Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18

I am asked to give my recollections Of The Bee of
1879 The picture of the great paper Of today
in Its palstia quarters with its editors and
reporters and its 200 newsgatherers different parts
Of the state the west and the eastern capitals
rises before attempt to sketch the institution
on that August morning when first presented myself
aspirant for place its staff. The time which
has elapsed makes the contrast the less vivid
despite the many changes which have taken place in
the interval.
OF the editors, reporters foremen, clerks and
prints who in 1879 helped to make The Omaha Bee
scarcely half dozen remain. The rickety old desks
tables cases and imposing stones replaced by
and handsome furniture. The single cylinder Hoe
press which thought then marvel of speed and
watched in youthful rapture is replaced by mon
ster web machines throwing off their thousands of
papers hour The little corner in which the
wheezy Baxter engine threatened with instant death
the surrounding neighborhood has given way to an
of boilers dynamos Corliss engines ele
vator pumps, switchboards, wetng machines and the
innumerabe pieces of paraphernalia with which the
modern newspaper structure is equipped. Let ask
some of the sprghtly gentlemen connected with
that newspaper today and who glide up through
story in the cabs of handsome elevators to
company me on visit to The Bee building and The
Bee establishment as it was ten years ago.
First Impressions.
The dusky two-story red brick structure in which
The Bee was then printed was scarcely less inferior
to the office from which 1t has lately than It's
late quarters to those it today occupies large
beehive painted it's front warned all applicants
for positions that work and not style what was
required OF inmates Inside, the ground floor the
counting divided with the job office the honors
of gloom and dirt A semi-crcular counter, sur
mounted by q hdeous cast-iron railing, kept at bay
employees dunning for advances on their salary and
a public not too mpatently rushing to get in adver-
sements At the rear. dozen type cases, battered
proof press, and three four imposing stones on
rickey stands announced the presence of the job Of
fce and pointed the to the editorial back stairs
They we're dark and crusted with dirt; and, I
climbed them and entered the editorial rooms I
thought that had never such dingy set OF
quarters those into which stepped. The editors
light except such struggled in through glass
sash partition which divided It from the composing
room In front. The windows were thirty-five feet
distance from the desk the sunbeams forced
to dodge of stands. ana Imposing stones
before they could reach Mr.. Rosewaters table. On
the other side the city editors room. similarly
situated with respect to the of the building and
off from it's windows by the job office and editor
ial rooms OF the Pokrok Zapadu. that exciting Bo-
henian journal. then edited by sturdy John
Rosicky. The combination OF smells and noises. the
odor OF printing ink, roller composition turpentine
and old Clothes the calls OF Slug Five. does end
even" and Pull out" the eianking of the proof
press the unintelligble jabber of party of Bohem-
ians in the rear room consulting the editor about
marriage license. Joined to acrd controversy be-