Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-02-14
for the living and dead was offered
by the pastor. The choir then sang
the soul inspiring old song:


Let me hide myself in thee
Mr.. Van Wagner took for MS text ,
"For we must needs die neither
loes God respect any man."
The sermon of which the following
s a synopsis, was the most practical
and edifying disser-
alton upon the life of the journalist.
md at the same time the most pathet-
C and touching sermon ever delivered
N Sedalia.
REV. A. J. VAN WAGNERS S SERMON.
We are met to-day, my
friends, to pay the last offices OF re,
spect to fellow citizen long and well
known III this city. His career was
that of journalist, and 1t therefore
seems to nae peculiarly appropriate
at this time, W hen his companions III
the same field of labor are so largely
present, to drop a few words regard
ing that profession to which he gave
the best years Of his life. Ii mistake
not, the varied experience OF news
paper men-the difficulties they have
to meet. and the valuable work
they perform for soclety-are too
rarely thought OF and appreciated by
those engaged i'll other callings. 1t
is time there should exist among
men every where'a larger apprecia-
zion aud deeper gratitude for the
work OF the journalist.
l. Consider the difficulties of the
profession.
There is, perhaps, no other avoca-
tion OIL earth which present so many
difficulties in the way OF success as
that of the journalist. Very few of
the professions contain 80 many men
Of ability, of culture, of pluck. And
still thousands of journalists fail an
nuary. For lack of material support
III the communities in which they
well, they are obliged to give up the
unequal fight. The great majority
of journalists begin poor. They
commence at the bottom of the lad
der and struggle up round by round.
Very few Of them have sufficient finan-
cial backingto to go forward unimPed-
ed in their work. Thousands OF peo-
pie in nearly every state i'll the Union
take no paper. Thousands of busi-
ness men do not advertise. The men
of wealth are comparatively few who
will freely pou: out their money to
soundly establish or help on news
paper. Aud to establish aud carry
on a newspaper, even in country
village, requires ali outlay of means
that but few men in any community
ever consider. while to establish and
run newspapers of the age, and char
acter, and ability of the press of Sc
dalia, is All expense greater than most
Add to all this the fact that to sue
cessfully establish and carry on a
newspaper requires the, finest execu-
tive abllIty; the largest knowledge
of human nature; genius to seize
and utilize the events OF each day
The skill TO strike the popular chord:
d thorough knowledge Of what il
transpiring in the world and terse
live way of putting things, so as to
arrest the attention anu command
the interest of the people--and you
gain some idea of the difficulties
which stand in the way Of the jour
nalist. Our departed brother passed
through all the varied experiences
peculiar to his calling, aud while he
failed in winning financial success
while at his death he neither owneC
nor managed, any newspaper, h'
came out of the fight ready, witty
.ts Det brilliant writer, and made him
made. felt by his pen.
.ReflecU on the iaboriousness O
y WI profession.
: 1T is very true that there are indo
lent men in the newspaper profession
as we'll as in ali other avocations. N
profession is exempt from men VIII
are unacquainted with labor. Blu
taken as body the world over,
think it safe to say that no class o
, Mon work harder than newspape
men. Few men work more hour
cut Of the twenty-four. Even type
settlers are hard working men. Ihei
work calls for carefulness, energy
1 close attention, while the mental an
4 nervous strain on newspaper mana
n gers, and those who WELD the pen
: simply enormous. When this is no
: the case newspaper is dead affail
: aud is rapidly on the way to dee
!, and lasting burial. All successfr
u newspapers are carried on by me
y whose labors are intensely wearing
The reporters work is Of an eXcitin
s nature, and has to be performed wit
q promptness and rapidity which is
II strain on the nervous system. l al
speaking now especially of the wor
e done OH the daily newspaper. W
IS sit quietly in our stores, offices, shoI
y or around our tiresides, and read OF
e daily paper with avidity aud enjo.
+. ment, but how rarely it occurs to I
II how much labor-mental and phys
o cal-has been put upon it. The loo
Is columns, the columns of selection,
:; the editorials, how rarely do "
= II ,T ha off iafx
70 skill, that have been put upon then
"a How much reading, observatio
W thought, mingling with men it has 6
T. cost! This is especially true Of Il
lie editorials. They must be write
daily. They must be pointed, full
ID fire; in sympathy with the age-ues
er ing with the vital questions of IL
T. hour. None but they who are q
is customed to write know what a stra
ld this necessitates on all the facultit
II Add to this the fact, that our NOR
'u ing dailies are prepared when '
s. are sleeping that through the lo
hours of the night the editor, t
manager and the type-setter are ha
iu at work, and thus, year in and ye
re out, and you will appreciate the
a. boriousuess of the protes sion TO whi
1y our departed brother belonged.
st 3. There are also peculiar tri
US connected with journalism.
- Like all other men, newspaper III
ell make mistakes, and sometimes 9
II properly censurable. am nt
3, speaking, OF course, of respectful
no journals-papers which are read Il
et patronized by decent people. OF V
ce sheets of all kinds-papers wni
"a exist merely to degrade and IT
US men. no words of condemnation c
~ he too severe. But while respectful
journals are sometimes justly open
criticism and severe Censure, a
eo while they sometimes use their pow
'es wrongly, yet, perhaps, no protest.
ne in the world receives so much unj Il
n. untrue, unwise and unkind CRITICS
Ill censure and positive abuse as ne,
paper men. There is scarcely Il IL
VI living who does not feel pertec
ne Mie competent to run newspaper. A
NJ thousands of men who desire to h,
'ch the world think they are smart: at
trying all other methods and failil
'as 'ta manifest their great gifts i'll critic
lne ing newspapers, and stating how II
d ought to be conducted. Newspal
ei, men, the world over, have all III
&c" ner of criticism and abuse shower
on upon them daily. They rarely
ie. e. ceive an appreciative word. Th
Ae' great services to humanity are
10 considered as they should be. III
'ei' deserve, and should have, the gr;
a.