The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-05-25
THE NEWSPAPER.

The Newspaper Look at il. L
seems empty and vacant perhaps
Nothing in the paper" you say; ye
read and you will find it an open let.
ter from very many people whom you
have known.
One offers you this commodity, and
another that, one happy man sends
you notice of his wedding, another
sorrowfully informs you of a death
Look over its contents closely, its
news items, it's list of accidents, of fires
of crimes; see how sudden wealth
has surprised some, and sudden pow
erty saddened others; you hold in
hour hand "the ends of miriad invis-
| ible electric conductors, along which
tremble the joys. sorrows, wrongs, tri.
umphs, hopes, and despairs of as many
men and women" all as sensitive to
pleasure or pain as yourself.
+ Here you have the lore of the schol-
ar and the wisdom of the sage. Here
the divine breaches, the poet sings
and the partisan lies. Here the states
man proclaims his principles. and the
auctioneer offers his wares. Here the
Cardiff Giant and Minnie Warren are
put side by side, and one is as long as
the other. Here is the result of the
antiquarian's research. Here the Old
and the New are brought into contact.
Here
Tradition, snowy-bearded. leans
On Rom ance, ever young"
This is but feeble portrayal of
what newspaper is !; let us see how
it is made.
Come with me to the Office. We
will pass that pile of paper. Yet, stop I;
pick up sheet of it. We caunot
wait to explain the curious process of
its manufacture. yet that clean and
spotless sheet is the purified product
of rags and filth. The fibre which
forms its texture may have been strip
ped from Egyptian mummies it may
have come from the city streets, or
from great garrets in country homes
it may have wrapped the luxurious
form of beauty, or been the scanty
covering of want: but it gives no clue
now to its former condition. Like
sanctified soul, it is ready for new
life.
We will pass the editorial room. Its
occupants are busy. There are papers
from far and near; letters from wide
ly scattered correspondents telegraph
dispatches: intelligence in every form,
and from this mass is to be selected
what is of most interest and import
ance to make paper to day. Let the
editors work.
Come to the composing room. We
have the foreman's permission, grudg-
ingly given. Do you hear it ?-"CkckI
click! click! What is that? Why,
that is the music Progress marches to.
Come here to this case" Look at
that multitude of little boxes filled
with pieces of metal. What are they
They are the civilizers-they are The
TYPES. Look at them. They are not
dead, but sleeping. There is soul in
every one of them. Collectively, they
are dictionary reduced to the lowest
There is magic in
these types. They look dull enough,
but all the glorious possibilities that
the human heart can hope for, are in
their possession-you have but to
learn the secret they SO closely keep. |
If you but knew how to pick out and |
arrange a handful of those |
types, immortal fame would be yours.
There are finer strains than Homer
ever sang there is eloquence unspo-
ken yet; there is keeuer wit; more |
fearful pathos, more persuasive prayer
than tongue has uttered or ear has
heard Get it out if you can. The
types are here and are patient. of de-
lay.
The paper is being made by nimble
fingers, and placed in proper position.
Every error has been corrected. Eve |
ry punctuation point is in its place.
The scattered columns" are massed |
the form" or page, is Sc
curely locked up" and sent to the
Let Us go there. Here is where the