The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-07-29


embryo journalist is inclined to be
skeptical he can have his doubts effect
ually removed by trial. Let him
undertake some day to indite few
thoughtful articles on grave and i'm
portant subjects, turn a number OF
pungent paragraphs, pencil off a column
Of local news items, condcnse another
column If telegraphic news, boil down
several badly written and fearfully
constructed contributions from rural
correspondents, write a sty ish marriage
notice, and fearful obituary Of prom
inent citizen, furnish a report of court
proceedings, and detailed account Of
commencement exercises, make a person
al mention Of distinguished arrivals, cor
rect market quotations, dash off 4 lot of
notices Of new advertisements, answer
the numerous yexatious calls made upon
him, entertain esteemed subscribers who
come to complain or congratulate, read
his letters and papers, keep his eye on
the exchange iiend, and be in and out of
office, anywhere and everywhere at the
same moment Of time; let our skepticaI
friend attempt this and il at tile close Of
the day he is not conscious of heavy
drain upon his nervous energies, he may
consider himself engaged. Heis wanted
Even when relieved Of the business
management Of the paper, the time of
the editor can be fully occupied, if he
be painstalling and thorough. OF course
| refer to journals that are edited The
edit0ri work on some weekly exchanges
could be done in an hour. When 4
paper has several editors, tile labor is
divided, and we have a right to expect
better results, although we do not always
find them We are all disposed at times
to slight work, especially when we see
that our best efforts are not properly
appreciated. 1t is easy to get into
careless habit, and in no department Of
activity is carelessness more sensibly
felt. ldleness iii newspaper office is
absolutely inexcusahle. Incapacity is
even more tolerabe. Either or both
will make q newspaper of no account.
AS in other professions, there are many
incompetent men in ours There are
lawyers who aspire to be ornaments to
the bar, who would better adorn a hoe
handle. There are doctors who would
make better pile drivers than pill driy.
ers. Many a preacher has mistaken
for call to the ministry. So il is that
there are men connected with the press
who would better fill their mission in
life if they were pegging shoes, measur-
ing tape, or engaged III some other
equally honorable employment which
makes fewer demands upon the brain.
The proportion of really incompetent
journalists, however, is not as great as
many suppose, and in Tennessee it may
be said with pride and pleasure that
there Is wealth of journalistic talent
and that there are very many excellent
journals that would do honor to any
State or any country. No pleasantef
duty devolyes upon the editor than that
Of looking through his exchanges. OF
course the daily papers with their we'll
filed columns Of telegraphic news, and
their generally well considered editorial
comments upon current events, stand
first in his estimation. These are abso
lutely indispensable. Through them
the country editor keeps himself in
formed of what is going on in the world
and it is the first duty Of the journalist
TO keep informed. Yet his country ex-
changes are no less acceptable and nee
/
CLEANS from them and the practical in
formation they afford him, he enjoys a
peculiar personal satisfaction in receiv-
ing these weekly visits from his esteemed
rural contemporaries. As they are laid
on his table, a new interest is given TO
his labors, and the monotonv of the
sanetum is broken for a time. They are
familiar and constant visitors and he can
name each one Of them at d glance be-
fore the wrappers are removed. OF
course he has his fayorites. These he
opens with pleasurable anticipations
that are rarely disappointed. Others he
glances over more hastily, and few, ii
must be confessed, he sometimes allows
to remain unopened.
II would be difficult to properly cIas-
sify and discuss our country exchanges
, within the limits Of this paper. / can
therefore only refer briefly to a few
, characteristics which attract my atten-
ton at casual glance one or more Of
which may apply in a greater or less
/ degree TO this or that contemporary.
Here, for instance, is valued ex-
| change whose able editor exalts and mag
: miles his editorial page, almost 10 the
| | exclusion ot other matters. His pom
derous leaders stretch from column to
: column, dreary lengths Of logic, cheer.
Z less deserts Of dialectics. He grapples
! with great problems, wrestles with
e mighty mysteries. He goes deep into
Z the philosophy Of things, and settle.
E questions for all time to come. The
Z slightest political movement draws from
j his pen an exhaustive dissertation upon
= the policies of parties. He even writes
b his editorials as serials, fto be continued
+ in our next" They are we'll writer
:. and contain q world Of information
0 What pity that they are not read
e} Here is journal which furnishes ui
:. an illustration of the other extreme
!, The editor is paragrapher. He eschew
J, long articles. If he were to write
t history Of the late war, he would put i