The Phoenix herald., 1880-08-13
Ax IxDzrExDENT PRESS.
yTHy 5Zr. Smith Cea8ed Isis Sub scri2tio1 to the Local Paper.

WHY 8sE- f9klfAssa &S1-SSi IBIS '%A-o-
 scri2tion to the Local Paper.
 EIr Smith used 10 live in a small
 town in the inferior of Texas which
 we will cali Smilhvilie, but he moved
 to Galveston a few years ago, and Is
 now resident of this city. He has
 kept himself well posted, however,
 as 10 affairs ia his former home by
 subscribing 10 Ihe Smithville Tor
 pe,lo, the local paper, which is edited
 with sirnal ability by Col. Bangs. \
 few days ago Smith happened to be
 at the railroad depot when the train ! came in, and whom should he sec among the passengers but Col Bangs,
 the editor Of the Torpefio Of course Smith was glad to see the editor of
 the TorDedr, and Bangs was glad to
 see a r.eular subscriber like Smith. J Tney greeted each other warmly, and
 after having taken q few drinks sat
 down quietly to talk over affairs n 1 SmithvIllc.
 You get .he Torpedo regularly, I | suppose? 2" says Bangs.
 '.Ycs, it comes to hand every day,
 and 1 read 1t very carefully. II keeps
 me as well posted as if l Iiyet! in the town and saw everything with my own eyes. 1 would not know what was going on in SmithYille if it was not for the Torpedo, " said Smith.
 Col Bangs said ha felt flaitered, and after another drink or so the country editor became very candid and communicative. His stomach was not acCuslamcd to Galveston whi key. On the other hand, Smith being used 10 il, remained distress ingly sober.
 After q pause Smith said: "I saw il the last number of tine Torpedo that .ones, the proprietor of the SmiihviIle hotel. Ias fitted il I'D new, an.I now it is suDperior in all pdrlic- uiars 10 any hotel this sIde of New York. 1 an 90 glad to bear tllHt. l am going to put up it I when 1 yisil Sni;livilI-.''
 Don't you do it." replied the eli tor. T btard there myself, and nearly strave to death. But it Is the best hotel iu l;ie place for All that I would not let such lie 10 % into the paper if the hoicl had not taken fifty copies of the paper to send of He paid for them in meal tickeis, tcO." The faith of Smith in tlie reliability Of the Torpedo had received some what of q shock, but he hcred il was an exceptional case.
 After awhile, Smith said: "I an glad to see that Iai. SDooks is eo- l ing 10 sweep that section Of t.se state ! at the next election. 1 read ih the . 'iorne.l0 Of thc ma erificeat ovation . i5- -57.,=-1t sii.ca1 of ite p-e=e= siCa several miles long; iiic a1aQac. ! that followed. ]. with ali tAe ioasis. snd ! then ihe final s5rcnGie Eith 4IHi. i Snoohs' speech 10 lhc sca Of up'Grne,i | faces. It must have been 2 gorgeous ovation"
 Col. Bangs laughed till 'le nearly i,ad spasms. Finally he said. Why, Sl0u'1s wrote that up f9r Inc Tor pesio himself, a;.d paid 10 have it in- serted as an aGYerisement- He iS start ing boom. y0l know.
 Il Cu don't mean to say that noth- ing of iEc kind happened :'
 Il believe that Mai Shocks hired a brass band lO e;tti:eiy surprise iiiGl with a complimentary sercaade fer fonr dollars and a half. The speech did no; last several hours for ali he said was: Come in, boys, and take soineiiIing' The vast sea of uptGrncd faces only almbered with on the baFkeeper's slate for that evening Gfteen. Al least that is all the drinks he iS charged with. That's the best evidence, reckOn.'
 "Why. how did you come 10 make such a false statement ill your pa- per?'
 "Didn., tell you he paid for it as an advertisement He is going to use it as 8 campaign document"
 smith began to think that the Torpedo was not furni=h- ing him with so much local Infor- malion after all He deter. mined therefore no; to mention any other item of news he had GleaHeI from is columns. So he changed inc subject: How is Col. McPeiter coming On:"
 He is not coming on at all. He has gone off already; week before last lie embeZzled S3G00 and dis appeared with another mans wife. The grand jury has found nineteen felony indictments against him." re- piled the editor.
 But I never saw it mentioned at all in the Torpedo"
 T reckon not" replied the editor proudly, "Gol. McPclier's son prom ised 10 shoot the top oi my head oil if I said q word about ii, and it is the duty of the press to frovn down all such attempts at violence"
 ''Col- Bangs" said Smith, rising in dignity, see hy the latest issue of the Torpedo you are about to take in a partner. and enlarge your bl~i- ness. You can take in as many part ners as you please, but you don't lake in this subscriber any IT. re. You may discontinue sending ne it any more"
 That : all right" replied the uu- editor ''Ii is not likely to enligien the public any more, any how. That partner l mentioned is the sheriff. am open to an engage ncnt. Couldn't You secure me a pO- sition as a Galveston street car dri- yer."