Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-07-21
For the Reporter.
The best County Paper.

As citizen of Wood County, would be
glad to see the "Reportc,'" the best county
per in the State. 1t can be made SO then
can anybody tell why it should not be so ? II:
politics are all right now :; but politics have
little to do, comparatively, in making a
county paper valuable. Give it high moral
tone: make it the earnest friend of pure,
practical religion, q do not mean of sec
tartan aristocracy and sham piety y make ii
an educator of all who sit down to its PERU
sal-of the intellect, of the heart, of the con.
science,-in all matters and kinds of trade
and professions By which men and women be.
come useful members of society Let it
speak out against the vices by which men are
ruined, aud the enticements by which boys
and youEg men are drawn, oftentimes unsus-
pectingly, but always surely, from ways Of So
briefly and virtue, and are allured downward
into folly, shame and sin; and it might take
the honorable position of the best county
paper in Wisconsin.
But to this end much as depends on the
editor, he can never do all the necessary
work alone. The people Of the county must
"come up to the help of the Lord against
the mighty" and work with him and for one
another. If he be left to work alone, as he
heretofore has been in great measure, it is
hardly right to expect that he will be able
from week to week to meet the varied wants
Of the whole community, even in the prepar-
alton of an intelligent repast. Men differ as
much in their tastes intellectually as they do
in their tastes physically more
The people Of the county, therefore, should
come up to the editors help; and all who
have talent, tact or taste in these matters
should take their turns, under him, in cook
ing and serving at the table. True, as chief
cook he should exercise general supervision
in the preparation of each and every meal :;
and until he has proved each cook and be-
come fully assured that every preparation of
his hand can be safely trusted for the table,
should examine and inspect the contents Of
his dish, lest there should be sometimes in
the things offered too much of pepper, salt
and vinegar, and not enough Of the milk of
human kindness and littlc more ought to be
required Of him. IF he be expected to pro-
vide ali the food-the staples and the dain-
tics--and do all the cooking, no one who eats
at his table ought to be surprised or COM
plain if his larder sometimes gets nearly
empty, or his cooking is under or over-donc.
There is certainly talent enough in the
county to make a superior paper, if it can
be made available to this end and again
ask why should it not be? Here arc inte,li
gent farmers and mechanics, merchants and
lumbermen, lawyers and physicians, clergy
men and teachers Here are those who know
how to make good bread and butter and
cheese, and others who love to eat them :;
and all these can put their thoughts and ex
periences on paper, and general!yn an intel
ligent, interesting end instructive manner.
Let them do this, and once month subl"it
the productions of their pen to the editor of
the Wood County Reporter, that they may
help one another; and, my word for it, they
will soon be surprised at the new interest and
attractions which its co lumns would possess
for them. It would go far towards making
it the best county paper.
July 81, 1854. SQUARE & COMPASS.