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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1929-5-15, Page 3TH RlJ5S1 And when millions like it better It must be so.' Pr 'Fresh from the garden' VOSOR ONE-HORSE WEEKLIES PROBLEMS AND HUMORS OF NEIGHBORHOOD JOURNALISM PROBLEMS AND HUMORS NEIGHBORHOOD By Bruce M. Pearce, Editor of the Simco( Reformer, in Toronto Saturday Night. 1 am the One -Horse Weekly. Once a week, 52 times a year, I go out into the surrounding community where I am eagerly devoured by those who cherish me. I know nothing about what is go- ing on in the outside world. Those who want to read about happenings In Japan, Greenland, Russia, Aus- tralia, or even in the -Dominion where I am published, will have nothing to with me because I do not concern if with things outside by own I have a few thousand readers o care for me. Their love is e. I tell them each week what neighors are doing. If George has purchased a new Ford, if er Jones has just shipped a load ogs, if the Jonesese entertained it friends, the Browns, to dinner unday, or if Harold. Johnson got ty bushel to the acre from his ead of oats, that is news for me, and hasten to spread the glad tidings. mong my readers. G Or if in the town where I do my work, the civic father are wrangling about whether Carter & Richardson, boot -makers, should be allowed to in. stall a curb gasoline pump in front of their premises, if one of the churches is going to have a bazaar, if Herb Walker appeared before the beak for the 'steenth time on a charge of being inebriated, could not c pay his fine and was 'men ten days in the common jail, if the town fath- ers refuse to permit the streets to be cleaned on the sabbath, if a fund is needed to clean up one ex the delapi- dated cemeteries near town, if the Stop by-laws :are being broken by reckless motorists, if an outhouse on Jack Winter's place caught on fire and burned down a few nays ago, if the charity dance last Friday night was a success or if it looks as if there would not be an election for school trustees—well, this is "meat" for me: I fill myself to evorflowing and'my readers simply "eatmealive." I have a few big city advertisers who appreciate my worth anca some- times take a whole page of me. But 1 exist mainly for my local mer- chants. They know what I mean to them, for I carry their messages to all their customers and on Saturday, when I glance down the street I see hundreds of'my readers flocking to buy goods from my business men. That does my heart good, because 1 know then that my advertisers are getting more money to spend on are next week. One or, two of the big business men take a whole page, sometimes e two of me every week, if I have 'room for then. Once in' a while 1 • have had to increase my .twelve :pages or sixteen to accomodate them, but 'I don't do that very often because it is expensive and I must make a liv- ing. l Then I usually have about twenty fair-sized ads, and a few , small ones. Besides I am accustom - ed to appear with ball a column or so of coming events on my front nage. 111verbody 'reads these be- cause there may be something in them that they shouldn't mise, such as a chicken pie supper at the Bap- tist church or the Cliristmoe eencel't • at the community hall or the big square dance up at Waterville the next night. My biggest job is to please all classes of people. Because, in i our, town you see, we have bankers and preachers, lawyers and hard- working men, merchants and me- chanics, .doctors and janitors, yes, nearly every sort of profession is represented. If I am not careful some of them will tunk.1 an talking down teethern ; if I make grammati- cal error, the higher minced will call ole an uneducated fool and whorl;' unfit even to be a 'One Horse Week- ly. If some of tree elueriy ladies of the community cannot find the re- port of their quilting bee, then I am likly to be called bitter names and to be accused of showing partiality, Unlike the big city daily, where there are many Horses, there is only one of inc and I have constantly to be on nay best behaviour or I will hoar about it. Once a week, every Thursday I go to press. Sometimes 2 am some- what delayed because one of my best merchants brings his advertising copy in at the last aninute and de- clares that I must get this ad. in or he will quit using me. Only Iast week I had six telephone calls just as I was about to turn over the first time. Several of them were my read - ors who had forgotten tot send in a bit of news. But one of them was my good friend, Rosenburg, who had just made up his mind to put on a fire sale. I told him there was only a quarter left, and even then I would have to leave out my feature article about the corn borer scare. By this time the change had been made, 1 was fully an hour behind Ume. I'was nearly desperate because you know 1 publish three thousand copies of my- self every week and I must be in the mail on time or my readers will not sleep. I had just got going good when one of my traces broke, a column of personal items slipped out of place and I would have been wholly wreck- ed If I had not stopped running just in the nick of time. I lost another half-hour repaving the damage, but ,.m.. 3 POST WEDNISD Y. MAY A Baking Expert says; "Poe lisht cakes that keep moist los' days, use 1 table- spoon less per cep o fPur]ty if your recipe calls for ordinary pastry or soft wheat flour," Still the Boat for Bread Send 30c he stamps for the famous Pierity Flour Cook Book, Western Canada Flour Mills Co. Limited, Toronto. 