The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-10-12
THE COUNTRY EDITOR.


r,oa TIE N G. P!cayune'l
scientists ana students Of natura
,.,,,.r have negiigentIy failed t.!
classify the country editor As he prop
.,u shou,d be. A close inspection OF
.,,;ts and characteristics conyin-
ma that there are only three well
aosn.d glasses OF such editors extant
M, arst class are those who have jus
hsrun the profession. apd are striving
.nsr reputation and reu'vn. The
s.,ona elias, are endeayoring TO wiz
s,.hv ,ucre from their profession and
n. third class are those who. havinf
f.,led in the other two. are trying H.
Lsen themselves from starvation ant
~,.t My investigatin1 into these
.hr.. classes has provided me witt
.a.y interesting facts. apent near
Ira year studying the arst tvo ciasse
"a also secured some valuable and
<terest,ng data regarding the latte'
named class. Those who edit countr,
n.pers for the honor Of the thing, |
must confess, are, OF all misled peop'tl
on earth, the most misied, and perhap
the most foolish. The.country editor
who has for the first time assumed the
editorial chair and manipulated the
editorial pen little dreams of 50 low a
thing as money from his work. H~
writes his first editorial. reads II aloud
to himself, and smiles sirenly. saying
within his heart: "rhis will attract
the attention OF verybody in the state
will be widely copied, and may finally
result in securing me . position on tn.
editorial staff of some large daily"
After the first copy Of the paper has
been issued, the countrS editor feels
that every man he meets 40 he walks
the streets is remarkiug to himself !:
'Ah! there goes the new edit0ri That
young fellow is destined TO win his
mark in the tosrnalistic world" Al
he goes among the peopfa Of the towr
he can imagine them saying on ever.
hand: wasn't that editori n of that
new editor a corker? He win MAX,
his mark in the world - The countr,
editor will live aader delusions simila.
to these for several months. perhaps . 1
year. I have known them 10 live
ander these decisions Tor even two
years. ifie kas say aense st all.
however. II will sooa dawn upon him
ha' the public eays no more atten tisn
to hts writing than to the barking ofa
summer dog. Many OF this class OF
country editors think their forte lies
IN humoroua writing Indeed It is
safe To say that two-thirds Of them
believe firmly tkey are destined to be |
come second Mark Twaius or Artemus
Wards AS time gees On apace. how
ever, they come TO the conclusion that |
their literary effoets are not meeting i
with the proper rcwasd and recog-t
nition not being attained from either
the state press Or the citv press, they
forthwith suddenly essaye tatc the
second class have named, the money /
naEin editor. With this new idea
IN irelv sbsortisg kis 9ind. he pays
Ie attention to tie literary tone o
rs paper, quite writing long -winded
editorials. poetry and other nonsense.
sod gives his attcatlon to solicitiny
and putting nerchants
with the hope II seward. In nine
;ases out OF tea he 6Ads the merchs ants
u his town not prone to advertise. H.
stold the paper has no eircnlatiou,
md money thus invested. would b.
hro~n away. Then the country edi
or begins lying. My Investigations
hto his character assures me that not
Until this period OF bis ii,e is reached
Toes he begin to lie about his circula
''"n. have known country edi,ors.
h'' while they were writing poetry.
nnny articles and editorials, never
old lie, yet as soon as they went 10
diting the advertising columns Of IN.
"peT became the most atrocious liars
n earth. I have actually seen th
'rfn!ation Of cooutry paper spring
rom zoo copies per week to 1000. ell ,
course of fortnight. Not only
ors the cosntry editor in this, the
'rond stage of his evolution, liz
rAieht from the shoulder about bis +
'en atiun. bat be win swear to i.. I'd
--Aa "a, ssit chat he has s.crai 1