Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-11-18
IF NEWSPAPERS STOPPED.
Result Would BE If the Eyes of the
World Were Put Out.


Europe. while not exclusive to the up
per and middle classes, is sufficiently
so to be generality. The poorer
classes of newspaper readers either
borrow the paper or buy it because
they they cannot get the racing re-
suits elsewhere.
Buying and reading newspaper in
Europe are a serious business, naural-
ly SO when the European style of
paper is considered. Sometimes there
is an item in it.; oftener only speeches.
Americans abroad miss their daily
paper more than they do their pie, or,
in case of Pittsburgers, their tobies
OF course every one knows that the
apothesis of the press has been
reached in America mainly because
this is free country. Still, what sort
of life would this be if all the print
ing presses were suddenly to slip q
cog between days and staid slipped?
The man of the house arises in the
morning, unlocks the front door, stoops
to pick up the paper, fails to find it,
mutters hasty objurgation, steps out
on the porch, cranes his neck over all
sides, looks in the next lot, swears
surprisedly, glances next door, ex-
presses a fervent hope for the eternal
future of his neighbors and goes into
the house with a slam that wakes
three blocks. The breakfast tastes
oddly, the coffee has an unwonted
twang, the clock is slow and every
thing is out of gear. On the way to
town he finds all the other passengers
equally grouchy. The car seems
strangely quiet without the customary
rustic of the morning papers and the
chatter OF comment upon the days
news. The weather eXhausts the con-
versational topic until some one Won
ders what has become OF all the
papers. Meanwhile the lady of the
house, remembering that this is bar
gain day, vainly seeks the paper for
news of the sale and the costumes
worn by the Brown Whites at the
Smith-Jones wedding.
AS the weeks and months drag
along without resumption Of the
presses, instead of softening the daily
disappointment becomes more acute.
News travels tortuously. One man
hears that Bryan and Hanna met in a
Chicago hotel and pummeled the life
out OF each other. A later version
states that they merely waved hands
as their cars passed. Other rumors
have Sampson apologlzing TO Schley,
the Beers besieging London, the Sui
tan paying his debts, the Pirates win
ming the pennant, the steel strike set
tied, a Chicago university professor
talking sense and other equally as
founding occurrences.
The big stores are at their wits ends
to get news of the bargains to the Gus
toners, and the women are bargain
hungry, with no knowledge of the
hour the dinner bell will ring. They
go to town tomorrow an. find the sale
was yesterday. They don't know
style, whether the pulley belt has been
revived or the kangaroo has gone out
of date. Each is a fashion plate unto
herself. They are frantic half the
time because the woman two doors be-
low bought something at a special sale
for $3.50 that they paid $3.9S for an
hour later. .-sas--'s- -
AS election time rolls around the
candidates are scarcer than in the
memory OF the Oldest inhabitant.
Every man mentioned, except a few
who had their regulations made by
the newspapers before suspension, is
unknown to the vast majority OF the
voters. Congressman, representa-
tives and councilmen, even governors.
cabinet ministers, mayors and the
presidential candidates, can no longer
be judge upon their record, because
there is no record. Politicians who
hive spent half their public career
publicly cursing the press and the
other half privately trying TO sneak in
n free puff find themselves greeted
with blank ignorance OF their doings,
sayings and general Importance.
All manner of people who detested
newspaper notoriety find life without
it spiritless and dead. Confidence
games are reported ad libitum. Even
the gold brick man is reiuvenated out
eide Of politics. The peach crop, the
corn crop, the wheat crop and various
other crops fail with their usual regu-
larity, but whether true or not the
public never knows as it goes down
little deeper in its pocket to meet the
market. The nation does not know
whether it is world power or third
class township, and China is farther
away than Mars.
Through disuse people forget to read
and the schools are closed. The Car
, negie libraries are the resort of ascetic
students. Families sit around the fires
in the winter evenings or on the
porches in the summer and yawn and
yawn and yawn. Life is getting up in
the morning, working, eating and
drinking and going to bed again.
The world gropes with hcsitating
hands, for its eyes are out.-W. ". An
derson, in the Pittsbuig Dispa .ch.
Ancient Anatomy.
The statues and plaques, carved in
re