The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

: The recent sale Of the National Re-
publican newspaper at Preston by
Major Hotchkiss recalls some remin-
iscences, much of which I saw and
part-a small part-of which I was.
/ In 1864 I assumed the; position OF
foreman Of the Republican, office at
Winona. The paper was then pub
lished by Sinclair & Carey. While in
that position, by the way, I was a
participant in a sad affair. Mr.. Carey
and myself, each sacco1n anied. by q
young lady, undertook asleigh ride on
the river When opposite the village
Wis, ME-. Carey drove
Fortunately I was able to rescue his
companion after she had floated more
than sixty rods in the water. Mr..
ECarey's body was never recovered.
What made the affair more. sad was
the fact that .Mr.ssCarey and his COM
Epanion were shortly to have been mar
Tried. "A bright and promising lie was
thus suddenly extinguished. L
His First Paper. I,
| Like most printers, I was ambitious
to own a, paper. Z looked the map. Of
Minnesota over and saw that Fillmore
was a large county with its seat In
the exact center, where I figured it
would likely remain. I looked up the
paper printed there and found it to be
a very inferior sheet, evidently IN the
hands Of a man who knew little of the
business. I wrote to him, asking him
Lii he wanted to sell, and, If so, his
price He replied he was anxious to
sell and would take. $780,. By dint1 of
that severe economy peculiar to print
ers T had saved up about 800, but I
at once replied, saying I would take
the paper. 4 went out there, bor-
frowed 5000 of some men I had never
- q -
into the possession Of the Preston Re
publican on May 1, 1866. The next
fall but one I sold it to Major Hotch-
kiss for $4,000 and engaged in other
business for a time, finally locating at
Blue Earth, where, in company with
M. H. Stevens. now Of Kansas, City,
Ifounded the Post. az. 70. ~ Tys
Chatfield, think, by H. w. Holley and
o. Brown, officials in the United States
land office at that pNce. There was
but one other paper In the county,
the Chatfield Democrat, edited and
published by. j., H and j.. S.. McKen-
ney, brothers and democrats from Vir-
ginia. Major J. III. Mckinney had
ing been appointed by President
Buchanan when the office was located,
Z think, at BROWNSVILLE, fsin Houston
county, They got out an excellent
local paper. Both are long since dead.
H.. w. Holley was civil engineer
and a man of some literary attain
4 ments. He sometimes wrote poetry
and finally published a volume of cred
liable verse: He removed from Chat
field to Winnebago City when the land
| office went there. He died, think, at
Spokane.
Some of the Old Timers.
Mr.. Brown, I believe, was the
| founder Of the Earibault Republican.
( think he sold it to A.>W.sMcKinstry,
the present owner, who has so lone
! and successfully conducted it. Nc
/ Kinstry is one Of the Oldest editors in
the state in point Of continuous sery-
| ice on one paper, j. A. Wheelock, OF
/ the Pioneer Press, I suppose, being
the dean Of the profession In this re-
spect in the state. Mr.. Sinclair of Wi
j mona was one Of the old-timers when
/ he retired a few years ago. Both are
{ very able men-the best editoria
writers, I think, the state has ever
fknown. Mr.. Sinclair is q sample Of
the tenacity with which a Scotchman
4 sticks to life. He has been a frai
man physically-prac an in
valid-for nearly forty years, to my
knowledge, & but he is still with us.
o. Brown was strong and forcible
4 WTlIeT, InuCn S1VeH&tO DllleFHeSS dIlC
acrimony. Hes seemed to- think the
terms ...democrat'' and 'criminal'
were synonymous. don't know tina
/ he was far wrong In those war times
Holley and Brown sold the paper t.
Rev. j.. e. Burbank, who was the best
4 educated and most impractical man
j ever knew. He was, what Creole,
\ would have called IAN educated fool
but he was by no means a fool. HI
1 was q fine Greek and Latin scholar
knew all about ancient and modern
4 history, but could not tell half of the
time where he had left his pocket
! book. He was an old baf Nelor, never
{. paid any attention to Women If ht
4 could avoid it. and slept in his office
on the floor by the stove, with hi.
clothes on. rolled UP In a blanket