The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-08-22

Z hdu nay evenings To myself, and | AWAY,
liked that part Of it iirst-rate. | worked
on that paper "A year and might have con.
tinued II the proprietor had not changed il
to an evening paper. Then a company in.
eorporated itself and started a paper OF
which | took charge. The paper was pub
hshed in the loft OF a livery stable. That
Is the reason they called it stock com
pany. You could come up the stairs into
the office or you could twist the tail of the
iron-gray mule and take the elevator.
1t WASH I much of paper, but it cost
Slo,Ouo year to run it and 1T came out
SIX days in the week no matter what the
weather was. We took the Associated
Press news by telegraph part of the time
and part of the time relied on copy of
the Cheyenne morning papers which we got
OF the conductor on the early freight. We
got a great many special kilograms from
Washington in that way. and when the
freight train got in late, | had to guess at
what Congress was doing and fix up a col
/ umn OF telegraph the best | could. There
vas rival evening paper there and some
times II would send a smart boy down to
the train and get hold OF our special tele
grams, and sometimes the conductor would
go away on picnic and take our Cheyenne
paper with him.
All these things are annoying to a man
| who is trying to supply a long-felt want.
There was one conductor in particular who
used TO 90 away into the foot hills shoot
ing sage hens apd take our cablCgrams with
him. This threw too much strain on me.
| could guess at what Congress was doing
and make up pretty readable report, but
I lore IN powers and reichstags and crowned
heads and dynasties always mixed me up.
1Ou can look over what Congress did last
year and give pretty good guess at what
1t viii do this year, but you can't rely on
dynasty or an eifete monarchy in bad
state OF preservation. 1t may 90 into eX-
ecutlye session or it may 90 into bank
ruptcy. Still, at one time we used to have
considerable local news to fill up with. The
North and Middle Parks for a while used
to help US out when the mining camps were
new. Those were the days when it was con
sidered perfectly proper to kill off the
board OF supervisors II their action was
dlstasteful. AT that time a new camp gen
orally located a cemetery and wrote an
obituary, then the boys would start out to
find man whose name would rhyme with
the rest OF the verse. Those were the days
when the cemeteries of Colorado were still
IN their infancy and the song of the six.
shooter was heard in the land.
Sometimes the Indians would send US in
an item. 1t was most generally in the
obituary line. With the Sioux on thenorth
and the peaceful Utes on the south we
were pretty sure of some kind of news dur
ing the summer. The parks used to be oc-
cupied by white men winters and Indians
summers. Summer was really the pleasant
est time to go into the parks, but the In
dians had been in the habit of going there
at that season and they were so clannish
that the white men couldn't have much
fun with them, so they decided that they
would not 60 there in the summer. Several
of our best subscribers were killed by the
peaceful Utes. There were two daily and
L Ill, ,al |
City at that time. There were between
1000 and 5000 people and our local
circu alton ran from $50 to 25O, counting
dead-heads. In our prospectus we stated
that We would spare no expense whatever
IN ransacklng the universe for fresh news
but there were times when it was all we
. could do to get our paper out on time. Out
OF the press office | mean.
One of the rival editors used to write his
editorials for the paper in the evening" Jerk
the Washington hand-press to W, rk them
OF. go home and wrestle with juvenile collie
IN his family until daylight, and then deliv
er his papers on the street. 1t i not sur
prising that the great mental strain Incl
dent TO this life made an old man of him
and gave tinge of extreme sadness to the
iunny column OF his paper.
In an unsuarGed moment this man wrote
an editorial once that got all his sub
scrlbers mad at him, and the same after
noon he came around and wanted to sci
his paper to Us for 100000 | told him
that the whole outfit was not worth 10, 600
cents.
Il know that, said he but it is not the
material am talking about. 1t is the
good will OF the paper"
We had a rising young horsethief in Wy
Omlng In those days who got into iaiI by
some freak Of justice, and it was so odd for
"a horsethlef to get into Jail that | alluded
? -.gg54 -+.f
guIshed himself from the common vulgar
horsethieves Of his time by wearing large
mouth, a kind Of full dress cisht-day
mouth. He very rarely smiled. but when
he did, he had to hold the top Of his head on
with both hands. | remember that | spoke
OF this in the paper, forgetting that he
might crltlcse me when he got out OF Jail.
When he did get out again. he stated that
he would shoot me on sight. but friends ad-
ylsed NE not to have his blood on my
hands, and took their advise, so haven't
got a particle of his blood on either of my
hands. For two or three months didn't
know but he would drop into the office
any minute and criticse me, but one day IA
friend told me that he had been harged in
Montana. Then ! began to mirgIe in
society again and didn't have to get in m
coal with a double-barrel shotgun any
more. After that ! was always conscrya.
tive in relation to horsetheyes until We
got the report OF the vigilance committee
Following is the annual poem, by
Mrs. Elizabeth Baker BOhan:
What power, most potent in the world, to
bless
million voices cry-'the Pressl the Pressr''
-Four centuries ago each nations heart
Beat in a solitude unbrOken:
A solemn silence from the outer world
Hemmed it up close within its own domain
ri ST. Pa
It's eager steps and spirit bold within,
And told Of other nations Joys and woes
And then departed, II did but make
The tOmb-ike silence heavier stiJ.
Then kings, witAin their impious right divine
Were making and Uumaking men at will,
For ignorance gave them power, and the great
OF human minds was wrapped in bIackest night
just then plain and simple man.
And no king, therefore not occupied
In keeping down his subjects. was gifted with
right divine to elevate the world.
swift from the loving heart OF God, came down
The thought sublime, that was to lift the pail
OF silence from the dark, dark world.
And strike the ietters from the human brain
, ne magic type came forth and he-aldcd
The mightiest good the world has ever known.
Then new born Freedom raised her clarion voice.
And thrilled the torpid pulses OF the earth
WITH millions OF scintillating gems Of truth.
Ana satan, seeing, marshaled all his hosts
Aud thundered forth. This Is the mightiest foe
Yet bonn, and, II he live and thrive, our reign
is DER. for, never yet did man, grown wise
still yield submission To our powerl'
And then the conflict fierce began, and, tor
A century or more, the pits Of hell
ResOunted with the Cauking Of new chains
Forged for the human soul.
But high upon her throne immaculate,
sat GOd-like knowledge, ample-brUved. serene,
God, her commander, filed her hands with
power,
And 50 she led her hosts to victory.
ages have passed, and yielded up
= -atan's sCeptsr- still 70 work some i'll
Within the ranks of knowledge does be strive
20, putting on the livery of the press.
de feeds unthinking minds with vicious food,
And lands monopoly and wealth and power.
mighty CITY goes up for purity,
And could we hear the angels plead,