Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-08-30
EXTRACTS FROM THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF
ZANE GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman Of
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante
bellum Oay0-1815-1065
c. H A P T Err Xiv.

HAPPIER Xiv.
The printers case used to be one
Of the highways to editorial and con-
gressional honors; but the little fel-
lows of the craft invented a machine
which goes over it like a header"
over at wheat-held and leaves a dead
level Of stalks, all minus the heads,
so that no tall fellows are left to
shame them by passing on from the
stick" to the tripod or speakers NAL
let. Their great Union rolling-pfn
tlattens them all out like pie-crust,
and tramps are not overshadowed by
the superiority of Industrious men.
But hte leveling process makes i'm
passable mountains and gorges in
other walks of life-makes it neces-
sary that a publisher with one hun
dred readers must pay as much for
typesetting as he with a hundred
thousand. The salary of editors and
contributors may vary from nothing to
ten thousand year; but through all
mutations Of this life, the printers
wages must remain in statu quo. So
the Union kills small papers, pre-
vents competition in the newspaper
business, builds up monster establish
ments, and keeps typos at the case
forever and day.
I knew when the Visiter started
that it could not live and pay for type
setting the same price as paid by the
New York Tribune, and the day the
office became mine, stated that fact
to the printers, who, took their hats
and left In so, had spent some part
Of every day for two weeks in COM
| posing room, and with the knowledge
| then acquired, I, in SO started the
business of practical printer. I took
proof Of my first stick, and 10, it
read from right to left. 1 distributed
that but had to mark the stick that
l might remember.
The first day took two boys as ap-
prentices. First, Wesley Miller, who
had spent two months in Harrisburg
office, and knew something of the art,
but did not like anything about it ex-
cept working the press. Second, my
nephew, William B. Mitchell, who was
thirteen, knew nothing of types, but
was model Of patient industry.
Our magnanimous printers hung
around hotels, laughing at the absurd
ity Of this amateur Office We might
set type, but when 1t came to making
and locking up g. form, ha, ha,
would MT there be sport? That hand
some new type would all be a mess
Of pi, then somebody would be oblig-
ed to come to their terms or St.
Cloud would be without a paper. 1t
was their great opportunity to dis
play their interest in the general well
fare, and they embraced it to the
full; but of the little 1 had learned in
that short apprenticeship six years
ago, l retained clear conception OF
the principles of justification by
works. l brought these to bear on
those forms, made them up, locked
them, and sent for Stephen Miller to
carry them to the press, when each
one lifted like a paving stone; but
alas, alas, the columns read from right
to left. unlocked them, put the mat
tier back in the galleys, made them up
new, and we had the paper of on
time.
From that time until the first OF
January, '63, carried on the business
of practical printer, issued paper ev
cry week, did large amount Of job
work, was city and county printer fol
half dozen counties, did all the leg
al advertising, published tax lists, and
issued extras during the Indian mas
sacres.
HAPPIER XIV.
When, after Mr.. Lincoln's election
the South made the North understand
that her threats Of disun1on meant
something more than Tin kettle thun
DER" there was little spirit Of com
promise among the Republicans anc
Douglas Democrats Of Minnesota, who
generally looked with Impotence or
the abject servility with which North
ern men in Congress begged theil
Southern masters not to leave them
with no slaves to catch, no peculiar
institution to guard
| was in favor Of not only permit
ting the Southern States to leave thu
Union, but of driving them out Of i
as we would drive tramps out of {
drawing room. Put them out! ant
open every avenue for the escape o
their slaves. But from that spirit o
Cancellation with which the Nortl
} sudden. The fire on Sumter lit an &C
l tual flame of freedom, and the pee
8 pie were ready then to wipe SLAYER,
! from the whole face of the land
When Gen. Fremont issued his fam
. Gus order confiscating the slaves O
rebels in arms, I was in receipt of
large exchange list, and have neve
seen such unanimity on any subject
e I think there were but two paper
which offered an objection; but thi
J. land was not worthy to do a genel
9 Gus deed. So, President Lincoln RI
= scinded that order, and the grea
rushing stream of popular enthusiasm
>, was damned, turned back to flow IL
to the dismal swamp Of constitutions
o bubbles and statutory invention'
;. There it lay, and bred reptiles an
/, miasmas to sting and poison the gui
l. ty inhabitants Of this great land; an
u never since have we been permitte
n to reach an enthusiasm in favor {
any great principle; for history ha
:, no record of a great act so thorough
e. =, ly Invested of all greatness by tn
,, meanness Of the motive, as is on
IL "Act of Emancipation"
n Long after the war was in progress
n the old habit Of yielding precedenc
e to the South manifested itself s
80 strongly as to sour and disgust til
III staunchest Republicans. The onl
T two important military appointment
10 given by Mr.. Lincolns administratio
-. to St. Cloud were given to two Sout
-, ern Democrats, ofice-holders undo
-. ~ Buchanan and supporters of Brecke
~ ridge, the Southern candidate fl
IN President in go. In the autumn
n 81, 1 asked farmer to take out ar