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At
one time, someone suggested that the Inquirer issue a Spanish
Language Edition. No one took the idea seriously, since everyone
knew that it would become known as the Spanish Inquisitor. We at
Texas Escapes like to acknowledge
excellence, even though it's rarely seen. The relationship between
a small town paper and the town is a tightly woven one. One writes
about the other and the other reads about itself. Somewhere money
changes hands so that everyone can eat.
In frontier
times, the editor of the local paper wielded power equal to politicians.
In many cases he was the most educated man in town. Superior to
the professors, who lived in the ivory towers of academia, the editor
at least, had his feet on the ground.
Our research
for our Feature "Old
News", revealed that past editors of the Inquirer had two
traits in common: a sound mind and a dry wit. An example:
"For those
who haven't yet noticed, it rained again today."
The Inquirer
is a small town paper, and it doesn't care who knows it. Birthdays
and anniversaries are announced on the front page, and even the
masthead announces: Gonzales, Texas, home of ___________, the name
chosen at random from their list of subscribers.
Space is donated
to the Gonzales County Records Center as a public service. Donated
photographs with unidentified people or places are printed in hopes
someone will recognize them and this frequently happens. Is there
another way this important job could be done? We don't think so.
The Chamber
of Commerce has a column, and Times
Past is a column well written about local history. There's news
you can only get from a small town paper. Example: "The Chamber
will have a mixer at the Poultry Disease Laboratory." (Gonzales,
we're laughing with you, not at you.)
So, Texas Escapes
would like to bestow our "Best Small Town Paper" award
to The Gonzales Inquirer for being woven so tightly into
the colorful fabric that is Gonzales.
There's no plaque or framed certificate, and no one has to get dressed
or even stand up. There's just this letter and the hope that Gonzalans
appreciate what they have.
P.S. The
Inquirer accepts subscriptions from anywhere.
© John
Troesser
Summer, 1999
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