The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-11-27
Only a Country Weekly.

1t is only country weekly Yes, that
| is all. But do those who allude to it
with an Intentional sQeer ever reflect
upon the duties and mission performed
by the poor, obscure country weekly,
which Is much, nay more, TO its few
hundred readers in the country rs is the
great metropolitan daily to its thousands
OF readers in the city Oh, no, they
never think of placing any estimation
upon the worth of Il 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 dispatches,
giving the minute details of some re-
voting nauseating social scandal; the
hour at which the chamberlain Of the
imperial palace at Ispahan put his most
serene and mighty highness, the Shah.
to bed; that the savage Gallas of Abys-
sina had adjured the tenets of the Cop
tic faith, and had bowed down in adora-
ton at the shrine of Mecca's prophet that
the poor, unoifending Papuan of the
Celebes was being slaughtered by the
Dutch invaders from the neighboring
isle of MacasSar. and so on in an infinite.
variety of detail. all of which is read
with an avidity that betokens the i'm
portancc of these things to city gen.
tlenian. But the financial, commercial,
agricultural, religious and social condi-
ton of the millions of his iellow-citi-
zens residing without he environs Of
his mighty empire of few miles i'll
area Is Il sealed book, he has never
opened its pages to inquire within; no
knows nothing Of it; put him to tho
test and YOU will find he knows moro
about the condition Of Berbers Of North
crn Africa than he does about she people
in the neighboring county. We turn
away from the contemplation of this hu-
man superficiality of which there are
thousands, TO 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 country organ is TO him
camera lucida, which faithfully portrays
all that occurs; it is in great measure
the reflex of the character OF the people
comprising the county wherein 1t is pub
lished. But what is the interest which
even he derives from it, compared to
that which is felt and entertained by the
country p, ople themselves 1t is ev-
erything to them. In il is found news
which they alone. probably, e.tn appre-
ciate and understand. information re-
yarding their friends and Deiyhbors, the
condition of the crops and market quo
tatinns, which to the farmers and trades
men in the country is OF primary I'M
portanee. matters of local consideration
wherein they are Interested, and hun
dred and one different things which af-
feet and interest them. both privately
and publicly. The country organ per-
forms another function which can only
he cffectually done by it. As medium
for advertising, it Offers facilities which
are unsurpassed. BY it the farmer, the
laborer, and the mechanic become ac-
quainted with the goods and wares Of
the trade>man; they learn where thev
can purchase what they desire, aud at
the lowest prices. The country news
paper is TO Il county what nutritious food
is to- cunvalescent: it helps 10 build it
up and to develop all that j. gnod in ii.
The county that is without one is like Il
waste plane without elevation. from
which Il person desiring to examine the
surroundings can make no obscr, alton.
i san Meateo (Cal.) Times.