The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-10-13
WOMAN'S CLUB DEPARTMENT

Inc following ieIJeF IFom the euI-
tor of the Star to Mrs. W. T. Gary,
president of the Woman's Club, is
printed by the special request of the
club in its department this week:
Mrs. W. T. Gary, President Women's
Club, Ocala, Fla:
| Dear Mrs. Gary-As | have had
considerable controversy with the
various editors of the Woman's Club
department in the Star, regarding the
copy to be furnished for the same,
thought it might save misunderstood
ing if l plainly stated my views on
the matter to you and other members
| of the club.
| will be very glad to let you have
a couple of columns a week If you
will keep it filled with original mat
ter. l do not want reprint. No mat
ter how good a reprint article is, 1t
lacks the punch of original matter,
even if the reprint is by an author OF
wide reputation and the original by
one of the most unpretentious of our
own neighbors. There is a reason for
this that I can understand but can't
explain. 1t is something that every
experienced editor knows and that he
can't give a reason for. There is one
reason that generally obtains, and
that is that most reprint is from
standard publications; you and your
friends have read it, or heard about
it; and if you haven't you sense it.
But YOU don't know what your neigh
Dor is going to write about, and you
will in consequence read it and take
an interest in it. But there is another
reason, and as aforesaid know it
exists but can't define it. | know for
sure that no editor of experience
wants his paper or any considerable
part of it filled with reprint, and that
any paper that uses reprint TO any
great extent soon dries up and goes
to the boneyard.
| would be very glad for you to fill
up your space every week with mat
ter pertaining to home affairs. There
is plenty going on here for you to
praise, comment on, criticise or object
to. There is your park, which you
have been so enthusiastic about, but
:
for months. l wouldn't be afraid to
bet that not half a dozen of your
members has seen it for months. There
are the streets and the sidewalks, the
vacant lots, the fiowergardens, the
schools, the shows. and many other
things that all of us are interested In.
i There are a whole lot of good things
you can promote and bad ones that
you can check or stop altogether if
you will go into print about them.
You have, in fact, great deal of in
f1uence with these affairs if you will
use it.
The young lady who fills your de-
partment this month has greatly ex-
ceeGed her space in this issue, but
: let it all go in because l wanted to
| encourage the idea of originality. Her
subject is 'The Working Woman's
Destiny" Now, wish she would go
around herself, or collaborate with
some of her friends and write another
article about working women in
Ocala. There is quite a lot of them
and some of them have trials that by
concerted action you might obliterate
or at least alleviate.
In most of the work that you have
done in the local papers you have shot
over the heads of your readers and
printed much stuff about things away
off yonder that they took only a sec
ond-hand interest in. / would be glad
indeed if | could induce you to change
your policy. 1t would be good for
your club, good for the town and good
for the Star.
You labor under the disadvantage
of changing your editor every month
don't suppose you could do any
other way, as you all have homes to
look after, and four or five weeks
literary work in year to a woman
who has the cares of a household al
the time is something of an under,
taking. However, if you make your
{ appointments ahead. so that each edi-
tor knows which will be her month
she can prepare for the work or ask
that it be assigned to some one else
If you will take up this local idea, you
will find that if it once starts it will
almost run itself; that is, if the club
! takes an interest. There is hardly
!; any member who will not see or heal
of something of public interest every
week, which she can communicate tt
I the editor, and if you would you could
all make suggestions at your meet
: ings.
Several of your members are gooC
writer's and have the knack of col
Letting and disseminating informa
ton. You know pretty well who they
! are and you should keep them on thu
I job. You shouldn't give the work tt
a member simply because she hasn'
! had it before. And no member SHOULD
Z feel sighted because she hasn't beer
3 assigned to the work. Editorial worl
: is like everything else-some people
! can do it better than some others. l
is no disgrace not to be able to do i
! well, or not at all. So far as l know
and have been writing for over /;
4 third of century, it's more work TO
= a woman to get the dinner on tn