The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-25
THE COUNTRY NEWSPAPER.
ybe Mechanical Department at the
NeMa md .Inh OfMcr.

News aud job ofHcr.
DALLAS Texas. MAY 20.-4The following
interesting paper bv Frank Vernon Of the
cisco Round Tn was read before the Texas
Press associations
In the annual ASSIGNMENT of papers each
member who NAV consider himself so for
tunate or unfortunate or his listeners so
fortunate or unfortunate. as the case may
he. with the duty. task or pleasure, or in
whatever other light he may view its ac-
complainant and rendition. naturally
feels the weight Of n responsibility; feels
after thinking over the subject bit that
he has the ail-important one OF the ocea-
sion, which Is emiuently proper for two
reasons; Appearing worthy it enlists his
best thought and produces all he knows
upon the subject or even more. in which
case. his hearers being equally or more
eminently posted, may be depended upon
TO reject that which rs unreasonable sec
ondly. II shows that the special depart
ment IN question OF the business, gonerai,
has received at some period the writer IS
close personal attention, were II othef-
wise 1t Is presumed he would not nave
accepted the opportunity ana 1t appears
TO be an imperative necessity that me
country publisher. Of whom we are
which" and to whom this paper IS aiiec-
llonately dedicated. should Know peraon-
ally all tho departments which his calling
uulizes. therefore ii Is deemed advisable
that the publisher OF country weekly
should at some period have studied IN a
practical manner, every feature OF every
department, OF his business, from selecting
miscellany, writing editorials collecting
Q ,,.I a. r. %
,7aneral news and enlargement of the
county news to setting up straight matter,
soliciting and If need be writing adyer-
tisements getting and displaying thcm
reading and correcting proof, making w
the forms lustlfyiug press work ard feed
ing, folding and mailing, making Il spe-
cialty Of each different class OF work. sur
fciept at least that he may, II he does
not actually do The work throughout the
DAYS of his career know when 10 ts done
/ and done we'll: for II more often happens
when he does not personally perform eacf
and all OF these several duties week after
week that he is al any rate his own Tore
i man And then. too 10 never comes amiss
! especially In the purchasing OF stock an'
! the replenishine OF the needed ionts tol
the proprietor to know Of his own knoWl
edge that which is best and not by tn
knowledge of his foreman. / have hear'
a country publisher. proprietor editor o
whatever correct form would choose e
call him make his boast that he "knev
nothing whatever OF the mechanical de
partment OF his paper did not even know
che letter from another, In fact. III
most illlterate reader could easily surmis
as much, otherwise he would have mad
a change in his nrlnter-he did not spor
foreman Neither was he member O
the Texas Press association.
While this paper would not place an
one department of the country newspape
over another IN point OF Importance, sine
by reason OF having been especially az
, signed one OF those departments ye
throw heads and tails with the lot, an
|, the mechanical department VIII turn u
j head seven out OF eleven, Il not even mo-
frequent for the reporter. the editor IN
adsmith be they distinct individuals OF
! one person. may work til daylight OF
ana daylight's in. NAV Gull the communli
for every item OF interest may treat "
times with the brightest editorials an
write the most catchy ads. yet II the M
chanical rendition OF the same Is not whi
lit reasonably should be the entire edlLle
looks as dun as lead and the labors
/ the week fall fat settle down Ike W
Z blanket upon long suffering public NO
2 especially is this rule true In handlii
4 ads. and most assuredly is II In the eN
: cution OF job prlnting-and but few eoul
. try newspaper offices are there which
=. not attempt their share OF the JOB wor
Y in fact in too many cases would their su
/. cess be impossible without this adjunct.
sd When YOU md merchant VINO g
y write q good ad, or when you write al