The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1897-07-14
JOHN READ TELLS

About Some Of the Paper Men
Of the State.
An Interesting Paper Showing Up
Peeuliarities Among the
Gang" )
John B. Read, the talented editor
of the Butte Inter Mountain, fur
nished the following interesting
paper at the late Press Association:
The intellectual benedict, who, as
president, dominates this conven-
tion, has commanded me in words
more or less polite to prepare a paper
entitled personal Chat about news
papers and neWspaper1nen. He did
aet suggest anything about compen-
sation and the inference IS That ho
expects the work" to be done for
nothing That is just like Wid1nyer.
Rolling in wealth himself from tile
accumulated profits Of the Glendi7e
independents, he neveE,staps to think
that other people have to eat. He
lives down in the Gate city like a
feudal lord, arrogant, opulent and
corpulent. Glendive, bounded on
the east by the Bad Lands and on
the west by Sam Gordon, contains
one church and 105 saloons, the home
Of the blizzard and simoon-Glcndiye
is just the place where 4 man like
Widmyer, free from all danger OF
discovery by the detectives who have
been on his trail for Is years, might
be expected to start newspaper tc
tcrrorize good men and women, and
to exercise autocratic rule as presi.
dent Of press association. 1t may
be said that great deal Of the un'
popularity of Mr.. Widmyer among
the male members Of the association
was owing to his success in the early
days with the radiant daughters o1
Montana who used to attend tho
press gatherings, but we will let
that pass. He is married now, anl
will soon have marriageable daugh
ters of bis own. That he prints hi:
paper with sheep dip, in order t.
cater to the woolgroWers, and take
mavericks in payment for subscrip
tions, in order to establish his in
tluence among the cowboys, is nothln!
to his discredit. The Independen
is hourishing like palm-leaf fan
and Widmyer's position as presiden
of the Press association has give
him a credit at the Glendive brewer
which is the envy of all his profes
1sional brethren, and accounts for III
long residence in that city.
A few hundred miles this side c
Glendive, nesting on the banks o
/ the beautiful Yellowstone river,
! that prince Of good fellows, Sa1
Gordon, and the Yellowstone Jou
nal. Sans devotion to the silve
cause in the last campaign cost hir
! a few Thousand subscribers, but h
had once met. William Jenning Bryan
in the billiard room Of the Helen
, hotel, in seance lasting from mic
, night uutil daylight and they Wou]
, have remained longer had not I'll
E barkeeper's arms become paralyzet
1t was not strange, therefore, thi
: Sam, regardless Of all partisan COZ
Z sidcraton, raised the silver bannt
and all the money he could, stumpe
!. the state for Bryan, and rented Ii
I paper to the populists until the I
, suit of the, election was announced
l Sam Gordon is one Of the state
!. immortals. lie was not born to di
i and there is no reason why, il
quits smoking cigarettes and retail
J; his health, he should not live to
: as old as Daniel Searlcs.
h One Of the most picturesque iigur
e in Montana Journalism is e.
s Becker, Of the Billings Gazett
When James Bozcman came to Mo
tana in 1863, he stopped three da
at Bccker's ranch on the present 81
3 Of Billings. Becker owned the who
0 town, and he still thinks he owns
G Despite his age, however, he is still
S very handsome man, courtly, hosp
u able, cheerful and generally dr
y The Gazette is renowned among t.
D newspapers Of Montana as the be
n tempered Of them all. 1t max
f sunshine in every home, and is pril
If ed to drive away dull care. NJ
q Becker furnishes the poetry and N
q Boardman. the music, and toyctll
d they get out d rcd-hot exponent
~ the interests Of the Magic Cit
+, which they are willing to bet is t
X biggest town in Montana, If they c
get the right kind OF odds. \
becker has been quite i'll Of late,
ing confined to his room, but VIII
ic the doctors insisted on removing
D. boots, his friends knew he would
r, cover, as they had always been firm
s. OF the conviction that he would nc'
" die with his boot, off. Serious
S: however, Mr. Becker had a very clt
It, call and both he and the ASSOCIATE
D. are to be congratulated upon his ct
I'd valescence. Let us hope he "
as never again join temperance lod!
n In Livingston there are three
st cellcnt papers, which are genera
of believed to be conducted under {
in management. George Wright a
I'd George Anderson are once more
to good terms, judging from tue l.
IS number ST the Post, which refers
OF the enterprise Of the official organ
by satan, and it is, therefore, proper
d. this auspicious and happy occas
,s\ than the association should rcjo