The Holly chieftain., 1917-09-07
UE II so plRYI1EGf
We MUST MENTION II
1spestsr Discovers Dusinsss Man
who Has Time 70 Visit Friends

A week or two ago the editor of
this paper spoiled q column of good
news space in an attempt to enlist
sympathy for the poor downtrod>
den editor" We have sent the
grouchy old cuss up town for a
coke" and are going to make an
attempt at getting by with an arti-
Gle setting up the paths that
q cheap reporter must follow on
small country weekly and incident
ly telling Of man who was very
civil-a favor not too often extended
q reporter.
Last week we had made the
rounds of the various business
houses without finding out single
thing and it was with sad heart
that we took our way back tO.the
dingy Office Coming in front of
the Gretchen Lumber Company's
Offices we paused for one last try
and was agreeably surprised at the
pleasant manner in which, Mr.. F. J.
Gretchen, president Of the Company
received us. Ordinary the public
has but little use for newspaper
reporter and is more inclined not to
tell 'em the news than they are to
tell it. A reporter sometimes Inn
agines that items of news are with
held for the purpose of criticising
the sheet when it appears without
'em-but this is doubtless only
imaginary. However, the ordinary
business man considers himself far
too busy to fool his time away with
the ordinary cub Not 80 with
Mr.. Gretchen. he not only has the
time but is always ready with a
cheerful word OF announcement.
As rule, "old men" are supposed
to be mean and grouchy and be-
cause his hair was white, we made
the mistake of shying by Mr..
Gretchen the first few times we met
him hut we shasten to- correct the
impression is neither. old, mean
OF. grouchy-in fact he is the exact
opposite of the thres
Mr.. Gretchen is the sort of bust
ness man this reporter enjoys meet
ing up with-one who is big
enough to lay the everyday work
of life on the shelf long enough to
offer a word of encouragement to
his fellowmen-onew who is inclined
to look upon the bright side of
life and one whose hand is always
in his, pocket for the good of any
worthy cause and whose shoulder
is always to the wheel Such man
is worth much to any community.
We say it again, we like men of Mr..
Cretcher's stripe-business men HhO
are big enough to even kid" the
humble reporter of a dinky weekly
paper and with personality enough
to make you feel that, after all, you
are half human.
The poets have told us that
Our lives are songs; God writes
the words,
And we set them to music at
pleasure:
The song grows sad, or sweet. OF
glad,
As we choose to fashion the
measure"
The song Of life for Mr.. Gretchen is
glad one. He has no doubt re
allied the true philosophy of this
little verse-that one can make
their life sad, or sweet, or glad-and
he chose to make it sweet and glad
and in so doing his heart has been
made more pure, his mind more
broad and his disposition more
CHEEKY and he is big enough that
the blessings he receives from so
living he scatters broadcast and as
the man whoswent to the witch of
Endor," though he gives from his
measure of happiness to all with
whom he comes in contact the full
ness OF his measure diminishes not
at ALL
And by the way-this is gratis
we mean 1t and count it pleasure
to claim his friendship. 1t is just
such little incidents that make the
life Of an ordinary reporter worth