Obituaries

Butler Herald Notice, 1911

Just at this juncture The Herald is overwhelmed and besieged with requests to publish longwinded obituaries of deceased ones ranging in ages from infancy to old age. While practically all other newspapers, even church organs, have refused to publish articles of this nature free of charge, we have said nothing but complied with every request that has come to us. But lately such a flood of these have come to our desk that we are engulfed. To publish them all at one time would require an extra edition of our paper. Some come from and are about persons from whom we have never had a penny of support. We have as many as three memorials of the same person, and most all with "homemade" poetry, the worst in the world for a newspaperman to decipher.

But, for the benefit of those who have made such requests, we are pleased to say that we are going to have a general sifting of these and those we see fit to publish will be done from time to time as space and opportunity will permit.

Henceforth all matters of this nature must have a reasonable limitation to their length. An obituary of 200 words is sufficient for anyone, be he rich or poor, saint or without profession of faith. But if such articles exceed 200 words and request is made for publication we will charge one cent a word for every word over 200.

SOURCE: The Butler Herald, Tuesday, February 21, 1911, Page Three

Note: Apparently this was written about the time when obituaries started to be shortened. The Editor of the Herald, C.E. Benns, had a way with words!