The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-19
Continued from Last Sundays News.)
CHAPTER XVIII.


CHAPTER XVIII.
THE TREACHERY OF H. FISBEE.
An Indiana town may lie asleep a
long time, but there always comes a
day when it wakes up; and Piattville
had Weakened in August when the Her
ale" became d daily and Eph Watts
struck oil 1t was then that history
began to be made. The Herald" print
ed News, and the paper was sold every
morning at stands in all the towns in
that section of the state. Its circula-
ton tripled. Parker talked of new
presses: two men were added to his
staff, and a reporter was brought from
Rouen to Join Mr.. Fisbee. The Her
aid" doomed the oil field; people
swanmed into town; the hotel was
crowded; strangers became no sensa-
ton whatever. a capitalist bought
the whole north side of the Square to
erect new stores, and the Carlow Bank
began the construction of a new bank
building of Bedford stone on Main
street. Then it was whispered. next
affirmed, that the Herald" had sue
ceeded in another of it's enterprises,
and Main street was to be asphalted.
That was the end of the "old days"
in Plattville.
There was a man who had laid the
foundation upon which the new Platt-
vile was to be built; he who, through
the quiet labor of years, had stamped
his spirit upon the people. as their own
was stamped upon him; but he lay
sick in his friends house and did not
care. One day Meredith found him
propped up in bed, reading a letter
reading it listlessly, and with a dull
eye.
"Plattville. Sept. l.
Dear Mr.. Harkless: Yours of the
30th received. Every one here is very
glad to know that your health is so
far improved as to admit of your writ
ing; and it is our strongest hope that
you will soon be completely recovered.
New subscriptions are coming in
at a slightly advanced rate since my
last letter; you will see they are dis
tributed over several counties, when
you examine the books on your return;
and l am glad to state that with our
arrangement for Gainesville the Her
aid is now selling every morning at
a prominest store in all the towns
within a radius we determined on. Our
plan of Offering the daily with no adj
vance on the price of the former tri-
weekly issue proves a success. I now
propose making the issue a quarto ev-
cry day Cat the same price, instead
of once a week. / think our experience
warrants the experiment. 1t is my
belief that our present circulation will
be increased 40 per cent. Please advise
me if you approve. OF course this
would mean a further increase of our
working force, and we should have to
brings another man from Rouen-pos-
sibly two more-but 1 think we need
not fear such engagements.
81 should tell you that 1 have taken
you at your word entrustng me with
the entire charge of your interests
here, and had the store room adjoin-
ing the office put in shape, and Of
fered it to the telegraph company for
half the rent they We're paying in
their former quarters over the post
office. They have moved in; and this,
in addition to giving us our dispatches
direct, is a reduction of expense
"Mr. Watts informs me that the
Standards offer is liberal and the
terms are settled. The boom is not
hollow, it is simply an awakening; and
the town, so long as dependant upon
the impetus of agriculture or its trade.
is developing prosperity of it's own
on other lines as well. Strangers come
every day; oil has fabricated every
commercial joint. Contracts have been
let for three new brick business build
tngs to be erected on the east side of
the square. The value of your Main
street frontage will have doubled by
December, and possibly you may see
fit to tear away the present building
and put up another instead; the invest
ment might be profitable The Her
RnTT1A nd
third floors, and the first could be let
to stores.
Il regret that you find your copy of
the paper for the 18th overlooked in
the mail and that your messenger
could find none for you at the news
paper offices in Rouen. Mr.. Schofeld
was given directions in regard to sun
plying you with the missing issue at
once.
II fear you may have had diff
Guilty in deciphering some of my for
mer m1ssives, as I was unfamiliar with
the typewriter when I took charge of
the Herald however, 1 trust that
you find my later letters more Iegi-
BILE.
The McCune people are not worry
ing us; we are sure to defeat them. The
papers you speak of were found bv
Mr.. Parker in your trunk, and are now
in my hands.
Il send with this a packet of com
munlcauons and press clippings indie
alive OF the success of the daily, and
in regard to other innovations. The
letters from women commendatory of
our 'Woman's Page thanking us for
various household receipts, etc. strike
me as peculiarly interesting, as l adj
init that 'Woman's Page is always
difficult matter for man to handle
without absurdity.
Please do not think 1 mean to plume
myself upon our various successes: we
attempted our innovations and enlarge
ments at just the right time-a, time
which you had ripened by years of
work and waiting, and at the moment
when you had built up the reputation
of the Herald to it's highest point. Ev-
erything that has been done is success
ful only because you paved the way,
and because every one knows it is your
paper; and the people believe that
whatever your paper does is interest
ing and right.