The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-01-27
WHOLE NO. 1l84s
"reminiscences OF the Press.
BY TIE EDITOR.

Oue aiDohS Tue BFealest anbOyancSs
of editorial life, is the scribbling bore.
| He sends you long communications.
badly written, miserably spelled, and he
generally closes by requesting the ed.
itor to correct all mistakes, or by saying
that Of course the editor will correct
mistakes before he publishes. As the
whole thing is mistake, the best the
editor can do by way Of correction, ID
to throw it in the waste paper box.
But this request to correct errors il
mere formality, because the bore does
not know that he ever makes mistakes.
If you attempt to punish him By pub.
fishing his article with all his errors, hS
cannot appreciate the sarcasm, bus
reads it with proud grin Of satisfaS.
ton, unconscious of how ridiculous he
has rendered himself
The bore is not generally q sub.
scriber to your paper, but be asks for
from two to twenty copies Of the paper
containing his article, and you are ex-
pected to give him these, and pay two
cents postage on each copy. Some.
times he subscribss for the paper,
merely to keep it alive, but he never
pays his subscription. Still he thinks
because he is subscriber, that he has
right to fill the paper from week to
week with his nonsense
Some bores take great pleasure in
writing personal articles, and then
signing a fictitious name. OF course
he would not for the world have it
known who he is. 1t would very like
ly cause him cowhidingi but he con:
siders the editor great coward if be
refuses to publish such anonymous,
abusive articles, and shoulder all the
responsibility.
am led to believe that the scrib.
bling bore is a common nuisance oil
over the country. A few years ago I
was in printing Office in a neighbor.
ing city, and / asked the editor how he
got along with the scribbiing boreS.
He pointed to a strip of fOolseap some
two yards long, covered with thirty
verses of doggerel, and he had it post
ed upon the wall in a conspicuous place.
He said he posted such articles in that
place. Last week l found the follow:
ing in the Columbus Journal:
1--WE venture q word of advice to the mis-
guided person who sends us an ''artikel" n
what be coneeiVes to be the Nasty style: Stick
to plain English. Your capacity for being .
Da mphool can't be increased by bad spelling.
Don iexert yourself unnecessarily"
Short articles, upon subjects Of gen.
eral interest. SO well prepared that theg
can be handed to the printers without
any correction, and items of news, are
always welcome to the editor; but
these are the very rare exceptions.
To those who desire to become
writers for the press, will volunteer 3
little advice.
l. MakeyourselfthOrough aCquaint-
ed with English Grammar, especially
with the first part of it, Orthography.
Nerer attempt to write for the press
until you can spell correctly every
word you desire to use. Become
thoroughly familiar with the rules cf
punctuation, AMI the proper use of
capital letters, and Italics. Do not
underscore, or ItaliCizs much.
z. Never write until you have
something about which to write.
5. Write with black ink, on only
one side OF the paper.
4. Write plain, bold; legible hand.
Do not imagine that because Horace
Greeley is great editor, and writes
poor hand, that every one who writes
poor hand will become great editor.
S. Use the shortest, simplest Eng
lish words, and the fewest number Of
words that will express your ideas.
6. Now read over your composition,
and strike out all superauous words.
and then re- write it.
7. Now read it carefully again,
and strike out one-tourth of the re-
mainder.
8. Now engross it-that is,re-Writs
it again in your best and plaiuest hand,
read it very carefully, and thsn-tRrow
il in the fire. The last is the most ims
portant of all to the editor.
After practising the above plan for
two years, you may venture, once ID
six months, to send one of your arti-
cles, as above prepared, to the press,
and ten to Que it will be worth pub.