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


thereunto belonging
Gleed had been king for day.
He was getting out the paper that
afternoon in Topeka.
MacLennan went to the Associated
Press meeting at o'clock with his
telephone credentials as the new
owner of the Kansas State Journal. =
He was forthwith elected president of
the organization including the after
noon newspapers of kansas and Mis-
| souri, and known as the 4'Trans-Mis-
sissippi Associated Press" He came
back from Kansas City that night at
| s o'clock and found GIeed on guard.
The writer has been continuously
with the State Journal ever since.
In those early days it was necessary
| that somebody should be on guard; the
new owner did not dare leave the Of
flee even during the MONDAY luncheon,
( for sam Wood was always sending
around subscription books which he
claimed were not included in the courts
! sale. There was indeed enough ma
tcrial that was included.
4 There We're seven carriers and there
was another evening paper running at
the time and the State Journal cir
culation manager had switched nearly
all the State Journal subscribers over
to the other paper in which, 1 think,
Colonel Holiday was interested. The
circulation manager was hardly to
blame. as the State Journal was not
getting out newspaper, but simply
retaining its Associated Press fran
chise. The Associated Press member
ship was called a franchise. There is
no such thing now as Associated Press
franchise.
It is a long story, this one of the
difficulties of getting out the State
Journal in those days.
The machinery and materials we're
IN terrible condition The belts driv-
ing the press We're rotten" and broke
repeatedly In fact. the whole outfit
was rotten including its reputat- on.
1t was O'Clock sometimes before the
paper could get to press and seven
/ carriers covered the entire city of To-
Deka and suburbs.
The new editor plunged Immediately
into politics He had come to Topeka
Byron Roberts, then cashier of The
Bank of Topeka and candidate for
election to treasurer. The election was
coming off in few days. The writer
liked Byron Roberts and thought he
was straight. square man pitted for
the office of treasurer and he WAS
Ihe publlSher of this paper has never
been quite so We'll satisfied probab bly,
WITH any campaign as the first one in
which he engaged wherein he helped
Byron Roberts. one of the best man
who ever lived in Topeka and who
made most creditable officer.
The State Journal lost money stead
lly and the new proprietor borrowed
right and left to the limit
Until finally one day, about a year
a aver the purchase. his check Cor
$3-54 Waa returned by the Bank or
topeka, marked mo funds" John r.
MuINane was the president Of the
bank at that time, as he is today. and
we don't blame him for throwing out
this check. The writer had no blIsi |
nesH to issue check when he had no |
money in the bank, but that day he
had been pestered so many times by |
an insistent bill collector that he gave |
him check. expecting by that night /
to have the funds in the bank to meet |
H. the writer never forgot that in |
cloent and from that day to this he |
has been careful not 10 overdraw his |
account nor issue a check unless the I
money was there to meet it.
It looked as though the end was ia I
sight Ne funds no business. That is, T
receipts falling behind expenses and this /
devil and everybody else to pay gen |
orally.
Shortly before this time Byron ROB- |
erts had surreptitiously smugeled into /
him on he streets three $50 gold pieces
Does the reader wonder why the wri-
ter viii always hold dear the memory |
of Byron Roberts? A year or so later /
the money was returned but the sixty
dollars was not enough.
With his check for 1854 thrown out /
at the Bank of Topeka the day before.
the young proprietor walked up to the T
counter at the Bank of Topeka as soon
as the bank opened that morning AMI
presented a sight draft on Major 9.
Hood of Emooria for $500, saying: -
would like to have the proceeds OF
that draft placed to my credit" He
had not said a word by tongue or let
ter to Major Hood. but took a long
chance that the major opId not desert
him in his extremity.
We learned afterwards that the
major was somewhat shocked to re-
ceive this check but he never WINGED
but the next time the writer saw him,
he said. Frank, the next time you do
that I wish you would send me a wire
a little ahead so I can prepare for the
emergencies. I know you can pull
your paper through if you have a little
more chance"
Meanwhile. the proprietor of the
State Journal who had begged Mr.
Gleed to buy the paper for him, now
mplored Mr.. Gleed to sell it, but Nj
Ileed could not sell it, for nobody
wanted it; it was worse than a White
Elephant and the new proprietor had
not succeeded in getting the Black
Elephant out of the mire.
But about that time, the State Jour
nal began to pay and it is worthy of
lOle ludI III no succeeding year, ala
the paper fail to earn more or less of
2 profit. AS time went on, it was
necessary to borrow more and more
money. Although the paper was pros
pering, still it took enormous funds to
install new machinery and keep the
property up to date.
Without knowing exactly how
much, it is thought that about $780,
200 cash has been poured into the
Topeka Daily State Journal. which
IS the only publication in which the
writer is interested, there being not
even 6 weekly edition.
The debts of the paper We're paid
off years ago and no money to run
0r improve the paper has been Dor