The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-06-17
DEAD! DEAD!
Tale of Rival Newspaper and It's
Mild Editor. xs


Mild Editor. ~
Every body in Hopeville said that
Henry Petit was just the man to be
editor of live, progressive newspaper,
and the every body holding this opinion
included very decidedly Mr.. Henry
Petit himself. Mr. Petit was editor and
proprietor of the Hopeville Millennium.
Why he had chosen this name for his
paper no one knew exactly, though it
was supposed, from the incidental re-
marks of the editor, that it was pro-
phetic, in a modest way, of the state of
things to which he would ultimately
bring Hopeville and such of it's popula-
ton as were subscribers for the paper
and paid for it promptly. Mr.. Petit
was small in stature, sharp of features,
and loud of voice. Journalistically, he
was in a perpetual rage, a rage varying
in its intensity from the spitefully
sarcastic to the bloodthirstily fero-
cious. There seemed to be fan
tastic connection between his degrees
of aggressiyenesss and the style of
type used in his journal. Thus, when
treating of subject comparatively un-
important, he contented himself with
the light musketry of solid nonpareil,
the smallest type in his Office. A mat
ter for more forcible .denunciation re-
quired minion or BREWER to give it
proper weight; from this he sometimes
passed to bitter invective and the larger
type yclept long primer, and he had
been known, after vainly trying to re-
lieye his outraged feelings through the
medium of double-leaded plea, bristling
with exclamation points and distorted
by italics, to set all typographical pre-
cedent at defiance, and lombard his
readers with rhetorical and maledictory
cannen-balls. manufactured from the
largest, heaviest and blackest adver-
tising letters in his possession. He be-
leved thoroughly in aggressive jour-
nalism, and he always had fight on
his hands. He disproved the old adage
that sit takes two to make quarrel, !"
by maintaining a perpetual dispute
with the world at large, without
even requiring his adversary to say a
word or add a single spark to the fire
of rage that kept the quarrel at boiling
point. 80
The Millennium was a power in Hope
vile, and Henry Petit enjoyed the
proud consciousness that he had shoul-
dered himself and his paper into
the front rank by sheer force of
energy and a display of that fight
ing temperament which never fails
sooner or later, to win the respect of
a community. As a result, he was
reaping both fame and a good income
from the Millennium. He could perhaps
nave got along more peacefully and
quietly than he did, had he chosen, but
.atlrition with the world seemed to be
essential to his enjoyment Of life, and
ne was always denouncing real or inn
aginary evils, and lamenting that there
was not more of them against which
ne could couch his lance in deadly as
sault. Mr.. Petit was entirely satisfied
with himself, and never took the trouble
70 inquire into his neighbours business.
II was said of him that half the popula-
ton OF the town might be carried off by
an epidemic, and unless the death
notices were sent to the Millennium for
publication at regular rates, ,ghe would
never know that there had been a
mineral. He rather prided himself on
ms INSTRUMENTATION, and declared
.hathe despised curiosity save when its
indulgence was necessary for the sue
cessful prosecution Of his business. In
mat case, he added. it ceased to be
curiosity in the true and offensive sense
Of the word.
one day an event took place at Hope
Vile, which, for the moment, literally
bafalyzed the editor of the Millennium
WITH astonishment Then he recovered
nus breath and retired to his little office
y try andrealize the situation. A man
Msa actually come to Hopeville to start
mother paper! Mr. Petit at first could
haraly believe that such temerity could
PISS unpunished by the supernatural
powers that watch over the interests of
newspapers F! To think of mana
ss'anger!-an inter,oper la fellow
I,oli, no one knew where !-a-a-.
+ was OF no use! Mr.. Pettit's breath
hau gone again and he could only lean
s' ssck IN his chair and gasp his amaze
eht at the new mans unparalleled
resumption. Meanwhile the new man
Ha m. On quietly with his preparations.
h;s,oke s looked over the ground, satisfied
llselI hras that Hopeville needed his paper,
Tug tsaSnt type and press and other ma
s.a r.aaai % the house he had rented, can
.'sas. sseu the town for subscribers and
a., as,el'isers with satisfactory results,
nv puDilshed the first number of the
n,;sie nl;ssliie Independent, taking no more
i,N.aas '.ee OF Henry Petit and the Millen-
49, saan II neither had existed. Con-
so Mr. Pettit's confident predic-