Middletown transcript., 1872-04-06
Mark Twain a. Editor Chief.

Mark Twain. 10 his new volume
I" Rous Ching It," gives bis experience ~
local editor Of the Virginia City (Ncvnda)
Daily Emterprise, and incidentally credits
the ." leading writer Of daily journal in
a manner rs rare as il usually il deserved.
In the case mentioned Mark had tired Of
;,is labor as local editor. lie says:
I va ut variety of some kind Il came.
Mr.. Goodman went awsy for . week
and lcis me the post Of chief editor. I,
destroyed me. The 6rst day wrote my
leader 10 ,lir forenoon. The second day
had 20 subject, aud pm, il of till eve-
ming. mud then copied nm elaborate edito.
rial out Of the American Cyc.oHedia, that
steadfapt friend Of the editor ali oyer the
land. The fourth day fooled around"
ill midnight. aud then fell back on the
Cyciepts,ia ngain. The 9Th day cud-
gcllcd my brain ill midnight. end then
KEEP. the press waiting while l penncd
sone bitter personalities on six different
people. The sixth day labored ill far
into The nigh, and brought forth-no,h-
ing. The paper vent 70 press without IN
editorial. The seventh day | resigned.
On the eighth Mr.. Goodman returned aud
found liz duels on his hands. Ny per-
sonsli,icA had bvrnc fruit.
Nobody except be who has tried il. knows
what II 10 to be an editor. II 10 easy to
scribbls local rubbish. vith tho facts all
bcfors you; il IL easy to clip selections
from other papers; Il 10 easy TO string out
. correspondence from any locality; but
ii is an unspeakabls hardship to write cdi-
torisl. Snbjcc.s src the troubles-,he
dreary lack Il them. I mean. Every day
Il 10 ! drag. drag. drsg-shink aud worry
aud suHsr-all the yorld 'sa dull blank.
aud YET the editorial column must bc 6llcd
Only give the odiior . subject. and his
work g dohe-it is no trouble 10 write Il
up; but fancy how you would feel II you
had 10 pump your brains dry every day In
the yesk. 6ity.two weeks 10 the year. Il
nskss one low-spirited simply to think Of
il. The msstcr that each editor Of daily
paper ID America writes il tho sourss oi
! year would all from four 10 eight bulky
volumes like this book. Fancy Whist .
library su editors work would make after
twenty Or thirty years. service. Yet pso-
pie otlen wonder thst Dickens. Scott.
bulwes, Dumss. 10. have been able to
produce % many books. II these authors
bad wrote % volumiuously - newspaper
editors DO, the rcsult would Be something
TO marvel II Indeed.
How editors continue this tremendous
labor. this exhausting consumpsion d
brsin.6brs (for their work is crsssivs. sud
mt more ineohanisal laying up of facts.
like rsporsins). day after day, end ysas
ahsr yssr 10 iseompsshsnsibls. Preach.
err take two moslh's holiday In midspm.
nsr. Tot they dsd thst 70 prodses two
ssrmoas : wesk b wsasisg lp The long
suu. % ssuth L most b 20. spd b y %;
| asd thstssbse. hov % editor csn take ftosa
tss 70 tssssy tsxts aad baiid spos tAsM
RON tsa 70 twenty paiss-tabipg sdjissisll
! vssk, ssd kssp y y sll shs yesr ssssd.
b fsssSes bsy0ad ssopsshasslsa thas
svss. 1vsr aess ] tssp sssvivsd ~
wssk = siltss I hsss ebsia q lsase -
j pleseots - aoy asWspapss lhas eo0eo h
- bas1s Il y h sanisise ths leaa ~.
uGnae q s6ltstjo)s sed voadsriug = ~
IN ~ = ~ uansAiss hsdia u.
/ 0Ansnnire = l.asene. -11ShA -,