The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-01-18
Howe About:
Smoking
Newspapers
Country Towns
By ED HOWE

AM an inveterate smoker. but get
no pleasure out of the habit.
have never owned satisfactory pipe.
used 4 tobacco that did not bite my
tongue. or been able to 1nd a salts
factory cigar. Sometimes. In smok-
ing an old pipe now, become as sick
as | did when a boy learning the
filthy habit Lately | tried
quitting. and the nuisance of quitting
was no greater than the nuisance Of
smoking In fact, little less l
shall try. the plan on some other Of
my bad habits. since | have long
preached that practice of good habits
Is easier than practice of bad onea-
In justice to myself | find cannot
read all the interesting things In the
newspapers. The editors and report
ers have become as entertaining as
the moving pictures. the radio. but |
have my living to earn, so | must cut
down on my reading, as l have been
compelled to cut down on smoking,
liquor. society. and other Of the more
agreeable things
-
A woman In my town was born In
Keokuk, Iowa. and lived there until
she came bride to Atchison, Kan
sas (my country town., where she has
lived to old age Keokuk Is her out
side world. 1t bounds all her reminIs-
cences. And she tells some interest
Ing stories about Keokuk. Lucy
Worthington. who married Henry
CleWs, the noted banker, lived there
as a girl, and now has palace In
Newport. the most exclusive colony In
magazine which sells for q dollar 4
copy. Rupert Hughes lived there ~
boy; In fact the Atchlson woman
gave him music lessons. I once 1t
tended a banquet In New York city.
and made d speech for nothing. Ct
heard later that irwin Cobb who pre-
sided. Is 80 witty and famous as I
toast master that he received a hum
dred and fifty dollars) Mr.. Cobb
considered Rupert Hughes 30 notable
man he invited him to speak. Mr..
Hughes had lately written Z candid
life OF George Washington, and In his
introduction the toast master said:
I'VE have with us this evening a gen.
tleman who, II he has not proved that
George Washington was the father OF
his country. Has at least proved that
he tried to be. Mr.. Rupert Hughes. Of
| Keokuk, Iowa" The more credltable
history Of the United States is the
history OF Its country towns and the
| farms surrounding them. cities are
largely commercial necessities coun-
try town people visit with regret,
and. while there, learn bad habits
from their inhabitants.
large number OF experts In edu-
cation lately met In convention and
made over the English grammar. The
decision OF a considerable majority
was that to make your meaning clear
Is the secret OF good punctuation. good
usage good speech and good writing.
According to these learned men II Ia
all right to say "all right and the
speaker who dares to say pretty
good" Is pretty good The old quarrel
between farther" and further" ends
In a draw. neither word Ia further
away from correctness than the other.
Mice" Is welcomed to nice linguistic
| society. So lis folks" So Ii Loan
me pencil" 1t Is proper now Ito
make date" and ito TAXI to the
| spot. We are told that proposition
Is perfectly proper word to end
sentence with We are advised that
we may split the inf1nitive all we
| like II our object In doing so is to
more clearly express our meaning.
And we may open our sentences with
conjunctons. The writer who has
spent lifetime In learning to be nice
| and refined In his technique will won
| der. the palnstaking are told. that the
old and dffidult distinctions between
shall" and will" are no longer Inn
portant. The copyreader who tor
years has patiently changed "provld-
ing" to provided" In sentences like
Il will 30, providing he stays" Will
1nd to his sorrow that he has wasted
| his time. An oId-fashioned rhetorician
coming home to the English depart
ment from his sabbatical year will dnd
strange company all over the place
| IL there La any virtue that works
| out well In practice, It Is the thrift
and stinginess Of the Scotch. Ameri-
cans are 50 liberal they use jokes on
| the Scotch In their propaganda to help
| everybody Harry Lauder once asked
friend: when can you 90 to break
| fast with me?" The friend replied
| quickly and greedlly: ANY time"
"All right" MFR. Lauder said. 'tomor-
| row morning, at your house"
You will recall that the great break
| fact m tho paluinpC Erapch Enyliuh