84, fortunately things went along smooth the rest of the day, and 1 just barely caught the mails. , After my work is done for the week I usually spend the time pon- dering upon hew I amu received by my readers. I know that some of jthena enjoy me because there is al- ways a line up outside on Thursday morning when they hear me getting ready to turn over once every Thurs- day, once on Friday, ane then put me away for Sunday reading. Of cource I realize that my editor• ial column pains some of my readers ' because it is frequently necessary for race in the course of my duty, to com- ment upon such matters as the high 'tax rate levied by the town council the terrible condition of town streets or county roads (everyone is natur- ally touchy about his work, an the roadmaker is no exception), or per- haps I have made some comment in- imical to the interests or one of the political parties (I try to be strictly independent). If, I have appeared with some item of news which the Ipalty concerned did not want pub- lished, then he is sure to "high -hat" me on the street or come to my place of business, if he is brave, and make dire threats to my face. Occasionally terrible mistakes have crept into any pages. Certain words , have been mispelled which I would almost have given one year of my life to have prevented. Like the roadmaker, errors always touch my vanity. I have sometimes come out qFIRE nearby—a strong Wind'driv- -". ing the flames to renewed fury— suddenly, a blazing brand hurled on your roof! How many families have been 'made homeless ,through this vicious combination! How many lost their clothes, their furnishings.—even their lives! To remove this hazard once•and for all, progressive home owners are now insisting on fire -safe roofs. That is why so many use Brantford Asphalt Slates -t -because sparks and embers cannot ignite them. Flaming brands die out harmlessly on their slate- , coated surface. 4o a This security is vital to your peace of mind—yet you get it at little extra cost when you select Brantford Asphalt Slates. You also -get perman- ence, rich and varied colour harmonies and freedom from roofing trouble. In most communities the reduced insurance on buildings roofed with . Brantford Asphalt Slates is itself a convincing reason for using these / handsome, heavy shingles. Inspect' them at your dealer's, and write for t A��t our booklet "Beauty With Fire Pro-. ec` f tection"—an authoritative treatise on' 'CI the proper type, design, finish and ' colour for your roof. Aar 1 �4VveR°se0e000'11tQ 0 01 le 49'0 14 ` t 1 tep ,p t 00 BraY flit 3 shi Brantford Roofing (be, Limited, Head Office and Factory, Brantford, Ont. Brandt Oi ca asd Warehotpta. et 'reroute, Windsor, Witrclprg, Mooned, HoJlfax and Saint john, N.B. .FOR SALE EY Tilton & Gillespie - Brussels Charles F. Hansuld Ethel with "Mr." instead of "Mrs.", or more horrible still, "Mrs." instead of "Mies." -Then 1 am in real trouble. Once or twice I have even had my headings mixed, having a highly ludi- crous effect and giving me no little concern, Fortunately 1 am not both- ered with telegraphic news, and since I am acquainted with the view of the Premier in my Dominion on such a vital subject as immigration, I am rarely caught giving credit to the wrong Premier. I have, however, credited a roadmaster with a certain excellent piece of work which he hail nothing to do with. The other road - maker then stopped taking me alto thohsands of cones nt+ re; for mss• takes every week. Tut instance, 1 will just cite a few of the multi• numerous duties veinal inuet be ay. coulplishetl each time before 1 fluent myself in the face of may 'eager pub - 1]e. I have about thirty people in the different country districts who cover the rural nates for ole, While they co-operate splendidly they are given to using about 25 different types of lead pencils et have no stenographic correspondents), most of which are of the hard type atilt as many different kinds of paper. 1 might say here, too, that one of my advertisers is accustomed to writing his acts. on dark brown wrapping paper. In spite of the fact that I have supplied him with pure white paper, he persists in this, greatly to my annoyance. One of my writers is a tissue paper addict, and while her letter fomes are decipherable, often mealy words aro wholly obliterated where the pen- cil has slipped through the paper. This likewise annoys me. Others in- sists on using both sides of the copy tlth, 1920, NOW the good'!people are asleep and the solemnity 'of darkness enables me to form high sounding pinions on mat• tors of profound municipal import, Should it be necessary to elaborate further on the onerous character of my duties or to explain why I make mistakes? The funny or rather tragic side of the situation is that 1 go out to my admirers every week feeling that 1 am, just about perfect and that the most searching aeruttny will fail to reveal a single flaw. Poor innocent One Horse Weekly, with your sub- lime confidence in your infalli. bility 1 No sooner have 1 sent my weekly 3,000 on their mission of mental en• lightenment and stimulation man one of my merchants metes in q'rte our: of breath and completely speechless from fury,,to annoyance that 'Horror of Horrors,' his adverticment IS missing from the paper. Hasty search reveals the ghastly truth of his asser- tion, for in the rush of press day laic ad. had been left prostrate on its gal- ley. Hardly have the threats and iln- precarions of this enrages patron lost their( sting than one of my maidenly subscribers appear on the scene, op. ens wide a copy of me and pointing to nay columns of "Items` of Long Aero"' furiously demands what busi- ness have I to :publicly state the data of her (birth. What an ignoramus ant 0 never to have learned that womaa,'a age is her own deep dark secret! As the lady sweeps wrathfull from my presence, behold I ane con -1 fronted by one of any oldest friends. But his countenance did not shine with amiabillity. Ht: wants me 10 know that he was not in any respect to blame for that, motor accident, It w yes of Blue -`-true to yea Eyes of Gray —idvc whilcaway What are YOUR eyes saying today 1 Your eyes have tgo voles, but they speak — they show moods and temper. 