The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-03
MISCELLAN EO Y S.
From the Albany Argus.
TAKING A NEWSPAPER.
q practical siory--pleasaaiIy tod

who was engaged in separating the chaif from the
wheat crop by the means of a fan.
|, sVery fine day, friend Alon--ony news?" return
ed the individual addressed.
"Nothng of importance; have called over TO see
if you wouldn't JOIN Carpenter and myself IN taking
the paper this year. The price is only two dollars
} "Nothing cheap that you don't want" returned
Gaslill in positive tone; 81 don't believe in news
papers; never heard Of one doing any good. If an
old stray one happens TO get into our house, my
gals are crazy after il, and nothing be got oul
Of them until IT'S read through They would not
be good for cent If paper came every week
And besides, dollars amt picked up in every corn
hill.n
"But think, neighbor Gaskill, how much infor-
nation your gals would get il they had fresh
newspaper every week filled with all the latest in
tegence The time they would spend IN reading,
would be nothing to what they would gan.''
''And what would they gain, wonder Get
their heads filed with nonsensical stories Look at
Sally Black; isn't she fine specimen of one Of your
newspaper reading galsi Not worth to her ia
ther three pumpkin seed. ! remember well enough
when she was one of the most promising bodies
about her. But her father was fool enough to
take newspaper Any one could see change in
Sally! She began to spruce up and TO look smart.
First came bow ON her Sunday bonnet, ard then
| gloves to 60 10 meeting. After that, she must be
sent TO school again. and that at the very time when
she begun to be worth something about home. And
now she has got forty piano, and fellow comes
| "Then you won't join us, neighbour" Mr.. Alton
\ said, avoiding useless reply TO Gaskl.
no! thatI will not. Money thrown away on
newspapers Is worse than wasted. never heard
Of their doing any good The time spent in reading
| q new spaper every week would lie enough to raise
a hundred bushels Of potatoes. Your newspaper,
in my opinion, is a dear bargain at any price,
/ Mr.. Alton changed the subject, and soon left
nelghbor Gaskill to his fancies.
| About three months afterwards, however, they
again met, as they had frequently done during the
intermediate time.
"Have you sold your wheat yeti" asked Mr..
| Alton.
Eyes, sold it day before yesterday"
! Glow much did you get for III"
Eighty fve.n
that the price had advanced TO ninety-fve cents.
To whom did you SELF"
"To Wakeful, the storekeeper in R.. He
met me day before Yesterday, and asked me if ]
had sold my crop yet said had not. He then
offered to take it at eghty-ive cents, the market
price; and said he might as well have it, as there
was doubtless little chance Of its rising. Yesterday
| he sent over his wagon and took it away
"Ihis was hardly fair in Wakeful. He came to
me also, and offered to buy my crop at eighy-fve.
But had just received my newspaper, in which !
! saw that IN consequence Of accounts from Europe
| of a short crop, grain had gone up. | asked him
nlney-fve, which, after some hagglng, he consented
to give"
| ibid he pay you ninety-hve cents:o exclaimed
| Gask in surprise and chagrin.
| "Ele certainly did"
] "Too bad! too bad! No better than downright
cheating to take such shameful advantage of mans
ignorance"
Certainly, Wakeful cannot be justified in his
conduct" replied Mr. Alton at is not right for one
man to take advantage of another mans ignorance,
and get his goods for less than they are worth But
does not any deserve thus to suffer who remains
wholly ignorant, IN world where he knows there
are always enough ready to avail themselves Of his
Ignorance Had you been willing to expepd two
dollars for the use of newspaper for whole year.
you would have saved, in the single item of your
wheat crop alone, fourteen dollars!--ust think Of
| that Mr.. Wakeful takes the newspaper, and, by
watching them closely, is always prepared to make
good bargains with some hnlcdozen others around
here, who have not wit enough to provide them
selves with the only sure avenue of information ON
| all subjecs--the newspapers"
| "Elave you sold your poatoesi" asked GaslSil
with some concern in his voice.
| go no, not yet. Wakeful has been making me
they are bringing in Philadelphia am well satisfied
! they are about thirty cents here
"About thirty! Why sold to Wakeful for about
tirenty-sir cents'
"a great Ounce you were if must speak so
plainly; he offered me twenty-nine cents for four hun
dred bushels. But declined. And was right
They are worth thirty to-day, and at that price
am going TO SELL"
"sn't it too bad" calculated the mortified farmer,
walking backwards and forwards, impatiently.
"There twenty-five dollars literally sunk in the
sea- That Wakefu has cheated me most outrage
ously''-
Sand all because you were too close to take
newspaper could call that saving at the spigot,
ndetting out at the bung-hole, neighbor Gaskill"
i 81 should think it was, indeed This very day
ahead of me again, he'll have to be wide awake, |
can tell him..
"Have you heard of Sally Black;o asked Mr.. Al
ton, after brief silence.
/ "No. What of heri''
''She leaves home Tomorrow and goes to
"Indeed! What for:"
'Her father takes the newspaper, you know"
eyes
"And has given her good educaon.''
$50 they say; but could never see that it has
done any good for her. except to make her good for
nothing"
'Not quite SO bad as that, friend Gaskill But
TO proceed: two weeks ago, Mr.. Black saw an adj
vertisement IN thepaper for young lady to teach
music and some other branches in the seminary at
Re-. He showed it to Sally, and she asked
him to ride over and see about it,. He did SO, and
then returned for Sally and went back again The
trustees of the seminary liked her very much and
engaged her at the salary of four hundred dollars
year Tomorrow she goes to take charge Of her
classes"
"You cannot surely, be in earnestl' farmer Gas.
kill said, with look of profound establishment.
ats every word true" replied MIR. Alton. "And
now you will hardly say that newspaper is dear
at any price,, or that the reading of them has spoiled
Sally Black"
Gaskill looked upon the ground for many min
utes. Then raising his head, he half calculated,
with sigh:
"If haven't been COMPOUNDED fool, | came
plaguey near it! But / will be fool no longer.
III subscribe for newspaper to-morrow--see If
DON'T"
Il "MY NAME is HANES.n
Il There are thousand Of people in this country,