The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-12-25
Only a Country Weekly.

It is only a country weekly! Yes,
that is all. But do those who allude to
it with an intentional sneer ever reflect
upon the duties and mission performed
by the poor, obscure country weekly,
which is as much, nay more. to its few
hundred readers in the country as is
the great metropolitan daily to its thou
| sands of readers in the city? Oh, no,
they never think of placing any estima-
ton upon the worth of a country paper;
it has none within the narrow limits of
their superficial and contracted brains.
| They will not admit of the utility of
any form of newspaper save one which
Is crammed full of telegraphic dis
patches, giving the minute details of
some revolving and nauseating social
scandal the hour at which the cham
berlain of the imperial palace at Ispa-
han put his most serene and mighty
highness thesshah to bed that the saw
| age Gallas of Abyssinia had abjured
the tenets of the Coptic faith, and had
| bowed down in alteration at the shrine
of Mecca's prophet that the poor, un-
offending Papuan of the Celebes were
being slaughtered by the Dutch invad
ers from the neighboring isle of Macas-
sar, and so on, in an infinite variety of
| detail all of which is read with an
avidity that betokens the Importance of
these things to city gentleman: But
the financial, commercial, agricultural,
religious, and social condition of the
millions of his fellow citizens residing
without the environs of his mighty en-
pire of few miles in area Is sealed
| book he has never opened its pages to
inquire within he knows nothing of it;
| put him to the test and you will find he
knows more about the condition of the
Berbers of Northern Africa than he
| does about the people in the neigh
| boring county. We turn away from
the contemplation of this human
| superfciality, of which there are
thousands ito turn to the practical and
common-sense man, who wishes to be
/ informed as to the pursuits, condition,
and prospects of the people of his own
and Immediate State and county. He
finds in the rural paper the information
he seeks. The codntry organ is to him
the camera lucida which faithfully por-
] trays all that occurs it is in great
measure the reflex of the character of
the people comprising the country
wherein it is published. But what is
the interest which even he derives from
it, compared to that which is felt and
entertained by the country people
themselves It is everything to them.
In it is found news which they alone,
| pEODaDlY, can appreciate anu unIltF-
stand information regarding their
friends and neighbors, the condition of
the crops and market quotations. which
to the farmer and tradesman in the
country is of primary Importance mat
ters of local consideration wherein they
are interested, and hundred and one
different things which affect and inter
est them, both privately and publicly.
The country organ performs another
function which can only be effectually
done by it. AS a medium for adver-
| tising it offers facilities which are un-
surpassed. By it the farmer, the Ia
borer, and the mechanic become ac-
quainted with the goods and wares of
the tradesmen they learn where they
can purchase what they desire, and at
the lowest prices. The unity newspa-
per is to a county what nutricious food
is to a convalescent it helps to build it
| up and develop all that is good in it.
| The county that is without one is like a
waste plain without elevation, from
which person desiring to examine the
surroundings can make no observation.
San M1teO CAL J Times