The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-03-01
BREEZY JOURNALISM.
THE FIRST DAILY PAPER ESTABLISH
ED IN lEADvlLLE.

fEO IN ICADViIIG.
Its Pathway Was Rough and stony-Twen-
ty Hours Work Day For Editor and
sIanager-The Job Once Was q veritabls
Bonansa-Prices No Object.
In 1878 Leadyille had no newspaper
worthy the name, and people were
gathering there by the thousands. AT
that time was the foreman of the Dem
yer Tribune, and in looking the situa-
ton over l became, in common with
scores of others, possessed of desire to
fill one of the long felt W ants of the new
community. After talking it over with
couple of fellow printers. and figuring
up the cost we agreed on local habi-
tation and name.
There was no such thing as house to
be had in Leadville at that time.
couldn't even find room. Finally Sc
cured a lot from squatter out on Har-
rison avenue. 1t was way off in the sage
brush, and selected 1t because it was
cheap. After great deal Of difficulty
and using what influence / could with
the sawmills got together lumber.
enough to build acne room house to ac-
commodate the paper. 1t was almost
impossible to get carpenters or people
who would do any kind Of labor. Ev-
erybody VAS in pursuit. of carbonates.
However, after something of strug-
gle the house was put up, and was mo-.
titled of the shipment of the Office APP
purtenances from the st. Louis type
foundry. Being practical printer and
aware of our somewhat straitened fnan-
cial condition, the purchasing partner
had bought just enough of the various
kinds of material to get out small
daily, which we called The Evening
Chronicle. s.s-. q $ $40 ~
One partner was made business man
ager, q second took the mechanical de-
partm ent, while was selected to do the
editing. Twas managing editor, city
editor, telegraph editor, set up little
type, made up forms and attended to a
few other trities. All of us worked to-
gether almost increasingly day and
night.
Hun dreds of firms were being estab-
lished in Leadville with not a line of
printed matter in any shape-not let
terhead or even card. We had less
than $25 in our treasury when we print
ed our first issue and knew we must de-
pend o. our job Office for a revenue. We
got it.
1t W as not How much does it COST"
in Leadville at that time, but How
soon can / have it?" We knew how to
give il, and we learned how to charge.
Everybody else was doing the same
thing, each in his own line of business.
Our stock of job papers was limited,
and correspondingly short counts were
given to customers. The editor and
businek rs manager assisted with the job
work at night, ran presses, sawed wood
and k pt up fires AS a sample of
charges I will tell you of one order we
filed.
We had no particular hours of labor,
but We're generally on our feet from Is
to 90 hours out of the "a. After days
work Of this kind we were just shutting
down one night when a gentleman came
in and said he wanted 20 cards printed
Immediately. He was running some sort
of a game at Tom Kemp's theater, and
this ga me required cards with figures,
one figure to a card. He said he didn't
care W hat they cost so he had them by
O'Clock. 1t was then about Z, and We
accommodated him. He was waiting
when the messenger, who was armed
with the bill, arrived.
Have you got them?" he said. "How
much are they?" . ....
The messenger was afraid the man
would fall down if he pronounced the
amount, so he handed over the bill. The
sportin g man pulled from his pockets
wad of greenbacks and handed over two
tens an ID five-$25 for 25 cards. As
the me ssenger started to go away the
man did: Hold on. Now, look here,
I'm a ambler-that's the way / make
my livtng-but isn't this bill just lit
tie high?" ---- "
You needed to know something about
running a newspaper in those days.
There was no lack of material, but 1t
was not all easy sailing in a mixed
crowd aggregating some 40, 900 people
from all parts of the world and all
classes of society. There was not what
could be called large proportion of
evangelists in the crowd either.
One day we were notified that we
would have to move. In fact, force of
men presented themselves and declared
their willingness and intention to assist
us in the speedy transfer of our goods
and Oh attels to green fields and pastures
new. They didn't have furniture vans,
but tn by had some very ugly looking
guns sticking out of their pockets. We
didn't BEE it that way, SO Davis slipped
out and got two or three rifles and as
many more revolvers and came back.
We closed the doors an d announced
our intention of remaining where we
were. This kind of thing was repeated
several times, but1inally quiet was re-
stored, our title resting in our firearms.
/ had paid 800 for that lot, and it was
now worth $40, 900; hence the conten-
ton.
/ believed have written more murders
and she otings in given length Of time
than any other newspaper man in the
country. One day we had four, which
we spread out over four editions of the
paper, the issue which consolidated the
four b aying scare head in type an
inch long, Hell Let Loose"
While Leadville at that time was
pretty rough, with plenty of shooting
and killing, there has never been more
generous, open hearted, honest and faith
full clas Is of people than these miners.
They gathered round and supported us
grandly, coming to our rescue as often
as our little property was attacked.
When we entered upon our second year,
we had hosts of friends, a reputation
which can almost be called worldwide
and money enough to put us on good
terms with the rest of the world.-Kate
Fields Washington.
THE SOLITARY FlFER.