The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-25
Magazine thinks if fooli,l


Tor the newspapers 10 say Mrs Col.
Jones' Mrs. Doctor Brown Mrs.
Congressman smith" etc Well. there
are two sides TO the question For our
part, we have adopted the custom Tor
two reasons. First. il saves space
Second It prevents mistakes. There are
great many prominent ladies by tie
name OF Smith. Jones. Brown. Green,
DAVIS. Cox. etc, iii North Carolina, and
If We should say simply Mrs Smith. :
or Mrs. Mary Smith," Gas DemoreSt.
and the Women 's-Righter' insist many
mistakes would occur. Whereas when
we say Mrs. Chief Justice smith, or
Mrs GOV. Vance or Mrs General
Cox. Everybody knows at a glance
who Is referred TO. The press is CEN
sured for great many things which ex-
perielce has proved fitting and reason
BILE.
Recently, for instance. one OF our
friends whose satirical mind aud native
wit sees the absurd side OF a good many
current customs wrote us very sharp
crtffque on tie newspaper habit Of pull
fishing the name of persons who 20 to
the springs, or arrive at the capital.
She considered it absurd to make a par
agraph in all the papers every time the
pert yOuog daughter" OF so-called
Colonel happened to so to town. etc
The point seemed well taken but it
is theoretical, rather than practical. II
you reflect moment you VIII see that
the mention of lady's name in the
paper is not TO crafty her, but to gre
the ne,cs it being very interesting news
to many of our younger maze readers
to know that Miss Soandso has come
to town, or has gone to Beaufort. or is
visiting the West. Nine readers in ten
who read the Farmer ani Nechunic turn
first to its Personal items.
People naturally wish to know where
their friends aie. and what they are do
ing. And if YOU argue that il is likely
to turn wOmans head to see her name
IN print, we cannot agree, with you
unless the head be very ''turnable" to
start with
There is one practice-confined MAIN
ly to Yankeedom we trust will
never prevail with the Southern press
namely the describing OF Ladies dresses,
at Balls and parties. 1t is ''shotldy'
custom. born with the Yankee Coal
Oil johnny class, who had no ideas.
nor culture of any kind, hence could
have no chance to figure in the papers
unless their dress and "diamonds,' -
and Paris costumes were described in
detail. A woman who goes to a party
is supposed to have a decent costume
and there is no need to describe il. How
would it sound TO have a reporter 90 to
every lady house, and view the clothes
line and print long account of all
lie saw? Or how would it do for fash
ionable belle to rio up dummy ,and send
ii around with her silk and diamonds to
the ball, to win admiration, while she
lay in bed, and read novel?
The practice OF describing ball dresses
has another objection. Many of our
worthiest Southern women have not
thousand dresses therefore cannot turn
out i'll a new one at every party, and
they naturally dislike to be completely
''outshined" by costly attire of some
ninny whose only commendation is the
wealth gotten Gn all sorts of ways y by
some graspng pap or grandpap! We
have heard of more than one lady who
could not attend Hop because she had
no new clothes, and her ''SundayBest'
had figured in the newspapers several
times already! Hard !, wasn't it: