For my money, some earned working on a daily newspaper, I rank editing a weekly newspaper the hardest job in journalism. That’s based upon my two weeks as the substitute editor of the Edna Herald.
Edna located 93.93 miles south of Houston. In the same Jackson county with Ganado, the town next door to Louise. Saying goes
…a man bound for Laredo, spent the night in Ganado. He slept, if you please, between Edna and Louise, and dreamed of El Dorado…
The Edna Herald covered Ganado subscribers also. But every Friday we printed in a larger town, nearby Victoria.
I got my part-time editing job because I taught journalism in Austin, but not all summer. Plus I bought half of the Edna newspaper with Fred Barbee who published in nearby El Campo. We made a deal with the seller to continue as editor. We also contracted for her to take a two-week vacation.
Fred gave me my editing orders. I arrived on Tuesday facing a Friday deadline when we delivered a paste-up copy to the Victoria Advocate so they could photograph and run on their offset printing press. We met the deadline.
Because I left town Friday afternoon to see the family in Austin, I was told I missed the Saturday morning coffee klatch at the drug store when the locals critique the edition. The chamber of commerce executive…once a White House military attaché to Eisenhower…let me know my failing.
The next week, I started editing Monday morning. On Friday morning I filled the Herald with late local news. Little League team lost night before. City voted to restrict fuel usage on vehicles. That morning, a refinery truck spilled gasoline at the drive-in-grocery. Took a photograph. I wrote and the ladies set in type before the Victoria printing deadline.
At the Herald, a flag goes up outside when papers arrive from Victoria. First buyer in was an old fellow who paid his 16 cents, then read near my desk. He huffed, didn’t look me in the eye, then proclaimed, “there ain’t any good news in this newspaper!”
Not long after the old man left, I left for Austin. Had heard enough. Missed drinking coffee at the Edna drug store next day.
Photo credit: congerdesign at Pixabay
