12 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JtlLT 13, 1843. 



For the N. E. Fanner. 



.'\N EPISTLE TO MR BRECK, 

 Touching: vpon matters of interest to those Subscri- 

 bers of the JY. E. Fanner, who throurrh some fault 

 or infirmity, are deficient in the virtue of punctu- 

 ality in paying for their paper. 

 Respected Frie.nd Joseph Breck: — I addrcps 

 this to tliee, as the well known senior proprietor of" 

 the "New England Farmer" — and as the matters 

 whereof I discourse, do not, as I can see, concern 

 the wortliy Editor, he need not read or comment 

 upon the contents of this, except by thy desire. 



Imprimis. — Upon roadin^f the notice in the last 

 " New England Farmer," annoiincinij that that num- 

 ber closed the 20th year of its very nsefnl existence, 

 I observed there was not appended to it the cnsto- 

 n.ary hint for those subscribers who are in arrears 

 to " wallt up to the captain's office and settle." Is 

 it po.isible that they have all squared up ? I asked 

 myself — or is friend lireck reluctant to tell them 

 that their dues ore wanted, and, fnrthermor", that 

 they need expect no sort of prosperity unle.ss they 

 pay the printer ? I felt not a little desirous to learn 

 the •« hy and wherefore of the absence of the dun- 

 nin o- paragraph, which is the time-honored (?) and 

 as I had thought, somewliat necessary accompani- 

 Dient to the notice of the close of a volume ; and I 

 am still anxious to know the reason for this extra- 

 ordinary departure from ancient usage. I do not 

 know but that my inquisiliveness in regard to this 

 ir)atter may subject me to the imputation of officious- 

 ly intermeddling with affiiirs which are none of my 

 concern ; but I disclaim all such intention, and am 

 influenced by no more unworthy motive than curi- 

 osity — curiosity to know if thy subscribers, as a 

 whole, have become so commendably punctual (ar.d 

 in that respect so peculiarly different from a large 

 portion of newspaper pnfrons generally,) as to pre- 

 clude the necessity of an annual rfj/n for the a.Tiount 

 of their subscription dues. If so, I shall not yet de- 

 spair of our species, — my opinions of human nature 

 will be exalted — and I shall look forward with new 

 hope for the long-delayed but welcome era, when 

 the printer or the publisher, as it may be, shall bo 

 regarded as worthy his dues as any other laborer, 

 and newspaper subscribers instead of making the 

 insignificant amount of his bill a reason for neg- 

 lecting to pay it, shall feel as sacredly bound by 

 the dictates of cimscience and common honesty, to 

 liquidate his claims as punctually as they do others. 

 D'Israeli has written a book entitled, I think, 

 " The Calamities of Authors ;" — (if that isn't its 

 name, it expresses its subject) — and the thought 

 occurs to me that should the gifted writer employ 

 his genius in depicting as touchingly the grievances 

 of newspaper publishers through the delinquency of 

 their patrons, as he has the sufferings of book au- 

 thors, he would not only add new lustre to his lite- 

 rary fame, but do a praise-worthy service to the 

 publishers, by exciting the sympathy, and hence, 

 perhaps, improving the negligent (not to say dis- 

 honest) practices of their patrons: ami — 7/ this 

 should come under the author's notice, I would com- 

 mend the suggestion to his very serious considera- 

 tion. 



I am, in charity for human failings, disposed to 

 believe, that the notorious backwardness of news- 

 paper subscribers in paying their subscription dues, 

 is not, in general, ascribable so much to a lack of 

 honest principle on their part, as to a wrong view 

 of the matter. Each delinquent decides that the 



pulilishcr can^t possibly be crippled in his pecunia- 

 ry means by merely his neglecting to pay him a 

 couple of dollars yearly. Now this reasoning and 

 consequent action, would not, it is true, be very 

 detrimental to the publisher's interests, were it cir- 

 cumscribed in its limits to a particular extent. But 

 this is not the case. One man persuades himself 

 that the newspaper proprietor can 't suffer from 

 merely his delinquency, but when he makes this a 

 ground of justification for his neglect, he does not 

 consider that there are five hundred or a thousand 

 others holding the same opinion and practicing up- 

 on the same motive. 



It is by the accretion of small particles that the 

 ant forms its miniature mountain; and upon a par- 

 allel principle is formed the newspaper proprietor's 

 mountain debt, or rather the aggregate debts of liis 

 subscribers. Little thinss — little, C(msidered indi- 

 vidually — constitute great things by collection ; — 

 and this siniple axiom is peculiarly true in the case 

 of the newspaper publisher's dues. Why, friend 

 Breck, with what astonishnjent, methinks, would 

 some of thy delinquent subscribers be struck, 

 could they look over the pages of thy subscrip- 

 tion ledgers for six or eight years past, and see the 

 practical effect of the principle which operates so 

 seriously to the publisher's detriment. How would 

 they wonder at the facts revealed by figures I — won- 

 der, that so many, acting upon the same influence 

 as themselves, had neglected to pay punctually for 

 their paper, or worse still, (and I apprehend almost 

 as cominon a fault,) had never paid at all. And 

 not a little would they wonder too, how the propri- 

 etor held out to pay his debts (which he has to do 

 promptly) incurred in publishing the paper, while 

 his books showed such a stupendous amount due 

 him for value received. I should suppose that an 

 inspection of such convincing evidence as your 

 books would exhibit (and not yours more than other 

 publishers') of the gross injustice and serious injury 

 done the proprietor by a lack of punctuality or 

 honesty on the part of subscribers in paying their 

 annual subscription dues, would, in an upright 

 mind, produce both conviction and conversion, — 

 would excite regret for past negligence, and a re- 

 solve, in that respect, to sin no more. 



