The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-03-04
from each precinct;
Advice On Newspaper Maklne

The last issue of the WOonsocket
News contains an imaginary letter
from "Old Man johnson to his nephew
j. Hamilton johnson. Editor" on
newspaper making. Young johnson
has just started a newspaper at Cy-
clone City, Kansas, and his uncle who
is supposed to have been all through
the mill, writes him letter of advice
from 'sFreeZe Out Ranch, N. d. The
letter is written after the George Lor-
inner style and 1T is not difficult to see
the "tine Italian hand" of Frank
Kelley. The letter struck us quite
forcibIy in that there are two or three
points brought out which this writer
/ touched upon quite plainly in his talk
before the press association at Sioux
Falls in January. 1t is peculiar fact
}sthat men who have been in the news
paper business all agree upon the
! truths brought out in the subjoined
paragraphs from the letter referred to:
One thing l want to commend in
your frs paper-you don't puff every
CONJ i'll UO"lI-NOu OSCl-uO UtlC
attractions OF your county. What you
do write sounds as if it might not be
. far from the facts. The editor who
/ thinks he makes friends by indiscrim-
mate putting is making b,g mistake
and is simply advertising himself as a
/ liar or a man with little discrimina-
tion. The fault-fnder and the free
pufer are both to BE- avoided. The worst
enemies | ever made were men / help
F, ed elect to Office or pushed to promin-
ence by newspaper notice. Just bear
in mind that when you free puff
man you are creating personal en-.
emy nine times out of ten, and if he
believes what you say he will get so
proud &c went speak to you, and if he
has any patronage he will place it
with the paper that has told the truth
about him. A puff to be appreciated
should be raid for in advance If it
tisn you better not print it.
The editor Of the GRAPHIC has Of
1 ten thought that were he to start in
the newspaper business all over again
he would never 90 out Of his way to
say a kind word about anybody. II
he is sure of one thing more than an
other it is that where a newspaper
makes one enemy because Of a roast or
telling the truth about somebody, it
. makes ten by saying something nice
about a person they don't like. 1t is
an actual fact that certain woman
in l\imball wanted her husband to 20
into the office and order his copy of
the GRAPHIC discontinued because it
contained nice marriage notice Of
girl she did not happen 70 fancy. The
worst of it is, not one of the family
from which tins girl came has ever
patronized the GRAPHIC a dollars
worth, but have helped boost the
''other paper' all they could. Most
! people who receive kindly newspaper
3 mention think it is their due and
, don't feel that they are under the
4 slightest Obligations to the editor;
] while those unfrendly towards the
I person puffed Will have it in for the
] editor bigger than house. Most
people are pretty narrow between the
j. eyes about such things. 1t doesn't
a mend matters by turning around and
: saying something nice about them.
S You have spoilt the flavor Of it to be.
e gin with. It's a pretty good idea fol-
It any young editor to steer clear of bott
n roasts and putfs.