Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-12-04
LAST WORDS
TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS AND BRETHREN
OF THE PRESS.
Termination of Long Editorial Career

With this issue of the SPECTATOR
will be concluded our long editorial
career, upon which we entered Oh
September list, 1849,-46 years and .
months ago-and which has continued
without intermission. with the ex-
ception of several years, to the
nresent time; and since May LIST, 1861
a period of 35 years and Z months--we
have been, continuously, the editor
and proprietor of the SPECTATOR.
During this long time, amidst all
vicissitudps of fortune-in war and IN
peace. in adversely and in prosperity,
in sunshine and in storm-we have not
ably. but honestly and earnestly, labor
ed in behalf of the rights, the liberties,
and the best interests of our people.
Half of our life has thus been spent
here, and ties have been formed which
it is very painful to sever. But the
time has arrived when this must needs
be done.
AS "OId Uncle Ned" had to "lay
down the shovel and the hoe"-the
implements OF his vocation-so we now
lay down those of our vocatlon-the
lead-penciI, the scissors. and the
mucilage brush-to take long-de-
sired and much-needed rest from the
many years of incessant, eXactlng
labor which our duties deyolved upon
us. and for which our remuneration
has been the impairment of vision and
the loss of fortune. We f1atter our
self, however, with the belief that we
haye-what we value more than for
tune-the esteem, respect, confidence,
and goodwill of the community in
which we have SO long Lived and
moved and had our being'-believing
that "a good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches,n which, as
our experience proves. ''taketh to them
selves wings and flee away"
We feel attached to those whose
names are on our subscription list, and
particularly to those whose names
have been there during the whole time
we have been editor of the SPECTATOR.
1t has been our wish and hope that
the publication of the SPECTATOR
would be continued by others, and
that it would be more acceptable to
it's readers in the future than in the
past.
We still hope that this will be the
case, and that it's publication will be
perpetuated; but if it must expire. we
could wish for it no better epitaph
than the words expressed by Capt.
Jas. Bumgardner, when, in addressing
recently a number of gentlemen, he
said
s"17he SPECTATOR has Meier ADVOCATED
an amazon thy cause; and has meUer adj.
Uocdted any cause from an U7laDorthg
NOTICE"
1t is our desire and purpose to have
the SPECTATOR. if published, sent to
those who have paid in advance; and,
if not published, to have another
paper sent to them for the time to
which they have paid, so that they
may lose nothing by the change.
We have sent the SPECTATOR to a
number of subscribers who have not
paid, and some for long time. We
have done this at our expense and
loss, believing themsto be honest, and
that they would pay when they could
or when the demand should be made
and we hope that none will fail by
their conduct to vindicate the good
opinion we have entertained of them.
We now respectfully, but most earnest
ly, request those in arrears either to
pay up the whole, or at least part in
cash, or to give their notes for the
amount of their accounts. This no
man who is honest and wishes to pay
his debts will decline to do do. Those
who settle by notes for the amounts
they owe us will be INDUCED. If any
refuse to pay or settle up by note, we
will be constrained, however reluctant
ly, to put their accounts into the hands
of officers for collection.
The tender ties that bind an editor
to his paper, and the reluctance he
feels in having them broken, may be
imagined, but cannot be described.
1t is akin to that of a parent for his
child, and the greater it's adversely,
the more intense is his attachment to
it. The more violently the storms of
adversely beat upon it, the more close
ly.it is clasped in the tendrils of his
affection. His attachment to the
paper he has conducted for many
years is like that of the Swiss for their
native land, of whom Goldsmith says
:'The loud torrent and the whir1wind's roar
But bind them to their native mountains
more"
We reluctantly sever the ties which
have bound us to our subscribers and
to our kind brethren of the Press,
with whom our relations have been OF
the most friendly character, and to