The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-05-15
PLAYING THE FIDDLE.
An EDITORS story of How He Once Got
Twenty New Subscribers.


The yarns that newspaper men never
talk about except sub rosa illustrate the
strange vicissitudes to which the man
who embarks on the great sea of Jour-
nalism is subjected. l know not long
since that there were several of us con.
gregated together in favorite haunt,
and'we naturally began to spin out
weird legends connected with the pro-
fession which lay nearest our hearts.
Said a veteran editor: "Some wears
ago / was editor, proprietor, typo, mail
ing clerk, book-keeper, presSman and
devil and Tom Walker of a country
weekly. Perhaps weakly would be the
proper way to spell it.
"Well, subscriptions were coming in
at the rate of two every three weeks,
and / was waiting for the forlorn hope
of three-line ad. to assist me in whis-
Ting to keep the ghosts off, when a
lawyer-the lawyer-of the village in
which the AntagOniStic Agitator was
published proposed that we 90 over to
Ragged Edge and attend court l
agreed if he would 60 halves in the
team, so we bulldozed the owner of the
only buggy and set out on our journey.
Ragged Edge was a city set upon a
hill. The courthouse square was ten
acre lot, and the Jail was built far
enough away that the citizens were not
disturbed by some fractions criminal en-
gagged in the illegal occupation of Jail.
breaking. Around the square were
several dwellings, two or three general
stores and grocery.
81 put up at the only hotel in the
place, which was cross between an
inn and farmhouse. and when l ate
supper did so with timid feeling, for
l still had conscience then, knowing
that unless Providence interposed I
would leave the town indeb ed to the
landlord the amount of my bill, minus
one years subscription to the Agitat0r
and half-column puff
After supper | strolled down to tho
grocery. In and around it were assem-
bled ten or fifteen jurors, littgants and
COulb VII ~ UdIIEl Ill OllG
corner sat fiddler, saving away for
dear life, while the audience chatted in
low tones, so as not to embarrass the
musician. introduced myself as editor
of the AgitatOr, and all looked at me in
a suspicious way, as if they were uncer-
tain of my calling. Two or three out
siders came in to get a good look at me.
Having learned to play the fiddle in my
youth, the thought struck me to try il
on that audience, and when the fiddle
stopped for a rest took up the instru-
ment and began to Iasp out few
notes.
"'Do you play the fiddle, misterP
asked the grocery-keeper.
"a little, | replied
"'Play the dickens!' muttered a fell
low, as he took fresh chew of to-
bacco.
"That remark got my blood up, ant
tuning the rickety instrument l begar
to give them Old Rosum the Bow BY
the time got through the boys were
all silent, and the crowd had increased
until there was no longer standing
room in the building.
"'Give us another That's bully,
My treat, come on and have some
thin, were the remarks heard on every
side.
CATER the drinks began again, anC
it wasslate before they let me off.
"'Boys, that Teller deserves some
thing, said the man of groceries; 'chiI
in, now, and take his paper
And I'll be blessed if l didn't ge
twenty new subscribers before l lef
the house. "-AH0ntd Constitution.