The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-02-27
Confessions OF a Country Editor.


wqndcr Il the reader Of this sketch ever
edited a country newspaper one Of those
four PACED sheets which are always hebdomc-
daily behind with intelligence which has
been fully digcstcd by every pbody that lives
every where, except IN the village where
your "mop Of busy life" IL issued.
Our mutual friend G., after twenty.
five years supedu,cudancc Of his cherished
"Knicto" can g,ycyou some idea Of what the
editor Of a country journal has to undergo,
but not of those little miseric' he suffers, il
he be the unfortunate publisher Of his own
sheet
John Smith Editor and Proprietor" looks
well 10 the unini,iotcd, At the head Of the
Oaltowu Buglc but in reality, it is an hon.
or without rcdccming trait. If It covers q
realizing sense Of personal debts, non.paying
subscribers, had writing, dough.hc head CORES
pondcnts, debating partisan leaders, and
printers troubles generally. Among the
worst of these. are editorial "lcadcrs," so
called bcoausc the printer inserts icai, be.
'...a-- ~ i'--- -T'ry-, 90 I....''.- - rtu''-
cypcnny ieads YOU by promises strongly re-
scmhling threats, TO write them as hc may
suggest, without reference 10 your own
opinions.
once had wears service at the business
as editor and publisher Of the "Wol0own
Banner" away out in Illinois and often
times found myself without sufficient "rocks"
TO purchase a days fodder, which as often
wax b5ugtr with fuivomr- puff Of the NNoif-
town Exchange, at which hotel would thus
be enabled to achieve common dinner.
Fhrr, ttrrr- wax an afir1-a1sez --iieit-frefz
It's continuity became the rule and the cSccp-
tons were but few and widely separated 10y
time The paper seller did leash or op-
proved paper" business, and all the loose
change Of the office, tightly collected, went
into his pockets. More frequently, old
Moncypcnuy was called in 30 give his per
soma! security by iudorscmcpt, TO keep up
the regular issue and these transactions
soon led him to consider the Banner ns his
own private property This illusion couscd
1, him 20 domineef largely ia the style Of the
politics and general course of the Banner.
One of the oldest settlers of the country,
wealthy beyond his ncighbors, the founder
orthc village, he became Sir Oracle of all
4 things therein. and aspired nightly to Con-
grcssisual hcnors. Not few were the stormy
articles which he wrotc against opposing men
and measures which silently father ed as my
own ofsprings, fearing his displcasurc, much
( as detested their tone and abusive person
altics for, with the privileges conferred on
him by hesitation in life. he became little
tyrannica and garruous with his years.
Once he led me into serious difficulty which
while it laid me up in bed and stopped the
issue Of hc1Banncr for II fortnight, ultimate
I " redoundcd to the benefit of that journal
and cancelled all notes held against me by
the paper seller.
had written a contcmptuous Notice of q
public meeting of the opposition party held
on a previous evening 1t disgusted me
while wrote it but we were short ofpnper
the funds were low, and before my next issue
| should have to call on Moneypenny for his
valuable aid in getting supply.
Just as had finished the article in came
my dictator, Picking up my manuscript, he
glanced over it. Pretty fair shot !-rery
( fair! But bless your SOUL not half enough
mustard and pepper in it and you haven't
done that scoundre Meggles justice, blast
him Give me that pen: III set him up as
he should be-"
SO he scratched down an addition 10 my
article, wherein Mr. Meggles, the opposition
candidate for Congress was set up in language
so strong and flowing that the Evil one him
self might consider himself holy compared
with the character sketched by Moneypenny.
l objected to its harshnes9, and to its going
on in that shape, but the curses of my veal
thy otcucr soon led me to acquiesce. The
consequences, felt would be disastrous, but
well, interest smotherod my terrors, and in
il went.
do not care to depict the sequel in detail
or the commotion tho next Banner created
The exosperutcd Moggles attacked me alone
in the office, with loaded cane.head. plea
the standing forms of the paper into n chaotic