The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1880-12-08
MAXIMUS IN MINIMIS.

Several weeks ago the community was
startled by the announcement, in the fort
Benton Record, that it would pass into the
editorial control of three young gentlemen
of finished classical attainmente, and the fact
was made known, sub rosa, that extensive al
t~erations in the Solar system, and serious de-
rangement in the conditions affecting the sub
lunary sphere, might, in q short time, be
looked for. And, in fact, we will admit that
we expected to be outshone by the superior
brilliancy of this new galaxy, and were about
resigned to accept the position of a star Of
the twelfth magnitude, which they had SO
generously assigned to US. But this galaxy,
though subjected to the closest scrutiny, by
the most practical observers, and with the
highest magnifying power, has failed to
resolve from the nebulosity it at first as
sumed, and it is fair to infer that it is one of
those bodies which have not yet evolved out
of the gaseous condition.
It was as one of thelights in the literary firm
ament that they would first appear, and with
a kind Of ssteach me if you can" air that they
would first overwhelm us, and by the depth
of their erudition, the brilliancy of their i'm
agination, the acumen Of their reasoning, the
elegance Of their composition, and the By
ronic irony Of their wit that they would over
shadow and %extinguish US. There was moth
ing so deep they could not fathom, no dark
ness so thick they could not illuminate. 10
theme so vast they could not comprehend,
no subject so insipid they could not render
piquant, no composition so impoverished
they could not give the purity Of a Grey, the
establishment OF a johnson, the simplicity
of q Goldsmith-Or the nastiness of a Bo-
caccio. But their depth was so profound il
could not be understood, their b~rilliancy so
dazzling it could not be endured, their acunen
so intense it could not be appreciated, their
composition SO elegant it was eXpressionless,
and their sarcasm so insulating that, like
Bottom the Weaver, it was only by the refec
ton of themselves that they learned the cause
Of public merriment.
They were ambitious, and, like Phnton,
they would guide the chariot OF Phnbus, and
utAl3 dioOs WlLACuE cA1ll-AlQ tnC 1CSuLte
disaster. They were calculating, like Euclid,
and would cross the Journalistic chasm on q
golden bridge, but to them it has been a pons
ash10ratna.
How are the mighty fallen, Only a few
weeks. and they were reviewing all Benton
with Aristarchean grace-and Beotian stu
pidity. Now, they are reduced to the extrem-
ity of criticising typographical errors and
petty grammatical lapses. Then, they were
the Cynosura Of their party and the Pallad-
ium Of its vitality. Now they are the mouth
piece of the Fort Benton Mutual Admiration
Society, and occupy the extremity of lis
Cdnis Minoris. Then, they were forging
sledge-hammer editorials on as and every
body, and waiting impatiently the plaudits of
the multitude. Now, they are laboring with
ssThe Negro il the Army, with . motive
e%ngendered by a fellow feeling; and the
Necessity for a New Bankrupt Law
with an eagerness dictated by necessity !;
and with words Of learned length and thun-
dering sound have amazed the gazing rustics
with ways Of how things should not be done.
But they are improving q little, or, at least
showing disposition to improve. and by-and-
by, if they follow the example of the RIVER
Press, they will furnish q paper which will
be both able andrespeetable and when they
they discard the 'ssDecameron.' and the ssMet-
a%morphoses,' and enter Just q little into the
| spirit Of the world around them, they may