University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-02-19

Scoop" the Cub Reporter, who a
present is experiencing the joys of be
ing a chauffeur, could not put ozel
better one on his competitors thar
have the editors of the Columbis
Boomer. OF three issues, two have
contained scoops on the other large
papers run by grown-ups-big news
stories, too. But perhaps you have moi
seen the Columbia Boomer and do moi
know its juvenile editors.
The Boomer is just about so big
that is, about eight inches square. II
is a four-page paper. 1t is issued
weekly and it costs 5 cents a month
1t has seventy-five subscribers, a CON-
bination safe in which the accounts
of the publishing company are kept, a
bank account and three lively, wide
awake editors, aged Is, IA and 13.
Let us introduce you to the editors.
This one is John Sylvester. He is in
his first year at high school. He
lives at 719 Missouri avenue, with his
father, o. NJ. Sylvester. He carries
the Kansas City Star.
This one is Leland BlackwoOd, the
one with the bashful smile He is in
the eighth grade of the public schools
His grandfather is j. b. Mundy, edi-
tor of the Columbia Statesman. He
hasn't lived in Columbia long, just
since September. He used to live up
near Traverse City, Mich. He works
around the Statesman Office some
times carrying bundles. He's the boy
that brings your printing to you.
This fellow here is Darrell Parker.
His father is E. C. Parker, the limo
type operator for the Statesman, Mis-
sourian and also the Boomer Dar-
rell is in the sixth grade
How They Divide the Work.
Now you know all the members of
the firm of Parker, Sylvester and
publishers of the Column
bia Boomer. Who is the editor-in-
chief? That is a plainly grown-up
question. Of course it would not do
in Boyville to have one rank higher
than another. They're all editors, re-
porters, printers, pressmen and car
riers. Oh, yes, there is little division
Of labor. Leland keeps the safe with
the bank book in ii and he also keeps
the list of subscribers with their ad-
dresses. That might make him circu-
Iation manager. Darrell keeps the
book of the firm, and looks after the
business end. He's not business man.
ager, but he might be if the paper
belonged to grown-ups. John, who's
IN high school, gets most of the news
md jokes and writes most of the edi-
orials, and he can feed the press
,est.
The Boomer just started. No one
hOught of it, that is no one of the |
,oys, they just all thought together
md the Boomer was the result The
PREDECESSOR of the Boomer was the
'edbug Weekly. Darrell and John
'ot out this paper on Johns little
land press. It was lots of fun, but
wo issues were enough. Then they
ct Leland in on the scheme and de-
ided to get out regular newspaper
n Johns press, set their own type
nd print it themselves.
The name was the next problem.
me suggested Everybody's Weekly,
mother said that he thought the Co.
lmbia Enterprise sounded best, but
hey finally decided on the third, the
Boomer. That tells what
ne paper is for, anyway, to boom Co
lmbia.
A Subscription Campaign.
Getting subscribers at cents a
lonth was the next problem. But {;
lat wouldn't daunt these pub
shers. They got all the University ,
iris that room at Johns house to |
lbscribe. Then there was every one [
the Statesman Office and the Mis- {
,urian men. They were glad to take I
because they needed it to learn {
bout their business. And Darrell and I