The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-03-15

you had those old papers but in many
cases they are not to be found. What
do you do in such cases? Write to the
editor for information on the matter
under consideration. How would you
like to have the editor write back to
you, or worse still, say in his paper:
L answered those questions a year or
so ago. Hunt up your old papers and
read what L said and don't bother me
with such matters?' No, friends,
The Ranch will never treat you that
way, but will try to keep sweet and
answer the same questions over and
over again.
The editor of this department has d
valued correspondent in the east who
is the editor of one of the best farm
papers in the country. In a recent
letter he has this to say on this very
matter, and, while 1 cannot give his
name without first writing Tor his per-
mission, I think what he says is too
important to be thrown away. 1 COM
mend the following very heartily:
people come at us again and again
and still again, asking how a thing
is done In their frequent requests for
repetition of an old story we get the
test which separates the three differ
ent classes of editors. one is the born
editor. the other is handmade, and
the third is machine-made Members
of the third class go down in disgust
when some one asks the old question
over the fifth time. 1t isn't possible
for him to put his answer in fresh
shape and all he can do is to call his
subscriber a fool The handmade man
four or five will be under protest.
born editor will be willing to
give his inquisitive brother the full
limit of 400 times forgiveness, and then
go on and make the last one the best
of the lot. Seriously, my experience
has been that this patient answering
of familiar questions and the effort to
make things clear and fresh is about
the best exercise that a newspaper
man can have. [ imagine that most
men connected with newspaper work
have a great ambition to write power
full editorials and get up in the air
generally with high thoughts AS a
matter of fact, if they were only SEN
sible enough to realize it, they don't
get half the power up in the air this
way as they would in patient,
the ground. You don't seem to be
making much progress when you stay
down with the common people and
talk to them in a home1y simple fash
ion, but you find out how strong you
have become only when some crisis
comes along and you find that the
confidence such people have in you is
the biggest asset in the bank. I trust
al 70
at life with the kindly philosophy
which I observe running through
your writings"
I have received from Senator Arthur
Gunn of Chelan county, a copy of
the new horticultural law that has
been introduced into the state senate.
How much it may be changed before
it passes both houses or the legisla-
ture, I do not know, but I do trust
that the changes will not be many
nor very material. I will not try to
write a resume of this new law before
it really becomes a law. 1t is re-
freshing to read horticultural law in
Washington that is expressed in good
English. This is a privilege we have
not enjoyed for few years past. The
old law could not help but impress
the scholarly man as about the
worst tumble of faulty dictation that
ever got through a legislature.
There is one thing in our old law
that is likely to reappear in the new
one, matter that has been passed on
by the supreme court of the United
States and declared unconstitutional.
And that is to require a man to give
a bond and take out a license when
he is merely soliciting for a party