The record-union., 1896-04-23
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXPRESSIONS OF INTERIOR CALI
FORNIA NEWSPAPERS.
Comments Upon Things Local, Gov
ernmental, Practical, Theoret-
ical and Current.

Oroville Register: Two years hence
the people of this State ought TO cele-
brate in a fitting manner the HItielh
anniversary of the discovery OF soiu.
That celebration ought to be lesson
to visitors Let the OLD time mining
indictments the picks, pans, shoVelS,
rockers, long toms, ETC., De coliecteo
and shown to the pupllc. Let the
newer and present methods or mining
be shown along side OF the olo Time
implements and have the ceiepratloh
of such a. character that many his
torical matters pertaining 10 nIty years
ago will be brought out before the pub
lie.
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT.
Los Angeles Times: That the United
States is a long way behind the leading
countries of the Old World in the mat
ter of good roads is a fact that is
patent to every intelligent traveller
abroad. but it is gratifying to note
that there is a movement through the
country at large to better our condi-
ton in this respect and to secure more
thoroughly improved highways.
Very decided action has of late been
taken by the State of Wisconsin look
as would give her an advanced position
among the States in the matter of her
highways Public sentiment in this
regard is rapidly crystalliZing and is
resorting to aggressive measures in
order to secure action. This movement
is not left to individual or municipal
action alone but is taking the form of
State organization, the better to ac-
complish what the people desire.
We might with a little united
and determined effort soon have as
good roads here in California as are
found anywhere in England and
France There is no one need here in
California that is more pronounced
than this, and some action should be
taken to answer that need. The bicycle
will be one of the greatest boonS of
modern invention if it is the means of
arousing public sentiment upon this
important subject sufficiently to stir
the public mind to action. 1t would
be of inestimable value to California if
this could be done.
''HOPELESS ROT"
Santa Cruz Penny Press: There isn't
a paper in San Francisco which does
not print columns of hopeless rot. They
must do it to fill the space. This rot in
terests no man. Compared to reading
it, the man who idly twirls his toes en-
joys an unwholesomely rich intellectual
feast. No one does read it except the
poor devil of a proof-reader, who
swamps his soul in gloom at so much
per night. The managing editor knows
the stuff won't be read. But there are
twenty pages to fill. And the expedi-
ent of reducing the twenty pages to ten
and hurting the rot at the rot-writer is
not to be mentioned. Will not the hated
contemporary have twenty pages? And
shall we be left in the matter of bulk?
God forbid,
The mistaken policy of the metropoli-
tan papers has had a~bad effect on the
country papers. In order to have an
eight or nine-column folio the rural
journal is padded with patent medicine
advertisements, stereotype-pla mat
ter and stale news clipped from the big
sinners against brevity. The result is
paper through which a man gropes with
anguish and profanity in the faint hope
that he may grab a bit of news or
sentence or two of original thought.
The whole scheme of big paper making
is damnably atrocious insult to COM
mon sense, and the proprietors who
break away from it are the ones who
reap profit and whose papers become
force The day of the little paper has
been a long time coming, but its dawn
is red right now.
SOME GOOD ADVICE.
Berkeley Gazette: W. Melick of the
Lancaster Gazette" in a short address
before the California Press Association
at it's meeting held in Sacramento on
Tuesday evening last, made some re-
marks that struck us as about as true
as anything we have heard for a long
time He thought that the
editors of the State should urge upon
the people of California to preserve
these old Missions, as in the no distant
future people would travel thousands
of miles to visit them. Again in Flor
ida when visitor picks up a newspa-
per published in that State, he does not
find it filled up with abuse of the rail-
road companies (who charge just as
much. if not more than ours do), so that
the visitor thinks he is in a land of rob-
Aers, and that to live in Florida, or to
even visit it, means that the railroad
companies will stand you up. On the
contrary, the Florida newspapers are
filled with the news of the day, and with
praise for their State and with induce
ments for homeseekers, consequently
tourists find Florida pleasant place to
visit and spend their money.
There is too much truth in Mr. Me-
Hck's statement, and the sooner the
California papers stop filling their col
umns with abuse of the railroad COM
panies show up the industries and
the possibilities of the State, the sooner
will California increase in population.
LOOK UP.
Tulare Register: One thing the lesson
OF this year will teach us: To diversity
our industry, to grow more than one
thing for market, so that if something
1ail something else will hit; to plant as
much alfalfa as possible. make as much