Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-01-14
AN 0LD-SCHOOL EDITOR
COL. COckERlLL'S TRIBUTE TO THE
JOURNALISTIC PREcEPTOR.

Newspaper CIipping-The Beginning
of a Career-A Mothers Pride in Her
Boys " First Appearance in Type"
Mote. In compliance with the re-
quest of one of the Oldest subscribers
of The Journalist 1 reprint the follow
ing article by Colonel John A. Cocker
ill. 1t originally appeared in Christ
mas issue of The Journalist, which is
long since out of print.-A. F., in The
Journalist
1 found upon my table the other day.
among the clippings piled there by the
exchange reader, bit Of an extract
credited to the Scion. A strange name
that for a newspaper. l wonder
whether the exchange reader knew
what string of "reminiscences that
odd clipping would start in my mind
when he placed it on my table! That
paper was called the Scion of Temper
ance when 1 first knew it thirty odd
years ago. 1t was in the office Of this
queer little journal that l learned to
set type. that 1 acted as roller-boy
and devil" and it was for this direc-
tor of public opinion that wrote my
first article. In the little Southern
Ohio town In which 1 was chiefly
reared, the general industry centered
around the court house, and the two
newspaper offices In which the rival
weekly organs were printed. There
was a blacksmith shop and store or
two, and a couple of tayerns, but the
lawyers who sat under the court house
trees in the summer time and dis
coursed politics, and the publishers of
the county printing were the oracles
of the town and the controllers Of its
destinies.
I had fancy for the printing Of
fees. / remember well the drowsy
summer afternoon when 1 strolled in
to the office of the Scion and asked
the editor-his name was Samuel Bur
well, and he is living yet, the dear old
soul-to teach me how to set type. He
stood me on a candle-box in front Of a
case, placed lot of wooden letters in
the boxes and show ed me how to set
the types in a stick. Before 1 left
the place 1 had mastered the boxes.
Knew them all. That was the begin
ming Of my journalistic career.
From setting type 1 advanced to
roller-boy. The paper was issued on
Thursday. The press used in that
Office was an ancient contrivance Of the
Ramage pattern. 1t had immense
wooden uprights, a very clumsy "dev-
lis tail' and it took two pulls to print
one sheet on one side. That is to say,
the platen was only half the size of
the bed. The press that Ben Franklin
danced around in Philadelphia was
scarcely less primitive. The ink was
applied with Il short, hard roller. Each
page had to be linked in turn, the distri-
button being performed on piece of
marble tombstone on q table. We
wrenched off an edition of about 400
on this ramshackle press, my friend
the editor, working the machine and a
briar-root pipe at the same time. The
paper of I would help to distribute it
through the village. That was a real
delight in those quiet, prosy after
moons. With my little bundle under
my arm I could wander listlesly and
barefooted through the side streets
and alleys where COWS ruminated and
hogs dozed; stopping here to fling a
paper over fence, thrust it under a
door, or climb upon a roof perchance to
idle away some time with men engaged
in shingiing. Then there were boys to
play marbles with, dogs to stone and
ding over forbidding fences. The route
was not heavy one. but it never took
less than three or four hours to so
over it. did a good deal of this sort
Of work for very light compensation
promised interest in a Carriers Ad-
dress.
One day, just as the Scion was about
to go to press, rural gentleman came
into the Office with an advertisement
of farm for sale. My editorial pre-
ceptor rushed to the case to put the
notice in type. Then came my great
opportunity. In that Office it was the
rule to give each new advertisement
a brief local mention-a sort of edi-
torial Endorsement. l asked the privi-
lege of preparing one in this instance
and 1t was granted. l sat down and
wrote my first essay for. print. 1t was
as follows: 1.-THE attention Of our read.
ers is called to the advertisement OF
Farm for Sale in another column
This was the formula in the Office OF
the Scion. l was tempted to add a
word or two about the excellence OF
this particular farm and the desirable.
ity Of the location, but we were
pressed for time. 1 carried my article
to the case and carefully placed it in
type. How l watched it go upon The
press. and how / read and re-read il
with pride and n sense Of importance
that l have never felt since. l carried
that paper home and showed it to my
mother. l remember that she seemed
happy, and that she more than once re
ferred to 'the young gentleman whc
I IL