THE POWER OF THE PRESS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1501, 16 February 1882, Page 3

THE POWER OF THE PRESS.

One of the old time editors of Michigan was boasting the other day that he had never been sued for libel, or attacked in his sanctum, but he could recall many narrow escapes. Twenty-five years ago he was running a red-hot paper on the line of the Michigan Central Railroad. A man, named Carson, who was running for some country office, was given a bad racket, and the editor got a note that if he had anything more to say he might expect to receive a good pounding. He had a still more bitter attack the next week, and the paper was hardly mailed before in walked Carson, the candidate, accompanied by a brother and two cousins. The four were strapping big fellows, and each was armed with a horsewhip. The two compositors and the "devil" got out with all speed, leaving the editor without support. He realised the situation at once, and began, " Walk in gentlemen, I presume you have come to horsewhip me ?" "We have," they answered " Very well, Have you thoroughly considered this matter ?" "It doesn't need any consideration," replied Carson. ' 'You have lied about me, and I'm going to lick you within an inch of your life." Just so, my friend, but first hear what I have to say. Did you ever hear of the press being stopped because its editor was cowhided?" "I dunno." "Well, you never did. Lick me all you choose and my paper comes o\it week after week just the same. Wollop me if you will, but next week I'll come out more bitter than ever." There was an embarrassing silence right here, and the face of each horsewhipper had an anxious look. "It will go out to the world — to America, Canada, England, France — aye, clear to Jerusalem, that the Carson family of this country live on roots and johnny-cake ; that they stole a dog from a blind man ; that they murdered a pedlar for a pair of two shilling suspenders ; that the women are club-footed and the men Avork their ears when they sing; that the " " What is the regular subscription price to the Herald !'' interrupted Carson. "Only 12s. a year." "Put us four down. " ' ' Very well— six dollars— that's correct. Run in and see me— all of you, and I shall be only too glad to serve you." — Detroit Free Press.

How Petroleum is Formed.— ln the course of his lecture at Dunedin on "The World Before Life," Professor Den ton said, "With respect to the oleaginous deposits under the earth's surface, there have been many theories to account for the presence of these ; but in actual fact petroleum— that most valuable product of our mother carth — was the secretion of coral polypes in the Devonian ages. It is not in any way necessarily connected with coal, save as it may have been forced by pressure nearer the surface, the actual source lies in those vast coral reefs, far below the coal beds. This subject is important and valuable to all people in every country, but especially here in New Zealand, which is itself in all probability an oil-bearing country."