The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-06
EDITOR WRITES HIS FAREWELL
 BEFORE DEATH


 some one to have a premonition that death is near. It is, however, a most extraordinary occurrence for a man, who is apparently in the full pos session of his faculties, and who has no suicidal intentions, to know that before the dawn of another day he Beyond.
 Recently B. c. Ashcroft, editor of the Monroe (N. O. Enquirer, passed away. After his death there was found on his desk a farewell editor ial which was written on his last day in the office when he knew that he would never report for duty again, and that death just around the corner. It,,
 In his farewell editorial MT. Ash croft expressed his individual views and feelings about some things, but his attitude toward the public which he had tried faithfully to serve, is not so different from that of thou sands of other publishers of weekly newspapers. With that as a reason we reprint the editorial in full
 Many a time during he years gone by have I answered the call Of the man at the type-setting machine or at the case for copy. This is my last answer to that unstaying call copy.
 "The eyes of him who hangs the 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 iroOt sheet, for before it is set that hand 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 abound, not a bit of it. About the best thing to do is to be recon ciled-and if I am not reconciled what's the difference?
 "Was your uncle reconciled when he met death?" a long-faced lreacher asked a boy whose uncle had died.
 "The boy replied, Reconciled, h---l, he had to be-
 "Now this contemplation of un- bucklng the harness, of quitting the work I love, is calculated to bring on some sob stuff and it may be hat some of you like to read that kind of stuff-but I do not like to write it..
 For many years I have written copy for the Enquirer. l 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 sue cess floated full mast and that for them the bugle of vitcory was sound ing sharp and clear. SOrrowfully l have told of the griefs of our people. With a heavy heart aud an unWlll- ine hand I have told of death enter ing the homes of our people, of pain, sickness, suffering and loss coming to the people whose servant l have been in the way of furnishing them with the local events, good or bad, cheering or sorrow-lader, in our con- munity.
 q pass my pen to another hand. 1 wish I knew who will take my place here in the Enquirer office. I might tell him a few things that would be
 My work, as I 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-burd- ened shoulders, but there has not been a time when that hard old paw pressed down hard enough to crush to earth The night has not been so dark that there was not roW and then, between the clouds, tte glin- mer of the star of hope.
 My relations with the public have been pleasant. The public is not so good as the candidate for office tells it that it is, neither is it so absolutely bad as the defeated candidate thinks it is, and taking t year by year the public is pretty fair in it's dealing with the individual, at least I have found it so.
 q have mingled with our people ill public gatherings of about all kinds from preaching services to street brawls-but the bought comes street brawls-but the thought comes where I will be one of the number I will be the silent party at the gath ering, and at that gathering, no mat