The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-03-25

Only 4 Country Weekly.

1t is only country weekly! Yes, that
is all But do those who allude to it with
an intentional sheer, ever reflect upon the
duties and mission performed by the poor
obscure country weekly, which is as much,
nav more, to its few hundred readers in
the country, as 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 IA coun-
try paper; it has none within the narrow
sphere Of their superficial and contracted
brains They will not admit Of the utility
of any form of II newspaper save one,
which is crammed full of telegraphic dis
patches, giving the minute details OF
some revolving and nauseating social scan
dial; the hour at which the chamberlain
of the imperial palace at Ispaham put his
most serene and mighty highness the
Shaw to bed; that the savage Calais Of
Abyssinia had abjured the tenets Of the
Coptic faith, and had bowed down in ad-
| Grafton at the shrine Of Meccas prophet;
that the poor, unoifending Papuan Of the
Celbcs was being slaughtered by the
Dutch invaders from the neighboring isle
Macassar, and so on, in an intimate varie-
! ty of detail, all of ahich is read with an
avidity that betokens the Importance of
these things to city gentleman. But the
financial, commercial, agricultural and
social condition of the millions of his fell
low-citizens residing without the envi-
rons of empire of few miles is a 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 Bcrbers of North
ern Africa than he does about the people
of the neighboring county. We turn
away from the contemplation OF this
human specifically of which there are
thousands, to turn to the practical and
common-se man, who wishes to be
informed as to the pursuits, and pros
poets of the people of his own and imme-
date State and county. He finds in the
home paper the very information which
he seeks. The country organ is to him
the cameria lucida, which faithfully por-
trays all that occurs; is in a great meas
ure the reflex of the character Of the peo-
pie 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 county people themselves? 1t is
everything to them In it is found news
which they alone, probably, can appreci-
ate and understand, information regard
ing their friends, neighbors, the condition
of the crops and market quotations, which
to the farmers and the tradesmen in the
country is Of primary Importance, matters
of local consideration wherein they are
interested and hundred and one differ
ent things which affect and interest them,
both privately and publicly. The count
ry organ performs another function which
can only be efectually done by it. AS a
medium for advertising it offers facilities
which are unsurpassed. BY it the farm
er, the laborer and the mechanic become
acquainted with the goods and wares of
the tradesman; they learn where they
can purchase what they desire, and at
the lowest prices. The country newspa-
per is to a county what nutritious food is
to convalescent; it helps to b lid it up
and develop all that is good in it. The
county that is without one is like Waste
plain without elevation. from which a
person desiring the surroundings can
make no observations.-S lNateor( CM.l
Times.