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


ter paragraphs and editorials, wnen
the .sbig boss was away; kept poohs
collected bills, reported ever ills e
from births to weddings and funerals
and nolitical meetings, narrowly es-
Gaping many times getting the proprlSI-
tor in libel suits. His experience a.
together was one that money can haru-
" buy today, because times have 81
changed in newspaper methoos.
nut ,,.-,+,~ was not much of print
or and a compositer then was gen
orally called a printer" Now ne I
a linotype operator, an ad man. u q
-..noake-llD" He was so poor a com
Dositor. in fact, that he was not eN ca -.
a ..blacksrnith'' and a blacksmith i
. 49,, vii understood around a print
ing office. He is the same thlhs a.
ham" in telegraph ofIlce, % .
''fourflusher'' in other lines OF Jus
ness. He did know somethlnS' lloM-
ever, about setting the types log
in a stick and his proper work W.
on the mailing list He coui9 e. l,'[a
up and it made little uiLIeI 80 -
whether Kansas on the mallns rs
was spelled "aKnsas" or the way lii0
maps designate as correct
This party had been under the m
estimable tutelage OF such veterans ~
the newspaper work as the late f1oii-
Jacob Stotler (who practically tounu-
ed the old Emporia News with the
late Senator Plumb and that other
wonderful newspaper worker, the late
Alexander Butts, who went to the
Kansas City Star shortly aIier the
writer came to Topeka
Mr.. Butts remained with the star
until his death, a little more than a
year ago.
Those two men knew the neWspap-
er bushes very thoroughly and thelr
instructions and teachings We're pc
vond value The writer became the
partner of these two veterans AFTER
several years of profitable business
the partnership was dissolved, Stotler
going to Wellington and Butts TO
ohio soon after returning TO the.
west and Joining the staff of the star
The Young man was dissatisfied with
the field He wanted larger pastures;
wanted to sell out his interest," "a ne
newspaper, bat did not want TO De
frozen out. which was a game That ne
had to be aware of. inasmuch as the
departure of his two associates, the
three having equal interests had leIt
the remaining one with Only one-thitu
interest overshadowed by two-thlrds
held by capitalistic influences
Having finally gotten out from an
unpleasant newspaper SITUATION WIN
out loss to himself and having receiV-
ed for his share the figure to winch /
he thought he was entitled, he pl2nae
to 90 10 Washington and New A0rk
for some eastern experience.
About this time this paper, which
was then known as the kansas state
Journal was for sale. 1t had been
in the hands of two receivers and the
second receiver was anxious to unload
having spent a bout $1,000 of his private
funds endeavoring to keep the paper
going The stock of the paper was
scattered to the four winds as a share
seems to have been given with about
every SO subscription payment.
The result Of it was that the title |
was in q terrible tangle.
Young MacLennan sent from EN-
poria to Charles Gleed. an old school !
mate. a five dollar bill retaining fee !
and asked him to buy the paper for T,
him, setting the limit at $4,000. which |
was all the money the subscriber |
could raise or borrow
The date of the sale was fixed for /
Oct. %. and the writer came up to |
Topeka to the sale, which was held /
on the present corner occupied Ey the /
State Journal. but in one story /
structure There was some lively /
passed, Mr.. Gleed. who was secretly
representing the writer, stopped bid |
ding when the limit was reached. The
paper was bought for $S,775. with
the assumption of a 81, 100 mortgage
and was knocked Off to Hon. Sam
n. Wood. one of the Kansas histor-
ical characters, and who had been
editor of the Kansas State journal
with Geo. W. Reed, as business man
agef.
As the group of bidders left the
Journal office. Hon. Dwight Thatcher,
a friend of the former student who
had been after the paper, said: why,
Frank, We're you bidding on this pa
per ~ the writer having been on the
side of the counter and not
seen at the sale.
'Well. well. come out to dinner with
ne. I live over on Fillmore street. If
you really want that paper you can
get it. Gleed was bidding for you. was
ne % YES"
You stay around here about a week
ind I think you can have that prop
erty, if you want it. I was only bid
ding to see that 1 was safe, having
been on Sam Woods bond. Wood is
working bluff and when it comes to
putting up the money he Will not get
L" Wood had bid SS,775. exclusive of
he mortgage, which had been assumed
~ the purchaser. Mr.. Thatcher said
You put yourself in the place of the
lext highest bidder which was $3.50,
md ! viii let you have the $3.50 for
which you are short
Judge Guthrie had set the dav Of
10th.
The time of the Shawnee county
court had been taken up with inter
nllnaple lawsuits over this newspaper
ana the judge was in no mood for mi
nlng- When the time came to close
the sale. Sam Wood arose in court
and said: Your honor. 1 have 50 200 in
cash and large number of Oklahoma
town lots which are Just as good -.
even better, than cash. which / desi~a
the court to accept for the property"
me court regarded this as the hieh-
est KIND OF an insult and said: Mr.
" ooa, unless you come to time with the
solu cash by o'clock on this news
paper purchase. the paper viii he de-
Jared sold to the next highest bidue-.
49,, Chas- ). Gieed,'' and so the court
AeanWhlle- the young proprie-,r
without Knowing whether be 2Tae -. -
ng TO get the paper or not - call-.a