The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-10-17
COUNTRY EDITORS.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THEIR CALLING
FURNISHED FROM EXPERIENCE
he Is Usually Man of High Resolves,
Progressive Spirit and Patriotic
Purpose, Whose Time and Energies
are Given to the Welfare of the Com.
munttv In Which He Lives and the
Betterment of His Fellow Tar,
w. l.. Thorndyke, Loveland (Colorado)
Reporter.

= will sufficient to move mountains.
and he has more plans and schemes
which are a-bornin' than has the
average politician. Heaven only
knows how many that is! You have
all read Mark Twain. Well, did you
ever for a moment think what a typi-
fication OF Colonel Sellers the average
country editor is? He can comfort
ably warm himself by the candle of
hope burning within the stove of ex-
pectation, and l have known some
editors to consoct more wild plans for
the coming Of cash than Colonel Sell
lers ever dreamed OF. Yet. after all.
the ma jority Of them are pretty
decent sort OF fellows. as the world
goes, seldom losing a chance Of say
ing \ kind word for real friend or
violently "cussing" an emphatic
enemy.
You may cajole the country editor
if you will. persuade him if you must
or buy him il you can, but do not try
to threaten him or defy him, for you
cannot make \ SUCCESS of the Job
You might as well expect that the
State could get back Billy Griffith's
great graft of interest as TO expect
to make simple bluff stick on the
country editor. When he puts forth
some peculiar plan for the bstterment
OF mankind, the country editor often
wonders why the entire world does
not grasp the idea with the a>iIity Of
= hungry man tackle banquet. Aud
when he finally learns that he i, en-
phatically squelched does he repine
and mourn? Not much He lets 90
gracefully and very softly and then
tackles with keenest zest the next
great reform that enters his mind.
HIGH RESOLVES.
In contemplating my first paper I
firmly resolved to reform the whole
world. At the end Of one month I
thought the State was large enough
for my first field, and at tho end of
the second l concluded to fix the
county as / wanted it, and ut the end
of the third month l decided that |
would fest reform tho town. Since
that time | have learned that if l
wanted to reform myself would have
a pretty large job of it, and you can
easily see toni ght how far along l am
on the contract.
Having once embarked as a country
editor, the victim is much like pris
oner in the ''pen" under an indeter
inmate sentence. His getting out
wholly depends upon his good be-
havior during his term. AS rule
the fellow in the open" gets out the
sooner.
The rustling country editor is ex-
pected to feel the public pulse just 4
trifle in advance OF any one else-to
blaze the way, so to speak, for what
is better for the community surround
ing his patrons. When matters come
right down to q business basis-when
wild eyed people have got over some
promised boom-then the abilities Of
an editor are taxed to the utmost to
effect compromises between gay an
ticipation and stern reality. But he
can do it If he will, and there are few
OF the craft who are not willing to
make many sacrifices il the good of
the community so demand.
PROGRESSIVE.
To the country editor and his con-
slant work may be accredited much
Of the progress of Colorado today.
He urges the schoolhouse, although
perhaps he never enjoyed the advan-
tage of one; he pushes along the
churches, although probably he would
not know whether to stand up or sit
down if he went into one; he yells
loudly for the construction Of rail-
road to bring his locality into touch
with the outside world, although he
wcll knows that he never will feel
able TO buy ticket over its line.
When the schoolhouse is completed,
he applauds. Whom the church is
finished, he prints a picture OF it and
tells what heap Of good will result,
and when the first train is run over
the new railway he lauds the capital
lists so highly that were they to sud
denly wsft themselves up the be-
jeweled right of way without orders
from the chief dispatcher the AL
mighty would not know them. Then
the editor goes to the high powers
and demands an annual" and re-
ceives brief mileage book, with half
fare permits for his stricken and i'm
mediate family!
When an editor makes q mistake
the entire county knows Of it at once.
A preachers mistakes are often for
gotten, lawyers killed by the ste
nographer, bakers eaten, a coal
dealers burned and a doctors buried
the editors are in sight every time
some one comes in to look over the
blamed old file. And every few years
they are brought forth and aired be-
fore a forgetful public-just to keep
up some Excitement. People. some
Of them, seem to forget that = coun-
try editor may change his mind as
time rolls. just like an ordinary white
| man.
UPS AND DOWNS.
The country editor has his periods
| of encouragement and discourage
ment, vet he is, after all, very
happy fellow. He can stand more
buffets from outraged fortune and
still assert I'VE are here to stay"
than he who follows any other calling.
lit is true that he sometimes stays be-
cause he cannot get away, but what
of that! He is not the only one in
that boat.
He must bs ready 70 answer on.
hand when Anxious Reader" or ''Old
Subscriber" or .'Perplexity" ASKS
what wool sold for in 1877, or what IS