolled il up and Lighted his pipe
with IT, Oh cruel offence never to be forgiven I
And in less than six weeks he receives from his
much injured subscriber a very ll-natured letter
taking exceptions 10 the character of his paper but
no allusion TO the last ommunicaton-poStage as
usual, % cents. About two months afterwards the
editor is in a strait for the ncedfui-he goes TO the
post office, hoping to get remittance few third
rate exchange papers, and little, lank THUMB paper
looking letter, make up his receipts With no very
envable feeling he tears il open, and il turns out to
be the di1ontiHnaatce of his celebrated subscriber
with notification that he is ready TO pay when
called on-postage 25 cents.
Six months eapse and the account of the delin-
quent subscriber is drawn oil and sent out In the
course of the next six months, the agent, with much
difficulty, collects the amount of the expired sub
serpon Sb3, and after retaining il in bis own hands
for some months, he finally encloses il in letter
and marks it double TO advertise atthere is money
in ft-postage so cents. The letter arrives and the
bill is under par--the broker knocks off 25 cents
The credit is entered in full three dollars, and now
more than two years after subscriber first intro.
duced himself, his name is finally exPunged.
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 Isl one letter from the agent, marked dou-
bic, postage so cents, discount on the bill % cents
amount 81 so; current money received 81 10; ba-
lance of cash received, above expenditures Of the
same Is cents-nst about enough 10 pay clerks fees
and the expense of maiingthe paper.
Thus has the editor furnished his subscriber his
paper for year gratis, and gained in return his
everlasting ill will. .t." ...
If editors could only have enough such subscri.
bers, they would 81 get rich" with vengeance
Three thousand such would break down any print
ing establishment in the State. ...