American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-05-17

would taEr charge OF 4 paper >. ,ho
mcars we've furnished Tor that ;ur-
pose. II IlmoSt stunned me, ii had
been asked to run for CongI ass IL
could not have been worse. l felt
like hunting mp Iavinc TO die III.
After / had choked down the tears
that would come, looked tue
wretch full i'll the face, and told him
that not as long as ! could struggle
with the equilibrium of my brain
and retain my senses would L start
or have any responsible connection
with a paper, in this the City OF the
Unfinished Monument. BY the
way, if that monument had been Il
newspaper it would have been fin
lshed Ion. ago. The mortality
among papers here is worse than
cholera iHfantum among helpless
| infaffts. 1t seems TO be considered
at the present time that the wit OF
newspapers lies in calling each other
names, and each declaring the other
don't pay their rent. Washington
is "a perfect graveyard for newspa-
! pers. The man who Can sling the
most abuse against another is the
champion editor. 1 don't mind
taking scalps myself, and l have
COTTON so L can do it nicely, but l
have never yet EsN hered myself
with the private affairs OF any one.
An official who uses his posi- ton
and influence to the detriment of
.,fh xrI, oI hIS Ola
partment, is fair game. 1t is aston
ishing how eager every one is to
publish" something of some one
else, and could write number OF
serial articles out of the letters anu
Information sent me regarding we'll
known people here. l could fill a
newspaper with that kind of thing
alone, or, using it. make more money
III year thar "a Cabinet officer, re-
ceiveS as salary; but [ have yet to
earn the first dollar that way. L
am always gladsto get information
regarding any wrongs done Off
cially, but l have nothing to do with
the private affairs of any one, and
neither has the press; and any
newspaper that brings itself down
to that kind of business will find il
will only circulate among IL certain
class and lose the best portion of
it's readers. Every one likes to take
the paper that advocates the party
to which b., belongs, bat he don't
want 1t SO filed up with acts of i'll
decency that it is not tit paper to
take to his family.
1 am sorry to have to announce
that the Penny Luncli?will cIose. on
the 18Th of this mouth. l have
worked and siriven as few people
would have done to keep it open,
not SO much for the people that arc
at the counter every day AS the
persons of better class families, who
not being able to get work, are al
most starving, and | have been able
to relieve somewhat their wants,
When first started it was a novel
ty, and the citizens rushed there and
threw their money down just as they
would have done had it been "a five
leggetl calf or any other curiosity.
The thing was larger than | had
dreamed of, and its the people drop
ped OF giving,I SAW L must make an
appeal to Congress. We were then
feeding a thousand day. 1t took
nearly fonr months to get the bill
through Congress and the money
from the Treasury. In that time
grocery bill of 5000 was accumulated
besides other bills, SO that w;ieu l
commenced to draw the 500 per
month was heavily in debt. Last
September turned over $50 mouth
to pay back bills, and have strng..
gled along to make the other fifty
do, but it would not pay rent, fuel,
help, grocery and provisions, so
rent expenses. L asked SO little
frOm each, Twenty-Five cents
month, that it seemed hard they
did not give it. Kind words 1 have
had in abundance, and the assur-
ance that l had done a great work
but while l smiled and thanked
them, l thought how little chcy
knew at what sacrifice of time and
peace Of mind it had been done
The War Department used to give
me in twenty-five cents subscrip-
tions twenty dollars month. so
my rent was secure. But us Eve
listened to the serpent OF old, 80 did
they to Il Misrepresentation, and
they stepped since last January. 1
have not received from the Citizens
of Washington but twenty five dol-
lars-fve> from G.. w Riggs, ten
from Hon. Richard Mccormick. five
from Hon. Mr.. Townsend. and five
collected miseellaneously. / have
pat in what little l could spare, but
I see the thing is useless for me to
trytO carry on 1t it had not been for
j. L. Barbour, Reed Brothers, w.
III. Hovan, in the market, and the
Eobitt House, l could not haze
game oss ST. long. L only close until
[ am out OF debt. l shall devote
the money appropriated every
month to it, and get up an excur
sion and "a thing, TO
bring money in, to I'ay Oft aud start
clean again.
shall only close the laifeh xeonls
until L am free from debt, and tlieH
[ shall open again.
Enjoy Life
What n ,ruIX hpaut jful wa, la ~.