The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-21
SOLID SENSE
WITH SOME FUN.
The Joys and Sorrows Of n
Country Editor

NfA"~ ~ N+~ .A@~aN t+t1s'a&A NtA1t
sions in tie Press Convention ST
DarAam, was tue response Of Mr.. J.
p. Caldwell, editor Of The Landmark.
TO the toast which heads this article
in quotation marks.
He said: "Wlth reference TO the
joys which brighten the lie of the
rural journalist. there are certain po-
pular misapprehensions which | am
glad to bave this opportunity 10 cor
rect. To be able To '.JsI'' the print~
ers Saturday evening out OF weeks
wages, is oRe pecuila -ly his own, but
in the main bis joys are not different
from those of other men. To open
q letter which he feels in his bones
contains dun, and TO fnd a postal
note from q subscriber who is three
years IN arrears, awakens n sensation
which can be compared to nothing
except the stern JOY with whlch be
nails the appearance of a load OF
fuel brought in by wood subscriber
when the snow is falling and the
printers are setting type bF fire
made of bound volumes Of the Cons
gressional 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 rejoices in his
strength, SO does the country editor
in his influence. ], even l, have the
power Of control over men. Not
longer ago than last Saturday after
noon | attended q primary. There
were four men IN il who waited to
see how | voted and then they went
and voted the other way. | have 10
tire taken my public opinion mould
er from behind ny ear and adVocat-
ed tie claims of certain man to of.
flee and carried every township in
the county against him. In all the
range Of my acquaintance | do not
know Of but one other man who, ]
believe could beat this record. He
is a country editor, too. Ia ancient
Greece an Athenian general said the
victories of his rival would not per-
NIT him to sleep. | leave this branch
of my suffice: lest | arouse the jeal-
ously Of ny brethren.
And | must condense. There is
Joy in the heart Of the country editor
when after ;he church festival, the
ladies come around 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 read
his exchanges to him.
But as suggested by my snhiect,
and admitted at the outset, he has
his SORROWS. too. There are times
whep the grasshopper is burden.
ThL first cotton bloom and the first
cotton boil the egg with the crooked
neck and the man with the first
strawberry of the season, demand
elaborate notice the chickens with
four legs and q double back, and the
calf with three legs and an eye in
the top Of its head, clamor for re-
cognition. The advertising agent
who wants top Of column on the
local page with reading matter Oh
both sides and followed By reading,
and wants 1t at halfprice less 25 per
cent. bars the editors way to a
strictly religious life, The subscriber
sometime waits on him with a hick~
ory stick and the sheriff IS not al.
ways gracious.
Bot the bitterness Of these memOr'
les fade unler the influence Of Oar.
hams good cheer and in the COM
pany Of each other and Of Durham e
charming people"