The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-05
THE BUILDING A HooDoo.
Remarkable History of an Omaha
Newspaper Office.
From The NelU York Advertiser.

Va tuo HolTu, strange ana OuLr6 ana LlOS9
whose views are tinctured with superstition
will find the history Of the Omaha Repub-
| ttcdn building, which was destroyed by fire
recently, rich food for their morbid fancies.
| For this building contained long trains of
disasters following upon the paths OF all
| those In any way connected with it, and the
| demon OF i'll luck never played more grew
some part in history than in the life of this
building.
1t was built at the time when fine
newspaper homes were few, and its
erection was heralded by its
| owners and by the press
generally as the acme of western Journal
istic enterprise. The Omshe Republican
was then the greatest paper between
! Chicago and San Francisco, and seemed
! destined to enteriupon an era of unexampled
prosperity. 1t was owned by s. T. Rounds,
formerly public printer at Washington, and
| one of the brightest and
keeness editors in this country. His
power of vituperation and at
tack amounted to genius. 1t was inherited,
| for his father had been one of Garibadi's
chiefs and fled to this country to escape
death. His son pHrtook OF his wild and
fierce nature, and a combat was to him life
and glory. But as RothaKer was vndictive
and brilliant, he was utterly reckless and
passionate. Attack upon him by an Oppo-
| nent meant personal as well as pen retOrt
| and this cunning" habit led him into
many quarrels of serious nature.
AT the time the building was erected the
Republican was very prosperous. There
| were two opposing papers, the Bee and the
| Herald, but they were nos regarded as COM
petitors in any sense. Rothsker was held
| in admiration aud fear by every one and re-
| garded as one of the greatest editors in
America, as indeed he was. But almost
from the day of the occupancy OF that build
| ing misfortune began to fall upon the Office.
| Rothaker's course became more reckless
| and daring. He began drinking violently
and frequently went on a chase for Rose
water, who had started the Bee, with a
| pistol. Rosewater Was not worried at all
/ by these personal assaults, as they we're
| just the sort of adv ertising be liked;
he had become used to be personally
| attacked and beaten. Rothaker continued
drinking heavily, and his disgraceful acts
ruined the family of Rounds and destroyed
all respect for his moral qualities among
| Omaha people, The paper lost power, in-
| huence and business 1t had no central
head, and its decay began. The structure
| itself " as unsafe. 1t had been built Of poor
material and leaned like Pisfs tower.
| Braces and props were applied to it early In
| its history. When a high wind arose at
night it ratified and quIvered and shook,
| causing general stampede of printers out
| into the street on these occasions. An I'M
| usual number Of casualties occurred. Ac-
cidents were Of frequent occurrence, and
it was called "hoodoo" by
| every one who worked in IL. But
the Republican continued to lose money.
| ROthaker died at last from an lllness caused
| by excuses, and it psssed on into the con-
| troll OF Fred Nye of Fremont, one of the
most brilliant writers and newspaper men
in the west, now connected with the Chi
caRo Herald. Nye did great work on the
| paper and restored il 20 editorial eminence;
but IL seemed not to hesitate in its rapid
course to financial disaster. 1t became
! tainted with monopoly odOr, and was
! charged with being fed by the great Union
! Pacific railroad. and, whether this was true
| OF not, IL tended to lessen the confidence of
the people in 1t, and it rushed on to ruin.
1t was saved. however. by being purchased
| by j. g. Wilcox, wealthy man. He tried
| to check its downward career by pouring
into 1t money. thousands Of dollars; but all
| his money seemed to have not the least
influence to avert the certain end. He had
fitted up the office with the finest of equip
| ments and material a press better than any
now in the city and other materials in ike
| manner. Ii was a magnificent office, but
| there was ruin in all its magnificence. He
| made blunder of advocating prohibition
| during the campaign of 1890, aud Omaha
| killed his paper. Becoming embarrassed,
| he omitted few issues. The Northwestern
| Associated Press at once bounced upon this
| fact to transfer the service and franchise to
| the World, and Wilcox could not resume
publication. His suit against the Associated
! Press was up for hearing before the federal
court in this city during the December
| term, and although it had been tried sew
erel times no settlement has yet been made.
| The outfit was sold to the Salt Lake Tribune
and the building was vacant some time.
Then the Omaha Printing Company leased
| 1t for use as a great job printing house. and
it was so occupied at the time of the fire.
| When the Republican died the employees
were left with several weeks salaries due
them, and 1t is said that during is last DAYS
| the restaurant opposite the building, which
was used by the printers at night, was
loaded with clothing Of oil sorts pa Hned by
! the printers for meals.
The building was condemned three years
ago and the question of tearing it down was
agltsted continually by proper officials.
| The bird of evil omen continued 70 brood
| over it until the last. Casualties continued
to occur. Employees or their relatives d ed
| suddenly, aud on New Years day. only
| three DAYS before the fire, one of the COM
positors fell down the elevator shaft and
was instantly KILLED. During all its history
| casualties, accidents and msfortunes were
| Of almost daily occurrence to its employees,
and when printer left one of the other
offices for the Republican he was shaken
by the hand by his associates,
who grimly babe him adieu. The losses
of the Omaha Printing Company and
of all those who were having 'jobs" done
! at the office were terrific. Some OF the
work was table and figure work and the
''copy" was burned with it, necessitating
weeks and months Of hard work to reat-
range and complete. The insurance on the
nateri Il was small. In this matter the build
ing had its usual misfortune. 1t had been
insured for $4,000, but policy OF slO,OOO
was allowed to expire week before the
fire and had not been renewed. The owners
# the buildinz we're the Rounds estate Of
Washington, Nye and Others. Even atter
is YVES Quilted by fire one Of the walls fell
and injured those passing by.
All this, of course, signifies nothing to the
average man, but to others it will mean
uo1cb At any rate, Omaha citizens, one
and all. heave a sigh of relief and rejoice
that the old Republican building and its
evil demon. if it had one, have departed
froy, their midst 1t wrecked three fortunes.
ruined two homes and sacrificed many lives