The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-03-29
Doetrp.
THE EDITORS WAGER.
From the Printers Circular.

lat the annual meeting Of the Rhode Is
land Press Association Mr. E. P. Tobey, oi
the Providence Journal, read the following
poem, in which he happily illustrates the
influence of the weekly journal.I
The editor sat in 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
on the roll
| OF paying subscribers. He had come into
town
To bring his good wife and some farm pro-
duce down,
And having moment or two he could
spare
Had run in as usual, 10 bring in share
Of his own inward sunshine, to tighten the
gloom
Of the man of the press and his dull cheer
less roor1.
The editors smile, as he lifted his eyes
And saw who was there, was Of joyful sur
prise;
And ne greeted his friend with deal of
glad zest,
For a good chat with him was like taking a
rest.
. y 4
When at length, the old farmer got ready to
leave,
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 Yexed, for you know
it's my way
But what makes you put in each paper you
prin:
So much that is worthless-do you take the
hint?
Well-petty misfortunes--and little mis-
deeds
And lots Of small matters that nobody
reads"
The editor looked at him square in the face,
At first with a frown, then smile took its
place.
"My dear friend" he replied, "rm sur
prised you don't know
Every line in the paper is read-but it's so;
And now, if you wish, will make my words
good,
And prove what say, as every man should
I'll put in the very next paper line
Or two about you-in coarse print or fine
Whichever you choose, and just where you
may say,
And if Won don't find on the very next day
Tha. your neighbors all read it, promise to
give
Free subscriptions to you, just as long as
you live"
Agreed said the farmer, "you shall sing a
new song;
Put it right in the middle of one of those
long
Finc-type advertisements-I never yet knew
Any person Of sense to read one of those
through;
If hear from it twice, will bring down to
you
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
his friend;
Then be vote just two lines, and be or
dered them set
In the smallest of typc-thinking, ''I'll win
that bet."
And he placed them himself, to be sure and
not fail, .
In the midst of close agate real estate sale.
For, TO better succeed in his little designs,
He'd selected place where to put these two
lines
And have them connected with what fol-
lowed and make
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"-tbat was
all that he said
About James, but the line next below these
two read
"Will be sold very cheap''-then wen: 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;
"You have won," be began, '.just as sure as
you're born;
Why. before I'd got breakfast ate yesterday
morn,
Two or three Of my neighborS called, pur-
pose to see
What that meant in the paper they saw
about me.
II hadn't seen it YETI Then during the days
Every neighbor that met me had something
to say
About my being sold. was sold very cheap.
And yon did it well, too; it was too good tc
keep
So I've told the whole story. and come 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 horse
could drawn
All for him; he declined to accept It, but
found
That his friend would not listen, and was of
with bound,
Saying. chesrily, as he went out-"In your
next
Just say Jim True's preaching, and this is