THE COLUMBIA SPY.
A Word of Apology
We appear on this occasion only (we hope)
in the character of apologiQt. We have
rarely troubled our public with excuses for
shortcomings in the Spy, but have permit
ted it to extend its charity unsolicited, On
this occasion, however, the second anniver
sary of our day of bondage, we aro willing
to lump our many offenses and cry peccari-
onus for the lot. Our sins—towards the ;
public—of commission are about to be
eclipsed by a graver one of omission—the
Spy will not appear this week. Possibly our
readers may look upon this non-publication
of the Spy as a venial offense—a misfortune
to be philosophically borne by its readers.
They may consider the absence of their
weekly visitor as unimportant, and the
cause of the failure as none of their business.
But, beloved, it is our business; and our Ic
airless requires that you should be informed
that Zef - Tun SPr Orricr; trAs area' lir:- I
NOTED TO CARCET MILE, S. W. Cortsmt or 1
PO-ONT AND LOCCST STT.T.T.TS.
Wo should have given due notice of this
change had it not been suddenly resolved
upon—oh, that it could have been as sud
denly executed! Our old location has its
good points which made us loth to leave it,
among which, however, arc not its tropical
climate and its perilous means of access.—
Guarded as we were by two watchful tracks
or railroad, the anxious subscriber who at
tained our sanctum, paid his one,, fifty in ad
vance, and again reached the east sidewalk
of Front street without endangering his pre
cious lifo had rare good luck. We have
watched the upright man aforesaid deter
mined to pay the printer or die in the at
tempt, standing at the corner of Front and
Walnut streets, patiently awaiting the pass
ing of a mile or two of P. li. It. Freight.—
His countenance betokens inward peace en
gendered by a premeditated good act, and
his bands aro deep in his trowscrs pockets.
The way is at length clear and the patriot
calmly approaches;—WO are the more impa
tient party of the two;—he gets safely across
the upper track and begins to congratulate
liimself; he descends the inclined plane; he
catches our eye, smiles a regular pay-in-ad
ranee-subscriber smile to encourage us,—as
if we didn't know our friends when they np
preach!--and is about to step on the lower
track when suddenly, without warning,
comes a train of lumber trucks rushing down
the "grade" and brakes up under the very
nose of our most punctual patron. He is
an old gentleman. his back is too stiff to
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allow hitn to creep under, and ho is not as
springy as he once was, or he would make
nothing of climbing the obstruction. He
doesn't like to risk crossing in front of the
train and to walk around the reta• would
take him to the bridge; so he patiently
waits again. He is patient, but would it be
unreasonable—mind, we don't say we did
do it!—if we swore? He begins to look,
troubled, and we give the Devil a round to
relieve 'ourself. Lie—the subscriber we
mean, not the Devil— gives an appealing,
doubtful look which we meet with an ap
pealing and confident one, as if to say, "Ali,
royfrieud! we have faithin you; we know yen
will persevere. Where would be the merit
in a good deed if it cost you nothing. The
bill and receipt are ready for you!" lle
musters his courage_ and starts to cross
ahead of the train when a crash at the rear
end starts the cars forward and OUT friend
backward. It is too much; he can bear no
more, and without the courage to meet our
imploring look, be turns away. Ale, too
late! The upper track is again blocked.—
We make tho Devil's hair stand on end, and
this or some other shock starts the tracks,
and our subscriber meets us at the door
with "Why the deuce don't you move your'
office."—And we have moved our oilicel
We will not tell how high the mercury
used to rise et our old quarters; nobody
would believe us. The low ceiling was the
only limit that it knew. (It has always been
a question with us whether, had the ceiling
been higher, the mercury would have risen
or fallen.) It is sunicient to say that no
starch or temper was proof against that tem
perature in Summer. Our model subscriber
above, was sometimes plethoric, and on
reaching our sanctum would exclaim: "My
dear fellow, you binst move your uflice!"—
We hare more) our office.
The old location has undeniable advan
tage.. It is a good drinking neighborhood
—a fact not to be despised when the water is
mu ddy. It is a dog-lighting neighborhood
—so much so that we never wanted a local
item. It enjoys a look-out on a very stiff
bit of a hill; and who does not apppreelate
the sight of a half dozen overloaded horses
mercifully beaten because they can't drag
the over-load up the hill?
So it is not to be wondered at that we hes
itated before leasing %e desirable a spot. We
decided upon the change too late for last Sat
urday's Spy, or our subscribers should have
had due notice of what ;tot to espect this
week.
TRA.)
The moving of a Printing Office is no ev
ery-day affair, and the resulting confusion
is infinite and unaxoldable. Irremediable,
we had almost said, but we hope to emerge
front chaos into something like order and
system during, the present week, and wo can
promise the Siw promptly next week. We
are at this present writing surrounded by a
heterogeneous mixture of type, press, eases,
stands, sticks, rules, quoins, furniture, ink,
!rollers, stones, paper, books, stove-pipe, coal
scuttles, coal, kindling, buckets, troughs,
Gas Fitters, Plumbers, Compositors, Press
man, Devil and dirt, and breathing an at
mosphere of three-fourths pure gas to one
fourth impure air. We hope that the impos-
I sibility of arranging all these components in
to a well regulated Sr - Ovrtcg in time to per
mit the issue of a paper this week wilt be
kindly recognised.
Our present location is easier of access
than was the old one, and we hope to see our
(friends more freqmpitly than heretofore.—
We will by Saturday be prepared for all
mannetoof business, and will look for an in
flux of Job Work, which we promise to turn
out promptly, neatly and at reasonable rates.
The entrance to our office is by the outside
stairwaynt the northern end of the building.
and we shall always be found at our post,
.crving the public to the best of our ability.
If we may temper our apology with a trifle
of exhortation, we would say "-Now is the
accepted time to pay upl Delinquent sub
scribers hear and heed! We have importuned
fou but mildly for arrearages because it
is not our disposition to dun, but the times
press upon U 9 as well as upon you, and we
need our little subscriptions to enable us to
face our creditors with the dignity becoming
a man and an editor. We shall bo glad to
sec you, ono and all in the sanctum!'
We trust that our readers will bear with
our present failure, and recognize it as le
gititnatc and unavoidable, We believe that
by bettering ourself in accommodations we
benefit the public by affording them in
creased facilities of access to the advertising
medium of the town. None need now com
plain that it is too much trouble to reach the
Sri - Orrice; advertising is within every man's
reach, and we sincerely hope that every
man will conscientiously advertise. Wo are
now better prepared to execute all kinds of
Job Work than ever before, and will under
take to turn out as neat printing as can be
got up in the state. Again wo ask of the
public, patronage and support.
Srr Orrnr, April 1, 1850.