'They do more they show your physical condition. Are they clear, brisl,c sparkling with health—or dull, with a yellowish. tinge to the whites? This yellowish tinge is the signal of intestinal sluggishness— auto.Intoxicadon end liver trouble. Tron'r neglect this warning of poor health to follow. 03 Try a regular daily course fora short d Yegetwtle period, stoureycswilt roll the story, Product Read about Character front the Ryes in future Beechamdaverrtrooreuts, Sates Agents: Harold F. Ritchie & Co., Limited, Toronto 51a in my pages, and lo, the wrath of the gods descend upon me. And so it goes. But, in spite of my !many trials and tribulations, I continue tto appear ev- ery week to the evident delight of the majority of my readers. Their confidence and approval make me proud • to be a One -Horse Weekly, even although eome ;ravens have de- predated my usefulness. 1 feel that I am performing n : c rwleo to my com- munity . which no other instrument can do. If I make life a bit happier paper which is actually taboo even was all the other fellow s fault and and more worth -while for my readers with One Horse Weeklies. One oar- my contemptible insinuation: must I do net then' van what they say a- respondent, a preacher, deliberately be withdrawn in the next issue, bout me. writes the wrong way on the paper Have I neglected the name of Mrs. I may he only a One -Home Week - despite my reiterated warnings. An- X among those who poured the tea el ]y, but in my own opinion, if I may other apparently never leaves his yesterday's social funetionr So a say so, I am SOME horse. own immediate vicinity, because the .. r steel informs ,n owe r the r. same half-dozen people are featured in his budget every week. I have hail many complaints about this and finally I even gave the job to a wo- man who had been one of the loud- est complainants, She proved a run- ning mate for her predecessor, be- cause her steins dealt exclusively with her immediate friends and their relatives, to the utter exclusion of all other residents of the community, and particularly those who had here- tofore played such a pronanent role in the news. After several of my subscribers had forsaken me. I re- turned the position to its former in- cumbent because he needed the free subscription which went with it. Enough of my trouble with my family of writer:, who do their best but often bring much grief upon my (lead. As I have ah•e;:dy :aid, late advertising ropy is one or mer great- est banes and often result. in co-tly errors. Figures trouble ole at the best of tinges, but when they tome at rush hours I am nonplussed. On dif- ferent occasions I have offered on behalf of an advertiser candy. at 52.90 a pound instead of 29c ; a suit of clothes for $S instead of $313 ; ladies' underwear at $10 per garment instead of 51 and so forth. Once I was sued by an hungry advertiser for his loss by reason of such mistake, but the judge held me m favor Veen ii• my coense1 pronunced the v, iw that a One Horse Weekly could not tae ex- pected to guarantee the correctness of a last-minute adverticment. But, teeny, I cannot more intelli- gently set forth the multitudinous; possibilities for error than by des- truction what a vast array of work and concentration goo: into my com- position every week. Firstly, all my type must he set, proofed read and corrected In 0 12 -pare paper, uch as I nm it has been estimated there are 2,159,x$:3 chances for mistakes each week. On top of that are the ehances chancesthat my news may be wrong In some pal -tint - lac before it gets into typo. -Many puhlie ellen are prone to say one thing when they meats another, and if their admit words are nrieted, al ea for the poor One Horse Weekly. '1 h Some weeks T's' a staergc'ring 1;>t of continually activities to cover. Fro example last week I had the town 1•it: council, the county council, the Po- lice court, the General Sessions, the beekeepers' organization, the ]lone and School, the Rotary Club, three anniversary servicer in a church on Sunday, the Masonic. Lodge, the Hos. pital Board's annual meeting, with two funerals and one. tragedy thrown in for good measure. In addition, 1 meet prevent nt a court.• of re -elle nc of personal items, tracking down those who have 'defter. and these who are name- ; a complete list of mo- torists who are in troiale end cit. izr ns who have violated the L. C. A. sj �;,, t. . in my leisure hours (what a travesty. on that benign adjeetivel) T must dig into old copies and tell mo readers ( 1tee t what they were doing fifty years ago, of perchance they had made their in- itial bow into this august world so early in history. My editorial col- umn is written late at night when all 'phone. j Stranger -1s that your new public The next week a fabricated report school over there? of a mythical wedding, contributed Waggish Citizens— Yes, that's our by some irresponsible rascal, appears Chamber of Commas. a t~,;� � z '7Tm-,e to "-The Pl.:, of Firestone" Ec-rte',.:::og Night & P. '.,". - t 42 Stokers—vric Nei ort 7. lvrve -a .14 from your • Cyour tire to 'Si,' r car , k 4 ealt.'tr"" 574 c � 1 _. _.. t?it`3 ill FieeteTe ` _.ii c'r today. ....ma. risoney. LIMITEID Se„ .1 01077 }. ilds the (Ealy et r'�`•�cA, 1EEp• =sec Ge B. McIN II YRE DEALER — — BRUSSELS