, 1890-11-06
THE PAPERS SUSPENDED
The Strange Career of the
Meadow Lake Herald.
ONLY FIFTY CENTS A COPY
Compositors Received $50 a Day
and Other Employees We're
Paid in Proportion.

100 the mining town OF Meadow
Lake, Nevada county, was an en-
terprising town of $4,000 inhabi-
tants. But the mines were finally
exhausted and the fortune-seekers
drew away from the spot, the
merchants closed their stores, the
saloon doors were nailed up, and
now the visitor to that section wit
nesses the spectacle of broad streets
hanked by empty buildings that are
falling into ruins. Doors that have
been torn from their hinges by the
wind reveal the interior of saloons
with bottles of liquor standing on
the shelves just as they were left by
their proprietors more than n quar-
ter of II century ago. Not soul now
dwells in the town. The streets are
filled with rank growth of weeds,
and the wooden sidewalks have
fallen into dust.
On the main street, about half
way to the southern extremity of
the town, stands n two-story build
ing of unhewn stone This building
Is In good condition, with the eX-
ception of the broken windows and
small portion of the roof which
has been crushed in by a slide of
snow from the side of the mountain
that towers above 1t. The building,
in the days of '52, was the publica-
tion office of the Meadow Lake
Daily Herald, a seven-column eight
page paper, that was run to satisfy
the whim of one of the luckiest and
at the same time one of the most
unfortunate men who were at all
conspicuous during the California
gold craze, says a correspondent in
the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
James Gagan was the editor and
proprietor of the Daily Herald.
He was jolly Irish printer, who
claimed a royal ancestry, and when
he had funds he threw his money
around In n reckless way that
proved him high liver when cir
cumstances permitted. Gagan had
worked his way through the print
ing establishments of the gulf coast
to California, and, getting the gold
craze, he abandoned type-setting
for time and set out for Meadow
Lake on foot. He had "a hard trip
over the mountains, ana when, at
the end of four weeks, he walked
into Meadow Lake he was sorry
looking sight, weather-beaten and
ragged, but not at all down-hearted,
for he was typical tourist printer,
and his spirit was always amo ng
the clouds.
Gagan had money enough in his
pocket to enable him to purchase u
mining outfit at second hand, and,
| friendless and alone, he set OFT for
the diggings back of the town. In
a remote canyon, through which
ran small stream of water, Gagan
staked OFF a claim and set to work.
| He struck "eolorn at the first
blow of the pick, and at the close of
| the day he had taken out 50, 800
worth of gold dust. The canyon
had not been prospected before, and
for month Gagan labored alone,
visiting the town only when he
was Obliged to, to procure provis-
ions. At the end of the fourth
week he was an immensely wealthy
man, his "pannings" having in
creased in value each day. With a
leather belt full of shining gold, he
returned to Meadow Lake and made
his rich find known. In the gold
dust he had ample evidence that his
story was true, and he found no
trouble in disposing Of his claim at
u price that ran his wealth into the
millions.
The population Of Meadow Lake
had now grown to 1000 inhab-
itants, and rs yet the field was open
to newspaper enterprise. Gagan
was quick to see this after he was
out OF the mines, and he set about
establishing the Herald. In those
DAYS there was not u railroad within
several hundred miles of the town,
and the only access to the place was
by rough trail over the mountains;
but Gagan had money and dispo-
sition to spend IL, 50 he Immediately
set about building a two-storied
stone structure to be occupied as u
printing Office. In few weeks the
building was ready for occupancy,
and Gagan set out for the East for
the purpose of purchasing news
paper plant. 1t was nearly three
months before he returned, but he
brought with him q first-class out
fit, including cylinder press and a
steam engine.
In due time the Herald was is
sued, and it was a perfect newspaper
geographically. The business men
OF the town patronized 1t literally,
and every man in the town sub
scribed for 1t. Single copies sold at
four bits, or so cents each, and the
subscription price for u year was
500. The circulation of the Herald
at one time reached 5000 copies
daily, but Gagan was sin king money
in the venture very rapidly. To get
printers to come to the town and
work he was obliged to pay them
$40 day, and his other employees
were paid correspondingly high
wages. Paper laid down in the
Herald establishment at that early
day cost great deal, as 1t was
bought In the East, shipped around
the Horn, and carried to the town
ON pack mules.
Gagan WAS obliged to keep train
of twenty-five mules, with half as
many drivers, on the road between
San Francisco and Meadow Lake
week In and week out. This cost a
great deal Of money.
| Gapan WAS the leadipQ man of the