Back in the thirties, when money was scarce, folks in rural areas relied on the barter system. In Madison, there was an old country newspaper editor who would trade papers for fresh farm produce. Not many people had radios, television was a long way off, and the newspaper was the only way (besides word of mouth) to get the news out.
This editor strongly believed that everyone had a right to know what was going on. He prided himself on getting the newspaper out every Friday, promptly, at six o’clock.
Farmers would come by the newspaper building with fresh corn, smoked hams, and cane syrup. Well, the corn went fast, and so did the ham, but somehow the newsroom got stockpiled with a surplus of cane syrup.
Winter was coming on and the nights grew colder. One week, the newspaper crew worked late into the evening. They had the heater turned up and the newsroom was warm and comfortable. They stacked the fresh papers next to the presses, all ready to be mailed or distributed in the morning. Since it was already half past 2 A.M., this editor decided to leave the heater on low, so the building would be warm when he returned at six. Meanwhile, the syrup on the bottom of the pile began to bubble and ferment. The warmth from the heater made it bubble even faster. Pressure began to build up inside the jugs.
Dawn brought a chill wind and drizzle of rain. The old country editor’s hands were stiff from the cold and wet air that blew by in huge gusts. He was glad he’d thought to leave the heater on - the newsroom would now be warm and cozy. As he turned the key in the front door, he smelled something sweet - like pancakes. And as he turned on the lights, he realized that for the first time in twenty years, the newspaper wouldn’t get out in time. There, sticking to the furniture and running down the walls, covering the papers, dripping from the ceiling, and oozing from the press - was fourteen jugs worth of cane syrup!
