The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-01-04
About News Items.

pes IS PROBABLY A4t 49, cft1ruoc Ot taC a.
teliigence Of the masses Eight weekly pa
pers in the county are competing for The
prize. eli worthy, or more THAI worthy. oi
the support they are recsiving. Now ths
speciality Of country newspaper must b
the local news, and for this they must gen
eraIiy rely upon their correspondents. There
should be At least hundred Of these, locat-
ed at points convenient for its gathering and
transmission. The service being gratuitous
il Is not expected that the language Of ths
items viii stand the test OF criticism Their
merit does not depend upon their grammar
but upon their truthfulness. completeness
and elezrness Of statement.
Tbs accourt Of an accident 10 John Smith
properly identifying that individual BY CIV
ing his sge, residence and occupation, with
the time, place and circumstances, the doc
tor in charge and the present condition OF
the patient, may answer every purpose Bat
if John should happen to die, it would no
be sufficient TO mention the time and placs
Of bis funeral, unless the writer could add
that be had helped him up the golden stairs
as a guaranty that John would not fail to
carry out bis part in the program. Those
acquainted With the man wonld expect an
account Of the time, place and cause of his
death, with his age and circumstances, the
nuuber, names and residences Of the mem
bers OF MS family, to begin with, including
q catalogue Of his virtues.
Except in regard to the big-hog and fish
stories, where the vouchers are never called
for, the editor may accept facts upon th'
credit Of his informants but due regard
for the character and appearance Of his pa
per will often make it necessary to correc
the grammar, as well as the spelling anc
punctuation Of contrib ltors. You may have
seen periods Of a dozen lines reciting differ
ent facts ali in a muiile The authors may
feel ALTERED TO see them in print bat the
blame will attach to the editor. Young
people should deem it a privilege to writ'
for a respectable paper, with the knowledge
that both the manner and the matter will b
subject 10 the censorship Of the press. Al
items in the city papers must undergo TIN
treatment. Generally speaking, the besi
service our friends can render IS 10 help u
correct our faults, and they are often glar
ing enough. Some think they can be witty
and only succeed in being silly. especial,
when they drop into the use of slang. L
would be well for them too to remembe
that they are not running the plpsr-to
stick to facts alone aud spare their cOm-
ments.
4 good newspaper IS a thing of beauty
aud Joy forever; but 10 make it such the
editor must be u man of brains and eIltnre
Last winter I had papers Of every grade, and
found that, while the leaders Of though
seemed TO own the best talent Of the coun
try, the other workers were generally infs
rior, many indeed below msiiocrity. def.
Gent both in training and scholarship. Fo
instance. how would you like daily grind
ofiiems ike these:
1. While the others seated themselve
around the tables and ate at their hearts
contents.
,. Ringgold, whose eyes were blown on
and otherwise hurt, is also on fair way Il
recovery.
8. Sixty days after such advertisement
has appeared you apply 10 your Justice o
the Peace to sell the animal.
l. It is a burning shame that these fel
lows are not meeted out with some punish
ment that they deserve.
5. Everybody expressed them selves as sim
ply delighted with the neat appearance
gentlemanly department and fine quality 0
the music 50 well rendered.
A sentence should contain some fac
clearly set forth, often coupled with snothe
standing in the relation Of cause or effect
It may also identify, describe or give som,
additional fact relating to the subject, 0
giyethe how, why, when or where of th'
leading fact therein. When the sentence
complete, unless it is in the form of ques
ton or exclamation, it must end with pc
Rod. The words used 10 connect OF intro
duce the members OF sentence, aided b.
the proper arrangement of these members
must indicate the train OF thought in th
mind Of the writer. To do this and at th'
same time avoid obscuriiy, .ong sentence
must be avoided. Let the writer still re
trench Tepetitions and all unnecessar1
words. The reader will thank him and th,
editor viii ike him all the better for it.
Examples by way ofillnstration
l. Immense throngs received Spurgeon'
remains at the tabernacle in London. EST
mated at 1900. { A badly arranged sent
ence. Immense and a phrase both de
scribe 'throngs," while another phrase ans
wers the question Chefe Read "immens
thr5ngs, estimated, &s.')
,. While at Rics's be fell and sprained
his finger. It causes him much pain. Tive
short sentences representing cause and ei
feet c mbine and read which causes.'')
3. July was cold and frosty, ice formed a
thick as window-panes. Short sentence
without a connective. Aaf does not expires
the relation Of cause and effect. Read ~Ju
Is being cold and frosty or so that ice
formed.'')
l. This seems to have been more than
they had calculated on. Il IS evident that
they wanted an acqlittal. The fac. aud
the reason, lacking the connective. Com.
biae 70 read ''for it is EVIDENT
.. He was mt content to do his own
cooking aad house work. So one day hs
determined to get himself a wife. Tive
sentences, the second introduced By a con.
nscdve. Combine by changing the period
between 70 a c)mms.l
ReduOs these 10 the form Of single senten-
ces:
/. Oar boys deserve much credit for th'
manner in which they furnish music OF
short notice. oeganizs oae day and giE'
excellent masic the next
p The firm employs from twelve 10 six
teen mea, ali married. The enterprise woulC
thus add about one hundred TO tae popala
ion.
3. Up to the present Gold Hin has been
a poor mans camp. Capital has only just
become interested there.
:. The cause Of the explosion is 10,
known The boilers were officially inspect,
ed tgo weeks ago.
5. He knows good thing when be see:
it. Something that great many people in
this world do not
Speaking ofretrsnchment, have an ex-
Peiisnt by which great deal of printers
ink can be saved. Let me show you how il
w1rks No.e, the words to be retrenched
VIII be found in pa-enthesis
/. A newspaper Of sufi sent (generaD ex
ceiieace 10 build up Large circulation Ton
the strength ofils merits is "a paper which
thel peoDle resi as a DIeasure and dntv