Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-22
An open letter to q Aeeal ssrrsspoa'
dent,


lfIom tue NtTHeuHcS NtrHDntell
My Dear Itemizer. 1t IL wonder to
many readers Of the Tsrmontsr why your
weekly contributions 10 the paper are made
up just as they are. II Something Of interest
to the general reader happens 10 your neigh
borhood or town, we wsnder that you do
not tell us Of it. Ii there is never anything
of the kind there, Or no bright thought occurs
to you, we wonder as much that you write at
all. Ii may be II matter Of n nAnen's talk
in ueighborhood when one of its members
reshincles his house or barn, or builds u new
hog pen, or door yard fence, or buys au or
gan or piono, but do you suppose that it
interests one in a hundred OF the readers of
the paper any more than 1t would to know
that Mrs. A. had recently bought new bon
net, or that her husband had purchased
$1,000 overcoat, or had had dozen fine
shirts made for him by his "lovely consort,"
good wife wouldn't do) assisted by the ac-
comrlishcd "needlc-lady" Miss b. !? or that
1t would be any more impcrincnt to tell Of
these?
Why doyou tell us that "Josic" basretnrn-
cd to the West after spending some weeks
visiting among friends In Our vicinity" when
not half II dozen readers would know any
thing more Of Josie" If you gave the whole
name, and do not know now whether "Jusiu"
wears skirts or trousers? You tell us that
Jim" has found his hat !" Nothing more.
If there was anything funny alb )ut the losing
and finding OF that hat, why not tell us, and
give us chance to laugh Just rs it stands,
1t is not very entertaining bit of news.
Then you maunder on in the old stcrcotypcd
jenkins style, describing tue tin, wooden
crystal or some such wedding (b,ggiug we'd
ding would be a good general name for such
aifairs) of some couple that has managed to
live together one, Two, five or ten years, when
"Mr Windsy donated the beautiful, costly |
and appropriate presents of tin pans, wash |
boards, goblets, etc, etc, in speech in his |
happiest vein, which was responded to, etc. |
ETC., when all sat down to a bOuntitul rcpast |
under which the table groaned, and to which
ample justice was done, ETC., etc, and then
'n the wee wan hours, the company dis
perscd, wishing, etc, etc" Do ysu know
that the long-su1ering aud mucli-abused cdi-
t9r keeps all this in type, and has only TO
change names to make up at short notice a
quarter column orso! Which makes il very
nice for him. But how about his readers
Is it very enter.aing to most of them, do you
think ! We are always glad TO read of ial
hogs, of COWS that yield two orlhrce pounds OF
butter day, and Of big crops, but we would
also be glad to know the breed and feed of
The hogs and cows, and what the treatment OF
he land had been to bring such good returns
II you would but take the trouble 10 inform
yourself and then tell lis about these things,
/ would improve your contributions even
hough the items concerning the Smuggling,
juiding, "Josic," Jim" and the wedding
we're crowded out. Ponder upon my sug-
scstion for little while, aud possibly some
good may come of your pondclings TO you,
he cditor, aud your too much itcmzcd read
RS. Your friend and well wisher,