The Republican journal., 1874-12-31
Concerning Blunders.

.,
edited by a man whose brain is full of
quips and quirks His is the task to fashion
these into attractive little verbal and pic
torial nuggets. which the curious labor
hard to crack, and thus get at the kernel
INSIDE. We have never sustained a regli-
lar feature of the kind in the journal, be-
cause we think it better to make as straight
and plain as possible the way OF the read
er. But in the make up Of the outside OF
last weeks edition, there was volunteer
effort of the kind that eclipsed any mysti-
tcatlon that ever fell under our notice
An account Of the shooting of some bur
glars was cut in two, and the conclusion
thereof engrafted upon the narrative OF a
graveyard robbery, That was bad enough
Then, rs if to be entirely and strictly i'm.
partial in the business, and to have d fail
show all around. the latter part of the
graveyard story was stuck upon the shoot
ing affair." And lastly, as if to round of
and perfect the absurdity, there was upon
the inside pages an editorial article, ad
vislng pernsal of the typographical hash
and philosophical review Of the curiou,
! phases OF human nature therein shown
We can fancy the bewildered readers
| OF the journal struggling with that hodge
podge, and despairingly asking the editor
had gone crazy. But let them think o
the feelings of that editor, when the mat
ter was brought to his attention. He wa,
sitting down to the evening meal, unfold
ing a napkin, and thinking of the good
| ness of Providence, when a copy OF tina
ill-starred issue was laid in his plate The
ancient Egyptians used TO place at The
table skeleton. TO remind partakers thai
they Were mortal Ours had come. Vain
| were the enticements of biscuit, the flavor
OF cold tongue, OF the allurement Of ounce
| preserves. Like Grant when he hearl
| from the November elections, we .'fel
sick and wanted somebody to tell II
whether death by drowning or poisoning
were the easier. They say Job was ;
patient man. but suppose he had beer
conductor of newspaper. and had beer
set before the public in that light. think
you his reputation would have come dow.
| through the centuries as saint-like as it is
We are ready to bet a peck of apples tina
he would have been hauled up before thu
nearest magistrate and fined for profane
cursing and swearing, even if he hao
not announced thai the funeral OF the
presiding genius of the type-room would
take place the next day.
In an experience considerably extended
We think we never knew but one blunde1
that will match the above noticed. Some
years ago. in the office of Boston morn
ing daily, notice of the death of veneer
ated citizen was brought in at late hour
No type-setter remained, save the one
who labored on the ship news Thai
tunctionary had a way Of saving time by
keeping in compartments of his case the
words thattrequently occur in marine news
and inserting them whole, instead of pick.
ing out each separate letter He it was
who put in type the obituary notice; and
when he came to the words "dispensation
of Providence" naturally reached for that
Rhode Island port But unluckiy his
fingers lighted on Nantucket Next day
the name and age of the departed Were
followed by the announcement that "by
this dispensation OF Nantucket. society is
deprived OF a valued member" &c The
eldest son Of the family called with a
club next day, to interview the man OF
type but he had fled, and at last accounts
was tender of flocks and herds in far Oft
Texas
Talleyrand was only Prince and mini
lister of state when he declared that "a
blunder is worse than q crime = but how
much more force the remark would have
had, coming from an editor surveying his
mutilated columns. We hope that it will
be the last appearance of the Journal in
that masquerading style. An edict has
gone forth that it must never again, like
misshapen Richard, be "sen: into this
breathing world scarce half made up
and We have conviction that it will not