The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-07-20
The Trials of Journalism.

Whitclaw Reid, now managing editor OF Inc
New York Tribune, was dozen years ago
editing the Xenia (0hio) Ne,cs: He made a
smart editor. but, like all other country journa-
lists. had his experiences: We will let him tell
his story. in his own words. He says there is
one thing in tic Tribune Office which grieves
him. and that is the proof-reading And this
Is his story:
I can manage pig-iron for my chief, but |
cannot manage the proof-readers. and about
once week get an Injunction from him that
I must dismiss proof-reader. And that re-
calls my early experience when / learned 1t IN
a small way. After had learned printing In
a country house, went and bought good
printing office. In those days we had college
advertisements, which came into the office With
the explanation that 'this Is to be inserted IN
case you give an excellent editorial notice along
with it."
One day we had an advertisement of the Co.
lumbus Commercial College, and the foreman
came to me and told me there must be an edl-
torial notice of it. My time was short. The
forms were waiting, and wrote it straightway
1.-THE Columbus Commercial College is IN
excellent and well-deserving institution. Ihe
advertisement appears i'll another column" l
sent it to the proof-reader and went home. l
cot up late the next day, and the edition had
all been mailed before ] saw it. You can
imagine the perfectly amiable state of my feel
ings when read "The Columbus Commercial
College is IN excellent and hell deserving insti-
tuition" You can't believe it, but to this day
the bill for that advertisement is running. And
that reminds me of one other incident. L re-
member one of those rare instances in the eX-
perience of country printers when a man came
into the office to thrash me. 1 had then ar
rived at the mature age of eighteen, but was
not so vigorous as am now. In the course OF
some police items in q country town, had oc-
cason to note the fact that certain Dutch
butcher, height six feet, age thirty-fve, weight
200, had whipped his wife, proceeding to
which objected, and commented on 1t with
the severity which hope tho enlightened press
of this country will always exhibit on such oc-
casons. The next day the butcher came IN
and proposed to 'interview" the writer OF that
paragraph. He looked at me and inquired If
I wrote it. We think quick in great perils,
and people in danger of being thrashed can 90
a very small amount of ratiocination in short
time. | saw there was no use OF arguing With
the fellow, and l said to him: -,
CLANS, are you q subscriber to this paper"
Hans, who understood thoroughly that he
had been maligned, was not so sure on the sub
iect of subscription, and he shook his head and
asked me what I meant. "Hans are you a
subscriber to this paper?" Hans scratched his
head again. and believed he was not. | said
loudly: "Put your hand in your pocket and
give me two dollars to pay for your subscrip-
ton Until you do, I would like to know
what business it is of yours what We say" l
escaped the thrashing that time, and l COM
mend it to the attention of all who put such
things in their papers.