North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-02-05
Chr Times.
McGREGOR, FEB. S, 1868.
What Shall we write About


what Shall we write About
Some old-fashioned fellows seize jour
nal with convulsive grasp, open it hur-
ricdly and, turning their glistening orbs
10 the first editorial column, they con-
,nence to devour the ''leader;" others run
their eyes over the paper to get glance
q. the market; some search for the mar
,iages; some read tho poetry 6rst und but
little else last; others have cultivated taste
for the horrible paragraphs, while few
commence regularly at the FIRST column Of
the outside and wade honestly through
the whole array Of types, advertisements
and all.
For the latter class Of readers it does not so
much matter chat is written SO that there
be plenty Of it; all of it will undergo men,
tai digestion; if their tastes alone were con-
suited it would not be difficult to select or
prepare aliment to suit. But, unfortunate.
ly for the knights Of pen and scissors, every
body does not bolt our preparations with
the boa-constrictor;sm or ostrich-like APP
petite of these good-natured critics, and it
therefore "becomes necessary in the course
e. issuing newspaper to mix up subjects
in sort Of mora. mosaic or rather to select
matter after the style ofsettisg table for q
large number of unlike palates. You must
have upon it the bread Of common sense and
butter of fancy; sugar like compliments for
your friends and mustard-like indignation
Cor yourfoes; the strong meat Of political bit
terness for rartisans, and weak-tca nrgu-
menss orno.party en;well-douc orthodoxy
fertile pioas, andrare-done morality for the
us;schisvous; mincca-pie promises of fu-
ture glory for the young, red-peppered ret
ribution for the old, sirloins Of agricul.
ture for the farmer, Goldfish commercials
for the merchant, game dishes for the
boys, deril-led runaway mutchcs for the
girls, and 90 on to the end.
With this great variety CT guests at our
intellectual table, we are sometimes put to
our trumps we beg pardon Of fashiona.
bic piety for the use of the term) to an
swer, satisfactorily to ourselves, the ques-
ton at the head Of this article. True, we
do not generally was to great deal Of time
in studying about it, but it is often quito
perplexing to decide upon the insertion or
rejection Of an original or selected COM
position. We think Of the tastes Of our
readers and We are anxious to crafty
them. We know some valued old sub
scribers who want to see Hon. Mr.. Bun
combs speech on the Tariff, or an eighteen
column message; there are others whom
we could please by filing the Times with
lecture on Spiritualism, an essay on
Symme's Hole or some other equally bot
tomlcss subjects. "a friead" wants us to
publish the reply Of the Rev. Boanerges
Caloric to the ungodly sermon of Rev. As
abe. Confident, on Universal Salvation;
tit will only occupy one side Of your
sheet for three or four issues, and its pub
lication will add much to the moral tone
of your valuable journal "Publicss"
wants more news from Congress; "Mars'
complains that army statistics are totally
ignored in our columns; "Rarey" assures
ns that IAN occasional chapter on the
breaking Of horses and cattle would in
crease our circulation "Mechanic" ad-
vises US to exchange with the Scientific
American and copy its weekly list Of late
patents; Oceans (he probably thinks we
don't know him) tells us to pay more at
tsn.ion to matters pertaining to the Gar
den and the Farm, and as clincher he
informs US that "Adam was the first far
mer;' We think this matter over and after
concluding that farming was not much
eomplimented by driving our venerable
forefather to it as punishment for the
folly Of his wife, we carefully put Deans
in pigeon-hole devoted to soft-shelled
articles.
But we cannot tell Of half the advice we
submit to, the suggestions We receive, or
the embarrassment we labor under to put
everybody in good humor once week.
The paper must come out promptly, the
boys in the Office demand their regular
daily copy" or the type will stop click
ing, letters must be answered, bills made
out, exchanges read, advertisements writ
ten, rroof-shects overhau!cd, subscriptions
receiptcd, IA lightjob) an occasional game
Of billiards played with an immoral COM
panion from distance-an Editor, like
enough, whom you are compelled to graft
fy by permitting him to beat you fifty
points-a most notifying exhibition of
yourself before your ne. hbors-and, in
the midst Of oil these duties, which by
profession we owe to the public, while the
public cares but little what it 'owes'' US,
the question will recur: "What shall we
write about ?" It's safe to assume that
the placing of quiet, sensible man at the
head of paper, at once, take him frow
the farm or the routine of merchandising,
and lay upon him tho cares and perplexi-
ties of printing Office, and he would DO
insane,in week, provided, always, that
he tries TO make paper such as it should
be, and provided, farther, thut be has
brains enough to produce insanity
We are not old in Editorial life having
passed but few years in what they call
the "harncss''-thc stocks would be a
preferable term--we know but little of the
troubles seen by those who have spent y
Lifetime at it with the deril ever in view