The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-11-29

bau, but he'd sure put in some
joker, 81 when I'm dead my chill
dren would have to hire him again
TO straighten out the tangle which
he slipped in for mat very purpose.
You'd have no object in Juggling it
up"
So | drew up a will for him. 1t
took quite 4 while, a couple OF
hours out of Il busy day, but | ex-
pceted good pay for my time.
When the document was finished
ard bound in legal-looking form,
the farmer thanked me, stuck the
papers in bis coat pocket and walk
cd out, chuckling over how the
lawyers had lost out. The office
force were likewise c~huckling over
how l had lost out.
We have filed out deeds and
mortgages and releases. But a few
years ago, when a business man
(the head Of a small manufacture
ing company came to me for as
Stance in filling his corporation
income tax blank-well, | am
afraid it cost me his friendship. It
Was the |proverbial straw, for |
had just spent the best part of
three days wrestling with our own
report, and about all | had accom-
pished was to write None" in
three or four places.
\ newspaper man always comes
in for a lot of cheap honors that
do not faze him in the least, unless
he is very new at the game. For
every movement of a public or
semi-public nature he is made
chairman of the publicity commit
tee, and he is frequently invited 60
be an Honorary Member" or an
"Hcnorary Vice President" and 10
lit on the PLATFORM He knows
the play. 1t is merely to Jolly him
along in order to get 4 little more
fIont-page space for the affair.
Then there IRE the people who
delight in trying to slip one over"
or the paper, and they deliberately
pass out transformation, to the
en- barassment of many others be-
sides the reporter. The practical
joker calls up the office and gives
al item that is all wrong. A
comomn stunt IS to announce the
engagement of some couple who
Uc is later learned) have just had
d quarrel.
One of the annoyances of every
newspaper office is the anonymous
communication. The busy editor
seldom reads one, but, no matter
how often attention may be called
to the fact that anonymous com
munications will not be printed,
they + sent in just the same. The
editor of a Chicago daily tells of
receiving an unsigned article from
the same person every day for over
six years. His unknown cores
pendent had never taken a vaca-
ton, never missed a day.
In spite of our best intentions
We sometimes get in wrong, and
there is no unscrambling the eggs.
A number Of years ago a lady in
the city where I was editing a pap
er was known to be an aspirant for
an office in the State Federation
OF Women's Clubs. She came in to
t3lK to US about it and requested
tina. we say nothing until her plans
were all made, and then she would
supply US with the particular in
formation that would be most help
full to her. We gladly complied
with her request, for we we're real
ly anxious to help her all we
could. Alas for good intentions. A
few weeks before the meeting of
The State Federation she brought
in her photograph for a cut, and
gave us a record of her activities
and achievements in club affairs.
We made the article strong, and
ourselves that it would
make a great hit, but in her eyes
it was nothing less than tragic. We
had made a fatal blunder by stat
ing that she had Announced her
candidacy" That is the way a mere
man would go about it, but a wor-
an-we afterward learned-never
arrounces that she is a candidate;
she consents to have her friends
present her name"