The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-26
GOOD OLD TIMES GONE.
How the Country Editor Lost Many Of His
Standbys.

How the Country Editor Lost Many Of His
Standbys.
''There was time" said tho editor, pub
Usher and proprietor of the Uniontown
Banner and American Watch Tower, when
my country subscribers brought in apples,
potatoes, turnips, carrots, squashes, eggs,
and lots of other stuff as free gifts to the
editor, and when I set aside the second
column OF tho third page for notices that
Farmer Smith and 80 forth had laid ON our
table so and 90, for which he would pie ase
accept our tha0ks. Il has been three years
since even tomato was brought into the
Office
What has brought about this changer
ridicule on the good old custom until they
have given it its death blow. And there's
another thing. Up to four or i've years ago
some Of my Subscribers were certain to put
from 600 to $500 in the rag bag for safe
keeping and then sell the bag to the ped
could always count on at least two items Of
this sort every year, but they are gone for
And do you blame the dailies for this
also?''
Il do. They poked fun at and heaped
ridicule on the farmer until he felt obliged
to deposit his money in the bank. Don't
the wife used to put $1Oo in the parlor
stove for safe keeping, and her husband
used to build a fire without her knowl-
edgsr'
"Well, it's fully four years since have
had such case. The daily papers are to
blame for it. There was a time when I
could count on straight column a week
under the head Of Terrible Accident
Another Farmer Dragged to Death The
l farmer had n WQv Won know. of hitCninO
the lines around his body when he was
breaking colt, or tying the rope to his
arm when leading fractions horse to
water. He doesn't do it any more. The
ed Another Idiot Gone to His Reward OF
Another Fool Farmer Heard From that
the practice is dead.''
Eyes, know"
"And could, in those good old times
regularly count on what was known as the
the item in type on the standing galley and
simply change names and dates. You re-
| member how it used to run? Farmer, OF
| his son, or hired man stacking hay or straw
and then sliding down on the fork. It wat
sometimes haystack and sometimes hay.
fork when they slid down. That fat take
has gone with the others. and the dailies
are to blame"
1T seems sad.'s
1t Is sad. You know how we used to
make up the editorial page? We'd cut 9
leader from the Sun, Chicago Times, Gin.
cinnati Enquirer, or Buffalo Courier, and
lead her right out. simply saying as pre-
face: That able and well-conducted jou r
nal, the -, says I had to drop thai
style three years ago. The dailies began tc
kick, and my subscribers to find fault
Many time have sheared out four col
umns of editorial in less than ten minutes
and it makes my heart ache to realize thai
I can never, no never. do so any more. One
of the saddest changes, however, is the
last"
"What is that?'
Forcing us to drop the 'We' which was
so long the power behind the throne. You
can look back to when We called into
Browns grocery; when We took run into
J the country the other day; when We did
this and SO and the other thing, and were
the biggest man in town. All gone now
gone with the other perquisites and privi-
leges. Why, only last week, when chuckec
in three columns of dead ads to fill up or
. the fourth page, half dozen subscribers
came in and complained of a lack of read
ing matter! It's change-a great change
and I am afraid some Of us will die trying
to get used to it,