Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-18
THE OLD EDITOR.


frightful Johnstown disaster that the
old night editor began TO show signs Of
breaking down. He had held the one
position for 30 years or better and had
stood over an imposing stone when all
sorts and descriptions Of news was COM
ing in. None of il affected him. News
was news, and type was type, and the
news had to be put into type at GER
tain time, and the type had to go to
press at certain time-that was all
there was of IL.
When the story came from the battle
field of Antietam of the great loss of
life that both sides had suffered, the
night editor chief anxiety was that the
news should be properly displayed. IL
was the same Il l1onth before at the sec
ond Bull Run, and the same nearly II
year afterward at Gettysburg. The sur
render at Appomattox, the wonderful
disbandment of a great army, the assas-
sination of Lincoln, the tragic fate of
Wilkes Booth and all the events that
were crowding close together III the pc
Rod when the republic was passing
through the greatest crisis OF its history
found him calm and cool, ready and
alert to seize the salient feature of every
dispatch and anxious to get it before the
great reading public as quickly as pos
sible just this and no more.
1t was, therefore, with some misgiv-
observed the old man reading every
proof slip of the catastrophe in the Cone
maugh valley with feverish anxiety and
occasionally shaking his head and sigh
ing. The next night word came from
down stairs that the old editor was at
home with brain fever and mightn't be
back in the composing room for "A month.
They 'made up that night without
him and were 90 minutes late, besides
committing the objectionable sin of
leaving out 20 line ad.
The old man had been in printing
office SO long and so steadfastly that il
was part of his life. He was typical of
all good men i'll the place-good natured
and jovial from s to / / O'Clock, quieter
and more active from IL to 1915, and
from l2:45 to press time as nervous and
fidgety as hen with brood of duck
lings He hadn't saved much money
just a tritie for rainy day--and, as he
laughingly observed, he needed an UNI
brella about once week. He had buried
two children-a girl and "A boy. The boy
fell at the battle of the Wilderness, and
his father saw the name in type one
night as he leaned over the forms.
When the foreman went up the next
afternoon, he found the old editor in
delirium. At the bedside, gently fan
ming him, sat his dear old wife.
docs he seem any better" was the
whispered inquiry. 1.-THE boys miss
him, tell you. "
Il very much fear he is not, was
the quiet, resigned reply. His MIND is
on the paper all the time. He has not
spoken of anything else since the doctor
was here an hour ago. He seems to
think There now, father, it's all right
yes. yes, we will do as you wish. -
The sick man had interrupted the first
part of the remark. He was resting OH
his elbow as his wife spoke.
Never mind that, joe" he half
muttered Then, raising his voice TO a
decisive tone: Get that galley. I'll
railroad ii now. That's the dirtiest
proof / ever saw in this Office. Dump it
in here. We've only eight minutes to
get this form down. Who's setting that
Johnstown head!"
He's thinking Of hard week we had
in the office the time Of the Johnstown
flood" whispered the foreman as he
gazed sorrowfully on the flushed face
and the feverishly bright eyes. There
was a moments pause. and the old man
cried out again:
Joe, Joe, what's the matter with
you? Is the office full of subs tonight?
Chase up K6, will you? never saw any
thing like it since the snakes were driven
out of Ireland. Here you are, standing
around like lot of Stoughton bottles,
and can't get that hole filled to save
my neck. What? | don't care if you re
five columns overset. Get that plea cap
line changed to cap and lower case and
let's get this form away. Only two min
utes-only two minutes, Joe. 4"
The old editor fell back OH the bed
exhausted
He is all broken down." said the
faithful partner of his joys and SORROWS
as the tears coursed down her cheeks,
land the doctor gave me no hope at all.
He said it was question Of few
hours, and
The patient was on his elbow again.
rs that you, mother?" he asked fee
bly,. "Oughtn't ! to be getting up?"
The lucid moment was gone like a
flash.
The fever began to talk, but the un-
natural strength it lent was gone. The
breathing was labored, and the words
were uttered at long intervals
Tell EN- to send that second page
back, Billy, whispered the dying man.
"Pl make il over instead of the
sixth. Tell 'em they will get this last
form in ten seconds. Keep your shirt
on, boys--keep your shirt on. "
The breath became more stertorious.
All right, Joe? No. Put thicker
quad in there. Now she II go, Joe. Hol
Ter down there, Joe-this is the last y
The foreman drew the sheet over the