Madison County Democrat

WORTHY OF PRINT
Washington, D. C., November, 1952-
High among the
nostalgic tributes to the press that were brought forth during
the recent National Newspaper Week, is, we believe, the verse
of John Lair, the bard of Renfro Valley, Kentucky.
While it was heard over the air, we believe this Renfro
Valley ballad should be presented in a less perishable manner.
And, with the permission of Mr. Lair, we give you herewith the
opening verses of "The Hometown Paper". We do not know
what paper the poet had in mind, or even whether it still exists.
Thus, while it was not (necessarily) written of this newspaper
. . . well, if you think the shoe fits, we'll try to wear it:
"We never realize how much the hometown paper means
Till we have wandered far away from the old familiar scenes,
And then it's just as welcome as a letter from a friend.
We read it through from front to back, from beginning to the
end
And when we see the names in print of folks we used to
know,
A flood of tender memories will set our hearts aglow.
"We remember how that paper was a standby in our home,
And how we'd scramble for it just as soon as it would come.
Sis looked for all the personals; Dad read the livestock news;
Grandad liked editorials - if they sided with his views!
But Mother never seemed to have a part that she preferred,
She just sat down, when she had time, and read it every
word."
Speaking impersonally, for all "hometown papers", we be-
lieve that no matter what advances are made in typesetting
and printing equipment and in the gathering and transmis-
sion of news, the hometown editor's attitude toward his job
and his responsibility to his community will never change. He'll
keep on striving to make his paper important enough in your
life so you'll "read it, every word". Look for more of "The
Hometown Paper" next week.