The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-10-13
COUNTRY EXCHANGES


to his Country Exchanges" in the following
language, which savors much "more of truth
than poetry"
We sometimes find in dirty looking eight
by ten newspaper, published somewhere on
the periphery of civilization. articles more in.
| teresting and written in better style, than
often appear in the mammoth weeklies," or
"leviathan monthlies" that emanate from the
literary hot houses Of our large cities, and
many Of the country papers that we receive,
are not only well filled, but elegantly got up,
printed on excellent paper and clear type,
and in all respects worthy Of commentator.
Your country editor is generally an earn
est man. He is a hard worker and vigor-
| Gus thinker. He has often to contend with
difficulties and overcome obstacles, the mere
thought of which would crush the soul of the
city foplIng. He has no dozen or twenty as
sistants to make selections, read and prune
correspondence, review books, notice maya
zines, look after and correct telegraphc des-
patches, attend public meetings, exhibitions
concerts and lectures, and give reports there
of; he has no army of compositors to ''set up
a column in eight minutes, no proof.reader to
correct typographical errors, and no foreman
to see that the paper is made up just right,
leaving him simply to write the "leader" and
a few selt-suggesting paragraphs; nor has he
a lightning press" to print off his paper at
the rate of ten thousand an hour, while he is
sleeping quietly at home or enjoying supper
along with his friends. None of these aids
has the country editor. On the contrary, in
many cases. he has not only to write his edi-
torials, make his selections, whip his commu-
nications into shape. clothe the advertise
ments sent him in uniforms of orthography
and grammar, set up his matter, impose the
forms, and print the paper, but. at the same
time, he may have to do the marketing for his
family; dig the potatoes for his dinner, and
hold the baby while they are being cooked
Nor is ink paper, or any other printing ma
terial so easily obtained in the middle of Tex
as or Illinois, or even in the interior Of our
own State as in the city. BY every mail we
receive halves of newspapers, with the an
nouncement that sowing to the water in the
river being still low"-or some other uneon-
trollable cause-'our paper has not arrived,
therefore we are again able to issue only
half sheet" &c. Occasionally, an Exchange"
published on the extreme verge of newspa-
perdom, disappears altogether for few weeks
and when it again makes its appearance the
editor, in his leading paragraph, congratu
lates ''our readers on our temperance, and
are happy to state, that having obtained
large supply of paper, the publication of the
Herald will not again be interrupted" de-
Men who have to struggle with such Difficult
ties, can spare no time to nonsense and frlvoli-
ty; they are chary of their space, and hence
the readableness of their papers.
RUFUS CHoArE.-The following has been
set afloat by somebody's near relative of
Davy Crockett, perhaps:
Rufus Choatc is n picture to look at, and a
crowder to spout. lie is about seven feet
six or six feet seven in his socks supple us
an eel, and wiry as Il cOrkscrew. HIS face
is a compound OF wrinkles, 'yaller janders"
and jurisprudence. lie has small, keen,
piercing black eyes, and n head shaped like
mammoth goose egg, big end uR his hair
black and curly, much resembling bag OF
wool in admirable disorder" or brush heap
ina gale of wind. His body has no partc-
ular shape, and his wit and legal "dodges"
have set many Judge in smoker, ana so
COMPOUNDED Jurors us to make it almost im-
possible for them to speak plain English, or |
tell the truth for the rest of their natural
lives. Rufus is great OH twisting himself |
up; squlrming himself around, AMI prancing, |
jumping and kicking up the dust when
steam's up. His oratory is first rate, and
his arguments ingenious and torcible. lie
generally makes a"ten strike Judge and ju-
ry down ut the end Of every sentence. lie
is great on iiowcry expressions and highta-
lutln "lubbubs." Strangers mostly think he
is crazy, and the rest scarcely understands
what he is about. lie invoices his time and
four thousand per cent. over ordin-
AIRY charges for having ones self put through
n course Of law.
Rufus Choa:e is about fifty years of age,
perhaps over. He is considered the ablest
lawyer in New England, or perhaps in the
United States. Ills hand writing can't be
deciphered without the aid of u pair of COM
passes and aquadrant. His autograph some
what resembles the map Of Ohio, and looks
like IL piece of crayon sketching, done IN the
dark with 4 three pronged fork. He has been
in the Senate, and maybe, if he has time
IN fish FIR IL Presidential tha limited States |