Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-02-05
THE LIFE OF A sEwsPAPER.
WRITES DR. irsaGT.

WRITES BY iTsRLF.
My life 10 shortly told. Ny FIRST i'm
preston was the sensation OF a tremBlou
bat short squeeze, which instantly awok
ms into life and thought. | was nov
spread out TO light, and glow Of intel
lgence, completely pefyaded me-. NJ,
ideas were ct first new, muliifarious an,
confusion; nations, politics, courts, wars
speeches, merchandise, fighting. feasis
deaths, marriages, duties, poetry, &c.
&C., made up all my thoughts, whicl
were various and mixed layAn a silen
state Of wonder and great amazement.
soon found thai was but ono Of |
very large family, that was ushefes lnt'
this curious world at the same time. Gu
whole family was laid IN regular order il
pile my situation beng one oil The frs
born was particularly uneasy, damp ant
uncomfortable. had silent, intnitIst
longing wish to get into the world; whei
was al last giallhed.
Morning cane, and was carefully fold
ed and lad, Moses like, 10 basket, by ;
boy who was called the carrier, and born,
into the street. The carrier, soon fouCd
was an object Of interest and desire. HC
was soon accosted by an elderly looking
man. with thread. bare, rusty breeches =
"IIave you spare paper, this morning
my boy 7"
mo SIR. was tho short reply, and he
,rudged on with US, muttering, 'Not q:
you knows on, old gdpes--you are the
same chap that Promised me some cop.
pers for paper tne other morning, anc
tain't paid me yet; you are too stngy &c
take the paper-you won't get another
from me ! guess"
My brethren were now fast leaving me
being deposited al their proper dcstina.
ton. At length my turn came, and was
tucked into the crevice Of shop door,
The first sample Of the kind was not al
oil alIuriug. had not been long in my
new situation, when reluctantly early
conner, swinging key in his hand, visit
fully eyed me and casting look about
HIM, ieoniously seized me, and thrust me
into his pocket.
Nv rightlu owner--by virtue of ad-
vance pay, being in sight, hailed and ar.
rested the piferer, and with threats com.
PEELED him to relinqulsh his prIze. lie
entered his store, and | soon found that
was the great object Of his sttentlon.-
After hastily drying me at the fire, IN
which process | narrowly escaped con-
lagraton, he ran over me, and fixed hi:
eyes upon the sales at auction, advertise.
ments, &c. | was then more particular
Nv examined and dismissed With condem.
nation.
Nothing but foreign news--Congress
and Cabinst-love stories and flood and
field. A newspaper should be CONNER
cial report, one side at least should be de-
voted TO the price current. was then
thrown upon the counter, but ! was soon
in requisltior. A boy came iE with q
"Please Ind me your paper few, mn-
utes, just to look at the ship newsF"
The request was reluctantly granted,
with something about the plague OF the
paper borrowing and determination to
stop it. was soon borne TO neighbor-
,rg house. The good old woman whose
husband was at sea eagerly sought the
ship news, but was disappointed 10 her
search"
"iIow negligent and careless these
printers are" said she, "not word oil m
lelligence Of the Wind Bird: they print
OF Portland ana Poetry and ill their pa
pers with advertisements and that is al
they care about" Miss now took her
turn. She sough, the stories, the poetry
and marriages, which in halt an hour
were all devoured, with "the wonder that
they put anything else in the paper" An
elderly lady now took me, who adjusted
her spectacles, surveyed me little, ano
declared me a terrible embarrassing pa
per; hardly column OF deaths, and moi
more than fifteen or twenty murders and
accidents"
10 this way passed through all the
hands of the family, and after being soil
ed, somewhat torn oy the little ones, was
sent home. For three whole days ! hac
no rest but was continually borrowed ano
abused At the end Of this period, was
supplanted by new face, and was ther
discarded and thrown aside like all ser
wants, when they have become useless. -
| was, however again resuscitated, ant
employed as a wrapper to some merchan
die and sent into the country. There,
again became the object Of interest, wen
the round of the neighborhood, and was
'nine days wonder"
an now quietly hanging up in shat
tered condition, in q farmers KITCHEN
from which | have written this brief me-
NOR. have seen much OF the world
and learned that mankind are unreasona
bic and ungrateful, and that in a world o
great variety of tastes and wishes II is I'M
possible to please all.
A DYING CHAMBER, Who'll that has
,,.,.I. 4 L..;Jo tho sirk tina WING cOucf