The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1912-01-12
0koIona, Miss, Messenger Pre-
sents Old Story In New
Phase By Eli Perkins.
THE OWL HOLLOW GAZETTE"
FINDS NELL IS CROWDED
Interesting, Amusing, Instructive
And, Alas, Too True, Disserta-
ton On One Of The Banes
Of Newspaperdom.

Once upon time, so the fable runs,
every man on earth was an honest
man. Once upon time, too, sayeth
the fable, newspapers were actually
paid (can you imagine such an ideal
condtion?) for their subscriptions In
full. These two statements are but
two ways Of saying the same thing
once upon time all men were honest.
Mai. Eli Perkins evidently had the
opinion that all men were still honest
when he embarked upon the trouble
some sea OF newspaperdom. That he
has been converted to the great and
| incontrovertible truth, however, that
he was mistaken is also plainly evil
dent in his scathing, although humor-
Gus, exposure Of the condition OF the
subscription list in his newspaper
| office, and the plethora Of unpaid sub
scriptions.
The major wrote for the Okolona
(Miss.) Messenger resume OF his ex-
periences as a newspaper editor, pro-
prietor and publisher, and, believe 1t,
friends, the majors experience is not
an isolated one confined entirely and
exclusively unto himself But read
for yourselves what the major has to
say:
Mr.. Editor:
When l took charge Of the "Owl
Hollow Gazette" | resolved to do
everything in my power TO make it
useful and up to date, and expected
to get my pay in the esteem and ap
probation Of its readers, and prompt
pay OF subscribers at the end OF the
year, and fine lot OF advertising and
job work from the merchants. Jeru-
sha and the children all helped, and
that boy "Zeke" Of mine gave up a
good job elsewhere to lend helping
hand to help gain the good will Of the
people among whom the little Per
kiuses expected to live, move and
work out life's tangled problems to
the end.
REGULAR ROUTINE.
/ hired local reporter to keep up
with the town, so that nobody couldn't
go nowhere without somebody know
ing it. | got out large editions. that
I lost money on, going according TO
the Bible, casting bread upon the
waters" and sowing seed on every
hand, expecting to reap a rich harvest
when "the frost was on the punkin
vine" and the squirrel had carried
his winters ratioDs into his hole, and
made bis arrangements to 20 out OF
business, "till the spring time, Gentle
Annie" and "the scar and yellow
leaf" reminded us that settling time
had come. | put pictures OF people
aud houses 10 the paper, and Dragged
on everything and everybody, and
when my stock OF taffy run out
hired fellow to help brag and paid
him by the job, and he, being a
| stranger, all looked alike to him, and
IL anybody had ever done anything
wrong he didn't put himself TO any
trouble TO and out, and said the
whole business was all good from
start to finish. l have always said
the Country Editor did more work for
less pay than any other man in the
community. He commences when
the baby is born and follows it on up
TO graduation, calls it the eighth won
der of the world, and predicts for IL a
brilliant future with success on every
hand-and wbeq they marry, like the
Queen OF Shelby. the bhf has not
been told-and when they die, he
gives such a good send Of that st.
Peter unlocks the gates when he sees
them coming and forgets to ask II
they have paid their subscription to