The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1893-06-08
THE COUNTRY EDITOR.


He's the salt OF the Earth aOu teHefAhy
Leads Hapes z.ife.
Somebody has asked if all things
he hears about the country editors
poverty and general woebegoneness
are true, says The Kansas City
Times. Here is the answer: No.
One Of the first men OF ali the land
is the editor who molds the opinion
Of the public round about the coun-
try town or village in which he lives.
He is no ordinary being. He is as
independent as a millionaire, and
joy enters his house twice or thrice
to every single time that disappoint-
ment comes. He is king among his
people. If his surroundings are low
ly, he is still the greatest man within
them. If his fellow citizens are
above the ordinary, he is better than
the average. His tablets well filed,
his home is. happy, his friends are
happy and his troubles few.
There is no rush in the life of the
country editor. Sometimes he gets
the idea in his head that business is
hurrying him and that a rest is
needed. He never considers the
matter twice. A trip is planned,
and as soon as the railroads send
along the passes, with copy of the
advertisements to be ms serted inde6-
nitely in payment, the editor and
his wife and all the little editors go
away. Back home at the Office the
foreman receives the subscriptions
and gets out the weekly paper and
sets type for job work just the same
as if the editor were at home. He
is used to that sort of thing, and he
knows that when he gets ready to
go away the editor will get passes
for him and his wages viii run on
while he is visiting about the couI-
try.
When the postoffice is vacant,
everybody mentions the editor as
possibility. Tickets for the circus
are laid on his table, together with
the two dozen eggs from good
farmer friend, a roll of butter "for
your wife, We know" and dozen
other things that come to the big
gest man in town. He is hailed by
everybody on the street as good
fellow. All are his friends. Books
come for review and never get it.
They all go to the EDITORS coy
home, where so many of the village
social affairs take place each winter,
when items are scarce and the paper
comes out filled with hints on how
to make preserves and jellies next
summer. That the merry time for
the editor of the country journal.
Nobody is more prominent than he
is in the local four hundred.
No; withdraw your opinion that
the country editor is man TO be
pitied. Never picture him in tat
tiers. Don't imagine that he spends
half of his time driving the wolf
from the door. He is a hustler
probably, and when a legal notice
is offered for publication he leaves
no stone unturned that will keep it
from going to another paper in the
same county. The country editor
never dies of apoplexy or brain fag.
His life is as near to the rose
colored hue as earthly lives get to
be. He travels the world over, gets
into politics and succeeds, has list
of recreations that would appall the
city man IN any line of business. and
most of his time is his own. He is
honest, charitable, sagacious. All
honor and respect to the country
editor. He can afford to be the
butt of merry Jest and iibe, but as
long as he can hire black man to
turn the handle of his press he can
afford to laugh back the public
smiles. He is great, this country
editor. No man could wish fer
happier lot than his.