The unconscious humors of country journalism, says William Allen White, are often more amusing than the best efforts of the alleged “funny man.”
According to Mr. White there once appeared in a Kansas paper the following “personal notice”:
“Our prominent townsman Theodore Monkton is seriously ill. He is being attended twice a day by Doctor Smith, in consultation with Doctor Morgan. His recovery, therefore, is in great doubt.”
A crowd of small boys were gathered about the entrance of a circus tent in one of the small cities in New Hampshire one day, trying to get a glimpse of the interior. A man standing near watched them for a few moments, then walking up to the ticket-taker he said:
“Let all these boys in, and count them as they pass.”
The man did as requested, and when the last one had gone, he turned and said, “Twenty-eight.”
“Good!” said the man, “I guessed just right,” and walked off.
The editor of a rural newspaper determined to adopt the idea of posting bulletins on a bulletin board for all important events that happened in the town. Soon afterward he was told one morning by the local physician that Deacon Jones was seriously ill. The deacon was a man of some distinction in the community, so the editor posted a series of bulletins as follows: