Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-08-02

Nc vaIue of NewsPapers.

.WesTs Editors:
I send you short sermon preached b the
Rev. Mr. Hartford, sn English clergyman. on
" the benefits Of reading newspapers and es-
pecisIy to women. 1t has been published in
the pspers in this region but l think will bear
repeating. better than some Of the sermons We
hear from the pulpit.
In my day newspapers have grown from mere
nothing to be great powers both in State and
Church. have read them for ii KY years
They we're small affairs in the country when !.
was a boy. l remember well how the news
man then came along once a week with his
small sheet, mounted upon a horse, with tin
horn to let the people know he was coming l
lived then in Addison County, Vermont. The
farm house stood back from the road and box
was put upon post for HIM to drop his papers
into. safe from the weather. | was on hand
most Of the time to take it, and thought him a
great man to come around 20 often with his little
sheet, almost as coarse as wrapping paper.
" nat kIlE IL l4AtAt III AA4I AAAf~- 49,
we heard that TN horn sound with news from
Europe not more than three months old, and
from New York not more than one month old
How il dill make fathers and mothers AMI al
rejoice And those who couli'n afford to take it
borrowed Of their ueighb0rs. How changed Low
News SO quick from Europe AMI New York
only few hours old, almost hot tn lightning
And what mammoth papers from the cities
daily, seven times a week if you want them; IL
It makes me think sometimes that y5ur small
sheet might Be enlarged, with profit But it is
the matter contained and not the .zs that gives
the paper its character We judge men not BY
their size but by talents and worth Of moral
charac,er-ani newspapers too.
carried a subscription paper over cur town
over So years ago FOR the Free Pres. then be-
IuS constable aud collector OF taxes, and have
taken It all the time since, the weekly AID the
dsily, and have taken from ole paper DAY to
100 a day since II o gan its Tally issue
Now. Messrs. Filters. If you Vii. ind a mau
who has stuck to the Free Pros letter than
have, l will give him my Lat if it viii fl him.
I ask o. faycrs for tbis, ;or have got uy
moneys worth not that believe every thing
you or your predecessors have saii. No not
by any means. Bu, you have tried TO treat all
subjects political. religious aui the temperance
cause. With much f,irness, although you thought
some things black sni white.
This making newspaper t. suit everybody is
/ something Ike Getting table 10 suitevery taste
Some that have got the organ Of destructive
ness developed largely want 70 real nothing but
murders, robberies. shooting people and rai.roa-
accidents others want marriages and deaths
others, poetry and long love stories others
long editorial articles Thee that read th,
most find the least fault l have Observed.
Let fathers and mothers select a good variety
Of the best papers, lay them before their fami-
lies, and they will soon ind instead Of their boys
being around at the vile hsunts Of the village,
and daughters running the streets, they viii be
reading and not only the papers, but books.
This has been my experience through life, and
this is oue Of the means Of creating a taste for
reading then It IS a very easy matter to throw
their minds upon the various other studies, after
they have acquired taste for reading.
VETERAN OBSERVER.
Village or WISoosEI, July IS, 1867.