The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-08-02
HOW TO Run A NEWSPAPER.


The following letter from Horace Gre,
ley, to friend who was about to establis
country newspaper. affords some valg
able hints in regard to the best way {
making up a weekly paper, especially
the rural districts:
New YoRK. April 3, 1860.
FRIEND FLETCHER:-I have line fror
you informing me that you are about I
start paper at Sparta, and limiting that
line from me for lis first issue would b
acceptable. Allow me, then, as one VIII
spent his most hopeful and observan
years IN a country printing office, an
who sincerely believes that the art of con
Quoting country Tor city newspapers ha
not yet obtained its ultimate perfection
to set before you few hints on MAKING
up an interesting and popular gazsIe foI
rural district like yours.
l. Begin with clear conception that
the subject of deepest interest to an aver
age human being is himself; next to thai
he Is most concerned about his neighbors.
Asia and the Tongo Islands stand long
way after these in his regard. It does
seem to ne that most country journals are
ooiIVeous as TO these vital truths. Ifyou
Will, so soon as may be, secure a wide
awake, Judicious correspondent in each
village and township of your county
some young lawyer. doctor, clerk in a
store, or assistant in a post office-who
Will promptly send you whatever of mo-
ment occurs in his vicinity, and will make
up at least half your journal of local mat
Ter thus collected, nobody in the county
can long do without it. Do not let's new
church be organized, or new members be
added to one already existing, farm be
sold, new house be raised, a mill be set
IN motion, store be opened, nor anything
OF interest TO dc zen families occur, with
out having the fact duly though briefly
chronlcled in your columns. If farmer
cuts big tree, or grows a mamoth beet,
or harVests bounIeous yield of wheat or
corn, set forth the fact as concisely and
unexceptionabiy as possible. 10 due time,
obtain and print brief historical and sta
tistical account of each township-who
first settled in it, who have been it's prom
lnent citizens, who attained advanced
years therein, &c. Record every birth as
we'll as every marriage and death. 10
short, make your paper perfect mirror
of everything done in your county that
It's ciIzens ought TO know; and, whenever
farm is sold, try to ascertain what it
brought at previous sales, and. how it has
been managed meantime. One year of
this. faithfully followed up, will fix the
value of each farm in the county, and
render 1t as easily determined as that of a
bushel of corn.
II. Take an earnest and active if not
leading part in the advancement of Home
industry. Do your utmost to promote
not onl y an annual County Fair, but Town
Fairs as well. Persuade each farmer and
mehcanic to send something to such Fairs
though it be pair of well.mad shoes
from the one, or good ear of corn from
the other. If any one undertakes a new
branch of industry 10 the county, especi-
ally It II be manufacture, do not wait to
be solicited, but hasten to give him a help
ing hand. Aek the people to buy his
-four or starch, or woolens, or boots, or
may be his product, lift be good;
in preference to any that may be brought
into the county TO compete with him. En-
and aid him to the bet Of your
ability. By preserving IN this course
few years, you will largely increase the
of your county and the value
of every acre of its soil.
III. Don't let the politicians and aspi-
rants of the county own you. They may
be clever fellows, as they often are; but if
you keep your eyes open, you will see
something that they seem blind to, and
must speak out accordingly. Do your
best to keep the number of public trusts,
the amount of official emoluments, and
the consequent rate of taxation other than
for common schools, as low as may be.
Remember that-in addition TO the radi-
cal righteousness of the thing-the tax
payers take many more papers than the
would like to say more, but am bust
ed excessively. That you may deserve
and achieve success is the earnest prayer
of Yours truly,
HORACE GREELEY.
\, Tribune Office, New York.