The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-08
The Editors Wager.
BY z. p. TOBEY.

The editor sat in his chair alone
a buster person their never was known
When in came farmer, jolly old soul,
Whose name for long years had been borne on
OF paving subscribers He had come into town
To bring his good wife and some farm produce
down.
And having a moment or two he could spare
Had run in as usual, TO bring in a share
OF his own inward sunshine, to enlighten the
gloom
OF the man of the press and his dull cherries
room.
The editors smile MS he lifted his eyes
anu saw who vas there. was of joyful surprise:
Ana he greeted his friend with a deal of glad
For good chat with him was like taking rest.
When at length, the old farmer got ready to
He said, with sly little laugh in his sleeve.
My dear friend. there is one thing just want
Now. piease don't get vexed. for you know it's
my way
But whlt makes you put in each paper yon
print
So much that is worthless-do you take the
hintf
weIl-petty misfortunes-and little misdeeds--
And lots of small matter that nobody reads"
The editor looked at him square i'm the face,
At frat with frown, then a smile took its
place.
my dear friend" he replied, I'm surprised
you don't know
Every line in ;sle paper is read but it's so:
And now, If you wish, will make my words
And prove what say, as every man should.
IN put i'll the very next paper a line
Or two about you-in coarse print or fine
whichever you choose, and just where you
And if you don't find on the very next dav
That your neighbors all read it l promise to
give
Free Subscriptions to you rs long as you live"
Agreed said the farmer, you shall sing
new song:
Put it right in the middle of one of those long
Fine-type advertisements-I never yet knew
Any person of sense to read one of those
through;
If hear of it twice. / will bring down to you
The best load of garden sauce ever grew"
Then the good days were passed and the
And the editor laughed to himself without
doubt,
AS he thought of his wager and how it would
And the nice little joke he would have on his
Then he wrote just two lines. and he ordered
In the smallest of typerhinking, "rn win
tina bet"
And he placed them himself, to be sure and
In the midst of a close agate real estate sale
For, to bette succeed in his little designs,
he selected place where To put these lines
And have them connected with what followed
A sentence complete in itself without break
These the lines that he wrote; ''Our old friend,
good James True,
Who is one OF the best men the world ever
knew,
OF the well known Hope Farm"-thst was all
About James, but the line next below these
two read
'will be sold very cheap"-then went on to
unfold
The beauties and bounds of the estate to be
sold.
The paper was printed. The next day but one,
The farmer came in. with his eyes full of fun:
~ on have won,' he began, lust sure as
you're born;
Why. before I'd got breakfast ate yesterday
morn,
Two or three neighbors called, purpose to see
What that meant in the paper they saw about
q hadn't seen it yeti. Then, during the day,
Every neighbor that met me had something to
say
About my being sold. ! was sold very cheap,
And you did it well. too; it was too good to
keep
So I've sold the whole story, and came with all
speed
To bring you that garden sauce, as / agreed"
The editor looked from his window and saw
His friend had brought in all his horses could |
draw
All for him; he declined TO accept It, but found |
That his friend would not listen, and was off |
with q bound,
Saying, cheerily. as he went out-"In yournext |
Just say Jim True's preaching, and this in his
text:
There is naught in the paper-fruit, flowers or
weeds
Not line in the paper that nobody reads
Providence Journal !