The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-28

history and building OF Kansas has
been so conspicuous Born IN OdI-
nett, Anderson county, 46 years ago.
Arthur Capper's first recoHectlohs
were of the stories of the days When
the settlers along the eastern DoroeF
We're fighting for free government
He was a student at the feet OF the
pioneers who had fought the good
fight and started Kansas on her 1lrst
half century of history, a record IN
state building that is the pride and
glory OF every citizen
Arthur Capper is a conspicuous
example of the Self-made man. me
people of Kansas have watched his
splendid business career in Topeka
during the past quarter of century,
where he has advanced, unaided and
] by his own efforts and industry, to
the position of leading publisher OF
the west.
Early Instincts Crop Out.
The printing business early ap-
pealed to Arthur Capper, ana MS
most cherished and valued Christmas
present was a little toy printing press
and case OF type given him by his par
ents How often little thing serves
as the inspiration that shapes the des-
| tiny of men. This little printing out
| fit was the beginning of Arthur cap
per's career as publisher. With 1t
| he printed cards and did other little
| jobs for the merchants, saving up sew
eraI dollars. Before he was IA years
! of age he had entered upon an ap-
| premiership in the printing business
| in the office of the Garnett journal,
| a paper founded and published for
| many years by DIR. George W. Coop
err Arthur's wages to begin with
amounted to the sum of 81 per week.
| His first work was the job OF lnklHS
the forms of an old Washington mana
1 press and to do this the foreman pro
| cured a box on which the young TEL
| low stood This box stool was also
used at the type case, Tor the poy WAS
not tall enough to reach the upper
/ case without it. ..
| sDurine the years Arthur Capper
worked on the Garnett Journal his
wages were advanced little by little
until he was receiving about So per
week when he quit and came TO e'ie
Capital at Topeka
| when he was 18 years of age, Ar
| thur Capper struck out to make MS
own way in the world he came 70
Topeka in 1884 and went to work on
/ the Daily Capital as typesetter. II was
| the biggest job he had ever held, FER
| he made right around $25 per week.
1 The foreman soon learned that ne
could depend upon Capper. me yosslS
man was not only good Workhah;
I but he was always on the 1oD aau
manifested a genuine interest IN Iie
paper beVOnd the mere routine Oh MS
/ own work His habits of sobriety ana
/ industry stood him in good stead, at a
i time when too many journeymen prlH55
| ters thought that Saturday night ana
Sunday were especially ordained as
|
Early Encouragement.
s'Maior Hudson, the founder and
owner of the Capital, soon took notice
! of the young printer and lent MN
| every possible encouragement. CappeT
attracted the publishers attention stllL
/ further one night, by furnishing the
| local room with a shorthand report OF
/ n stirring speech made by forT1er
Tinted States Senator John Martin.
/ then judge of the Shawnee district
| court The judge addressed a large
! crowd from the steps of the old coufI
/ couse. warning violators of law and
! especially of the prohibitory law, that
| they would receive no mercy at MS
/ hands. Capper happened to be IN the
! crowd, and with his natural INSTINCT
/ for news realized that the speech
| marked an important epoch in law en-
/ forcement in Kansas He took me
speech verbatim and after taking the
/ precaution of having the judge o. X
| his notes, turned it over to the city
aMaior Hudson was naturally much
pleased with this timely show OF inter-
est, and when Capper applied Tor
! Job as reporter a few weeks later, grad
! " gave him a place on the staf-at
| salary of $40 per week
saThe foreman and his associates in
the composing room thought the move
! a foolish one, but Capper had deter
mined to be SC all round newspaper
man. and gladly gave up 60 per cent
4 of his salary in order to learn the
other end of the business.
1T was not long until Capper's sal
ary was raised, these increases com
! ing with regularity until he was re-
ceiying s25 per week His assignments
| took in other sections of the city, and
| one day something happened in the
city editors department which dis
nIeased Major Hudson, and Capper
was installed in that position The
city editorship in those days was some
thing more than a mere title, for the
city editor himself was the leading re
porter on the paper, covering the prln-
/ cipal news centers of the city While
Occl1pvine this position Capper covered
| the state house, the federal building
and courts. often winding up his day s
work with a visit to all the county OF
ficers. His job of parceling out ana
| assigning work for other reporters
didn't amount to much, for he had
but one helper. 1t was as city editor
Of the Capital that his capacity for
work was shown, and it was during
these years that the industry, econ
by his parents. were counted by his
| employer as his chief asset.
An Industrious Reporter.
Arthur Capper was the most in
dustrious reporter in Topeka He al
ways seemed to be busy, but never
worried. His first work that gave him
statewide acquaintance was in 1889,
when he took the job of reporting the
Legislature for the Capital 1t was per
haps the most complete report of leg
islative proceedings ever published in
a Kansas newspaper, or, for that mat
ter. in any other newspaper. There
was no effort to make the report strik-
ing or sensational. but when you read
it you knew just about everything that
had happened in that body the day
before.
Mr.. Capper's next venture was the
purchase of the North Topeka Mail, in
l1S93. from Frank A. Root. For two
years Mr.. Capper was his own editor,
reporter, business manager and adver-