Transcribed by Crist Middaugh
Alleg. County Reporter, 2-7-1884
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The Scio Derrick Gone to Newspaper Heaven
The Scio Derrick after wrestling with the inevitable for upwards of three years, has taken Tom Beecher’s advice and gone over to the “silent majority.” It called itself, Dr. Stephenson, a disinterested friend or two and the office “devil” in a counsel de vivendo inquirendo journalio, and as was natural and inevitable, they all agreed. There was neither poison, rope nor pistol required to finish the thing. It has been dead for some time, but had nearly forgotten to draw a final breath, which, however, it decided to do on Saturday, Feb. 2. In his “valedictory,” headed by a coffin out, editor Fidler upbraids the citizens and businessmen of Scio for a lack of support, and leaves them the legacy of a severe scolding to chew upon at their leisure.
Seriously, Mr. Fidler has no right to complain. He began the publication of a newspaper in a field entirely insufficient to maintain it, in a county overcrowded with journalistic ventures, and under circumstances where the stoutest heart and most skillful hand must have failed. He urged the venture where it was not demanded, and where it could not possibly survive, precisely as thousands have done before and as thousands more will do here-after- imagine an aching void, spring to the work of filling it, and begin the study of that sublime journalistic dreams: “The Survival of the Fittest.”
While we congratulate Scio on being rid of an unfortunate enterprise, we are sorry for Mr. Fidler, the editor, and trust that in his efforts at job printing he may realize more generously on his efforts in the future.