The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1890-07-24
joys and Sorrows of the Country Editor.

Response by ]. P. Caldwell. Editor of tn
StatcsVille landmark.
You know the lecturer who had 70
his subject. Snakes in Ireland ex
hausted it in the six words: There ar,
no snakes in Ireland" 1t is not given t,
me to escape so lightly, for though ther'
be no snakes in Ireland there be joys anc
sorrow in the cup editorial in Iredell.
The assignment to me of the subiec
in hand, l take to be a compliment to my
capacity for condensation. for to be sure
the oil in the cruise would run out Will
the patience of my hearers should I I'm.
dertake TO tell all that | and my fellow.
bendsmen know of The Joys and Sor-
rows Of the Country Editor" especially
the latter; and moreover, what is now
comedy might become tragedy, as in the
case of the Roman Emperor who dwelt
with such power upon the sorrows OF
life that many of his hearers went out
and destroyed themselves.
With reference to the joys which
brighten the life Of the rural journalist,
there are certain popular misapprehen.
siOns which | am glad to have this op-
p~ortunity to correct. To be able to Jeff
the printers Saturday evening u of a
weeks wages, is n peculiarly his own,
but in the main his joys are not different
from those of other men. To open a letter
which he feels in his bones contains a
dun, and to find a postal note from a
subscriber who is three years in arrears,
aWakens a sensation which can be COM
pared to nothing except the stern joy
with which he halls the appearance of a
load of fuel brought in by a wood sub
scriber when the snow is falling and the
printers are setting type by a fire made
Of bound volumes of the Congressional
Record. Yet other men have found
agreeable surprises in the mail and
others have been cold Though not this
summer and have been warmed again.
AS the strong man r~ejoices in his
strength, so does the country editor in
his influence. |, even |, have the power
Of control over men. No longer ago
thar last Saturday afternoon | attended
a primary. There were four men in it
who waited to see how | voted and then
they went and voted the other,Way. 1haYe
in time taken my public opinion moul-
derfrOm behind my ear and advOCatedthe
claims of a certain mar to office and
every township in the county
against him. In all the range of my &C
quaintance | do not know of but one
other man who, | believe could beat this
record. He is a country editor, too. In
ancient Greece an Athenian general said
the victories of his rival would not per-
nit him to sleep. | leave this branch Of
my subject lest l arouse the jealousy of
my brethren.
And | must condense. There is JOY in
the heart of the country editor when, af-
ter the church festival, the ladies come
and ask for his bill; when the
commencement season is over; when he
IS told Of the death Of the man who comes
up and reads his exchanges to him.
But as suggested by my subject, and
at the outset, he has his .sOr-
rows, too. There are times when the
5rasshopper is a burden. The first cot
bloom and the first cotton boil, the
egg with the crooked neck and the man
with the first strawberry of the season,
elaborate notice; the chickens
with four legs and a double back, and the
calf with three legs and an eye in the top
IF its head, clamor for recognition. The
agent who wants top of col
ann on the local page, with reading mat
er on both sides and followed by reading,
md wants it at half-price less % per cent.
oars the editors way to a strictly relig-
GUS life. The subscriber sometimes waits
IN him with a hickory stick and the sher-
fl is not always gracious.
But the bitterness Of these memories
'ade under the influence of Durham's
rood cheer and in the company of each
,ther and Of Durham's charming people.
Now gravely, my country brethren, |
ldmonish you to magnify your joys and
minimize your sorrows, and to realize the
of your calling. You lIavea mis-
ion peculiarly your w and minister to
people who weigh your words. There
vas never a time when your responsible
les to society were greater or when it was
more necessary for Us to be steadfast, i'm
Movable. At this period when, as it
would seem, a social revolution is upon
IS, when prejudice is about being en-
hroned in the seat of reason, | commend
o you the words of Seneca's pilot: 40
Neptune! you may save me if you will
.ou may sink me if you will; but what
ver happen, | shall keepmY rudder true"
-aIuabIe Real Estate For Sale.
One farm, $40 acres.
One farm, 200 acres.
One farm, 80 acres.
One farm, 10J acres.
a. - IN