The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-08-07
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE NAIL
COMES

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN The NAIL
COMES
To farmers mail is of as much i'm
portance as a meal and it would be
really easier to survive without the
latter than without our daily mail.
The more isolated the families the
more eagerly the arrival of local
newspapers, letters and magazines
are looked forward to. | sometimes
think how very inconyenient it must
be to live on a farm without the
Rural Delivery.
Though our mail is carried by the
II. f. d. man yet we have to walk
over half a mile to our box at the
corner and in pleasant weather this
falls to the lot of little Bud"
The clock is watched for an hour
before mail time and promptly at
1880 our little mail man starts on
his tramp for the mail.
On Reporter days. on Thursdays,
he is given a double Injunction not to
loiter on the way and fathers noon
hour is considerably heightened while
mother and | combine forces to rush
the dishes and get ready to read the
home news. We also take a good
farm magazine and a fashionable
magazine or two which sometimes ar
riyes in the same mail, but our local
paper comes first in interest.
Bud arrives and deals out the
mail but the Reporter belongs to the
one who gets it first. Letters are
glanced over hastily then laid up for
another reading after we have finished
the weekly. The lucky one falls heir
to the first sheet while the next sheet
is passed to the first bidder. All
front page news OF interest about our
town or OF unusual occurrence are
read first. Recently letters from
our Representative Clyde II. Smith at
Augusta have been very interesting
and satisfactory. Appeals for advice
from our Representative to the peo-
pie whom they are serving is unusual
and square dealing like this should
be met by a hearty response by the
people of this community for whose
interests Mr. Smith is using his
knowledge and influence at the State
House.
Everybodys Column comes next and
this Is read aloud for the benefit of
all. Conversation usually ensues
with the result that some one or our
family of four registers Il decision to
drop a card or letter to an individual
or it may be firm whose advertise
ment appears in these columns.
The Editorial is perused and
appreciated A frequent remark is
made to the effect that we think the
Editor does not sometimes appropriate
as much space to himself as he
should He is in a position to be
posted on many subjects Of intense in
terest to the Reporters readers and
he has an unrivalled opportunity to
present them concisely to his read
ers. However we presume that our
Editor is rather a busy man and
though his editorials may sometimes
be short yet they are to the point
and usually live wire" topics OF the
day, and that is to a busy farmers
liking.
News from towns where relatives
or friends reside are next read and
il some items are thought to be of
interest to some friend who is not a
subscriber for the ependent-Re-
porter, the issue is sent to them as
soon as we all finish reading it. How
ever we generally keep three back
copies on hand for future reference
and for the advertisements.
Altogether we find our local paper
the Reporter, satisfactory in convey
ing the news and business OF Somer-
set County but We often wonder IL
the paper would not be more salts
factory to it's readers IL 1t devoted a
column or two to the unusual and
extremely interesting events OF our
present day social upheavals, in our
own country at least. Live wire
topics on the doings Of our 26th Div
ision. the president and other officials
who are directly responsible for bills
and decisions which are OF vital in
terest to our business would certain
ly be more appreciated than any
"reminiscences of the past, though di-
rectly connected with Somerset coun-
ty. We are living today, and present
day happenings concern our interests
far more than the past possibly can.
Though news OF this kind might of
necessity have to be merely a synop-
sis, yet We know that the business
manager OF the Reporter would find
column or two devoted to news from
our busy Capitols would be a good
investment and a good inducement to
possible subscribers. An arrange
ment OF this kind would be especially
satisfactory to the farmers and we
believe that they constitute a large
proportion of the Reporters subscrib-
ers. Farmers as rule do not take
daily and are therefore compelled
to depend on purchasing one from
town, as their trips to town are not
frequent they miss many issues and
are therefore deprived of many news
Of much interest
We sincerely hope that our editor
and manager will see their way clear