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Show of the way spots off the highway high-way where we might just loaf and explore and try not to tumble into a creek or over a cliff. Maybe we'll head out next week. Or next month. Or next year. 'Maybe I'm too young to retire. Suppose? Maybe I should get a job somewhere. Still it doesn't seem fair to keep employment away froir some youngster of 45. "I sit at the typewriter a lot. And stare at the keys, and wonder whether this would be a good day to start that book I've been putting off for years, and finally decide maybe tomorrow. "The book is all here in my pointed head. . .but think of the blow to my pride if it wouldn't sell. And could I use all the dirty words which seem so important now? Gosh, I say 'em sometimes, why not write 'em? 'I worry a lot. About Vietnam Viet-nam and drugs and brown spots in the lawn, and stuff like that. "Sometimes I just kick grass. Good thing there isn't a bench in the park for all us old-timers. I always hated checkers. "More I think about it. . . I'm too young to retire. WANTED-full-time work-Mac." work-Mac." Shortly after writing that column, Mac did find more work as editor of the Utah State Press Association's monthly Utah Publisher and Printer. He still writes for the family newspspers, too. As Dr. Werthimer must have found in doing research for his book. "Mac" McConaughy McCon-aughy despite years creeping creep-ing up on him and eyes that can't see as clearly as thej used to isn't the kind of guy to retire. He likes to keep looking and writing at things from the "bottom up." That's why he calls that prize-winning column "The Ant's Eye View." One of the nicest things that can happen to a newspaperman news-paperman is to "make" a daily newspaper column. And when it's a column written by such a wonderful guy as Murray Mur-ray Moler of the Ogden Standard-Examiner, it's twice as good. So . . here's what Murray had to say in his "Standard's Examiner" of Monday, Aug. 26: A unique honor came to a nice guy the other day. Our newspaperman neighbor, neigh-bor, H.C. (Mac) McConaughy of Morgan, is going to "be featured in a book. Dr. JerroldL. Werthimer, professor of journalism at San Francisco State University, Univer-sity, wrote to all journalism schools in Utah last December. Decem-ber. He told them he was taking sabbatical leave this year to collect an anthology of "the best writing in the nation's community press." "I'm seeking a list of unheralded un-heralded writers on small town weeklies or dailies whose work displays unconventional uncon-ventional wit, wisdom, editorial edi-torial enterprise or genius in the use of humor, sarcasm, sar-casm, satire, parody or profundity which could become be-come the conscience of the community," Dr. Werthimer explained. He sent the Utahns postcards post-cards and asked for their nominations. When the San Francisco professor counted the Utah ballots he found they, unanimously, unani-mously, selected Mac Mc Conaughy. So Dr. Werthimer and his wife, Ruth, came to Park City late in July for a visit with the Utah newspaperman and his wife, Louise. The results of that interview will be seen, eventually, in the San Franciscan's book. The McConaughys came to the Golden Spike Empire from Omaha early in 1956 to take over publication of the Morgan County News. Later they also acquired the Summit Sum-mit County Bee in Coalville and the Park Record in Park City. Their newspapers have been consistent winners of honors in contests among community newspapers in Utah. A June, 1959, "Ant's Eye View" column that Mac wrote was selected as the best editor's edi-tor's column in the UJ3.A. by the National Editorial Association, now the National Na-tional Newspaper Association Associa-tion that represents the weeklies and smaller dailies. The Morgan newsman has long been an officer serving ser-ving a term as president of the Utah State Press Association. He's now in so-called "retirement." Mac and Louise supposedly gave up their 60-plus hours a week duties on their weeklies in mid-1972 and turned them over to their son, Robert D. (Bud) McConaughy. His "Ant's Eye View" for that July 13 explained that he used to wonder a lot what he'd do when he retired. "Now I'm finding out," Mac wrote. "For instance: "The 7:30 alarm rolled me out so I could get to the office easily by 8. Now I awaken about 6 and can't go back to sleep and it doesn't make any difference whether I'm at the jffice or not. "I snoop a lot. I check up on things, just to be sure they're being done the way I'd do it, and I learn they're not the new way is better. 'I gaze a lot. At the surrounding sur-rounding mountains, just wondering whether there's still a little snow. There is, but there probably won't be by next week. "Sometimes I gaze up at the garage rafters and study the old fishing pole and wonder won-der whether that 10-year-old line is too rotten to catch a snag, and know it's too-much too-much bother to take it down and test it. Maybe tomorrow. "Wednesdays I work. They seem glad to have me, and I try not to get in the way. "I study the map a lot. My Lady Fair Louise and I plan trips. We've covered most of Utah and Colorado and Idaho, but we look for out- |