Year: 1868




WhileAwe are free to admit that there are
fascinating interests surrounding the editor
of a local paper, yet there is very much to
perplex, try and chagrin. One of the
bright features Of the business, is the fact
that he has access to, and is surrounded
with the news aud intelligence Of the world.
We are told that ''to the making of books
there is no end, ;" and this may be very apt
ly applied to newspapers. While our large
cities have their scores, almost every coun-
ty in the Northern States has its one OF
more papers. The editor of paper ofany
notoriety can, and does, have access to
scores, and, if necessary, hundreds of those
| of all shades, conditions and isms. These
contain the diversified talents of hundreds,
and, perhaps, thousands Of minds, of all
hues, from the brilliant down to the dull
and iusipid. We feel as though we were
hszarding nothing by saying that our A
merioan newspapers Of the day exhibit
more real brilliant plodding talent than is
| to be found in our American books. As
| Greeley correctly remarked years ago, in
speaking of editing newspaper, that what
is worth doing at all is worth doing well,
and that he would bestow as much labor
and talent on a small paper, it was all he
could publish, according to its demands
upon him, as one published in the metrop-
oils. This is doubtless the correct idea
aud it is encouraging to see how much i'm
provement has been made upon our local
papers within the past twenty years. To
merely publish paper is not enough but
to make it a success is the highest aim.
This is truly hOnoring to a great nation like
! America, and is an unmistakable token of
national and individual prosperity. To en-
Joy the luxury Of this talent, prosperity and
| progress is the feature of an editors life [;
but there is a dark side to the picture,
which saps the sweet from this honey side.


The editor rises from his couch in the
morning, after sleepless and thinking
night. to 90 forth to his daily toll, as the
OK goes to the plew. We presume there
are hundreds of persons who are ready to
say, if I could have as easy times as the edi-
tor ofsuch and such papers would give the
world. IF the editors referred to fully dis
charge their duties to their patrons, their
tolls and perplexities are equal TO those ol
any other class Of persons Of earth, we care
not what their calling is. Look for a mo-
mant; take the paper with one thousand OF
five thousand subscribers, and the editor
must, in order to be successful, consult
their feelings and eschew his own. He
knows better than another can know, how
exceedingly hard it is to suit the taste, de-
sires and Whims Of al these. One says
you have too much politics; another, you
you have too many stories another, you
do not publish poetry enough another. you
publish too much poetry another, you dc
not tell rs enough about the fashions an
other, you don't Wriie enough another. you
write too much, We would rather have more
selected matter and not so much original
another, your correspondence is too IoBe
and dry another, you have too much OF toe
little to say abou: the liquor question, and
on the ussef tobacco another, you have toe
many advertisements in your paper (neveI
stopping to think that this is where the
bread aud butter comes frOm). DO, DC
We might multiply such objections almost
indefinitely, but these win suffice to illus
trate our point.


What other business is there that re-
quiFe anything lie the same amount Of pa