Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18


solely to the persistence OF its founder. Edward Rose
water found in his path such obstacles as would dis
courage man OF unouestioned grit, but in him the
greater the obstruction the greater his desire to
come It. Within year OF the publication OF its first
number, The Bee was burned out, fired by an incen-
diary Once again II suffered the same way through
similar agency. Its editor assaulted and des-
perate effort made to take his life; he fought against
poverty and underwent the Of hardshps but
he would not give the work he had set about
And inch by inch he fought his way little by little he
made progress, until he got his enterprise a solid
footing and then he went about to make his paper
what he had dreamed II would become the leading
journal of the west During all this time he did not
waver in his policy. He boldly attacked corruption
wherever located he championed the weak against
the strong he set himself against the domination OF
the Affairs OF the public by the corporations, fear
lessly opposed the leadership OF men who active
in the interest Of the moneyed oligarchy that sought
to control. His sympathies always with the
people, and his advocacy OF their cause never slack
ened.
In the earlier days Of the struggle Of The Bee
against the many influences lined up against it. its
editor felt many times that the life OF his paper
trembling by thread but he stuck it, At the end
of two years It had grown to proportions where he
must enlarge its sze and although the panic Of 1873
at its height he bought more and better machn-
cry and entered upon the real of journalist
Varying Size Of the Paper.
At this time he entered the general field for cir
culaton, and in return found such welcome from
the people outside OF Omaha that the next year
another enlargement of The Bee. In March. 1874,
II issued a nine column folio the old blanket
sheet type, the fifth time It had been enlarged since
it's birth three years before. On January /, 1875,
The issued the first illustrated number pub
lshed in the west review of the citys activities, IL
Eliminated with cuts of buildings, individuals ana
other matters of interest. In 1878 the Bee Publish
in md he was
launched it's wider Ample capital, q solid
financial basis, provided for new and improved ma
ohnery and general plan OF expansion was COM
menced. The morning edition had been added some
time before, and both editions were enlarged to eight
pages. In 1881 Council Bluffs department was set
up and four years later Lincoln taken in From y
that time continuously The Bee has had its own rep
resentatves in both of these cities. special repre-
sentative has been maintained in Washington since
early in the $685. and for more than dozen years az
resident staff correspondent has been kept at pes
Mones, thus giving The Bee It's own representatives
in the great of the country and the states
Il especially
From it's very start The Bee found great DIM
Guilty in getting its service from the world out
side The local field easily enough covered, but
the gathering of by telegraph was accomplished
in the face of dscouraging conditions The telegraph
companies would do nothing to aid the paper, and
for many years 1t paid outrageous tolls for its ele
graphic news. 1t was denied entrance TO the Asso-
cated Press, and result, while the other Omaha
papers paying but a small sum, around SIS per
month for teegraphic news, The Bee held up for
from $500 to $500 for what It got Finally, in 1891
it was admitted to the Associated Press the pay
ment Of a cash bonus of 900. This exorbtant fee
did seriously affect the splendid system OF special
correspondents that had been built up, but made 1t
possible to use the force to better advantage, with
the result that IL made The Bee pre-eminent as
newspaper. Connections made with the great
journals of the east, and alliance with the New
York Herald that continued for many years, until
the Herald became involved in effort to sustain
rival the Associated Press, when the connection
with The Bee broken off.
Superb News Gathering Sources. ~
1t may be of interest to recite at this point fact
that is little known but is significance showing
the Importance of The Bee in the sgatherng func
tion of the great American press. When the United
Press about to go under, in 1885, conference
was held in York, at the instance of Mr. Bennett.
and arrangements then made for association
of newspapers that would gather the and serve
it to their clients. In this combination included
the New York Herald the Chicago Tribune the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat and The Omaha Bee For some,
reason never explained, Mr.. Bennett withdrew
night from agreement and the immediate reorgan-
izaton of the Associated Press rendered further eff
fort the part of the others to provide for central
gathering and distributing agency unnecessary.
The United went under and the Herald into
the Associated Press
In 1885 the mechanical equipment OF The Bee was
expanded to meet its growth by the addition of a
web perfectng press and complete stereotypng out
fit. August /, 1885, The Sunday Bee made it's APP
pearance Up to that time the morning edition of The
Bee had appeared Monday, but not on Sunday. The
success Of the was in keeping with the
enterprise that has marked its In 1889 The
Bee moved to it's present home and even during the
times Of depression that in the 90s, 1t con-
tinued growth. 1t in 1898 that the battery OF
linotypes the first in the west, ordered.
ard the production of paper by machine set type
WIS commenced early in the following year. In 1898
tie two Potter perfecting presses displaced by
tw Hoe presses than double the capacity
of the taken out These In their turn are being
displaced by others still than double the