The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-06-15
The Country Editors Lot.

EYES," said the man who had been
a country editor, with dreamy voice
and eyes glazing ]retectively on the
ceiling, Eyes, the life OF a country
editor has its attractions, 1t also
has its drawbacks. Ispent about a
dozen years in a country printing
office, beginning as a devil and gradu-
ally drifting downward until heca ne
editor-in-chiet, business manager, ID.
vertisjng solicitor, collector, and re,
porter for a country daily.
MY first venture on my hooS
was with a paper that had died on
a fellows hands in a town about as
big as a circus tent and about as
roco>o as an Egyptian mummy; and
during the two or three years OF my
struggles there | got enough expert.
ence in the trials and tribulations OF
journalism to make me old before my
time.
Il printed the paper from old nails
on an army press, and four impress
ions were required for every sheet.
As the paper had about five hundred
subscribers the work involved was
simply irighttul, particularly that
part OF it, which I did as a sort OF re-
lief from the strain Of editorial effort
which I sustained while not setting
type or chasing delinquents."
What part did you do?"
"Well, I worked theroller. Turning
3 grindstone is a holiday dream OF
Sicilian rest by comparison. l had
my hands as calloused rs the frog Of
a horses foot after the blisters wore
away. The physical sufferings that I
bore were trihing when compared
with the agonies Of doubt which
racked my mind when 1 let it run
upon the future. Upon my shoulders
rested not only the heavy. RESPONSE.
bility of pleasing all the people who
read my paper, but the burden OF a
large family dependent on my efforts.
Starvation was the alternative of
success, SO you may well believe that
1 trod the thorny way regardless of
my bloody feet and the jeers of the
enemies that added difficulties where
they could not accomplish disaster.
"Ah! those were hard and cruel
days OF grinding toll followed by
nights full of dread of the morrow.
But they were not wholly dark. In
deed, in looking back upon them /
scarcely remember the shadows that
lay across them. As q child boards
up only memories of summer days
and birds and flowers, forgetting the
long winters and the ieaffess trees, so
| treasure only the brighter and
happier features OF that varied ok
perience.
Generally speaking, the couGtry
editor is a man of some consequence
In his community. His. position it
matters not how precarious it may
be from a financial point of view, IS
such as to command a certain social
recognition. He finds himself invited
to all the parties and balls and pic
mics and weddings. he is a mourner
at every funeral, q guest at every
feast; he is the secretary of every
public meeting, the receptacle of the
condolences OF all who aspire; his adj
vice is sought by the young, and he ia
the especial protege OF all the old.
His trousers may be baggY at the
knees, but the big man of the village,
mindful Of the power OF the press,
stops to talk with him in front OF the
p~ostofice and shows him about town
In his carriage. The Hon. John
Quincy Adams Smithers, NJ. C., comes
down from the city to look after his
fences around Podunk, and he makes
a bee-line for the EDITORS sanctnm,
where he cracks a chestnut and passes
aror I'd fat looking cigars that exhale
the very odor OF luxury. The presid-
ing elder also honors the editors
dingy den with his pious presence, the
president ofthelocal railway company
sends him g pass-that Is, he used to;
ali the farmers fetch him the biggest
ear OF corn, the first watermelon, the
the prize pumpkIn, or the banner
sheaf OF wheat; and, more than all and
better, the village beauties call ia the
bevies to view the mysteries OF the art
preventative and fiirt with the edi
tors assistant. That is the treat of
all treats, and what wonder if the
editor gets to dreaming dreams and
weaving fancies with a wool OF golden
hair?
eNo; I didn't fall a victim myself,
but I'm an exception. The average
county editor marries young. The
pressure is all that way and so the
editor one day leaves out the we'll
known personal that Miss Mary lib
bits, the bewitching blue-eyed daugh.
ter OF Col. Ezra Tibbits, illuminated
our sanctum With her bright presence
for a few minutes yesterday, and in
its place We read the announcement
tibet We we're married laet night, at
the resihsnce Of the bride i parents
to Miss Mary Tibbitts. daughtef Of
Col. Ezra Tbbitte, Ia the presence Of
d brilliant assemblag9 ol relatives
and friends, etc.
by and hy he succeeds in ~scraping
together little money and he branch.
es out. very kelly going to the county
town AZ a partner in one Of the ORGANS.
II he has developed the right sort of
atuff be succeeds fairly well ia mis-
larger field and makes money. Per
! hatsc a Annr~ xna Ev NA ~ olnn+aI ~