The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-01-24
EDITORIAL COLUMN
The County Paper and the
Farm.

The County Paper and the
Farm.
Editor Caswell read an excellent
paper on this topic before the farmers
institute. AS usual we agree with
Brother Caswell. The county paper
tries to be reflex of the life of its con-
stituency and to supply its wants. In
both of these it often fails, sometimes
through the fault of the editor and
sometimes through the fault of it's
readers. The people wish to be in
structed, but above all they wished to
be entertained. Affording entertain
ment may not be the highest ideal of
journalism but it is in reality the most
essential to the success OF the paper.
The entertainment can be afforded in
legitimate or Legitimate ways. By
pampering to sensational tastes, by
making the most of crimes and ssspicy"
stories the newspaper can be of great
injury to any community. The REVIEW
tries to be helpful to its readers in the
following ways: First, by giving the
news of our county and local govern
pent, for instance this paper went to
considerable trouble in its last issue to
inform its readers as to the amount Of
taxes for 1893 and into what funds
these amounts WENT Secondly, by our
correspondence we try to give some ac-
count of the home and social life of
our people, their comings and goings,
their literary societies, their improve
ments, their mishaps, and the great
life register of births, marriages and
deaths. Our farm life is SO isolated
that these records OF what is going on
about us are not only interesting from
what might be called s'gossipy''
standpoint. but are Of real value. The
REVIEW also gives the latest possible
market reports not only of Denlson but
of Chicago and New York. The intel
ligelit and observing farmer can gain
1 much from these reports which are
quite accurate and up-to-date.
We are firm believers in the useful
ness of good fiction. A wholesome
I story, well written, serves in pleasant
way to carry the mind away from the
every day scenes, to tell of other lands
and other lives, to show that human
hearts and human passions are the
same the world over, and to impart, al
most without our knowing it thousands
of items of information which broaden
and enliven the intellect The short
and serial stories will always be fea
ture of the REVIEW.
In the matter of general news the
REVIEW strives to keep it's readers in.
formed as to all that goes on in the
world outside and this just as quickly
as possible. This is the reason we ex
pended SO much for telegraph tolls dur
ing the war and this is why we aband
oned the slow-freight ready print fol
The far superior but more expensive
service given by us today.
And now comes department in
which the REVIEW is lacking and tina,
lis a department dealing with strictly
farm topics. In the days when Tams
Jim Wilson edited farm department
the REVIEW was one of his earliest anG
most steadfast patrons, since his cal
to the cabinet we say frankly that VIZ
have found no one who can take hi.
place. The man who combines thu
practical sense together with the liter
airy ability is hard to find and no on,
county paper can afford to pay for hi
services. We have looked with anxious
eye over the syndicate agriculture
matter sent out by plate and read,
print houses, but they always remint
us of the menus for 'An Inexpensiv,
Family Dinner" which begin will
Mock Turtle Soup, oysters on the hall
shell, have fricassee OF chicken for til,
'spiece de resistance" and wind up will
water cress salad and New York ic,
cream. We do not care to publish sucl
matter. 1t would not be of value to any
farmer, and this brings us back to ;
prior statement that the lack of useful
ness of the county paper is partially