St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-07-27

or murde: ana cut up . few unOh0hd-
ing children at some period in our fut-
ure. we shall neither of US ever create
such sensation again As we did when
that paper went crowding into every
piseon-hOle Of every post-of3ce in our
county. While all POttsville knew and
disapproved. on general principles. oil
the fact that the daughters of Judge
Pike had bought an old and never sue.
cessful job-printer's outfit we had not
lisped of the coming paper to any one.
We worked a month on that FIRST
number. for we had to learn to SET
type, and for that We needed both pa
thence and perseverance. We had an
oid-fashioned press, and it required
not only strength. but skill to know
how to jump on the treadle to secure
the best results.
Our trial number was a funny-look.
ing thing. One would think We had
expected a clientele of Cinnamon.
We had placed our columns in the
wrong positions, so that every thing
was wrong side to-"
o, how we worked! How cross and
tired and inky we got! We looked. in.
side our Office. more like daughters Of
DahOmey than light-haired Vermont
girls. But we persevered and were
found in our sanctum glowing with
pride on the morning after the appear
ance of the Pottsville News by scores
of callers. all Of whom congratulated
us upon our enterprise. some of whom
thought. p'rpps, We might succeed.
and few OF whom subscribed for the
paper. Then came the tug-of-war.
Subscribers must be got We had de-
cided to run our paper on economical
principles and do every bit Of the
work ourselves. After the stream OF
callers subsidized. We hired q horse and
started to canvass our town. We had
already printed our terms. our policy.
and an earnest appeal TO the people OF
louisville in particular and those OF
the State and county in general not to
neglect the broad path to literary
culture and intelligence which We had
opened to them and made easy at only
&l.5O per anrum. regret to ray that
many OF them neglected it, that they
shamefully despised it But We re-
turned the first night with fifty sub
scribers. Every day after that We got
up at five o'clock and worked on
the next issue until eight. Then
we ate a hearty breakfast and
went out canvassing. working
late at night in the Office
to make up for our absence. We
walked whenever we could. We went
by. train to neighbOring towns and
secured the country round about At
the end CT a month we had secured a
subscription list of 81. which exceed
ed my fondest expectations
We were often refused. often laughed
at. often looked upon as a pair of es-
capped lunatics; but were more often
encouraged. cheered. complimented
and patted on the back; and both
friend and foe subscribed. either from
love or curiosity. So our main object
was gained.
Our outside work over we cast about
in our minds to improve the appear
ance and general tone Of our paper.
II had been full Of mistakes. but no
body had appeared to notice them.
Compliments OF all kinds were shower
ed upon us. from Rev. Bamboozle
fervid '.You are doing n noble
work. ladies': may the Lord bless your
efforts" to old Farmer Tomkins' loud
spoken assertion in the post-ofice.
that Them Pike gals were gittin' up
a Dustin good paper.
We were our own foreman, COM
position. pressman. printers devil.
managing editor. bust
ness agent, reporter. mailing clerk.
private secretary. chorc-boy and scrub
woman. As cold weather advanced We
even added to our list OF accomplish
ments. and sawed our own wood. We
had no sawhorse. SO Jennie used to
place the stick of wood on the stairs
and sit on it while I industriously
worked the saw. This exercise is said
10 be good for people who lead seden-
larry lives So is working . Novelty
press
When local news became scarce We
chronicled the death OF every
pet cat or dog. with appropriate re-
marks. Jennie won the everlasting
owe OF our one rich woman BY writing
\ most touching epitsph on her dead
In the fall We made a note
If every pig that was killed. every
beef critter" that was sacrificed for
he public good. We manufactured
items about the local dam
lge of the last storm or the untimely
OF sweet violets in Novem-
,er. II any thing did happen We made
he most of it. If nothing happened,
vhy, we made the most of that also.
Ne cordially noticed every specimen
II moss work. manipulating or GRO
.heted edging, every monstrous egg.
'vergrown squash and big apple that
ve received. We got up . question
md answer department, in which ficti-
ious people asked all sorts Of foolish
and We answered with all
he wisdom of the gods and foolish
iris.
Then my ambition grew editorially.
began to give utterance to the most
'ositive opinions on all sorts OF sub
ects from the village school up to the
Civil-Service policy. So
ong rs I confined myself to generali-
-. >l:Aa-;-l ool...nnr ram ainaA