Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-03-22
JOURNALISM IN WILLARD.
A Dakota Town That Has One Hous, and
Ona Newspnpcr.

lard Leader goes with North Dakota.
Perhaps the reader asks:
Where is Willard and what is the
LEADER"
1t is the readers misfortune that 1t
should be necessary to ask that ques-
ton. Half way across North Dakota
and in the second tier Of cour ties from
the Dominion border Willard may be
found upon the map. 1t is beside the
Moose river. One day q stranger was
travelling down the Moose River val
ley and he came to a single log house
by the roadside. Stopping his team
he accosted a m standing at the
door of the house with this:
Good day, ma'am, Can you tell me
where Willard is?n
"Yes, SIR" replied the woman.
This is Willard"
"Wherep" asked the man. as he
twisted his neck and looked around
him.
Right here, sir. This is Willard"
the woman replied.
The stranger returned his vision to
a focus on the woman and the log
house.
do you mean to say, ma'am, that
this single house is all there is OF Viii
lardp"
Eyes, sir; so sure as I've got a cinch
on the truth this is Willard and all of
VillardP"
1t is a fact that Willard consists of
one house. That has been the size of
the town for some time. Willard was
ono twice as large, but it was u good
while ago. Willard. as most people
remember, is the man who got control
OF the Northern Pacific when it con-
sisted OF two ends and no middle. He
induced his friends to put SO, 600, 900
into a blind pool. When these friends
discovered what Willard wanted to do
with so much money he had ousted
Billings from the control OF the road
and was ready to connect the east and
west ends by a long central link and
the Dakota town which stands as a
namesake tribute to the genius of Viii
lard consists Of just one house. But 1t
is the liveliest one-house town on the
continent. From this house is issued
every week, hot winds or billiards,
drought or flood, the Willard Leader.
There was a time when Willard eX.
pected a railroad. Then it had two
houses and two newspapers. And the
, way the Leader and the Advocate
: poured hot editorial shot into each
other week after week made the whole
l Territory laugh. But the railroad
! never came. The Advocate and the
other house were moved away The
Leader now has the whole
4; field to itself. 1t is Il genuine loca
newspaper, all fresh and Of goot
; dimensions. The editor, proprietor
printer and pressman is Richard
H. Copeland, a tall, i%ne-looking
quick-witted man, with a pleasant
laughing face, a high, well-formed fore
head, and a wavy name of brown hal
which falls to his collar. Abetter com
panion for an hours chat car not b
- found in all North Dakota than thi
editor in the one house on Moose river
Y Mr.. Copeland lives in a fine home
stead, and besides getting out tn
Leader fulflls the duties Of justic,
y OF the peace. He would like to Sc
Willard grow, but he has no inter
ton of leaving. Subscriptions to tn
Leader come from long distance:
When subscribers run behind. no bill
are sem to them. Enough none
comes in without dunning to keep tn
Leader in white paper, ink, and an OF
casional new dress. The rest Nj
Copeland does himself and he is col
tent. A visitor drops in and tells a b
of gossip about some of the stockme
ID in the valley. Out comes Mr.. Cop,
lands notebook, and a jotting is mac
of the news item. The only time, du
~ my oGN6Idl yCulo' eLuO VIC hOdu'
N missed publication was when NJ
Copeland was tempted to play cowbo!
An old OK had been bothering hi
by making 4 nuisance of hir
II self about the streets of Villar,
Mr.. Copeland could have caugl
tie animal by the horns and led hi
away, but he conceived the idea
lassoing the OK after the manner
the Moose river country. The clothe
line did duty as lariat, and the edit
with a good grip on one end sent Il
moose over the oX's head. Astonish,
at the unfamiliar performance the
started off across the prairie. Behil
ITS trailed MI. Copeland, unable to fir
d, himself. All went we'll until the edit
stepped in a gopher-hole. What a fl
10. was there! The rest Of the populati
he gathered up Mr.. Copeland, straigl
ire ened him out on a barn door, and ca
Is ried him home. He has lassoed not
of ing since. st. Louis Globe-Democr;
TO --A-
te- An odd decoration for the hall
Tx 49, n