Jasper Banner, Volume 1, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1854 — LEARNING TO BE AN EDITOR. [ARTICLE]

LEARNING TO BE AN EDITOR.

BY CARL CANTAB.

Some tinur since, when wo happened to occupy temporarily the editorial chair of a rural newspaper, .-.\ve wero-seated iu.the sanctum, ta&r sily engaged in looking over a pile of exchanges, when the office door was suddenly thrown open, and in stepped, a rough looking figure, of portentous height, clad in a coarse shirt of hpipespun. lie carried in his right hand a bundle enveloped in a red bandana. ‘ls this t|ie office of the Spunkville Galaxy?’ inquired our visitor. ‘Yes,’ we replied, with some curiosity as to the motive which prompted the visit. ‘You are the editor, I reckon?’ was next ventured in an'inquiring tone. ‘You are right.’ you sec. my name is Enoch Starbuok, and J live over to 4*lainville. I’ve been workin’ for Deacon Biggins this Summer. hayin’, but I found it was too hard work, and I reckoned I’d come- to you and see if you couldn’t give me a chance to edit a little. ‘Why,’ said we, taken somewhat aback at such an application from such ‘you know that it is -quite a difficult thing to learn to edit a paper. In short, it reqgircs education, judgment, and a variety of other qualifications.’ . t)b, as to that,’ replied Mr. Starbuck,‘l guess l kin satisfy you. I have attended school in our district for four winters, add kin read, write, and cypher like a Hnok.*"' T '] •;■

‘That is very Well, but you know one must be able to compose, as well us write. ‘Oh’ composition, you mean.— Well, I luive written them gome. l ‘Could vou show me a specimen?’ ‘Yes, I brought one on purpose—the one what 1 wrotfi-on leavin’ Bat* ?y —she’s my girl, you know—this muruiu?. - "“Siiia itkeTTfleftfir.. 1 ““ :r ~ rrr " : Air. Starbuck pulled from ids pocket a crumpled piece of paper, and began to read at the top ol bis voice the following lines. When you read thiswroj*- " My Betsy dear, Your Enoch will be gone away; lie couldn’t no more in ITainyillc stay. M v Bctjy dear, 1 want you to be mine this year. Ami"don’t you take up with that rascal Soth Jones, For be’B a rascal ami Tuvmisftike, And 111 certainly break his bones. My pen is poor, my inkis pale, My love for you shall uever fail.—Esoch St.uilttCK." ’ You see? Ttaid Mr. Starbuck, T didn’t rite the last lines—Shakspur, or some rich feller did it —but till the rest is my own ritin’ and composing NVhatlld you thijik of it?’ ‘I think,’ said I, ambiguously, ‘that it is equal to any thing iu that line 1 ever heard!’ - J —' ~ Z ‘I thought you’d say.so,-rind font's the advantage 1 have over Seth Jones —he can't rite poetry, •no how. — Well, old feller, what do you say now? m you think i could edit some?’ T am not particularly in need of an assistant just now,’ said 1. ‘but perhaps yoULiuight as well sit down and try your hand at writing an-edi-lorial. it would give me a better idea of your powers than—than the very pathetic verses which you have just recited. Let me see. You might write an article on Turkey—l suppose you are posted upon that subject!’ ‘1 reckon I am,’ was the‘reply. ‘Well, you can sit down at this tljF ■We, ‘and write, whtlo Lana--goite-ouL. I have to make, a call on business? ‘That’s it, old hoss. I'll do it tall. Y ou kin depend on that.’ Placing his hat on the floor, he leaned over the table, and clutching the pen in a- vice-likc-grasp, went to work. We left for a while, our chief business being Ao get some place where we could enjoy a hearty and unrestrained laugh at the oddity of our would-be assistant. On returning, half an hour afterwards, Mr. Starbuck handed us the following article, with the remark that he guessed it would do. . We had informed him previously, that if was the custom for editors to use the word we, instead of 1. The article ran as follows: •TußKey.—Turkey—is—uncommon good eating. It is bettor than' salt pork and rich kinds of meat by a long chalk. We like Turkey best when it’s roasted, though some folks like it biled the best. Turkey is very expensive, and that’s the reason why people in genera! don't have them oftener th a ifTh an ksgi vin g. Trrrktesis a very interesting animal when they are alive, Betsy and,we have of'teiWtlTiVen them to water. Not having any more to say on this subject we will stop.’ ‘That’s very good,’ remarked I, gravely,‘but you have made a little mistake in the subject. I meant to have you write about the country of Turkey. You know they expect there’ll be war there by-and-by, so that it will be of interest? ‘dm that’s the idea, is it?’ said Enoch, scratching his head. ‘I kinder forgot how it’s bounded, as it is some tirrie since I-went to school,but if you’ll tell me that, I’ll write all I kin remember. I say, hav’nt you got a story goggrify round here?’ ‘On the whole,’ 1 said I, ‘Mr. Starbuck, I jdon’t think there is any need of ari assistant just yet. So I won’t trouble you to write the article. But if there should be a time when I stand in need of one, I will certainly think of you.' 1 was quite safe in promising this. How could I forget him? ‘Then you hain’t got any thing for me to do?’, said he with an air of disappointment. ‘Not just now? Mr. Starbuck backed out of the office; first leaving us a copy pf his lines recorded above, for publication. \Vq have since heard that he has nearly completed a volume of poems, which it is his intention? to offer to seine publisher. -*'

We do not feci any hesitation in saying that if publis/wd , they will make a decided impression. While we have among us such men as Enoch Statbuek. we have no reason to complain of the dearth of native talent.