The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-19
A PRESIDE TREASURE.
The Newspaper and its Place in the
Home. The Local Edit
Or's Life.
WELCOMED AID LOVED.

A lady writer to her home newspaper,
tells the story in all its vivid beauty,
weaving as she does from the tendrils of
her personal experiences, and the fibres
OF those recollections which entrance the
heart. She says: "The home newspaper
is associated with me in everything in my
life. II told OF my birth, of the death of
my sister and brother. OF the death of nv
parents 1t has told of my marriage, Of
the birth of my children. and of the death
of one of them. 1t has become part of
my family and my life; love it for this. :"
What tribute to the newspaper as an
institution Il is the monitor of the fire
side the history Of the heartEstone; in fact
mirror of daily life. 1t is for this the
people love it. In it they fad their joys
ia it their sorrows. and both appear in
the types as felt and shared almost as if
the newspaper was a living thing. 1t
joins in its songs Of praise, it finds fellow
ships in its hopes, aud breathes u spirit Of
consolation into its sorrowS; thus it meets
the world IA life meets life, laughing,
weeping, sympathiZiHg, battling advising
living, and acting WITH and for man
kind. What life, what mission, what
a power! Such is a newspaper that is
true to the tireside, and is il any wonder
that the lady wrote, Il love it,"
THE MAN ABOUT TOWN
An exchange gives the following truth
ful idea of tue varied experiences of Il
local editors life,
Men who work on the city page of n
paper have tasks to perform which differ
from those of any other man on the pas
per, and it is just possible that very few
people have ever thought of the kInd of
work required OF them Ilthere Is plenty
OF news in town, all right; but ii there Is
| none, it is the same. for the paper must
hsye news whether there is any going on
( or nOl-s0 the public demand. The
quality Of the news il as important as the
quantity. A man sitting ut his table in
the news office is liable to receive news
of birth, ii death, marriage, an acct
| dent. robbery. martler, runaway or
q railroad disaster. all inside OF one hour
OF the birth he is expected 10 say some
thing which viii please the father and
mother OF the new candidate Tor immor-
I tgltf.- A hon a death l. Ia
must tell the story in language which will
not Offend, and must learn TO play upon
the strings of his own heart the most
minor chords, and catch his inspiration
from them Whst be SAYS is going 10
be read by those whose hearts were never
so sensitive. AID q harsh WORT, though
not intended. viii make wound never
to be forgotten While ia Ills mood, in
comes some Que with notice Of mar
ri1ge the tones Of jhc bells still ringing
IN his ears Thc reporter is expected Ia
write the last line of the death notice and
begin on the first OF the marriage notice
aud do both 10 the entire satisfaction OF
all concerned. He lTYS 40 time ia change
tue kew, hut with The same hand ard on
the same instrument mast play to suit all
hearers An accident comes in next te
throw the shade over the marriage no,
tice. and a robbery follows hard on that.
with its description Of the depravitY OF
the human heart While a reporter,
head and hand are making these lightning
changes, some ore comes in with the
question, ''Have YOU heard of the muir
der?' or perhaps the double crime o.
murder and suicide. That must be in,
vestigated and the facts given tC
the public, with all Of its sickenine
detail. The excitement of "a ruDa-
wAy is next on the boards and this i,
followed by the Changing OF the fire bell
telling of fire, and each Of them mus
be told with exaCtness 1t must bt
known where the horses started wher,
they ran and where they stopped /
must be known Just where the fire start.
ed, how mueh was burned and what wa.
the amount of insurance. This is no
/ cold until a man IS reported run over BY
train and killed, and his mortal remain.
have to be followed up and the size o
the pieces given In all this, not Wort
must be said which gives olfcnsc. Ii th,
truth hurts, the truth must be warped /,
fit the occasion. Ii hundred goo,
things are said, reporter never hear.
from one Of them. If one thing which
happens 10 hurt is SAID. he hears from i
in a hundred ways Day after day come
the sunshine and the shadows. the ga1
things and the sad, and from the sam,
| mcneil DOiut must urOD the words which
tell the stories in all their shades. 1t il
right. but we have only been wondering
if people ever think Of it,