Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1922-06-29
HIS LAST COPY

its not being puDlSneu dL HOie
timely season-but We did not know
he had ever written such an article -
Monroe Enquirer, June 10, 1927
Many time during the years gone
by have I answered the call of the
man at the type-setting machine OF
at the cease" for copy" This is my
last answer to that unstaying call
copy"
The eyes Of him who hangs this
COPY on the hook will not, after it is
set, read the proof for they will be
death dimmed. The hand that wrote
it will not mark the errors on proof
sheet, for before it is set that hani
will be cold, numb and cunningless
in the grave.
The thought of laying aside my
pen-and that forever-is a stagger-
ing one, but there is no use to vince
nor cry aloud, not bit of it. About
the best thing to do is to be recon
ciled-and if l am not reconciled
what's the difference?
"Was your uncle reconciled when
he met death?" q long-faced preacher
asked a boy whose uncle had died.
The boy replied, HI he had to
be-"
Now this contemplation of un-
buckling the harness, Of quitting the
world l love, is calculated to bring
on some sob stuff and it may be that
some of you like to read that kind
of stuff-but I do not like to write
it.
For many years have written
copy for the Enquirer. / have told OF
the successes of our people. l have
gladly told of their joys and it has
been a delight to me to chronicle the
fact for them the banner of success
floated full mast and that for them
the bugle of victory was sounding
sharp and clear. Sorrowfully l have
# the griefs of our people. With
a 6ss>R heart and an unwilling hand
l havS told of death entering the
homes of our people, of pain, sick
ness, suffering and loss coming to the
people whose servant I have been in
the way of furnishing them with the
local news. But no more will l talk
of the events, good or bad, cheering
or sorrow-laden, in our community.
/ pass my pen to another hand. ]
wish / knew who will take my place
here in the Enquirer office. l might
tell him few things that would be
of interest, if not of benefit to him.
My work, as 1 have intimated, has
been pleasant. There have been, OF
course, times of gloom. The paw OF
old "hard-times" has, now and then
pressed painfully hard on over-bur-
dened shoulders, but there has not
been time when that hard old paw
pressed down hard enough to crush
to earth. The night has not been Sc
dark that there was not now and then.
between the clouds, the glimmer OF
the star of hope.
My relations with the public has
been pleasant. The public is not as
good as the candidate for office tells
II that it is, neither is it so absolutely
bad as the defeated candidate thinks
1t is, and taking it year by year the
public is pretty fair in its dealing
with the individual, at least | have
found it so.
! have long since come to the con-
clusion, however, that the editor who
pets the public is fool and the edi-
tor who fears the public has broad
streak of cowardly, yellow cut in his
makeup.
l have mingled with our people in
public gatherings of about all kinds
from preaching services to street
.brawls-but the thought comes that
at the next gathering Of the people
where | will be one of the number
will be the silent party at the
gathering, and at that gathering no
matter what is said or done l will
make no objections, but | do hope
that on that occasion no self-appoint-
ed saint, who claims to know all
about the other world and knows so
;hitle about this world that he wearieS
"a part of its inhabitants almost to
death when he speaks, will make an
ass of himself by Illuminating" over
me and airing my many failings-a
thing he did not have the nerve to do
publicly while / was il the land of
the living. Neither do / want any
"sugar-mouthed" individual who nev-
er had any kind words for me while
I was toiling along the best l could
to come and say pretty nothinGs over
my rotting remains" And you folks
who have taken delight in throwing
rocks at me when l was not looking,
for Gods sake, keep your flowers off
of my gravel do not need them.
, would like to leave message to
my business associates-the boys in