The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1903-07-23
A Man and a Newspaper.
lols tKAnsas) Register,

secretary Of state, had bought
from Mr.. E. p. Greer, the Win.
tield Courier. A day later there
followed a denial and thsro by
hangs a tale Of man and a news.
paper, which we trust all the peo.
pie at interest will pardon the
Register for telling.
Some weeks ago through friend
at Winfield, Mr.. Clark made Mr..
Greer an offer for the Courier.
After due consideration the offer
was accepted and Mr. CLARK went
to Winfield to close the deal, Ar
riving there Mr.. Greer met him In
the Office Of a mutual friend and
stated TO him his understanding
Of the offer Upon being answer.
ed that bis understanding was cor.
rect, he replied, "The paper is
yours" and arrangements were
then made for another m Getting at
ten O'Clock the next day to draw
up the necessary papers.
The three men met al the time
agreed the next day, but they did
not draw up any papers. For the
fret words Of Mr.. Greer were:
"George. it's all off, | can't do
it," And then he told why. He
had thought at first that he could
sell the Courier as easily as any
other property he owned. He had
large interests elsewhere that took
most Of his time and he could
give but little personal attention
to his paper, and so he had con.
oluded to cell Il. The offer Mr..
Clark made was all he thought il
was worth. But when the papers
were all ready TO sign and he be-
gan to realize that he was on the
verge Of actually turning the Cour.
Ter over to someone else, he didn't
feel comfortable. And 80 be talked
II over with his wife. They 10.
called the way 10 which he had
started as a "devil" In the Office
thirty years ago, and learned his
trade, and the slow steps by
which he had been able TO make
and save enough money to buy
the paper; aud tney remembered
the pride OF his father and mother
NOW asleep on the hiiaside--
when he became the editor OF the
Courier; and how out Of hia earn
ings they had built their home;
aud land the short Of II is,"
said Mr.. Greer, with tears filling
his eyes, "I have found out there
sre some things that man owns
that be cannot SELL"
All Of which may sound "to the
Greeks, foolishness. /" But man
who has once wrapped his heart.
strings around a newspaper will
understand It perfectly easy. It
is one Of the peculiarities OF the
newspaper business that a man
VINO is Ia IL for the love Of II
comes to look upon the paper
which be owns almost as II II we're
living personality yith ,percep-
tions and sensibilitiss and emo
lions Of own. Indeed the public
share 10 this feeling TO a certain
degree, because they commend
aud orilicise aud disouss-and
ouss--a newspaper by its name,
often without any allusion al all
70 its editor, as II /, had a con
solous identity quite apart from
that OF the man VINO owns or con.
trolls IL. But TO the editor him
self, this ceiling is many fold in.
tensifed. And The reason 10 not
hard 10 comprehend. When 9
man mas put the very beat that
there ID OF bis heart and mind ir.
10 a newspaper TOR twenty years,
when he mas gwen 70 u all the en-
orgies Of hts nature, when be has
ooddled u along through periods
Of depression ae father might
nurse Guild Ia its iiluess, when
be has defended u against attack
and has ielt that At the same time