The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-02-14
ROMANCE OF
JOSH KINNEY,
EnIT0p y John
Ey JOHN
HOWARD TODD

kt was an Ouu name IOF y newspaper
THE Sangamon Boy-but its career
was so fun Of oddities that nobody
minded that. The easy going country
folk OF the Lower Corners said 1t was
> good paper. Anyhow. ike the good
boy. It died young. Its editor there
was man who never was duplicated
IN or out OF the newspaper business.
THAT fellow was a queer one" said
cid Eph Edwards, but he was smart
br'n chain lightnin'. Did yc ever read
about lchabod Crane? I've forgot who
It's by, but this Josh Kinney was q
good deal like Ichabod."
Josh Kinney was a farm hand by
day and an editor by night. Somebody
said his nerves were made of iron. lie
rested his brain by busying his body
and rested his body by busying his
brain. The eyes that were set far back
under the shaggy brows never lost
their keenness in the shadows OF his
protruding brow. They were the unfail-
ing signal lights that flashed the mes
sage of vigiiant. alert, observing
mind. Kinney was patient, else he new
or would have learned the printers
art ct odd moments. He was plodding
and persistent. else be never would
have toiled far into the night to bring
cut the weekly issues Of The Sanga-
mon Boy.
His Office was even older than the
man. To see It one could almost guess
Mhat manner OF man was Its presiding
genius. II Is standing today. plain
square cabin on the very crown OF q
aesolate hill FIVE miles removed from
any town. Behind II and sheltering 1t
and the afternoon sun Is grove of
grcat towering oak trees. lifting their
branches high over the head OF tan
gied 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
tight by day and sent out ghostly
giimmer of oil lamps by night.
For ten years not foot has been set
inside the door. The little old hand
press was removed long ago and the
worn type. One might find 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.oafcrs are Invited to the black
smith shop down the road. This is a
printery."
Coming from anybody else this hint
might have Invited trouble. but respect
for Josh Kinncy's iron muscles and his
tceming brain brought it only silent
obedience.
Lower Corners. which. by the way. Is
not a village. but a farming commu-
nifty. made sport of Josh when lie first
came and started his newspaper. That
Tas before they knew anything about
the big brain that dominated his an
gular body. He managed to get some
thing into every issue that set his
neighbors thinking aud made them re-
spect him for his learning.
In Lower Corners today there are
men OF families who were boys ten
gears ago big. lusty. mischievous boys
who loved fish fry in the summer and
bobsled ride when the snow was
knee deep on the Rochester road. or
course. they remember the night when
dozen Of Them playing the gallant
60 as many country girls with ruddy
cheeks. rode past Kinney's little Office
and bombarded the door with snow
balls.
Kinney never forgot 1t. because the
crash of those snowballs sent shock
10 his heart that changed the current
81 his life. All night long he had heard
nothing but the monotonous beating OF
The little press which his foot kept In
HotIon. How prosaic 1t was against
the roil.cklrg jingle Of the sleighbells.
how harsh against the musical laugh
Der OF the girls In the sled. And what
o strange thrill went through him as
he heard one OF these cry out: please
don't throw any more. boys. You
sughtn't to disturb Mr.. Kinney when
he's busy. Please don't"
'And is there really somebody who
cares enough about me to think OF
thatf" he asked himself. "Am ! doing
fight to shut myself up here when |
might be out with these boys and girls
I wonder whose voice that was. Ii
sounded like-but what reason have
10 think that?"
Maybe he didn't have any reason to
think 1t. but vague. tender hope rose
above reason. .Mary"-what pretty
name It was. he thought-"M Mary Man
ning- Kinney" So tlmid was this big.
strong man that he actually blushed Mt
his own audacity when he coupled her
came with his. MARY Manning Kin
ney" 1t kept ringing In his spiritual
ear like the melody OF favorite song.
When the last issue OF The Sangamon
Roy was run Off and Josh Kinney crept
into bed. host OF sentimental fancies
kept him awake until far Into the
morning and then wove themselves in
b the fabric OF his dreams.
Mary Manning was the only daugh-
Der OF the richest farmer In Lower Cor
uers and the one girl In the community
who had tossed aside the blue bonnet
Of the district school and become a
seminary girl abroad. She saw In Kin
ney something more than ciod. some.
Ching higher than the creator OF a
~eekly rural paper. She respected him
Tor his wide fund OF Information. for
ais rugged sincerity. for his physical
and mental power. She-but she herr
self could not have told by what PROC
n