The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-11
THE HARD WORKED NEWSPAPER MAN.
Extract from . Sermon by the Rev. 7. Dewitt
TaImase.

Taimaae.
AS TO newspapers, they have become a
necessity. Have them we must. Which
of them shall we have? The letter car
rirrs tell me that l get four times as
many OF these as any other man outside
of the editorial rooms, and no l feel COM
petent To express AN opinion. Select
those newspapers for household reading
that you can safely leave ON your family
table, and which because of their con-
tents you do not have to slyly put ont Of
the way, leaving the young folks all day
asking the question:: Where In to-days
newspaper Prefer for your own read
ing and that of your family the journals
which do not print religion and benevo-
nastiness and sin in great primer.
There are SO many good newspapers you
have no excuse for choosing bad ones.
The right kind Of daily journal In n
library every day flung ON your door
step. But what bewilderment and
surprise many felt last Monday evening
and the Monday evening previous. For
getting that the one day had
been the New Year holiday and
the other "A Christmas, and edi-
tors and reporters and printers had taken
day of, the cry was, Where Ii the
newspaper And some went stumbling
around In the dark basement entrance
looking for the newspaper, or after tea
putting your feet up ON the ottoman you
cried, "Bridget-or Sam bring up the
newspaper y But afterward, you be-
though yourself, and II you were reason
able, said, THAT is right. i am glad the
newspaper folks, like the rest of us, are
taking "A holiday. Thank God that so
many newspapers had the courage and
the mercy 20 shut up their windows, and
close their editorial and reportorial
rooms, and take IA day to Themselves.
No class of people are more in need OF
rest. have had printers ink on my
fingers for thirty years. and know OF
what ! speak. We are in our business
and occupations very apt to appreciate
our own fatigues. Every avocation
knows it's own worriments the better.
We do well sometimes to halt I'm our
work and not inquisitiycly, but sym
pathetically look over 10 the work
of others. None but those who get be-
hind the scenes can appreciate the weari-
nesses that are required In the making
up great daily newspaper. Its demands
for ''copy" come with such fearful regu-
larity. Newspaper writers must pro-
duce Just so much whether they feel like
IL or not. Pulpits close up for vacation
four or eight weeks. Newspapers cannot
close for four weeks except they close
i'm bankruptcy or extinction. So many
thousands Of subscribers TO instruct or
please. The newspaper company on
one side to scrutinize the editorial chair,
the public on the other side 10 APP
plaud or blame. So many public men
who do not think themselves properly ap-
preciated Of the press. Anonymous
sneaks attempting TO make editors and
reporters responsible for their own ad-
derine assaults. A great newspaper Of
flee is an an army, but though there may
bee captains over companies, and colonels
over regiments, the commander-in-chief
IL held responsible for all marching
ON or falling back. Under the pressure
newspaper men seem 10 40 before their
time. Henry j. Raymond died Of over
work, Samuel Bowles Of oyerwork. Hor-
ace Greedy Of overwork. Once In "A
| while we saw veteran OF journalism
| like Tburlow Weed, or William Cullen
Bryant, or Erastus Brooks, or James
| Watson Webb, lingering down to n
| healthy old age; but IL was i'm ali such
cases because they shifted the chief bur-
den TO other shoulders. The columns of
our wideawake and enterprising news
papers have again and again been the
coffin Of editors and reporters and COM
positors. So, while we rejoice In tho
| fact that we get all the news, let ms be
fully appreciative OF the tolls and expo
sures by which they are gathered.