Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-24
EDITORS ENJOY DAY.
Participate In Program al Com
msrCiai Club Room.
DIN Hartl; Of Missouri Valley,
Veteran Newspaper Man, Fur.
nisAcs Treat Of Meeting.
(As seen by Nonpareil.)
Afternoon Session,

vA0ASOA0 Wa " viz SStlIS4 1oOl y vi
Harrison and Audubon counties,
who were in the city. and who
came to hear d. M. Harris speak.
The first paperof the afternoon
was read by w. r. Prewett, of
the Onawa Sentinel, who dis
cussed the country town defini-
ton of news. Mr.. Prewett
dwelt upon the life of the coun-
try town, which is. uneventful
compared with that of a city.
He defended the personal col
umn, which he declared to have
significance and often positive
value as inf ormation. He de-
fined news in a small town as
everything of any Importance
outside of pure gossip. He ex-
pressed the opinion that coun-
try correspondence. if we'll han
died, was a very valuable aid to
a paper. This subject was dis
cussed at some length at it's
close.
Treat Of the Meeting.
The subject "Forty-two Years
in Journalism" by D. M. Harris
was the treat of the meeting.
Judge" Harris, as he is affec-
tionately known over much of
western Iowa, although we'll in
the eighties, is straight, vigor-
Gus, and his eye is clear. He
still sets his galley of type each
day on the Missouri Valley
Times, which he founded thirty
seven years ago, and takes an
active interest in its progress.
Mr.. Harris talk was one of
Renaissance. Coming to Iowa
in 1854, it was almost ten years
before he made his first venture
in Iowa journalism. In 1868
he took charge of the Guthrie
County Ledger" at Panora.
Later on he founded "The Har-
risonian," at Mo. Valley, and in
1872, sold out and went to Kan
sas and bought the kansas
Democrat" at independence.
Returning to Iowa, he establish
ed the audubon Co. Defender"
at Extra, disposing of that pa
per, he then went to Atlantic,
in Cass County and established
ssThe Cap Sheaf, in in May 49,
rs, he sold the cap Sheaf" and
returned to Mo. Valley and pur-
chased "The Times, formerly
"The Harrisonian.'
Mr.. Harris told his early ex-
periences in a rambling yet
highly interesting manner,
frightened by dry wit and en-
bellished by many stories of
early hardship. There was no
railroad westof Iowa City when
he first entered journalism. Com
munication was difficult; sup
plies hard to get; money was
scarce and advertisements were
exchanged for organs, sewing
machines, tools, butcher knives,
in fact, anything that could be
disposed of again and much that
couldn't. In the effort to COL
lect living expenses and to get
the paper out on time, the early
editor went through m a n Y
unique experiences.
Type by Type
At one time, being called away
from Panora early in the week.
Mr.. Harris returned "a day after
and found the foreman in a
drunken stupor on the floor
where he had been for several
days. Mr.. Harris was new in
the business at the time and had
never handled a stick. Never
theless he discharged the fore
man, picked up a stick and set
up the paper himself, literally
putting it together type by type.
It took him two weeks and upon
getting the forms on the Wash
ington press, he discovered that
in his greenness he had made
them up backward-a mistake
which cost him two days more
of hard work. This feat has
probably not been duplicated
since the days of journalism.
Mr.. Harris was listened to