The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-11-22
MARSHALL MCCLURE SR.
GONE. TO GREAT BEYOND
Veteran Newspaper Man Passes Away From
Heart Trouble at St. Joseph's Hospital
in St. Paul---Had Varied and
Interesting Career.

Marshall Mcclure Sr., the
"dean" of newspaper men, one OF
the Oldest and best known quill
pushers of the state of North
Dakota, died at St. Joseph's
hospital in St. Paul. Friday
morning. He had been suffering
from a heart difficulty for more
than six weeks, and altho his
many friends realized that his
condition was dangerous, the
news of his death was on the
lips of every man i'll Minot for
"Mac" with all his faults was
universally liked. The remains
! arrived in Ninot Sunday.
About two weeks ago Mr.. Nc
Clure expressed a desire to go to
St. Paul where he believed the
change OF scenes and climate
would prove beneficial to him.
Accordingly arrangements were
made at once and he was sent to
that city.
Marshall Mcclure was born in
Hillsdale, Mich, 81 years ago.
When a boy he went to school
until he was IA years of age,
then like thousands of other
boys, went out into the the wide
world and made his own way.
He entered a printing office as a
devil and spent most OF his time
playing tricks on the editor and
firing an old boiler. He learned
to set type and he often said that
his main education was acquired
while following this business.
Mac came west when a young
man. He stopped in Wisconsin
and met his first wife, Miss Ella
Powell, the beautiful daughter
OF a wealthy lumber man. To
this union two children we're born
Gwendelyn the littlelgirl who died
at Jamestown when but two
years of age. and who now would
have been 23 Years of age, and
Marshall Mcclure .Jr., who is con-
nected with the Bowbells Trib-
une. Mr.. Mcclure was married
a second time about four years
ago to Mrs. Alice Fenwick and
his wife and son survivehim.
The life OF Marshall Mcclure
was a varied one and interesting.
He started more papers perhaps
than any other man III the
United States. He was a born
newspaper man, a forcible writer
who possessed a bright mind.
His first venture in the newspap-
er field was launching the James
town Alert. After running that
paper a while, he came to Minot
in 1887 when this place was a
little COW boy village and started
the Minot Rustlerin a little shack
at the corner OF Main and Fourth
streets where Mrs. Dwyer's resi-
dence now stands. The Rustler
had a brilliant but brief career.
Mac had the western fever and
went to Sprague, Wash, where
he started the Advertiser. He
I went to Colorado a little later
and started the first paper ever
printed in the Cripple Creek dis
trict, the Gillette Forum. There
he fled on a gold claim which
has proved to be a good thing,
but which has never been very
we'll developed. The mine is To-
Gated on Tryite mountain along
Beaver Creek and an assay OF
the ore shows that while it is not
high grade, it will prove very
valuable when proper machinery
is installed. This has been the
dream Of Marshall Mcclure for
the past fifteen years, when his
mine would be placed on a pay.
ing basis, and when he would be
in a position to repay his friends
for the favors shown him. His
dream never came true.
Mac went to Mexico later and
was conductor on a passenger
train on the Mexican Central,
running between Ell Paso and
the City Of Mexico. When he
gave up this Job, he returned to
his first love-Minot, and in 1898
started the Weekly Optic, which
is still running. He started the
first daily paper here and showed
a great deal Of enterprise, tho
the venture was notvery paying.
About three years ago he sold
the Optic to Messrs Palmer and
Zimmerman, and went to Fargo
where he started q brightpolitic,,
al paper, the Politician. This