The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-24

hs Pleasures and Dangcrs.-A Narow Escape. =
Was Il a Molly Mcguire Piot'

II is very common opinion that the life Of
an editor is one of the easiest and pleasantest,
and that all the newspaper man has to do is to
sit in his office and take in two dollar bills. II
people holding such notions could spend few
days constantly in sanctum they would be con-
WINGED of the erroneousness Of their belief
Such scene as the following is not unfre-
quent A fluffy old gentleman comes up stairs
putting and blowing with the effort Of the as
cent, and sits down and looks straight at the ed
itor until he recovers his breath sufficiently to
inquire how much he owes on subscription.
The editor c0nsults the books and tells him he
owes five dollars for two years and half Then
the old gentleman gets very red in the face and
says there is some mistake, that the books are
not correct, that he has paid up promptly every
year, that he has only taken the paper six
months, that he has got receipt somewhere for
the last three years, and that he never took the
paper at all. The editor, of course, undertakes
to convince him that he is mistakeis and if sue
cessful the subscriber grows angry and insolent,
and settles the dispute by paying the bill and
ordering his paper stopped. Every body knows
how pleasant it is to be told that you don't
know how to keep books, and that you are ask
ing for money that was never earned, and yet
the poor editor has to stand mute and take daily
abuse of this kind, all for the sum Of two dollars
a year.
But this is not the worst Of it. We are in
formed that certain editors in the coal regions
find it necessary to keep guards about them to
prevent violence being done to their persons.
We never dreamed it would become necessity
here. But let us relate an incident which will
illustrate the dangers to which we are sometimes
subjected. 1t was Saturday night Cold blew
the wind around the corners and the crystal
frost glitered upon the windows. The town
clock had Just struck half past ten, and then
froze up. All good citizens, Except a single
individual connected with this ofiice)were at
home with their families Said individual had
entered the Sdnctum and was quietly and peace
ably engaged in inducing the fire in the stove
to become a little more vigorous, in order that
he might comfortably take parting glance at
the evening papers. While thus engaged there
came crash, like the bursting of mighty
cannon, and Immediately there was one less
pane of glass in our window, and the chill night
atmosphere came rushing in. Not frightened,
oh no, but somewhat startled, the individual
gazed out upon the spot whence clme the mis-
sile, but only empty darkness met his eye. The
tend had fled. On the following morning We
found window in the third story down from
the top, and five more panes were paid for OH
Monday. We are now convinced that there is
a plot, whether by the Mollie Maguires, or the
Muligan Guards, we know not, but we do
know of some parties who had engagements
up tewn' that night and who did not get home
as early as usual. Since that memorable attack
upon our castle we have nightly entered it with
fear and trembling, and it is with great caution
that we sit down in. our editorial chair, not
knowing but that the enemy has placed upon
the seat enough nitro-g lycerineto blow us up
among the twinkling stars We are now ready
to receive proposals for bomb proof shutters or
our back windows, and would also like to pur-
chase bulldog and a second hand howitzer,