The $teady $ub$criber

One of the most interesting and fun things I get to do each week for the Sentinel is go through the very old Rooks County Record, searching for interesting and fun things to share with you from 98 years ago. Having just finished 1921 and moving in to 1922, if you’re following the historic events, the Courthouse is in the process of being built, and this week’s account settled a dispute about the ground where Stockton’s schools are built. That decision was rendered by the Supreme Court, overturning a previous ruling which would have prevented the purchase of that land. The report took up nearly the entire front page of the January 12, 1922 Rooks County Record. Can you imagine the talk around the town at that time?

The following little poem caught my eye because of the abundance of $-sign$, and I decided it need$ a more prominent $pot than being thrown in with the other new$ from back in the day. Even then, the new$paper folk$ appreciated their $ubscriber$, ju$t a$ we do today. Thank$ to our “$teady $ub$criber$,” we’ll do our be$t to keep the paper coming your way!

THE $TEADY $UB$CRIBER

How dear to our heart$ i$ the $teady $ub$criber,

Who pay$ in advance at the fir$t of each year;

Who $end$ in hi$ money, and doe$ it quite gladly,

And ca$t$ ‘round the office a halo of cheer.

He never $ay$, “$top it, I cannot afford it,”

Nor “I’m getting more paper$ now than I read,”

But alway$ $ay$ “$end it; the family love$ it;

In fact we all find it the thing that we need.”

How welcome hi$ letter whene’er it come$ to u$,

How it make$ our heart$ throb, how it make$ our eye$ dance.

We outwardly thank him, we inwardly ble$$ him,

The $teady $ub$criber who pay$ in advance.

—Linotype Bulletin (1921)