Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-25
VERY MUCH ALIvE:
SAYS CALDWELL
EARLY PUBLISHER OF COURIER
SAYS HE IS NOT IN GREAT
BEYOND.
FIRST DAILY PRINTED
1t Now Assistant State Printer at To.
peka, kas.--Tells of His Work
on the Paper Before
the War.

In a recent issue when treating OF
siXieth anniversary OF the Courier as
a newspaper, it stated that of all the
men associated with the publication
as owners and editors, but one was
still living and the balance had passed
to the great beyond. This left Major
A. H. Hamilton as the lone survivor OF
the early management Of the publ
cation and no others of the old guard
having lived in the city for sometime
passed an oversight was made. This
however is corrected and one of the
early day owners of the Courier
writes and says he is very much
alive and can boast of 234 pounds OF
avoirdupois which should be strong
evidence that he it not only alive but
has been living all the time.
The following letter from William
H. Caldwell will beof interest to many
who remember the early publisher
and his family:
Editor Ottumwa Courier:
Some person was thoughtful
enough to remember me with several
copies of your Courier. in one of
which | read with interest the write
| uP vi LILO ulolOl I'll lliC plpSA eNI 40
Goth birthday anniversary, but was
| somewhat shocked when l came to
that paragraph that catalogued my
to the great beyond l didn't know it
before! And can assure you that
if | am in 'the great beyond" it is
similar in all respects to the great
here and now in which you exist.
1t Is, however, sad to learn that of
all those with whom was associated
from 1S49 to the time 1 left the
| Courier, finally, only dear Major Ham.
ilton is left. While I have been
fairly certain that all the rest have
passed away, this copy Of the dear old
paper confirms my belief. With the
exception of nearly four years service
in the army-1S6O to 1866 / was
connected with the Courier from
| 1S49, when | was apprenticed to Dick
Warden, as devil, PASSED to the sltua-
ton as Jour" from that to foreman,
and 1t was | who pulled the old Wash
ington hand press for the very first
copy Of the Ottumwa Daily Courier,
which valuable copy, now HAYS
locked up in my desk. 1t was as
clean and perfect an impression as
| any that has ever came off that old
press-and you know, by looking back
over the file, that Is was a pretty slick
looking paper. 1t was at exactly 3:45
in the morning that that impression
was taken Jim Bowles did the
rolling. ]. w. Norris was the editor.
Norris rarely smiled and never did
uagh, but he smiled and gave a grunt
of approval when he saw that first
copy He offered me one dollar for 1t,
but l refused. You cannot have 1t
either, for love or money. From fore
| man passed to be one Of the owners
then sold to Hamilton, and again be-
came foreman
Instead Of having passed over to the
great beyond" dear friend,I am
hale and hearty, weigh 234 pounds,
and am at my desk regularly every
day, sometimes including Sunday, as
the assistant state printer of Kan.
sas, Tom McNeal, being the state prin.
ter, through whose appointment |
hold the position. He and l took hold
of the plant when it became state
property, July /, 1905, three years ago
and at the recent state primary he
| (McNeaD, was nominated for the
third term and will be elected, which
indicates that if | keep on behaving
| myself and don't pass to the great
beyond" my address for the next three
years will be State Printing Plant
201 West 10th street, Topeka, Kansas
l will add only that my family is
intact excepting one son who was
born in Ottumwa, but who passed
| away soon after we arrived in Kan.
sas My eldest daughter, Oral Item,
(named by General Hedrick) Is now
Mrs. Gilman, with two daughters, and
one son (named Bill for MS grandpap)
living in Santa Monica, California,
My only son, Robert is financial clerk
OF the Topeka post office. my next
Eleanora, holds good place on the
Farmers Mail and Breeze, edited by
Tom McNeal state printer. MY young
est, Leila, is now twenty years of age
and Is good musician. My good wife
keeps right up in the traces as we Jog
along life's highway. The three first
named children were born in OF
tumwa, the last was born In Beloit
Kansas, while was running the Be.
lott Courier.
Wishing you a continuance OF
great prosperity,
| am, yours, quite alive.
| William H. Caldwell.