The Portland daily press., 1896-01-10

Dali! The fact Is there is nothing which
one really masters, although it may seem
to his next door neigbbor around the
corner rather trivial, that is not useful
after all. 1t is having all this accurate
Information at your fingers, if lot at
your tongues end, which renders all the
help and equipments 10 useful and in
dispensable.
But there is an equipment back of the
equipment. The lights may be brilliant
put they would go out were 1t not for the
force of the water at the dam, miles
away, turning the ponderous wheels
which generate the electric flash. The
sanctum may have it's equipment in
books, files, type writer's, indices, pigeon
hole information and all that, but back
OF these are the trained writers, the I'M
Wearying, plodding men who, like the
mighty how, OF the water, keep the light
SHINING, and supply the glow OF 1ntelil-
gence Information, news, opinion and
TACT Which go TO enrich the columns of
The up-to-date daily newspaper.
The well equipped sanctum makes the
we'll equipped editors, who make news
papers that are bright, readable, enter
tanning and instructive. There is not a
single daily issue which may not he
brighter, more readable, have greater in
huenoe, be more welcome to it's subscrib-
ers from having been put together by
workers, who have had the best tools with
which to work, that will not in the end
BRING greater profit to its publishers.
How much needed date, a fact, an apt
quotation, an appropriate extract from
some grant politician or statesman or
scientist adds to, strengthens, polishes
and improves the hasJy work of the edi-
torlal sanctuID. 1t is the sanctum which
holds all these aids, made use of by ex-
perienced men in editorial andssreportorial
positions, that is the power behind the
power that takes equal if not superior
rank With the best mechanical equipment
which science has devised, as factor in
successful journalism.
At bost our work is sephemeral and
heeting-done for the day or the hour.
The pathetic cry of Rip Van sWinkle-as
many have heard it from the magic lips
of Jefferson-HO. my God and is it so
soon we ale forgotten might well sob
itself from the heart of may o newspaper
worker, could he stand in the old familiar
sanctum for far fewer than twenty years
after his work was done. But we have
this opportunity Being so ephemeral
and so quickly forgotten, our daily aim
should be to do true and honest work,
that i may influence to good and noble
service for the little day in which infiu
ence lasts.
The poeIu, by frank H. Colley of Bel
fast was in the vernaoular and was an
admirable story in correct and pleasing
verse of the success in journalism of a
very interesting person by the name of
'Lige Dobson y The delivery Of the
poem was as admirable as decomposition,
and both called forth not only applause,
but many comments of approval. Its
length prevents our publication of it and
its nature would make the printing of
any short portion of it very inadequate.
THE PATRIA RCHS.
The original mem bers who helped form
the association, thirty-three years ago.
and who were present at this meeting
were Col. John M. Adams, Marshall N.
Rich, Hon. Ellphalet Rowell of Hallowell,
Hiram K. Morrill, of Gardiner and the
venerable Brown Thurston of this city,
the Oldest of all in point of age.
After the literary exercises in the after
noon President Rowell referred to these
pillars of the association in very ap-
propriate matter and expressed the wish
that the company might hear from them
one and all of them.
Hon. Eliphalet Rowell, father of the
president, was the first to respond. He
referred to the time thirty three years ago
in this city, when the country was in
peril, when this association was formed,
He spoke at some length of the great
Development of journalism in Maine since
that times. He said that the benefit de-
rived from the social relations during all
these years could not be estimated In re-
gard to the annual excursion he declared
that they had made ali the members
better and happier. besides affording trips
to distant points thar would not other
wise be obtained. AS for the statement
sometimes made that they go off on
junketlng trips, he declared that the
editors owed the railroads and hotels
nothing and that obligations were
N utual.
Marshall N. Rich spoke of the forma-
tion of the association as the result of an
effort to do missionary work among
editors and to introduce religions
sentiment among them, SO thew
wouldn't out each others threats so often
The result had been very satisfactory.
He remembered at one of the first meet
ings that somebody said that on meeting
Col. Adams of the Argus they had found
him a most genial gentleman, but had
supposed from his paper that he must be
a regular fighter. (Laughter.) Mr.. Rich
urged the Importance of the newspapers,
to advocate the preserva
tion of the historical relics of the state.
not only for our own satisfaction but as
an attraction to visitors.
President George S. Rowen said that
it might not be generally known that he
came very near being one of the original
members, though SO extremely young.
At that time he was publishing the
Hallowen Register, and his father was in
the war. He had made arrangements to
come to Portland to attend the first meet
ing, but his father came home at about
that time and represented the paper in
Portland himself
ii. K. Morrill,, Esq, of Gardiner, spoke
in humorous reminiscent way end de-
clared that nowhere does man get lust
what belongs to him and no more, SO
certainly as in this as ISOLATION. Its effect