The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1898-11-30
AS TO LITERATURE.

AS TO LITERATURE.
People who read the papers occa-
sionally, get some queer ideas into
their heads about editors. a great
many believe that when a publisher
gets out his edition lie hangs around
and reads his exchanges until press
day. When they say that Il man is
having a soft, easy time Of it, they
compare him to the editor. There is
Il general impression soughing around
over an extended area Of country that
a newspaper man simply winds him
self like a music box and produces
chunks Of mental pabulum like Il hay
balcr; that the devil Of the office does
all the work and the editor just sits
around for the purpose Of going to-
free shows and taking an occasional
ride on the cars.
This is a grave error. We do not
claim to be as literary as some, but
we have followed the business long
enough to know that there are Il
whole lot Of people engaged in har-
rowing the soil in this country who
are making more STRAND more money.
An editors life is about as full OF
yonr and tnnrrcr - In1 ,,rri or.,. ,.b;1 Ia
the editor cannot rise to such heights.
The editor is generally expected to
pay his bills in cash and do his Job
work in trade. People who owe him
for his paper generally conclude that
when they get more money than they
know what to DO with they will pay
him and il he never gets paid it will
not make much difference, as he has
The county printing.
The county printing. to hear most
people whisper in awe about it. IS the
greatest and grandcst lille ultimate
snap that can be bestowed on man.
1t yields money like Il fresh COW lets
down milk, and nothing is ever given
in'rcturn for it. Tie men who set
up the delinquent tax list work for
the fun Of being called printers: Office
rent is given free for the benefits
That accrue to the owner by having Il
print shop in his building: light and
fuel arc likewise free and the blank
paper stock necessary is composed of
scraps that cannot be used for any
other purpose. The publisher with
the county printing simply Tolls or
rolls in wealth. Every cent he gets,
like the county officer, he puts in the
bank. Did you ever hear men talk
ing about the amount OF money a
county officer has drawn during his
term Of office? Invariably they will
credit him with having saltcd down
every cent Of his salary. 1t haSn't +
cost him Il cent to live since the
people elected him to Office. It's just
the same with the county printer:
the sum total nc receives from the
county, is all protit--to hear some
people tell it.
Then there is the matter Of rail
road riding. Popular opinion be-
lievcs that an editor is subsidized by
every railroad corporation in the
country. Just why the Baltimore
& Ohio needs to bribc the Cross
Roads Rushlight out in Montana is Il
matter entitled to reasoning: but it
gets none. The appearance Of the
b. & O. ad. IN the Rushliylt leads to
but one cunclusion-thc editor has
been bribed to say a good word for
the road. The newspaper men, rs Il
general rule, pay a great deal more
for the little travelling they do than
any other class of people. But peo-
| pie do not believe it.
Shows, too, are Il snap for the
newspaper man. 1t is hard to make
people believe that an cntcrprj,iny
Snowman is as anxious to have a
newspaper man attend his perform
aucc as the aforesaid newspaper man
is to go. In local shows the per-
formers are more anXiuuS to have a
writc-up Of their performance, but
usually they regard it rs a onc.sidcd
matter. in which the newspaper man
gets all he pays for and enough more
to warrant a column writc-up lauda-
! tory Of everyone connected with the
| performance.
i y man once wrote us on postal
card asking Us to copy two pages of
the Montana statutes regarding the
law governing doctors, to publish tho
two columns it made and then baitcd
the golden hook with the intinlatior
that he thought seriously of signing
for our paper. We tearfully wrote
him that while we were overpowerc(