Some time ago, I saw a movie called News of the World in which after the Civil War a former confederate officer earns a meager living by wandering about reading to crowds articles from newspapers he has gathered. People pay a dime a head to listen, which figures to about $2.50. In those days news was scare and many couldn’t read at all, so there was great interest and emotion over the news of the world he brought. The idea of this travelling gazetteer caught my imagination and here I am.
