The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-04-14
a NEWSPAPER STORY
BY * WOMAN IN.
&. TX YUKON REGION. $780, +: Is
Printed on Observation-Disclosures Its
Appearanoe Monthly, Sells for
Dollar Copy and Is in Great
81 Demand. ''- t".L >", .. VI

the distinction of being the only female
editor and proprietor of a newspaper
throughout the length and breadth. of
the great Yukon region--that land of
snow andtice, of hardy pioneers and of
gold, says the San Francisco Examiner.
But Clara E. Wright, just past 80 years.
Of age, bears her distinction modestly.
It's JUST matter of business she
says. II find it pays, now that I have
passed the experimental stage with my
publication, and money is what I am
AFTER" And such unique publica-
ton as the Rampant City Whirlpool is!
Its motto, 1--WE amt so warm!" gives
an indication of the paper and its pub
Usher. Established in January of the
present year, as twelve-page monthly
publication, its advertising business
has increased to such proportions that
the energetic publisher had to just dou-
BILE the number OF pages, while the cir
culat1on far exceeds the total popula-
ton OF the place OF its publication,
men, women and children-a circula-
ton that no other journal in the world
can boast of. And this, with the pa
per selling at 81 a copy-no reduction
for term subscriptions-and the over
worked publisher unable to supply the
demand at that. Did you ever stop to
consider the labor involved. in getting
out an ordinary newspaper, with it's
almost human typesetting machines, its
corps of news-gatherers and editors,
and it's lightning presses that turn off
many thousand copies in an hour? If
you have, make another pause and give
thought to the labor devolving on this
undaunted California woman, with not
a soul to assist her but her daughter.
There is not a single type in Rampant
City; a printers "stick" would be
curiosity, while there is not even
cider press, much less printing press
anywhere nearer than Dawson, some
hundred miles away. A plain ordinary
typewriter makes the Whirlpool, with
the manipulation of Mrs. Wright and
her daughter Doris. In the old days in
San Francisco Clara Wright supported
herself and little Doris after tho death
OF her husband, ten years ago, by STEM
ographic work, and when she went to
Alaska in June Of last year she took
along the machine that had long been
the means Of her livelihood here. That
machine is now proving a. satisfactory
substitute for presses. Advertisements
and reading matter, editorials and
headlines are all the same, capital let
tiers doing service for all display type,
while small ads and reading matter
go in the lower case letters. Being
business manager, advertising solicitor,
circulation clerk, managing editor, city
editor, local staff, compositor and press
woman combined, it is no wonder that
the Rampant Whirlpool is not published
more frequently than once a month.
A weekly publication under such cir
cumstances would be almost an impos-
sibility; daily issue would mean men
tai and physical collapse. Not in the
least elated over her multiplicity of
titles, not crushed by their weight, Mrs.
Wright sets about her daily tasks with
dauntless courage and rejoices over the
/ fact that with the growing business the
oe1y udVC 1OAS luouSu
for every advertisement, every news
item and each new subscriber means
Just SO much more lingering of the
typewriter. When the rush to the
Klondike set in she determined to go
to the new Ell Dorado. It was not until
June, 1898, however, that she was able
to make the start, and then against
the advice of her friends, and unac-
companied save by her ten-year-old
daughter, who had been left fatherless
almost from the time of her birth, Mrs.
Wright started for Dawson by way Of
st.. Michael. Arriving there she en-
countered so many people returning to
the states, with most wonderful tales
Of the Klondike region that she deter
mined to cast, her lot on the American
side of the boundary line. According
ly she went to Rampant City, the CEN
ter of the vast gold discoveries on the
Minook and its tributaries. No thought
Of starting a newspaper entered the
lady's head at first. She had gone to-
that country for gold, and the pre-
cious metal lay buried deep in the
ground. She made personal inspee-
ton OF the different creeks and gr1ches
IN the district and located several
claims, while she acquired an interest
in several others that had been located
After the streams froze up and deep
snow covered the ground, Mrs. Wright
made frequent long trips to the claims,
enduring perils and hardships that
many strong men shrank from. Il
Mrs. Wright conceived the idea of
starting newspaper upon her return
from one of these trips, when the in
tenSely: cold, dreary, sunless days at
forded little opportunity for a woman
Of her energetic temperament to '@do
something" So in January of the
present year the Rampant whirlpool
began its career under circumstances
as unfayorable as those usually attend
ing the establishment OF rural publ
cations. But 1t has prospered even be-
yond the hopes Of its protector and
each month since then it has made it's
appearance regularly. z The first num-
Der was a wonder from a journalistic
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