Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-27
4. JAsuAnr s7,.,s

drifts twenty feet high in O'Brien
county, Iowa, we started to learn the
printers trade in the Primghar Tribune
Office. C. G. Bundy was the editor.
Chester Davis, foreman, and I, lad Of
~. was the devil"
About the middle of January the
railroads became blockaded with snow
and for about two months we were
without q mail in Primghar. You
printers who use ready prints know
what that means. We had some paper
on hand, enough for two issues. and
when that was gone the boss went
around town and gathered up all the
wrapping paper the merchants had on
hand. and we got out one issue on that.
There were several different kinds and
sizes of wrapping paper and maybe we
didn't have a time cutting 1t to one
size with the old fashioned paper cut
ter, straight edge and skinning
knife. This job fell to US and our fin
gers were sore for weeks from hand
ling the knife. But the reputation OF
the Tribune was saved that week by
Being printed on Wrapping paper.
The next week rolled around but no
paper came, and there were no pros
pects. as it showed several inches more
during that week. Bundy just had 10
save the reputation of the Tribune, so
he went to the drug stores and bought
every roll OF wall paper they had on
hand. 1t fell to our lot to unroll this
paper, cut it to the right size. and
weight it down so it would not roll up
again. This job, with the work OF
hustling two by fours from the lum-
her yard and getting them sawed up
to fit the stove without the knowledge
Of the lumber;nan, did not leave us any
time to work al the printing business.
BY frequent washing OF the forms, as
the wall paper would scale of and I'LL
up the type. we saved the day and the
Tribune went TO the people with the
cheerful news that it would be many
DAYS before the railroads would maui
freight. This was encouraging, as
Primghar was eight miles from a road
at that time and a road for teams
would have to be shoveled to Sanborn,
the nearest railroad point. We had
enough wall paper for two issues. The
next was the rub. but Eundy was not
to be downed yet. Work went on in the
office and another paper was ready to
print but no paper.
At that time the -four mills used pa
re- sacks Instead of cloth as they do
nov. This solved the getting out OF
the paper for two weeks more. Several
men with hand sleds went TO Sheldon.
eighteen miles away, where Bundy
bought all the sacks the two mills had
on hand. and hauled them on sleds TO
Primghar.
Here is where we came near throw
ling up our Job and the salary we were
getting We had just started and were
working for nothing for three months
Just to pay for the bother we put the
rest to- We had TO take sack and
with a knife split it down the sides and
across the end smooth cut the creases
and weight them down so they could
be fed easily thru the old Washington
For two weeks more the people read
the cheerful news that the blockade
was still on and no hopes of it coming
to an end before warm weather.
Ey this time there was no paper TO
be had and for several weeks the Tri-
bune failed to be printed, and BundE
was wild. However. the office was
kept open in the hopes that something
would happen. and it was our job TO
have a fire started by each morning
and enough lumber sawed up to last
the day out.
Once In a while the lumberman
would come TO loaf. Then the FIRE was
allowed to go out for We could not put
his lumber in the fire when he was
around as he had threatened dire ven
! geance on those who were stealing
from him This was thirty-one years
sgo and we are still working at the
trade.
Say. brothers. have YOU ever had any
difficulty in getting OFT Your paper?