, 1860-05-01

1fotv to Edit n Country Newspaper.
The Randolph County {1il.) RtPu1l;cau pub
fishes the following letter from Horace Greeley,
on the art Of editing country newspaper;
SEw YoRK, April s.lse.
FEtESD FLLTCurR II hare line from you
Informing me that you are about to start a pa
per at Sparta, mud limiting that a line from 1ne
for its fret issue would be acceptable. Allow
me, then, as ore who spent his most hopefutaad
aud who sincerely believes tint tue art oi con-
ductlns country {cr city, newspapers has no.
yet obtained its ultimate perfection, 10 set be-
fore you Few hints on making up an interest,"
in@ and popular gazette for rural district, like
yours.
!. Begin with cienr conception that the sub
ject of deepest interest to IN average Lum1n
being is himself; next to that, be is Iuost con
ccrned about his neighbors- Asia and the Ton
50 Islands stand long way after these in Ills
regard. 1t does Stem to me that most country
Journals are ohlivious as to these vital truths.
Hyon will, SO soon cs may be, secure IL wide
awake, judic:oas correspondent in each village
and township Of your county-some young law
yer, doctor, clerk in store, or assistant in a
postofice, who will promptly send you Whatever
Of u.oolel occurs III his vicinity, ard will make
up at leas. half your journal Of local matter thus
collected. nobody in the county can long do With
out it. Do no: let = new church be organized,
OF new members be added to enc already exist.
ing, farm be sold, d new house be raised,
mill lie set in molten, store be opened, nor
anything Of interest to dozen families occur,
without having tne' fact duly though briefly
chronic}ed in your columns. II farmer cuts
q big tree or grows mammoth beet, or har-
vests bounteous yield Of wheat or corn, set
forth the fact US coacisefy and unexceptionabiE
as possible. In due time, obtain and print
brief historical nod statistical account Of each
township, who first settled in it, who bare been
its prominent citizens. who attained advanced
years therein, 6c. Record every birth as well
IS every n1arriage and death. In short, make
yonr paper perfect mirror o: ercry thing done
in your county that its citizens ought to know
and, whenever a farm is sold, try to ascertain
what it brought at previous GALES, and how it
1las been managed meantime, One ear Of this.
faithfully followed up, will ti1 the ralue Of each
farm in the county, and render it as easily de-
termincd us that Of bushcl Of corn.
II. Take an earnest and active if not lead.
ing part ID the advancement Of home industry.
Do your utmost TO promote not only an annual
County Fair but Town Fairs a. well. Persuade
each farmer and mechanic to send scnstthi.g 70
such Fa'ra, though it be pair Of well made
shoes from tue one or good ear Of corn from
tue other. lfany one undertakes new branch
OF industry in tie county, especially if it be a
manufacture, do not wait to be solicited, but
hasten TO gise him q helping hand, Ask the
people to buy hls aou1, or starch, or wooIers.
Or boots. or whatever may be his product, il it
be good, in preference to nuE that may be
brought into the county to compete with him.
Encourage and aid him to The best Of your abil-
ity. u perse,ering iu this course d few ycars,
You will largely Increase tile population Of your
county and tho value Of every acre Of its soil
III. Don't let the politicians and aspirants Of
Of The county own YOU. They may be clever
fellows, as they oflen are; but keep ycur eyes
open, you will sse some things shat they seem
blind to, and must speak out scsordine:y DO
-FOUR best to keep tue number u: public trusts,
the amount Of official emolumenis, and the con-
aequent statc Of taxation othtr than for comnoo
schools. II low as may be- Remember 1hst-
in addition to the radical righteousness Of the
thing-the taxpayers take many more papers
than the tax consumers.
would like to ssy mere. but Arl tuticl ex-
cessirely. That you may deserve and 1chieye
suecess is the earnest prayer Of.
Yours, truly, HoRAcE GREELEY.