The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-07-01
ADDRESS

= NAAo FsSS @oSos a.
LADlEsA GENTLEMEN OF THE Press As
ISOLATION OF DAKOTA. = ~.
My time has been so thoroughly occu
pied Tor thepast several weeks with TIT
travel and correspondence necessary te
perfect arrangements to my satisfaction
for this our annual meeting and the excur
sion that is to follow, that not until last
Friday did I find time to commence thu
work OF preparing an address for this oc
casion, and should not have written ont
at all had it not been that the iron rule o!
established precedent demanded it, and
would accept no excuse for it's non-perform
ance. shall not, however, as is the fre
quent custom on occasions, like this, re-
hearse the history OF the art we are disci
pies OF, nor discourse at length upon the
unparalleled influence and power for good
and evil the press has welded over commu
mites and peoples OF the earth since the art
otprinting was discovered. What it has
done we know, what it is to accomplish in
Dakota depends upon the craft itself, eve
~ individual member OF which, is RESPONSE.
BILE to his patrons and to the common
wealth. for his editorial misfeasance or nom
feasance.
The transformation of territory like
ours in a few years, from an uninhabited
and trackless waste, denounced by geogra-
pliers and explorers for a hundred years
as fruitful only Of gumbo, grasshoppers,
alkaI. sblizzards, drouths and arctic tenn
peratufe, into a fruitful and prosperous
empire with all the agricultural, education
al and commercial facilities known to
American states OF fifty years growth, was
accomplished by means and methods as
new and untried as the developing process
engaged in, was rapid and unusual. To
illustrate: Travel through our agricultur-
al districts and make the acquaintance OF
Dakota farmers, and you will find among
them surprising number OF college gradu-
ates, disciples OF Escalapins, learned law
yers, eminent divines, knights OF the ''shoot.
Ing stick" and representatives OF every art
and vocation, all following the pillow with q
patient industry that would do credit to
the most devoted granger, who to such
pursuits had been born and raised.
This infusion OF new men trained to
habits Of study and thought, has given to
our agricultural pursuits the benefit OF
brain as well as muscle and resulted in
many new and improved methods. OF the
settlement and development OF Dakota, it
may be truthfully said: "Old things: have
passed away and all things have become
new" and this is as true Of the means and
methods by which newspaper offices have
been established within our borders, until
the prairies are everywhere speckled with
them. Back in the eastern states where
most of US emigrated from, this is how
printers grew; the boy left the farm or
Workshop to begin as printers devil at
The bottom round Of the ladder he toiled on
month after month and year after year to
reach the position of pressman, and was as
proud as u militia colonel il fortunate
enough to be promoted to foreman OF an
office. Many such in due time became pro.
prietors Of newspapers, and now and then
Dne an editor of ability and distinction.
But that has not been-to use a slang
phrase-the Dakota way of getting there;
lots of men who could not tell,a shooting
stick" from a stick OF cord wood, aspired
to the profits OF final proof and contest
notices, now lost in many instances to re-.
publican gaze and which, in q few moons
ut best, will cease to gladden. the heart and
replenish the wallet OF our worthy and now.
happy democratic brothers Scores OF
young men who had stood at the news
Ease barely long enough to learn the
boxes, focked to Dakota with each
an Army press and a hand satchel
Of type. Merchants, bankers. and divines,
too, were all at once inspired with the be-
lief that they had a special call to start
newspaper and publish to the world the
Eolden opportunities Dakota offered with
out money and without price, to all who
would come and garner them. Men OF rare
Attachments in our art, editors OF age and
experience and brilliant powers also came;
and 30 it came to pass that where two or
three houses were gathered together there
also was q newspaper, and often two or
three of than. -.---
This new orderand aim ost laughable state
of things-and it would heve been alto
gether, 30 from an eastern standpoint
was just what the hour and the occasion
called for; and without it the great miracle
OF Dakota settlement and development, we
point to could not have been accomplished.
Had we been compelled to wait for
men OF experience and means and well fur
nished printing Offices to come here and
advertise this country, it would have gone
. long while without advertising; but the
boys came and started their newspapers
and each commenced to boom his own To-
eaity. The lonely settler anxious that
his friends should come also took from
one to hall dozen copies weekly and mail
ed them east, and soon, all over the ter
htory east OF the Missouri it was the
Same, and booming weekly bulletins wera.
cAtSWSASA AAhC ouo oil OtCE Iuo ettSb.
They brought the people here by hundreds
and thousands and tens OF thousands
until now in most counties, the lands are
occupied. Towns are well established, the
booming timeis past; while it lasted. it
was easy to publish newspaper; you had
nothing to do but to describe what you
suw.and who came and where from and
how the crops grew and what the yield was.
That satisfied your home patron then;
hocf, +aI +.x IL:
his friends, and satisfied the eastern read
Or because that was just what he wanted
to know. -
That easy time when anyone could edit
q newspaper satisfactorily has about PASS
I'd, and the crucial test is being applied
which is to determine how many OF you
are fitted by nature and education for edi-
torial duties, how many of you will succeed
and how many fail? Your patrons will no
longer be satisfied, with boom articles that
are not needed. The time is close at hand
when you must leave, the smooth and
placid waters OF the bayous OF mere local
journalism where the sailing has been so
Easy, and launch out upon the uncertain
and turbulent sea of real journalism which
you will find studded all over with rocks
and reefs that endanser, and storms that
have shipwrecked the staunchest and most
seq worthy crafts that have made the
venture. Something more than descriptive
talent will now be required Of you. Minds
stored with the ripe fruits OF education
and experience will be needed. n
Social, economic and political questions
Of the gravest Importance TO the people
/ Of the whole territory, and consequently of
interest to each and every one ofyour read
ers, will hedge you about and must be dis
russed and answered for or against; AMI
here is the true field ofAmerican journalism
An editor should be leader and not n fol-
lower in the community where he labors.
II you find after O fair trial that you pos
Iess no power in moulding and leading pub.
Tic sentiment and action, then you may
know that you, like agreat many ministers
Of the gospel, have missed your calling and
it would be mercy to your. patrons and
wisdom Tor yourself to seek some other:
niche in the great and varied panorama Of