Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1902-01-03
; ROMANCE OF
! JOSH KINNEY,
! EDITOR ny no. JOHN To,


II was an odd name for n newspaper
The Sangamon Boy-but its career
was so full OF oddities that nobody
minded that The easy going country
/ folk OF the Lower Corners said IL was
n good paper. Anyhow, like the good
boy. IL died young. Its edltor-there
was n man who never was duplicated
In or out OF the newspaper business.
THAT fellow was a queer one" said
old Eph Edwards. but he was smart
er'n chain lightnin'. Did ye ever read
about Ichabod Crane? I've forgot who
It's by. but this Josh Kinney was
good deal like Ichabod."
Josh Kinney was farm hand by
day and an EDITOR boy night Somebody
said his nerves were made OF iron. lie
rested his brain by busying his body
and rested his body by busying ms
brain. The eyes that were set far back
under the shaggy brows never lost
1 their keenncss In the shadows OF his
/ protrudlng brow They were the uninii
/ Ing signal lights that flashed the mes
sage OF vgllant alert. observing
mind. Kinney was patient. else he new
or would have learned the printers
art NJ odd moments. lie was ploddlng
| and persistent. else he never would
have tolled far into the night TO bring
out the weekly issues OF The Sanga-
mon Boy.
His Office was even older than the
man. To see Il one could almost guess
what manner Of man was its presiding
genius. IL Is standing today. n plain
square cabin on the very crown OF y
desolate hill FIVE miles removed from
any town. Behind IL and sheltering Il
from the spite Of the winter winds
and the afternoon sun Is grove OF
great towering oak trees. lifting their
branches high over the head OF a tan
gled mass OF forest shrubbery. Its one
door Is nailed shut. and strong boards
cover the two squares on either side
where windows once let In timid
light by day and sent out ghosty
glImmer OF oil lamps 10y night.
For ten years not n foot has been set
inside the door. The little old hand
press was removed long ago and the
worn type. One might find n rusty
stick nesting here and there In the
cracks of the board floor. and he might
see bit OF yellow paper tackled near
the door bearing the words in Josh's
own handwriting:
"I.oafers are invited 10 the black
smith shop down the road. This Is a
prlntery."
Coming from anybody else this hint
might have invited trouble. but respect
for Josh Klnney's iron muscles and his
teemIng brain brought II only silent
obedience.
Lower Corners. which. by the way, Is
not a village but farming commu-
nifty. made sport Of Josh when he hrst
came and started his newspaper. That
was before they knew anything about
the biz brain that dominated his an
( gular body. He managed 10 get some
thing into every issue that set his
nelghbors thinking and made them re-
spect him for bis learning.
In Lower Corners today there are
men OF families who were boys ten
years ago-big. lusty. mischieyous boys
who loved fish fry IN the summer ana
n bobslcd ride when the snow was
knee deep on the Rochester road. oI
course. they remember the night when
a dozen Of them. playing the gallant
10 as many country girls with ruddy
cheeks. rode past Klnney's little Office
and bombarded the door with snow
balls.
Kinney never forgot IL, because the
crash OF those snowballs sent SHOCK
10 his heart that changed the current
Of his life. All night long he had heard
nothing but the monotonOus beating oil
the little press which his foot kept II
) motion. How prosalc IL was against
i the rolllcklng Jingle OF the sleighbells
e how harsh against the musical laugh
ter OF the girls In the sled! And wha
strange thrill went through him M
he heard one Of these cry out: pleas
. don't throw any more. boys. No'
ourhtnt 20 disturb Mr. Kinney whei
he's busy. Please don't"
And ls there really somebody VIII
cares enough about me 20 think o
% thatT" be asked himself Am dolnl
right to shut myself up here when
4. might be out with those boys and girls
1 wonder whose voice that was. !
sounded llke-but what reason have
to think thatT'
"A Maybe he didn't have any reason I
think Il. but vague. tender hope ros
nbove reason. "Mary"-what prett
name Il was. be thought-"Mary Maj
ning-Klnney." So timid was this hii
al strong man that he actually blushed Q
ee his own audacity when he coupled he
name with his MARY Manning kii
....n LIZ Enut rInninr. La his snIrItul