The gold leaf., 1906-07-05

The Country Newspaper.

| While there has been an enormou
increase OF recent years in the circu
latlon and influence of the dali,
newspaper, there are Others to b.
considered which are of vast impor
tance. There are more persons wht
read the newspaper of small circula
tion than those who read the metro
politan dailies, and in certain di
rections the influence of the former i.
more potent. The great daily aims
to give summary Of the news of the
world, and is perforce debarred from
the smaller details of every day life
1t is the country newspaper which
| fills up this gap with news and gos.
SIP that is often more eagerly read
than accounts of a European political
brOil.
Those things as ii rule, most in
terest a person which are nearest to
him. The man who would not read
an account OF the biggest fight in the
country is apt to get excited over a
dog fight in front of his own door.
A fifty-dollar fire in his own street is
more interesting than a million-dol-
lar fire in San Francisco. 1t is this
principle on which the most success
ful country newspapers are run.
There are a number in this State
which have achieved a high reputa-
ton and made fortunes for their
owners. The city man, in looking
over one OF these, may be amazed that
there should be anyone interested
in the fact that Farmer Smith has
just painted his barn red or that
Hodge has raised the largest pump
kin in the township. These things
seem puerie to him, but they are
read by people with interest because
persons involved are we'll known.
Moreover, the country editor is
much closer in touch with his pat
rons than the editor of a great daily.
The country editor knows everyone
In his vicinage and establishes per-
sonal relations with them. Usually
1T is common to say that Jones
says sO-and-sO rather than that the
clarion announces it. The country
editor is under close scrutiny and
keeps in touch with the trend Oflocal
currents and molds or leads or follows
them as discretion dictates. He is
the paper and he is under the lime
light. His mistakes cost dear, and he
soon finds out what is the best pol
icy to pursue. Such a man and such
a paper are influential, as they COM
mand respect and are often more in
fiuential than the great dailies, which
are by many read for the news alone.
III many na rai d1recti6hs M thi94t3ha TIE haff hgFeaf
daily is better equipped both to in.
form and instruct, but nine tenths OF
all our activities are concerned with
the things which affect our daily bread
and butter, and it is here that the
country editor has his influence. He
may be able to influence local cleo
tions, which are apt to be as impor-
tant to most of his constituents as
those of the state or nation.
The great power OF the country ed
itor is that he is enabled to get a di-
rect personal knowledge OF all the
matters which he discusses. Within
his environment he is an encyclopedia
OF knowledge and his paper is a per-
sonal organ in a sense that no large
daily can be in these days. The
country editor is one of the great
forces in the country, one who must
be reckoned with at all times, one
whose position OF honor and trust is
one of the most distinguished and
important in the community.