Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-13
THE RIVAL WEEKLIES.
BY EARNEST SCHUYLER.

By EARNEST SCHUYLER.
| Willis Cobb and Cranston Trow were the
| first In the field with their very interesting
| newspaper. 1t was q weekly, edited out OF
| school hours by the two boys, twelve and
! fourteen, respectively. and was called the
| Wilston Weekly-a combination of their two
| names.-
| They had only published one issue, how
| ever, when to their surprise competitor
| was born in the Lakeville Star Now the
| Star was most suspiciously like the Will
! ston Weekly, in that 1t YVES first typewrit-
| ten and then printed on a mlmeograph. OF
| course the editors Of the Wilston Weekly
concluded that the editors Of the Star were
! "copycats." and Of course, they, being boys,
did not hesitate to say So This was strong
| ly denied by Archie Pencil and Rand
| Thurston. editors-in-chief. and Stacy Thurs
| ton associate editor of the Star. They
| claimed that their idea was exactly as orig
inal as that of the Wilston Weekly, only
| they had been little SLOW in getting
| started.
The Thurston boys were clever, and Rand
| was artistic, and they worked well to-
gether; but the editors of the W1lston
Weekly had a faculty for getting news
| and advertisements that was quite remark
| able. And then, too, Willis had written
| wonderful story that was to run regularly
! in the Wilston Weekly, chapter by chap
| ter. 1t was exciting story of adventure,
and to counteract the good impression TINS
| would make on its readers, the other three
! editors had to search their minds and the
| minds of their friends for very clever jokes
| and anecdotes
| Both papers were successful and sub
| scriptions We're easily secured among the
| cottagers
| Relations between the rival papers be-
| came quite pleasant as time went on Tor
| they certainly did not interfere with each
| other, and continually spurred each other
| to better work.
| Then trouble descended out of a clear
| sky. -
The printing plant OF the Lakeville Star
= became disabled. :.
| What shall we do?" groaned the edi-
torial staff and the business managers IN
despair 1t was Wednesday morning ana
| the whole paper was ready for printing,
| carefully typewriter on wax sheets. II
| was Stacy's turn to do the work or run,
sheets which printed the paper but not
| only was the roller broken. but the frame
! that held the sheets. The three boys went
| to school disconsolate.
| What are you so GUM ABOUT! askeo
Cranston as he passed Stacy at recess
| Then Stacy had an idea.
| "Say, Gran, will you fellows lend US your
mimeograph this afternoon? Ours is busted
| You're already printed up for this week.
aren't your have
| Yep" answered Cranston. y GU can nave
| it If you II be careful
| Stacy's brow cleared. Here was way out
Of their difficulty for this week; and their
own machine could be mended before an
| other Wednesday.
| the mimeograph he discovered that the
| printed sheets of the Wilson Weekly for
| that week had been left therein. They were
! sheets of the self-same legal cap that was
| used in the Star. OF course 1t was not
| Intended that he should see them. but he
never thought of that when he read the
| three sheets over. They were left JuS as
| they had been printed-a Pile Of sheet num-
| hor ~ sheet
| number three. Probably they intended to
| gather them together that night or the next
| morning in time for distribution.
| The second sheet contained one column OF
| news and one column of funny stories and
jokes. Stacy doubled up with laughter
when he finished reading the second column:
| Wonder where they got 'em!' he said
to himself. Those are the funniest things I
| ever read"
Then he read the news. Gee! I wonder
where we were this week not to get those
items. Gong to be a freman's parade. and
! not word of 1t in our paper. And not
word about the kid that fell off the dock
and was rescued by the Bells dog. Whew!
| We're behind the times"
| Stacy started his work alone: IT was his
| turn this week. and the other boys were
training for base ball game. He had be-
come quite expert by this time. and made
! good progress
Suddenly a thought popped into his head.
Wouldn't 1t be good joke on the Wilston
| fellows if
But joke or no Joke 1t would be mean
| thing to do dishonest. too. and Stacy reso-
| lutely put 1t out of his mind. He finished
| his work with sigh Of relief just as the
! supper bell rang.
| That was the night of the gymnasium
/ exhibition. and there wasn't boy in Lake
! willie who had not looked forward to it with
| great anticipation. The responsibilities of
| newspaper publication could not keep one
| of them at home. Besides. If they did not
| all go. how could the affair be properly re-
| ported?
willis was waiting in the hall for Gran
| ston to put his coat on. Bertha Trow,
| Cranstons sister. just Willis age. was
watching their departure with sorrowful
eyes. She not allowed to go out on
account of bad cold.
| Poor Burt" said Willis. I'm awfully
| sorry for you
Say, Berthe. don't you want to earn 10
cents tonight? You can gather up the.
| pages of the 'Wilston ready to go out to-
| morrow. same as you've done before. Be
| sure you get the sheets in order-they're all
| numbered-and put paper fasteners on
! them"
! IAN right" said BERTHE. ''I'll do it. Good
| bye-hope you'll have a fine time
| The boys went off and BERTHE prepared
| for her work. She couldn't find either the
mmeograph or the sheets, for Stacy in his
| excitement had neglected to return them
| Then Eliza came to her rescue. Sure
[ I'll stop over an bring back the craythur,"
i offered Eliza. I'm on me way out now"
| Eliza always called the mimeograph the
| "craythur."
In a few minutes back she came with 1t
| and the sheets: and Bertha. true to her
promise, gathered them ready for distribu-
| ton the next day.
| Cranston was late to breakfast the next
morning. after being up so late in the ex-
hibition. and he was a little cross. too.
| II earned my money, Cran," said Bertha.
! They're all ready"
| II think it's pretty stupid this week."
| added Bertha, gently.
ut doesn't matter much what you think"
| retorted Cranston. I'VE know it's the best
| number yet" And with that he darted off
to school
Three days later the real grown-up paper,