Douglas Island news., 1921-04-15
THE OLD HOME
 TOWN NEWSPAPER
Where Is the Country Editor Who Hammered the Words "Independ-
 nt Fearless and Free"}

change.
 What has become Of .tho homo town editor who printed beneath Che heading of "Tbo Jones County Banner" Che words "Iudopoudeut fearless and froo." and rcmblcd in fear when Che depot agent told him he would have to pay $3 before he could gct hla patent iusidea out of Che express 6lico2
 You remember hot not an Che homo town paper had chat phrasc. you say2 Some had "Hew to Che limo. lot Che chips al where thcy mays others. "Our liberties we prize and our rights we maintain" But mono. not one. had any liberties or any rights or independence or freedom when Che weekly bundle of patent ns.dcs camo just before press day marked "C. O. D. S3."
 And do you remember those lean weeks. when there wasn't much ucws. chat yc editor would writc Ict- tem to himself and print them. just uho they came from some subscriber. and then uso up a column or 80 an- swor.ug thom2 And Che circulation. according to yo editor. was 2.O00. but it was really 275. because you could run It al o6 on Che Washing ton hand press n less chan two houra
 You used Co hcar dad talk about Che hcav editorials n tho home town paper Discussion Of world topics and politics and everything but religion. which was let alone because it was supposed to sur up trouble and get advertisers Go take out tbc.r ads and stops their sub- sarpuoua
 And how yo editor emphasized his arrumonu' Hayc you forgotten tbat small capitals wore for special notice capitals very important ial- .os to show Che profound wisdom Of the editor but exclamation points -that was % crisis. wasn't it2 And when thc editor used two OF thrco exclamation pouu which Che tramp printer foreman called "scrclmcrs something awful was intended.
 And editors roasted each other every week. Columns Of wasted ink on snacc hat belonged by right to thc readers And thu called each other "cur-" and "meaks." and printed an Che things they ever did and didn't And each editor was afraid ol tbc other and would go to thc posto0icc on press day. unobsory- cl where possible get Che rivals papor fresh with tbo damp Of Che 'weuIu' down" and see what had been said. And do you remember how tlc tramp printer foreman sometimes kept sober for three months2 And thcn ou press day whom you had smcarcd che ink out Of Che koe with Che long-hanllcd paddle on One ink stone and were roady Co do your part Co get Che man- killer hand press started Hank Wright came i'm and said Che printer was drunk n John Gompcrts saloon m Che basemont2 And sound aslcop2
 And how Che homo paper wrote up thc parties and tbc sociabIcs. The language was SO strong i'm Che way Of compliments chat Che women hardly dared to lot thc editor know about any moro parties Every young e.rl thcrc was beautiful every yoi- mtcor singer had sympathy In Che voice. and tlc young men got o0 witch Che conventional black"
 And Che time Che tramp printer witch rcd whIskcrs who sent s2 a month to Che Louisiana state lottery and never drew a prilc In ten years. got mad because he was Aired and
 ncakcd into Che oG.cc at night and stole aI Che "rs" and "t's' out of Che body type. And Che trouble .hc editor had In explaining it in a special notice Go subsorIbc-s2 You have forgotten how it road9 But you remember Che last paragraph2 "Tbis Is no joquo to us. it is @ scri- ous aphair"
 And do you remember Che print- or's devil. Che dirty boy whose dn- ger ups were always iukstained and his iacc slrcakcl and he mellcd like pcrp.rIue garage mechanic that has just crawlcd from under % uvcrg And hc was always getting Che town boys Go come up and see Che type lice? And hc urged thcm Go bond closo over thc columns Of type and ho would squeeze water in Che opening and suddenly push Che typo upward. spurtIng tho water into their faces? And he got licked for it when Che town follou caught him on the street