Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-11-02
me Country Editor.

guests. The term country editor
defines nothing. 1t is quite inde6-
mite, because there are lot of coun.
try editors employed on the large
metropolitan dailies, and they invaria-
bly, measure up to the highest stand
ards in journalism. They are natdr-
ally more studious of affairs and men
because-well, because that is their
business. Much fun has been poked
at the country editor, and. as evidence
of his sweet disposition, he never re-
sents any slurs on his humble v)ca-
ton. he bides his time, and as tie
years pass be comes to be an editor
of a city paper, aud he comes to the
position mtgnl fcently equip! ed. |
Then he turns around aud has fun
with his former confreres. The
country editor is never TO be scorned.
The supercihous attitude of some pa
pers toward the country editor is
grave mistake. Suppose this country !
editor does mention that John Jones
barn was painted yesterday. That
is the literature of the village. 1t |
either compliments an old subscriber,
or holds a waverlng one. Mrs.
Browns baby is i'll with the measles,
is just as important in the sphere OF
the country editor as would be the
announcement in the metropolitan
daily that President Roosevelt had
skinned his knee in getting out of his
carriage. 1t is the smallest of de-
tails chronicled, and always in pleas
ant humor, that makes for the sue
cessful country editor and we might
add the city editor often appears ri.
diculous in his eyes when some slop-
py social event is dished up in the
big newspapers.
The country editor is as much Of
an Institution as his city colleague.
Frequently he has the better of his
city brother in molding public opin.
ion, instead Of following it He is
versatile free lance, if he is some.
times a good natured "lazy dog"-a
term applied in tie afec,ionate sense
only. The country editor has what
is called "the soft snap" When the
oldtime school books were in vogue,
there was in "MoGuffey's Fifth Read
er" poem, the first lines Of which
ran something like this:
"The farmer sat in his easy chair,
Smoking his pipe Of clay,
While his hale old wife, with busy care,
Was clearing the dishes away.
That is a picture of solid comfort
and community Of interest that can
not be matched in any city establish
ment. Without doing any violence
to the poetic unities, may we be per.
mitted to paraphrase the old McGuf-
fey reader verse in favor of our pa
tient country brother
The editor squats on three-legged stool,
Pulling hard at an old stogie cigar,
While the devil" at work is chump
by rule,
And delinquents drink beer at the bar.
The subscription Of the country pa
per is something wonderful to contem.
plate, when the credit side is looked
over. There will be found such items
as "by one bushel potatoes" by one
peck of peaches" or "by one barrel
Of apples supposed by the SUBJ
scriber to be equal to the coin of the
realm, the real circulating medium.
And for these emoluments the coun-
try editor labors on, happy and sat-
is6ed. he writes lengthy obituaries,
quaint squibs, fulsome batteries, while
his readers often imagine he is over
paid. 1t never feases his good hu-
NOR, however. He keeps plodding
along. full Of the JOY and sunshine Of
life, and in a contemplative mood
will, perhaps, scratch off a couplet Of
eHsltstions that may follow these
lines:
The sportive ghost and pensive COW
Hilarious hop from bough 10 bough.
The country editor has his fun as
well as his fishing and hunting. he
is often a vigorous man with the pen,
writing more sense tina nonsense.
He is the very salt Of the earth, and
without him the earth would be
barren ideality. he rises to super
nal fights. and his flying machine
never collspses. he is the most
wholesome parsonage that comes
down the pike" to the annual meets
ing Of the State Editorial Association,
and he is the most appreciative visit.
or, his infinite variety being imper.
vious to time and custom. He lie al
ways there with the brains and the