The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-06-18
FUNNY EDITORS
I'VE WORKED FOR
This "knighf Of the Slick Tells About
His Wanderings and the PecuIiarities
Of a Few Minnesota Newspaper Men
Blows Up Engine.
FIRST PRESS IN STATE
By "Buck"

By "Buck''
/ have worked for some peculiar
and funr y editors in my wanderings
around the state of Minnesota, but
probably the queerest of these was
Old Jack NJ, of the Times in
the village of P in the south
western part of this state.
When Old Jack bought out the
Times in 1895, for the purpose of
running it as a gold democrat sheet,
he proceeded to advertise the fact
by riding around town in a single
seated buggy. He was dressed up
in plug hat. undershirt. pair of
pants and slippers-nothing more.
As he was big fat man, weighing
260 pounds and wore his hair long
below his shoulders-he presented
very ludicrous appearance, in
deed.
Before going into the newspaper
business Old Jack was a hvtel keep
er, (Which industry he continued
along with his newspaper, otherwise
he would have starved) and before
that he was saloon keeper; 80 it
car be imagined the kind of an
editor he was.
When [ first went to work for
him, which was in April, 1901, he
had changed the politics of the
Times from gold democrat to repub-
lican. and continued it 40 ever since.
Also, about that time he sold out
his hotel interests-or, rather least
it out-and depended entirely on
the printing office for living.
The man who was operating the
mechanical end of the plant for him
was his son-in-law, o., who was
one of the best all-round country
printers ever worked under. 1t is
rather amusing story the way o.
became Old Jacks son-in- law, and
it happened in this manner:
Gets Son-in-Law
Old Jack had two daughters, both
of marriagable age, and when o.
first came to work for him. he CO.,
was instantly smitten by the charms
of the youngest of the girls, and in
due time asked Jack if he could not
have her hand in marriage. Mop
thundered Old Jack. "I'll see my
daughter dead in her grave before /
would consent to see her the wife of
a booze fighting, tramp printerl"
o. never said a word to that,
but kept right on with his work;
not even minding the insult which
Old Jack threw up at him; but he
made up his mind he would have the
girl anyway and laid his plans ac-
cordingly. He fixed it up with his
fiance, and as he had a good offer of
job in the village of L, they
decided to skip to the county seat, at
j, and get married-which they
lid early the following morning.
I tell you, the air was hlue around
the Times office when Old Jack dis
covered that the answer he gave to
o. didn't cut the column short,
but had only made o. forget to
put dash" after the story and
double-lead the continuation.
Well. as they only had two hours
start when Jack made the discovery,
and az the county seat was twenty
six (28) miles away. he rushed over
to the livery stable, got team ana
started in pursuit. He didn't even
stop to get his hat and coat. but
hoped into the buggy. and few.
He cussed" and swore all along the
whole road, and people he passed
thought he had gone out of his head;
but it didn't do him any good, for he
arrived several hours too late. They
were married Immediately upon ar
irving there, and all Old Jack could
do was to make the best he could of
bad situation (from his point of
view.
O. didn't go to work for Old
Jack again. but took the job offered
him by the L. Standard. and l
believe he worked there about six
months. when Jack persuaded him
TO come back to P.
He finally took O. in as a
partner and gave him half interest
| in the Times.
An Old Time Press
In the fall of 1901, went to work
for the News, the contemporary of
the Times in the same town. George
p was owner and editor of the
News at that time, and was noted
for never getting his paper out on
time. The nearest he ever came to