The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-10-01
The Country Newspaper

which pertains to some new county
regulations governing the parking of
automobiles. The makeup man, it ap-
pears, is not so concerned with this
aforementioned. He has been making
up the Roseboro Tidings for twenty
five years. He knows what the folks
enjoy-fruit of their vine, when posi-
BILE. Human interest stuff, best of all.
For years he has been composing the
paper according to this standard: The
paper represents family-everyone
in town belongs to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ever vitality affects any member of
that family vitality affects the family
itself, hence the paper.
The makeup man reflects. "Once,
years ago." he remarks, when the ed
itor was very busy, so busy he could
not be disturbed, I found the paper
was to be too crowded that week with
news and l took out an item" He
blink significantly at the new editor.
'It was not wise thing to do. 1t
was an item, not quite so important as
this one about the dog, but it concern
ed a gift which the wife of one of our
respected citizens received from some
one on the other side, gift of ca
nary from the Harz Mountains. I
took it out, but it was not wise
thing to do" he repats. Gin that same
issue we quoted the woman's husband
on the possible effect which a new
property tax would have upon the
community.
"There was great dissatisfaction
following the publication of the paper
that week, particularly in one family.
First the wife of our respected citizen,
then the citizen himself, offered OBJ
jections to our last-minute judgment
in taking out the canary story. Far
better, they said, to have taken out
the story on taxes which, they ex-
planned, could have been postponed
until the week following. The canary,
on the other hand, having come all the
way from Germany, was spot news.
1t would bring flocks of visitors to the
woman's door. 1t was the home
touch"
The makeup man brushes away
bit of loose dust that has dropped
onto his metal page" which with its
reversed rows of type, makes it diff
ficult for the layman to read what is
perfectly plain to him after all these
years of experience. The makeup
man looks critically down at his work
manship, but modestly awaits the an
swer. He has done his best to pre-
serve the traditions of the Roseboro
Tidings. It is up to the editor now.
Editors, of course, have the preroga-
tive.
But all editors, it seems, are not
so eager to assert this prerogative.
This one hesitates. Then he puts a
direct question to the makeup man.
Respect is in his tones. Could some
thing else on this page be removed to
make way for the parking story?"
"That's just what was thinkin',"
replies the makeup man. eve could
take out this story about the new
furniture shop opening up. No one in
town knows this man as yet, anyway.
| We could"
The editor offered faint veto to
this. couldn't we shift that to Page
Three" he asks. After all, the OPP
ening of furniture shop is news.
"Sure," says the makeup man at
length, "I'll fix it. Well leave out this
about the ball game-it doesn't take
place until the twenty-eighth any
way. Next weekll be time enough to
run it."
The new editor enjoys moment of
earnest relief. The makeup man has
rushed his last bit of ontested copy
to the type-setter. In a short time the
presses will be going. The paper will
be published "as is" There will be no
more additions or deletions now. It's
too late for any new items. And the
reputation of the Roseboro Tidings,
onece more-at least with one Rose
boro housewife and one juvenile dog
owner-is perfectly safe.-M. K. in
the Christian Science Monitor.