The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-07
Letters OF The sun"

LetAtIs VI ihC sun
Some deep-revelving Pundit or Pro-
fessor has yetto ponder the psychology
of newspapers and their readers, and 10
set forth the result in work as authori-
tative as most psychology is. For
different virtues do different persons
love and consult their favorite news
paper, A table Of their preferences
might show some curious results.
What page and part of daily journal
is the magnet to most eyes? The root
of-all-evil page probably. Who Is the
philosopher that scorns the stock mar
ket reports? People that have money.
and people that haven't and people that
have had and dropped il in that bottom
less pit of speculation and hell of lost
margins the schoolteacher in New
England, the office boy, the cabman;
the clergyman, looking, no doubt for
fact and local color for his discourse
against riches it is our personal opinion
that most of us, boldly or sneakingly,
kneel in the throne room of the Ticker
before beginning our circumnavigation
of the news.
The shrine of another mighty divinity,
F.. Sport, receives, perhaps, as many or
almost as many votaries. Barring a
few bloodless or old fashioned dodgers
and congresses, most Of the world and
all the town adore her, the many
named, the multifOrm. To Fortune
Of the Stock Exchange and Fortune OF
the Races the moderns would build tenn
pies, were the age of temples not over
In the other news, we all abominate
everything that smacks OF crime, ir-
regularity of life the underworld and
the "half world and study these his
tories of the day and night on account
of our purely scientific interest in So
GEOLOGY; don't we all?
Some dote on obituaries some on
foreign affairs; some on domestic poll
tics; some on things OF the theatre, and
soon Many men, Tom, DICK and HARRY,
all the world must find dishes to their
minds at this great ordinary.
And there are unsupported favorite
dishes; and quiet corners where quiet
folk love to sit We have spoken more
than once of the wealth and variety Of
the letters written TO The Sun by its
multitudes OF friends critics and enc
mics. These contributions range from
A TO lizard, from lively to abusive
The selections which we print hardly
give an adequate notion of the knowl-
edge, the humor, the seriousness. the
encyclopaedia interest, the wide accom-
plishment, the practical attainments and
the speculative spirit, the geniality and
the occasional crankery of these I'M
numbered letter writers
Welike to think Of this army Of friends:
and II any unfriendly chap gives us a
good lab, we like him, too.
There is another grand army Of letter
writers to The Sun Every day we get
on an average, two hundred letters of
inquiry. They come from everywhere
and ask everything, Including many
questions which have to be submitted
TO the general assembly Of our readers
We have n sort Of High Court OF Appeals
HoYIE, C. j., on delicate controversies
and subtle points Of card playing. We
summon jury of experts to dispose of
the long calendar of waRers. While
betting is conceded to be il not sin, at
least prohibited evil, the ethics, ETH
quette. digested cases and casuistry
thereof are mellowng to the brain
In many, perhaps in most places, even
the ordinary books Of reference are not
accessible Many readers use THE sun
as their library, their encyclopaedia,
dictionary, grammar ready reference.
history and Inquire within-for- what-vou
want-to.hnow Vet, while omnscience
is neither orr forte nor our "foibe.'
we do and shall continue to do all in our
power to satisfy our host Of questioners:
and when we are gravelled. we put a
referendum before our readers.
We say this in answer to many queries
and complaints like the following:
TO rIR EDITOR or TuK suX-sn. Having
missed from my Sunday siS lately tho familiar
column headed Questions and Answers wish TO
register my proiss, against such journalistic van
dahsm.
In my poor opinion It was one NJ the most Inter.
estihE SECTIONS OF your scholarly newspaper
ToRoNro- Jan =. W. z. CAssInr.
The department esteemed so highly by
our friend in Canada, and by we don
know how many thousand other friends.
has not been and will not be given up.