The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-08-19
''Not "A line fin the Paper that
Nobody IEeads.''


The editor SAT 30 his chair alone
A buster person there never was known
When in came farmer, Jolly old soul,
Whose name for long years had been borne
OF paying subscribers. He had como into
town
To bring his good wife and some farm pro
duee down,
Had run In as usual, to bring In a share
OF his own inward sunshine, to tighten the
OF the man of the press and bis dull, cheerless
room.
The editors smile, as he lifted his eyes
And saw who was there, was Of joyful sur
prise;
And he greeted his friend with deal of good
For good chat with him was like taking a
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 to say
Now please don't get Vexed, for you know its
my way
But what makes you put in each paper you
So much that is worthless-do you take the
Well-petty misfortunes-and little mis-
deeds
And lots of small things that nobody reads. ("
The editor looked at him square in the face,
At first with frewn, then a smile took IFS
place.
Ny dear friend, /" he replied, "rm surprised
Every line in the paper is read-but it's 50;
Aud now, if you wish, III make my words
good,
And prove what say, as every man should.
IN put in the very next paper line
Or two about you-in coarse print or hne,
Whichever you choose, and just where you
may say,
And if you don't find on the very next day
That your neighbors all read it, promise to
give
Free Subscription to you, just as long as you
i've"
&" Agreed p said the farmer, "you shall sing
Put It right in the middle of one of those long
Fine-type adyertisements--I never yet knew
Amy person Of sense to read one OF those
through;
If hear from it twice, will bring down
The best load Of garden sauce / ever grew"
Then the "good days" were passed, and the
farmer went out,
And the editor laughed to himself without
doubt
As he thought of his wager and how it would
end,
And the nice little joke he would have On bis
friend;
Then be wrote lust two lines and he ordered
them set
In the smallest Of type-thinBdng, "PH win
that bet,"
And he placed them himself, to be sure and
not fail,
In the midst of q close agate and real estate
sale.
For, to better succeed in his little designs,
He'd selected a place where to put these two
lines
And have them connected with what followed
sentence aaS sSS eo@plete Il itself without break
These lines then he wrote; Our old friend,
good James True,
Who Is one Of the best men the world ever
knew,
OF the weH known Hope Farm "-that was
all that he said
About James, but the line next below these
two read
q VIII be sold very cheap ''-then went on to
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
"You have won" be began, "just as sure as
Why before / got breakfast ate yesterday
morn,
Two or three Of my peighbors called, purpose
to see
What that meant In the paper they saw about
me.
q hadn't seen it yet) 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 told the whole story and came with
all speed
To bring you the 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 oil
with bound,
Saying, cheerily, as he went out" In your
next
Just say Jim True's preaching, and this is his
text;
"There is naught in the paper fruit, flowers,
or weeds
Not line in the paper that nobody reads"