The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-08-12
THE COUNTRY PAPER.
II Is Worth More Than 1t Costs Fifty
Two Times Over.

HOm the jackson MISS. Union
Advocate, the official organ of the
Farmers union of Mississippi-is
so plain and forceful a presentation
of the value and importance of the
country newspaper that we print
II in full as it will prove of special
interest to every reader of this
paper. 1t was written by DR.. B.
F. Ward, one of the most gifted
men of Mississippi, ex-surgeon of
the confederate states army; ex-
president Mississippi State Medi-
cal association, and ex-president
Mississippi State Board of Health.
He is father of B. F. Ward, editor
of the Union Advocate, Jackson,
Miss. The article follows:
The most scantily appreciated
piece of property in the world is
the country newspaper. One dol
lar for a country paper is the
cheapest investment a man ever
makes. 1t brings richer and more
abundant returns than any other
one dollar we may send out in any
single year.
Fifty-two times in the twelve
months we collect the interest on
that dollar. Fitty-two times in a
year our wives and childred gather
from that little paper some para
graph Of information, some item
OF news, some CLEAN of patriotism,
some moral sentiment, some ray
Of hope, some stimulus to greater
and nobler effort that is worth
more than the cost Of the paper.
Perhaps we are not aware, at
the time, that we are receiving
any benefits from the modest little
weekly visitor, but do not turn it
away from your door without lis
tening to its simple message. It
is a faithful missionary and is SOW
ing in the minds and hearts Of
your children little seed that in
time will spring up and bring
forth fruit one hundred fold.
Bill Arp once said that there
never was country paper th.t
was not worth many times more
than the price paid for it. He
said, for instance. his father came
from New England to Georgia.
He was a stranger in a strange
land, without money, or friends.
He stopped in little village and
paid a dollar for the country news
paper. In the first number he saw
a notice Of teacher wanted for
little country school. He applied
Immediately and was elected. In
that school was a bright-eyed,
curly haired little girl. When the
school closed he was in love with
her. He married her and she was
Bill APPS mother.
Now, says Arp: eff my father
had not subscribed for that little
country newspaper he would never
have gotten that school; he would
meyer have seen that little girl,
and l might have been somebody
else"
And, we may safely add, the
world might never have enjoyed
the golden fruits of Bill Apps pen.
This is a humorous illustration,
but very apt one, of the hun
dreds of ways in which little bits
of information cleaned from the
country paper may lead to great
events and happy results.
Prentiss once said that cit is
not what a man knows that makes
him great, but the use he makes
of what he may know"
The country paper is the school
teacher in the family, and charges
only one dollar for years tuition.
This generous little teacher never
misses a week on account of sick
ness; never keeps the children
in" never uses a hickory, nor
makes them eat cold dinners.
am sorry for a man when l
hear him say Il never read the
country paper because there is
nothing in it, Bill APPS father
found something in it.