Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-13

William Rockhil Nelson was founder.
owner and editor of the kan~a~ City Star.
Although he did not enter the newspaper
business until he wa- nearly ~ ycar~ old.
hc brought ~ n such originality. ability
and energy that hc built up one MI th,
greatest newspapers ut thc country.
tIr. Noi-un w.- Born w Fort Waynr.
Ind. March z. 1871. Ilv ramc ~ twr rru
turic- 81 American aurc.iur-. III ma-
tcrnal grandfather. William Rockhill. sell
tied n Indiana when that state Wa q Wild
cruc~- in 1919. and wat the first farmer 10
America tp plant thousand acres "a c"ru.
lii father. Isaac Detroit Nelson. wu-
identified with thr uphuilding WI thr state
and took pn active huud M it- political life.
William II. Nelson was educated WI Nntr,
Dame university. After i short experience
~ a youne~tcr IN growing cotton m ticor
eia lust after the war. be- returned to Ia
| diana and became y general contractor. llr
engaged IN tn building NJ road. pave
mrut- and bridge. and wn~ u--uriatcd IN
Y contract far the construction "f the
Southern lllm"i- State prnitcntiary.
Intense admiration Tor the reform work
Of Samuel !. Tildcu brought him into con
tact with that great democrat and when
only - YEAR old. me- became Tildcu'~ In
diana campaign manager. Iii interest iu
political leadership made him turn ~ news
paper work a- 'lc best way iu influence
men w thr mass. llc bought au interest
wv thr Fort Wayne sentinel and Y hu- mo
reverse determined him to devote An III
time to journalism.
lie soon bccamc convinced that the op-
rnrtunitic~ IN Fort Waync were too small.
aud after looking the held over. w. decided
un Kansas City u- the most promising city
uf the country. lIc persuaded hi Fort
Wnync partner. Samuel VI. Mur-~. TN make
the venture with him. They sold their Fort
-rt lang the first Kansas City boulevard.
started the Evening Star ~ a little. four
page afternoon newspaper. ON September.
i. lSS0. Mr.. Mor~~ withdrew from the
enterprise after 4 few months ~ account
III III health. and Mr.. Nelson continued ~
sole owner and editor NV chief.
Essentially Y builder. IVY took un intense
interest III the development ~ the city. M
most from the first Issue the Star urged
the necessity 81 paving the streets. of
getting % park system. of huilding atirac-
tive house. 1T planting %-hrubbcry and
trcc-. Mr.. Nelson himself had the trees
ct along the first kan-n ~tiiy boulevard.
lIc was constantly in~tiguting movements
for city bctterment.
One Of hi achievements was the resi-
dcncc district which hc laid ont near hi
home a. an example of what could bc done
toward city bcautiiication lie built
nearly a hundred modest houses along
roads which w. lined with stone walls GOV
cred with honry-ucklc~ and crimson
rambler~. Ilr was intensely Interested IN
tine pictures and wv made 4 collection VI
reproductions ~ European masterpieces
done ~ the best artists who could be
found. which he gave To Kansas City.
In politics h. wa. a. he often said. in
dependent but never neutral But b.
would never consider any elective or ap-
%pointivc position. Early IN President
TAFT administration the suggestion waa
made III newspaper reports that H. might
be appointed ambassador to France, lie