Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-07
THE BEE EICnblIEARS AGO.
How 1t Introducedwsel Into Coun-
Gil BRiffa.
CHARLES WEST ANo HIS FERRY
The Plucky Boatman's Perilous Trips
Over tho Treachsreus ice-The
Special Hapd Oar
Train.
"Reminiscences OF Early struggles.


o'clock, one could have found boy waiting
and watching on the then dreary bank Of the
Iowa side. A pony and a gig could also have
been seer. This was q part of the crude
transportation system by which THE BEE
was carried daily TO ITS readers in Council
Bluffs. The little bundle of BEES then suf-
fcient to supply the demands of the Blufltes,
was each morning carried from the press
room to the river bank, placed in row-boat,
and thus taken over to the lad waiting in the
willows, who in turn proceeded on his dreary
three mile drive across the then waste Of
weeds and tangle of bush, known as the
bottoms.
The stalwart boatman was Charles West.
1t was often no pleasure trip In the cold,
when the shivering lad on the bank would be
warming himself by hon fire, in thunder
storm and food, when drifting logs swept
towards the canoe, threatening to upset or
sink it, in the midst of floating cakes of ice,
in the dark and in the cold the plucky
boatman never failed In his purpose Of sup
plying Council Bluffs with news to go with
the morning coffee.
During the winter when the river was
frozen over, West used to carry the papers
over in sacks on his back. Sometimes, when
plank under his arm. On more than one oc-
was made anything but day sheet. Several
of his escapes were so narrow as to rob them
of all those humorous features which now
surround them as "reminiscences.
The lad watching on the shore developed
rapidly into plucky manliness. During the
few years since then the lad has become
yonng man, has gone further west, has
bravoly wrestled with fortune, and now
Charley Bray's check is good for more dol
lars than most of his dudish companions will
ever see, much less ever earn. He recently
made one fortunate turn in mining property,
and sent back TO Council Bluffs 81, 600 in cash
to be placed to his credit here-a part OF the
profits. How mrch Of his success is due to
this early, rugged training, can never be told.
Fred Ticknor also performed like service
He, too has developed into stirring and
sterling business fellow, making and holding
many big round dollars, his speciality being
live stock. ii
The bundle of BEES soon grew too heavy,
the mode of transportation too slow, and
tricycle. car, propelled By. levers as hand
car was pressed into service. This was run
over the Union Pacific bridge, under regular
train ORDERS and the papers We're thus de-
livered to the BroadwaW,dep from whence
they were taken by a horse to the Council
Bluffs office. This was in 1885. George
Gellenbeck was the engineer, fireman, brake.
man, conductor and e$pressman of this
special train. He thus transported hun
dreds of BEES every raofning. Gelenbeck
can tell many thrilling Ias we'll as humorous
anecdotes of his escapes and experiences IN
this service. Often, despite the train dis
patcher's assurances Of a clear track, a
switch engine or wild tram would pun up
jump the track. BY fdGmping his pile of
papers and letting them 'foll down the steep
side of the fill, ne could then lift and pull
the little car off the traek'r and bold it with
Snn difficulty the from 1a, tsa sss daasgs Rapegs
was not so fortunate Once ..sthe special
BEE train was ditched; again its engineer
was dumped into snowbank; and still
again the car was so wrecked that new one
had to take it's place.
With the completion Of the new wagon
bridge the hand car has given way to team
and a covered wagon, which is loaded at the
press room in Omaha every morning and rap
idly whirled over the river and up to tho
Office of distribution.
The gathering of late Council Bluffs news
was attended by no less difficulties. One
night operator supplied the telegraph Office
in Council Bluffs and he was too busy taking
associated press reports to be bothered by
sending any BEE specials across to Omaha
The telephone office had night operator
who evidently felt it his bounden duty to
sleep beyond awakinS by even GabrieFS
trump, and If by chance he was caught
to turn the word end for end.
Then there were the numerous difficulties
arising from the jealousy and prejudice ex-
istine between many in both cities. This
was before Council Bluffs and Omaha were
introduced to each other. The acquaintance
has rapidly ripened until wedlock, and nat
ural increase has made them OF one family,
working harmoniously together In looking
back now it seems hardly possible that one
Broadway merchant few years ago de-
clined 10 have TnB BEE delivered to him by
carrier because, as stated by him, "Your
paper gets around to Tho store before 1 open
up, and if it is left in the handle of the door
some of my customers may see it and quit
patronising me because l read an Omaha
paper. buy it every morning of q news
boy, but don't dare take it by carrier"
1t is now acknowledged that THE BEE has
not only done more than even the local
papers to give news to and of the Bluffs
done more to advertise this neighborlng city
but it has also done more to bring about the
wedlock OF interest.
The Office appointments have also changed
greatly, owing to the RAPID in
crease of business. When 1t was de-
Il branch Office Of The BEE in Concil Bluffs,
| 1T was predicted by many that the expense
and difficulties would the enterprise to speed
| lily come TO naught. The BEE was the first
| Nebraska paper to enter this field. Mr..
Rosewater realized the difficulties, but bent
| on success, and with faith in the future OF
| Council Bluffs, he was nothing daunted by
! the dubious start Of twenty seven subscrib-
| ers and one little advertisement AT that
| time little upstairs room in the Everett
| block more than answered all purposes. A
| pit of pasteboard, fllutteringly announced, al
| the foot of the narrow stairway: "OMAHA
| BEE For Sale Here.n ASfew newsboys, one
carrier, and one or two attaches OF The BEE
| were the only ones to pass,through the otice
door for the first few webks. Council Bluffs
soon began to show its appreciation OF pluck
| and energy, and increassi followed speedily
| This morning whoevevstands at The BEE
headquarters In CouncilsBSuffs will find at
O'Clock crowd of boys jqstling in and out
with bundles of papers. P0nies standing in
the street are quickly mounted and carrers
go galloping away in all diEections, carrying
| The BEE to from sixteen W eighteen hundred
| readers. On week days Ole scene Is hardly
less lively than on this SlInday morning,
The Council Bluffs oftioe of The BEE Is al
No. l2 Pearl street. ItiiSeeentrally located
attractively furnished land completely
equipped. 1t is under the management OF
Mr.. ii. w. Tilton. II. Lynchard has
charge OF the advertising department. Mr.
j. g. Grayson, assistedRby w. l.. Witter
looks after the city circulation, In which de-
partment twelve carrier'ooys are also EN-
ployed.
In connection with the Council Bluffs
| Office is commercial job printing depart
| ment of which MIR, p. M. Pryor Is the pro
prietor. This department is completely