Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-23
We Are So "Funny" to the City Folk.

| superintendent and examiners.
We Are So "Funny" to the City Folk.
| Maine is a. State of innocence. If any
man doubt this let him peruse the fol-
lowing matter, viewing the pastoral pur-
| SUITS OF that august Commonwealth
through the paragraphs of her country
| correspondents. They speak a language
that is unique. From the rub-a-dub-dub
of national affairs. We. the heavyeyed
| at attention with gladdened hearts to
sayings of these rural sages Cut off by
| lengths Of railway or tossing steamer
passage from. that kindly land where
1 cookery Is fine art and life is bold and
from the locals" For they admit us to
strange intimacy with that remote life in
| Millinocket, Sk0whegan. Deering, Wood
| fords, and Pressure Isle. Though distant
| we partake Of these scenes where good
cheer abounds, and incidentally, pick up
good deal of information about the
Births aaaths pafties sleigh
| riaSeS, Wooings weather, adventures
| domestic comhats. all are glimpsed in
these iieeting paragraphs. For Maine is
| unlike other states. Her men are no
| toriously more handsome. her women
| healthier and more robust: her country
| correspondents more outspoken: and, If
| Mr.. brewers orty-Seventh Weather
| Report" is to be credited, her ahstemi-
business is improving, for do we not read :
| This has been the driest year for more
| than 40 years. Il. p in Boston Trans
| cript.
Following this is two columns of
alleged excerpts from Maine newspa-
pers, set eff by comments of the au-
thor.
We bow in all humility before the
brilliance of Il. P" We acknowledge
the corn-we are innocent. We
had feared it for a long time and,
now that Lean Photographer has re-
| clared it, we accept the verdict that
Maine is State of innocence. Two
and a quarter columns of such biting
sarcasm because of our innocence,
Shall we ever dare hold up our heads
and look the Boston Transcript in the
face again: In our Pine Tree inno-
cence we have been publishing the GO
ings and comings of the innocent
people among whom we have cast our
lot. 1t was not because of opportu-
nifty to escape innocence that ave did
not settle in Boston, to enjoy the
blase existence. We preferred to live
down Eere among the innocent" ma
rify city visitors with stories of side
hill loungers, lunkumsuces. swamp
swalligans wolvcrwassetts and ding
mauls.
l.. p. Lean Paragrapher) should not
| allow himself to cultivate the habit of
| reading country literature, it might
deprave his sense OF satire. He should
not so closely associate with the sever
| al thousand homes in Boston and
with innocence to the extent of sub
| scribng to that number of copies OF
| country weeklies-the weekly news
| letter from home Up in Maine
| where they are hauling logs to the
MILL" Or mayhap. extending loving
| sympathy TO bereaved neghbor."
| Every year this class of literature is
| increasing in Boston and other New
England cities. We happen to know
| thousands of subscribers TO it's lists in
recent months in such cities as Man
chester, Nashua, Lowell. Lawrence,
| Worcester, Springfield. RrocktOn and
scores of other New England cities
outside of Maine where there are in
| nocent" people who subscribe to the
Maine weekly for its Town News
the little items about shingling barns
working up woodpiles, going to mill
sewing circles, fattening pigs, and
skinning skunks. The Kennebec Jour
nal weekly edition) is finding an in
creasing dc mand for this country Cos
!. sip from It's broad Maine field. 1t is
i, adding new correspondents every day
ard is increasing it's number of col
umns of this class of literature until
the regular Wednesday edition con.
tains page after page of these items
which appear SO ludicrous and arr
| 1ldnulCu WITH sum htiiS "
humor and such cunning arrangement
by the facile l.. p.
, That the big city dailies are becom
ing jealous of cur invasion OF thel
field might be guessed from this bril-
liant assault on "a language that i
UNIQUE" and the sayings of rura
sages" If l.. p. and his publisher be
lieve that the circle of appreciativ'
| readers of the country correspondent
is narrow they had best be gettini
their eyes open To conditions under
| their own noses. tor there are goot
people even in Boston who prefer tn
weekly edition of the Kennebec Jour