Editing Out West.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 77

Editing Out West.

He walked into the- sanctum sanctorum of the society editor, and wanted to see the grear man himself. That worthy, after a. careful scrutiny of the member of the public, camo out from behind the door and introduced himself. "Oh, you're the editor of this paper?" said the visitor. "Grand paper, yours, and no mistake!" "Every promise is faithfully kept," said the editor, bowing, "which is saying that this is the greatest moral show on oa-rth." "Yes," continued the visitor, seating himself in a chair, "I like your paper, especially the personalities. I suppose you have a little- trouble now and again over them?" "Yes; occasionally things are a bit livley," said the editor. "Ah! so I should have thought. Ever shot at by indignant individuals, eh?" "Only on publishing days. People get out their revolvers and cruise round here, but as their nerves are in an excited state their aim is unsteady; they never hit. Next day they get cool, and see tho paper isn't so very personal after all." "That's right," said the visitor. "You mustn't be- too personal, you know. That will never do. Keep up the moral tone of your journal, and don't be too personal. Now, I've brought you a little item for insertion, if you can manage to put it in. Just say this in your next issue; ' That red-headed, cross-eyed Ferguson is mean enough to steal a 1 piece of meat from a blind 1 boy's dog. Why doesn't he pay his tailor?' "Could you put that in?" "I'm afraid it's just a little too personal. Doesn't it strike you that way?" asked tho editor. "Too personal!" said the visitor. "Not at all; it's well deserved." "That may be," replied the editor; "but I fear I could not pass it. Have you any animiw against Ferguson?" "I? Not at all," retorted the other, indignantly. "But I want to know when, j he is going to pay for that suit of clothes." "Oh," said the editor, as a. light dawned in upon him, "then you, I presume, are Ferguson's tailor." "Presumotion perfectly correct." "Then I'm certain T couldn't pass it. I should advisfe you _to sue him in the county court. This journal is not an amateur trade protection society." "Isn't it?" cried the other, rising. "Then all I can say is that it is a swindle. What's the use of a paper if it can't make a. man pay his tailor's bill?" And the indignant tailor bounced out, and decried the journal to everybody as a j paper that, in his opinion, was far too personal.