The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-04
Of Course 1t Was Attended
by Many Exciting
Incidents
BUT THE "BABY"
SEEMED TO PLEASE
Route Boys Were Delayed by People
Who Insisted upon Securing Copies
of the First Issue-One of the Early
Sheets Captured by G. R. Crosby.

of the First ISSue-Cne OF the Larry
Sheets Captured by G. R. Crosby.
The birth of anything is a momen- /
tous occasion The first issue of The /
Daily Reformer was no exception to
this general rule. 1t affected a lot of
people; more than those most closely
associated with the first issue had an
ticipated and they had anticipated
quite a few.
Aside from those who have been
connected with The Reformer and The
Phoenix forces, now consolidated,
whole herd Of ambitious young news
boys were promptly on hand and they
kept coming to hand or to the counter
again, like Oliver Twist, for more. One
of them rot so excited about the new
business venture that he was paying
two cents a copy for the paper, rush
ing out and selling them for the same
price and returning to repeat the oper-
alton. The Reformer is no charitable
institution and is willing to make
money, in fact intends to, but it never
believes in taking candy from child
rem, and accordingly put stop to this
ingenious method of making money
and impressed upon the young man
that he could have just as much fun
and, possibly, make just as much mon
ely by buying the paper at newsboy
rates and selling 1t at the market
price.
The business department of the pa
per has been for some time, and will
be for some time more, struggling
with the many changes of names that
have been required by the consohda-
ton of the interests of The RefOrmer
and The Phoenix. Some of these
changes were not the easiest to man
age, in one instance the order being
received to transfer my superstition
from The RefOrmer to The Phoenix.
Most OF us have these things in some
guisc or other but it is not always
easy to leave it to others to transfer
them. However, the business depart
ment is doing its best to obey orders.
And that brings US to the troubles
incident to starting complete new
system of delivery of papers, especial
w Oh a day when all of Brattleboro
and residents of other towns had been
anticipating the advent of the new
paper and were waiting with malice
afOrethought to secure a copy and an
early one. If YOU did not get one until
or 10 O'Clock last night don't blame
the boy on your route but some of the
highwaymen who waylaid him and of
or having it taken from him. One Of
those boys with a route of 125 papers
to deliver, at Z clock last night
came back for 90 more and then had
70 papers to deliver. He had then had
300 papers and expected to finish the
route sometime during the night if he
was not robbed again.
The first copy that reached the Office
from the press room was purloined by
Charles r. Crosby, who wedged hi
way through the mass of boys ant
walked upstairs and out doors reading
it, He had only started up Main
street when he was hailed from tn
Peoples National Bank and went IN
Comments were made instanter on tn
advertising patronage of the new
daily, the size and number of the ad
vertisements attracting the attention
of the business and banking men eve
before some of the news. Heretofore
in the days of weekly papers only. /
has been a mere formalitv to read tn
local papers with some of those VIII
have been and are in close touch wit
general affairs. They have known eH
erything Of Importance before the ps
pers have had a chance to print i
It's different now.
Everywhere were heard favorabI
comments upon the typographical al
pearauce of the paper. One person al
parcntly expected to receive a papt
of the dimensions of the New Yor
Sunday journal and was very eviden
~ disappointed. But in the main q
pressions of satisfaction. all of the
very gratifying to the management
were heard. Some reached the off,
by telephone, some We're personally e
pressed and still more reached IL
Office today by mail For which mue
thanks and our promise that evel
effort will he made to make the pap
still more worthy of them. The roug
edges have not been worn off vet al
will not he in the natural course
events for some little time
The Reformer 5 new press has n
arrived. being somewhere in the viii
between here and West Virginia.
consequence the printing of the dai
is a much slower process than it w
be after the new press is installed al
in working order. One of the troubl
with the present work will then ha
been eliminated, for papers will be
sued much more rapidly to the rou
boys and those who purchase them +
street sales.
Late yesterday afternoon and Il
evening the Reformer telephone W
constantly in use. and scores of ca
Were received asking whether or i
the paper was to be delivered. Patiel
ly it was explained that there VIZ
so many highwaymeu in Brattlebc
who were robbing the route boys II
the little fellows were returning e.
stantly for more papers and pick
M their routes where they had |,
off Sine Of them were at work as Il
as q O'Clock last evening
Tt is not expected that this form
trouble will be so prevalent this aft
non and in the future. If it contin1
the Reformer will consider it equi
ent to a challenge and will engage
fetal guardians for each boy. I
routes must be covered and within
reasonable time. Last night it certa