Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-05-02
Eccentrieities of Editors.
From Roa0elps american Newspaper Repor1

From Roa0eIps american Newspaper Renorter.
The eccentricities of editors would form a
curious Volume. 1t is possible that other clas-
SEES OF men may have as many distinctive marks,
but the editor stamps himself so clearly in print
that the observer has in him frst-class oppor-
tun1ty to get at some Of his characteristics. =
Editors, too, lead SO nervous and exciting an
intellectual life that it is likely they really have
more contradictions, whimsicaiities, and oddi-
ties than men Ia other walks Of life
noticeable feature In the profession is the
names they often throw at each other These
expressions are oftenest INDUCED in by the
Southern and Western press, and from them
pass, IN the form OF two or three line para
graph, from Maine to California. Commencing
with the comparatively mild expressions of "a
Walking j, NihidIity,n An Ante-Mortem Dead
Beat," IAN Old Sausage Cover" "a Disor-
ganizing Malignant" or ''An IIliterate Hedge
Priest, they often get on little more steam,
and come out with bogus biography of rival,
which they head "Jackassativeness. or "a
Mean Swim Her." 'sAn Editorial Cormorant, y
or "a Word about Live Carbon" OF late.
editors do not seem to go SO deeply into the
business OF calling each other very wicked
names, yet we sometimes see such expressions
as ''Vilainous Truck-and-D icker Fellows, 4"
and that "Scoundrey ard Ridiculous old Pud-
graph in this vein, from recent paper, was
doubtless considered triumph by its writer ::
The mass OF condemned slum extracted
from Railroad street culvert at low water, pack
ed into the shape OF man, and placed in the
editorial chair, amid the filth of the howell in
which the scavenger sheet down in the hollow
Is printed is shaking his carrion paws at par
ty OF ladies and gentlemen-wh are SO far his
superlors that they would not soil their shoes
E1ryV thaVa
cause he did not get dead-head tickets to the
entertainment now held at the Union Hall for
the suffering poor.
Is it surprising we see lines like these:
The season for editors to call each other
NANCY, sneaking, mongrel whelps, mas opened
in Indiana"
Or, like these:
Editors are taking advantage of the coming
state election to call each other 'Crooked-neck-
ed Old Wlre-pulling Thieves and Bastards.''
Sometimes, however, the name calling takes
much pieasanter vein, and by creating a
laugh, appears less disgusting in the eyes of
the reading public One editor in Indiana sta
ted that rival who was coming to town to
start an opposition paper, was a pretty good
fellow, but parted has hair in the middle. -
Every man Ia the place who could leave his
store went to the depot to see the new conner.
but instead OF seeing the spruce and dandifed
youug man they expected, they saw an elderly
and rather shabby gentleman who, as he raised
his hat In honor Of the crowd, they found to
be as bald as q billiard ball. His hair aras
parted IN the middle and the parting was four
inches wide. The incident created such a
laugh that the new publisher could not stand
1t, SO he departed next day for pastures new"
We ind here and there funny specimen of
''the dun direct" An editor is always frank
est when asking for money. This is a gentle
hint
Money is close, but not close enough to
reach. Nobody gets what is due them. We
doubt IT even the devil gets his dues"
Here IS one with little more steam on:
scription."
Another one writes 81 want you to iqui-
date I've not had square meal, a drink of
GOOD whisky, nor decent chew of tobacco for
SO long time that have forgotten how they
taste. L have boarded round So Iong that NV
acquaintance have shook me- The store.
keepers smile in my face when I ask trnet for
peck OF potatoes or pound Of Goldfish y
In obituaries we have seen eccentric;t;as
enough to make an article of themselves A.
they are mostly of the same nature howavo-
we will give sample: --'"0'ef'
John Gardner was blind Of an eve and IN
q moment Of confusion he stepped cut Of ra-
ceiving and discharging door in one of orr
ware houses into the ineffable glories of the &C.
lestial sphere.