Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-01-13
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journalism Extraordinary.

the smaller newspapers of the rural
districts must have encountered now
and then n journal whose existence is
one of the puzzles of the professio n.
We do not speak, of course, OF the great
number of we'll conducted local news
papers whose devotion to home inter
ests makes them ut once a most attrac-
tive feature of the local life, and the
most valuable adjunct in. the material
development for the marvellous stimula-
ton of which we have mainly the coun-
try press to thank. These have their
place in the world of journalism, hard
" less important than that of the most
pretentious metropolitan daily. The
sort'of paperthat confoundsus is OF a
less useful and more bewildering class.
1t is generally printed in some remote
village where Il paying subscription list
would seem to be an impossibility and
advertising o rare luxury. Yet the
local organ comes out, week after week,
and, so far as we know, the editor never
starves and rarely goes to the poor
house. There is the stereotyped " Sc
lected Miscellany" on the first page, the
" Youths Column" the :" Poetry and
the dear old .. Humorous department,
with its mild jokes and ancient puns.
There are the local paragraphs, which
are nothing but pufts and the miscel-
slaneous clippings with which the prir-
ter is in the habit of stuiiing gaps. That
is all. There is no news-even old
news. Tnere is no reading matter in
which any human being can be sup
posed to feel an interest. Yet in some
way or another the paper gets adver
tiscments from all parts of the United
States. Here is little sheet from an
inland town of Texas, whose editor APP
parently lives on the gift of his patrons.
/" We had large box of oysters pre-
sented to the Ranger office last Wednes-
nay" "Jack Hageman treated to a
bottle of wine, not claret, but cham
pagne." We were presented by
Capt. A. d. Storey a fine pair of kid
gloves" We were presented by
Messrs. Goodman and Book fancy
cravat." ''Mrs. w. will accept the
thanks of the editors wife for a beau
tiful slice of dainty cake And in add
ton to thrilling intelligence of this sort,
we have nothing but such items as the
following:
"The winter fights opened last Tues
day evening. A white man and a negro
tried muscles. A couple of gents tried
their mouths, but, fortunately, no one
was badly hurt.
"The RAIDS in this place don't divide
fair we heard two Of the gents growl-
ing over 81 last Tuesday. Now, boys,
carry fair with each other"
There is only one leading article.
Its language is so fine and its senti-
ment so lofty and patriotic that we
must spare room for an extract:
GAS we have purchased the books
and accounts of the Ranger, and wishing
to close up the old business, we tried to
collect few accounts about town, and
regret to say it, but several of those we
called on had no excuse to avoid the
payment of just debts, or grumble at
the charges being too high, when the
subscription of the Ranger stared them
in the face every week, which is So in
advance, 81 if payment is delayed, or IS
at the end of the year; and if our pub
lished terms for advertising is referred
to, it will be seen that our prices are
less than most of the papers in the
State. In the few accounts we have
presented it gives us pleasure to say
that the law firm of Preston & Smith
although running for near two years,
was not disputed, but they showed a
cheerful Willingness to pay. Such men
are worthy of confidence, and are bound
to succeed"
Comical as such papers are, they are
signs of civilization. If an ignoramus
can persuade his townspeople to buy
any sort OF foolishness he chooses to put
into print, it is because the newspaper
is recognized as prime necessary in
every American community. From
Maine to Texas the farmer and the vii
lager look upon local Journal as one of
the pressing needs of ordinary life. 1t
is the customary exchange of intelli
gence between neighbors, as well as the
avenue of communication with the out
side world. Even the particular friends
of the 'couple of gents just alluded
to as having opened the winter fights,
may not care about reading in the Ran
ger how they "tried their mouths" nor
is it probable that the fact that "Jack
Hageman treated to a bottle of wine"
interested anybody except Jack Hage-
man and the editor; but subscribers
must have their paper even if there is
little in it, and when the editor fails to
furnish either knowledge or entertain
ment, the adver tisements at least are
directory to which people are never
tired of turning. As population and
wealth increase, and competition in To-
cal journalism becomes possible, the
race OF editors who fill their columns
with Acknowledgements of oysters and
10 &c cd 1T h..
face of the land, like the log cabins of
the first settlers. They are only the
pioneers of their calling, preparing the
way for the real popular educators who
follow close behind them.
Children's Arms.
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