Year: 1878

A SKETCH THAT NEWSPAPER MEN WILL UN-
DERsTAND.


The "local" may 60 on month in and
month out, never once getting name, date
or figure wrong, and not word of praise
will he get orit-no one seems to care tim
ker's blessing for it when it is done; but just
let him blunder, then he hears from the peo-
pie. They rise in their majesty and 60 for
his scalp. Some appear to make it their
business to 90 prowling and snu6ing through
their paper on purpose to search out errors,
both of commission and commission.


Having found some kind of mares-nest
they watch for you, paper in hand, and get
after you somewhat as follows: "Hey, 1
say, you! Look here. Do you know you
made horrible blunder in saying positively
as you did, that William Jones had the
great toe of bis left foot dislocsted? 1t was
the great toe of the right foot that was put
out Of joint-his right foot, sir; not his left
do you understand !" ,.-. .........-


The man eyes you over as if you had ruin
ed Jones and all his family for life. "Right
footl'' he cries, as you attempt to escape.
"The great toe of the right foot, and you
ought to make the correction !"


You are regularly caught, and connot say
word in defense of your published statement.
1t was your business and you cannot deny it,
to have been more particular in regard to
which of Jones' great toes it was that suf-
fered. You should not have been satisfied
with the evidence of one or two witnesses;
persons, too, perhaps, with whom you were but
slightly acquainted, and in regard to whose
veracity you had not the least knowledge.


These persons, for all you know, may have
had some sinister object-some malicious,
deep, and devilish design-in telling you
that it was the great toe of Jones' left foot
that was dislocated. It may be that Jones
lost the great toe of his left foot years ago in
trap while providing about some farmyard;
it may be that he has no left foot, even-leg
and all may have been amputated when he
was boy.


However, supposing him to still be in pos.
session of both legs and both feet, was it for
you thus lightly and fippantly to accept evi"
dence and satisfy yourself in regard to the
injury sustained by Jones-Mr. Jones2 How
is it, think you, with the suffering Jones and
Jones sympathizing family and friends ?
All ! it is serious matter with Jones, and
no trifing affair with his friends. We can
hear them sneeringly say, as they turn up
their noses and toss their heads:


"His left great toe, indeed Ridiculous!
How could the man be such fool?"


1t is, perhaps, the first time that Jones has
ever had his name in print in connection
with any little personal adventure or expe-
rience-in any other way than in a delin-
quent tax list, or among the arrivals and de-
partures-and now to have the main fact and
point of interest wrongly stated thoroughly
botched. Had the accident been properly
recorded, the paragraph might have been cut
out and pasted into scrap.book, where it
would have been occasionally referred to with
pleasure. As it is, the family can take no
pride in it. When they look at it they will
% unable to restrain feeling of sadness and
regret-the grand central fact-that it was the
great toe of the right foot, and not of the
left, that was dislocated, and will always
stare them in the face, and make the whole
thing swindle and fraud.


After this can you say that you should not
have been more particular in regard to what
you put in print about Jones' great toe?