But I am reminded that I have already extended 

 my rambling remarks to too great a length. And 

 to conclude, friend Breck, I will say, that shouldst 

 thou deem me an interloper, and my epistle gratui- 

 tous, uncalled-for, and impertinent, be it so, — but 

 let me plead in extenuation of the misdemeanor, a 

 perfect freedom in committing it, from any other 

 than the most respectful feelings toward thee, friend, 

 individually, thy subscribers collectively, aiNl the 

 good old '' New England Farmer," with its enlight- 

 ened and judicious farmer-Editor, who (as he is not 

 expected to read this, I will say) is an honor to his 

 station — and, to couple with this a compliment to 

 his predecessors, I will add — he is honored by it. 

 Thine to serve, NATHAN. 



7th mo., 4th, 1 642. 



C^/^In answer to the inquiries of our sympathiz- 

 ing Iriend in relation to the non-appearance of our 

 customary annual dun, we would remark, that the 

 consciences of our delinquent subscribers have be- 

 come so callous, that we considered it would be 

 time mispenl to ask them again at present to pay. 



Our fears are very great for these delinquents; 

 for having been so often reminded of their deficien- 

 cies, and so long kept back the publishers' dues, 

 there is danger they will never be aroused toaj 



proper sense of their injustice and sin, but become 

 so hardened that all their good moral feelings will 

 be destroyed, thus ending all hopes of collectini^ 

 our dues. Out of mercy, therefore, to them, as ueU 

 as an eye to our own interest, we had resohed to 

 let them alone for the present, hoping by our for- 

 bearance and lenity to bring them to a right state 

 of feeling. 



But to be serious, friend " Nathan," we are very 

 much in need of the amount due us on our books, 

 and it is very unjust to keep us out of these srniill 

 sums. The amounts are small indeed — hut when 

 two thousand of them are added together, tiny 

 swell into a large sum. Many of our subscriberj 

 owe from five to ten dollars, and others a iiinr h 

 larger amount. We are occasionally refreshed by 

 the payment of some of these h'ng standing dcbia. 

 It was not long since we received in one day fnini 

 two individuals, whose consciences had been awak- 

 ened by some agency, (Miller, perhaps,) sixtythree 

 dollars — one for ].3 years, the other for 8. But 

 such days are ''like angels' visits." 



The N. K. Farmer circulates in every State in '1 

 the Union, and in the British provinces ; and in f 

 consequence of the deranged state of the currency, 

 we suppose many of our subscribers find it difficult 

 to remit bills, current in Boston. To such we|)i 

 would say, send us the best you can get hold of: 

 should there be a little discount upon them — never 

 mind; we will be thankful for any thing iiilhe|n 

 shape of money — but do pray relieve us from pay- 

 ing postage : it is too bad to saddle us with that. 

 The annual amount of our postage bill, would give I "i 

 many of you a comfortable support. To our sub-l| 

 scribers in New England there is no excuse, for s' 

 our currency is good, and Boston is a place easy tor: 

 communicate with from every quarter. Look at j 

 our numerous railroads and steamboats centering | 

 here from every direction, and see the company ot 

 express men, ever ready to accommodate you for a> 

 small compensation. 



Delinquents, do not longer keep us out of oui 

 dues : — send by express, send by post, send by 

 steamboat — send any way — only send enough U. 

 pay the bill, and ease your consciences ; and be 

 assured you will at the same time very much oblige 

 your obedient servant, J. B. 



Do Something. — The idler is a sponge on so- 

 ciety, and a curse to liis own existence. lie 15 

 content to vegetate merely — he springs up like a i 

 toad-stool, and is about as useless. He never -j-j 

 troubles himself to produce a single thought, and df 

 his hands are never concerned in the fashioning of 'r 

 a single article of use or ornament. n 



The most important principle in life is a pursuit, ii 

 Without a pursuit — an innocent and honorable pur- ii 

 suit — no one can ever be really happy and hold » 1 

 pri>per rank in society. The humble wood-sawyer 

 is a better member of society than the fop without 

 brains and employment. Yet many young men of 

 our great cities, strive only for the distinction 

 awarded to fools. They are content to exist on 

 the products of other hands, and are, in truth, little 

 better than barefaced rogues. 'I'hey live on ill- | 

 gotten spoils — go on "tick" — lie and cheat, and |, 

 consider it a grand achievement to swindle success- 

 fully — and pursue this criminal course rather than 

 follow a pursuit which would render them useful to 

 themselves and mankind generally. None can be 

 happy or useful without employment — something 

 uixm which to use the mental or physical faculties. 

 — Selected. 



