The Nome nugget., 1923-06-30

a most extraordinary occurrence for a man, who is apparently in the full possession of his faculties. and who has no suicidal intentions, to know that before the dawn of another day he will have passed into the Great Beyond.
 Recently B. C. Ashcroft. editor of the Monroe (N. C.) Enquirer, pass ed away After his death there was found nhis desk 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 was just around the corner.
 In his farewell editorial Mir. 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 thousands of other publishers of weekly newspapers. With that as a reason we reprint the editorial in full:
 Many a time during the years gone by have I answered the call of the man at the typesetting 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 dmmed. The hand that wrote it will hot mark the errors on proof sheet, for before it is set that hand will be cold, numb and cunn- ingless 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 I am not reconciled what lne QlHeTeHce.
 Was your uncle reconciled when he met death?" long faced preach CT asked a boy whose uncle had died.
 "The boy replied. 'Reconciled, h-l. he had to be.
 Now this contemplation of un- buckIing the harness, of quitting the work I love, is calculated to bring on some sob stuff and it may he that 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. I have told of the successes of our people. I have gladly told of their joys and it has been a delight to me to chronicle the fact for them the banner of suc- cess fioated full mast and that for them the bugle of victory was sound ed sharp and clear. Sorrowfully have told of the griefs of our peo- p1e With heavy heart and an unwilling hand I have told of death entering the homes Of our people, of pain, sickness, suffering and loss coming to the people whose servant I have been in the way of furnish ing them with the local events, good or bad, cheering or sorrow-laden. in our community.
 "I pass my pen to another hand, wish knew who will take my place here in the Enquirer office. I might tell him a few things that would be of interest. if not of benefit to him
 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 burdened 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 so dark that there was not now and then. between the clouds the glimmer 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 il so absolutely bad as the defeated candidate thinks it is, and taking il year by year the public is pretty fail in it's dealing with the individual. al least I have found it so.
 q have mingled with our people in public gatherings of about all kinds from preaching services to street brawls-but the thought comes where will be one of the number I will be the silent party al the gathering. and at that gather