The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1938-02-17

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-e-o-
AS A BEGINNER IN THE NEWS
paper business, the writer was always puz-
lied by one apparent inconsistency between
policy and practice. In the same code with
the now famous when man bites dog
it's news definition there is rule which
pointedly warns publicity seeking reporters,
newspaper men aren't news" In conflict
with this rule we repeatedly observe column
lists selling their own expurgated diaries for
public consumption and in my own sphere,
the same editor who devotes three lines in
the locals to a subscribers journey may see
fit to bore his readers with hour by hour
descriptions of his own occasional escapes
from his editorial duties.
Being little travelled myself, | never
quite appreciated until arriving back in town
this week after an absence of two and one
half weeks why such stiplers for rules as
rural editors usually are, so frequently vlo-
late this well worded warning. The reasons
are these. Even in so brief an absence much
happens in any live community and the re-
cent absentee feels slightly out of touch
with things as he sets out to fill his allotted
two columns of editorial matter. A dozen or
so polite friends express kindly interest in
his trip and he Immediately hits upon the
"trip observations" idea as a legitimate
method of filling the space without resort to
the scissors employed in his absence. With
this preamble we offer observations on
Sunny" California based on what was nee
essarily brief sojourn.
WE QUOTED sunny" WHICH
leads up to the subject of weather. Los
Angeles was enjoying day which might
have been copied after one of ours in early
May on the day of our arrival, warm, fresh
and sunny. The next day it was foggy, hazy
they call it, while on the third day the fog
was so thick it ran several inches deep in
the cutters. During what we would call a
heavy rain on the fourth day, distinctly
heard Californian admit "it looks like
rain" while others stared as if he had COM
mitted treason. The weather thereafter
was quite decent.
PERSONALLY I HAVE WONDERED
for good many years just what California
has that other states lacked. Probably the
answer is press agentry. Not that staff of
cameramen and pretty girl subjects which
make Florida famous are responsible for the
unbelievable growth in population in South
ern California. Rather it is the personal
responsibility every citizen seems to take in
giving the locality boost on the slightest
pretext. A rainy day is unusual weather"
in California and every citizen you talk to
on such day will impress the idea upon
you Most any community and certainly
one with the attributes which are Minneso-
ta's could sell the state if it's citizens took
pains to do so.
We spent evening aoith L. R. EaDart
He aDiH be back in few a1eeks, healthier
than euer.
TIJEpr To uOu1EuIp TIJE nANCER
of overseeing. Some of the citizens South
ern California has gained were no loss to
their former home communities. The rapid
growth of Los Angeles gives it a sprawling
appearance and the desire for cheap sites
for cheap buildings has scattered the city far
and wide. Traffic is a greater problem as
a result since many drive long distances to
work over crowded streets. Graft is made
easy in rapidly growing center and the
number of new school buildings seen today
is explained by residents as the result of
former schools having collapsed during the
last big earthquake, due to construction de-
fects. Public buildings suffered more than
private ones in the shake and it was ex-
tremely fortunate that it came when they
were generally unoccupied.
1T WAS INTERESTING TO LEARN
that no buildings over Ii stories high are
allowed in Los Angeles, due to fear Of
quakes, although new schemes are said to
alleviate the danger from that source. Old
er sections of the city include homes built
along midwestern lines but generally the
Californian goes in more for appearance
than permanence. Stucco is the most popu-
lar outside material, applied to chicken net
ting tackled over cheap building paper. Fur
naces are out and with them Easements
while insulation is used only between walls
in better apartments for the elimination of
noise, not for protection from heat and cold
as here.
MUCH OF THE VICINITY is OVER
rich oil fields and unsightly derricks set al
most on top of one another in many places.
A new law provides that only one well can
be sunk per acre but even in good resident
ial districts one is not secure against the
erection of one of the towers and the noisy
drilling to a mile or two below the surface