Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-07-02
THE RURAL EDITOR.

Extract from Poem read before the Sixth Annual sess
Of the Ohio Editors and Publishers Association at DaytO
by JAMES DuNARs
l. knew edor-twas long ago,
Before the art blessed by steam Hoe
When printers dined on unsubstautial fare,
And nursed their hopes whispers from the afr,
~ Grew rich poverty, and stuffed their clay
On airy nothings-prOmises 70 pay.
Wen, ms said, knew h'm-a rare fellow,
Who kept his and others natures mellow
One of those social souls we all enjoy
Who hold in age the freshness of the boy.
Forth came his paper neatly launched and freghted.
And when it the village elated
Ignoring party, in party sense,
Avoiding all that might excite offence,
1t praised the town, its prospects, its advances
It's enterprises resources, and finances;
It praised the schools, the teachers profound,
Until their fame wns known for miles around
II praised the village parsons eloquence,
His modest bearing lack of all pretence,
But most his learning and his solid sense
1t praised the doctors, uncommon skilled
Adding with great suavity and grace
Their treatment cured more people than it killed
It spoke-and of its truth doubts will spring
OF honest lawyers-an uncommon thing
Who had a eonscence--an uncommon case.
In short, it praised so well, that people grew
To think that praise was merited and due
twas Ibis fault, and grew from
or aim to please and proft-notlng less;
And bad he been to self but half the friend
He vas TO others, he had met an end
That you might safely aim at and commend.
His influence felt the towns fair fame
With all who read his paper found name.
The city pleasurist resorted there
Enjoyed Its quiet and It's heathfu air;
The artists came, and sketched such charming scenes
That they sought to grace the magazines;
And thither, too, came of enterprise
Blocks blocks, and mills and factories,
Hot els paatal and stores that We'd
With those Broadway or along Cheapside.
In BRIEF the town, that the printer came,
Had scarce local hatitation a name,"
As though twore touched by magic grew to be
An inland city: but-how aou;lshed hel
Come with me up three flights Of stairs, and there,
In dngy daylight and lead-poisoned air,
Beside his desk he sits his hair has grown
Gray with the aecks that time and have sowu;
Around him lie exchanges, scraps, and clippings,
Half written leaderS, local puffs and sppings
OF PHHehy humor; manuscripts rejected,
From geniuses who think themselves neglected.
obituary verses full Of gloom,
And dOleful voices from dOleful tomb
'Iines to a Lady, from mister Dash,
Who is desperately in love with-hs moustaehe;
A sentimental song about sea-shells,
Writ by moping, melancholy she,
Who would be married, though her face yet smells
OF bread-andbutter and the nursery;
An euogy General Blanks Grafton,
Delivered ofhand at the late ovation,
And which suggests by way of mere reflection
He should be bonored with a reelection
Modest requests which hope he'll not refuse
To notice this or that in next weeks hens
bunch Of bad cigars, thar some sends,
Expecting twice their value in "lOcal =
Unopened invitations from his frisnds,
Asking his presence at concert vocal,
Or at lecture, party, hop or ball,
So Atsueh a date 0lease mentOn) and such hall
Novels and books not worth a decent rating
Sent out-they send few Others but for CASH
by Eastern firms who take that way Of batting
The country press to advertise their trash; ;
10 Short hundred things by devised
To get their baubes eheaply advertised.
There, patient toiler a his work,
Himself his foreman, publisher and clerk,
He labored hard-few had iabored harder
Grew lean in person. leaner in his nrder;
And still be toled, from dawn to twilight gray,
The frst of men to Oourt-ths last 70 pay!
Some said that he riel-it mightbe-trup
Provided that you reckoned what was due
But this his dearest hieEds both said and knew
His wants many but his dimes few
His paper-bfIs in, which must be paid
So to deiaquents he appealed for aid;
He would take pork, potatoes, or oats,
Az belves or hoop-poes, or, at worst, their notes;
In short, tnke any thing they had to pay,
Provided IL was breugHtby such day.
And thus be turned short corners, always pressed
sad example Of PoPE's sagest saw,
~AAn is but always TO be blessed"
The victim Of a fate that knows law.
3eset BY butchers, by his baker ieased,
BY creditors beseged, by bailiHs squeezed,
He yielded slowly, In the desperate strife
Eis diBgy Office and his troubled life,
And gave 70 quiet earth and modest stone,
His many virtues and his aching bones.