The Cordova daily times., 1920-05-17
ALASkA'S NEWSPAPER IN
 RETROSPECT
(From the Ketchikan Chronicle)

(From the Ketchikan ChrOnicle)
 Some day, someone will write a history of Alaska newspapers, and it will be interesting, a review for the success spiritually, of gullibility and high mindedness, a story of work and joys and sorrows
 The Ketchikah Times on Saturday announced suspension of publication, the bankruptcy schedules showing that it has lost $13,0OO during the past year. It is unfortunate for those financially interested and adds anoth- CT page, very similar to many pages in the history of Alaskan journalism. And it is so similar to other pages Of earlier history that every student of neWspaperdOm in the North knew that page of the kind was to be written in Ketchikan. It was almost a fOregone conclusion from the 18th day of July, 1919, when the Ketchi- kan Alaska Chronicle started publi- cation, that it would be a wearing down process for one of the two news papers, that one of them would have to ultimately give up. Ketchikan, while thriving community could not support two daily newspapers, for any length of time. The Times fell by the wayside and the Chronicle, it may se truthfully said, was fortunate enought to weather the storm of keen competition, a competition at all time most considerate and courteous.
 With the passing of the Times it Is interesting to note that but one town in Alaska now has two daily newspapers. That is Juneau. And it may be predicted, without fear of be- ing branded as false prophet, that Juneau will have two newspapers but for short time. It had two papers before and one of them, after twenty years in that town, was forced to seek new fields. Juneau has not gone aAead materially since that time and the situation is little changed, so that there is no question that one or the other paper there will have to be eliminated, either in a month, six months or year.
 Cordova had it's experience a couple of years ago. The COrdova Herald started there, but after a few months suspended publication, leaving the field again to the Times which had held it alone for several years. Prior to that Cordova had a short news paper war between the Times and the CordOva Alaskan, the latter finally being compelled to quit.
 Seward likewise knew war of scribes, between the Seward Gateway and the Seward Post, ending finally in the consolidation of both. Anchor age has never had but one daily. the Times but other papers, weeklies, were compelled to suspend.
 Dawson, in it's halcyon days, had three dailies and a weekly. The only one of these four that ever showed profit was the Dawson News and after short time the com petition dwindled to two and in 1904, one of these two pulled out.
 Fairbanks, likewise, boasted two aailies and weekly for several years. None of them made any money how ever, and were barely eking out an existence when an unfortunate fire swept out the better plant of the two
 Nome and skagway had experiences similar to the other towns until the field was finally left to one.
 In all the history of Alaska jour- nalism but two men ever left, after years of labor, with an substantial sum to show for their work They were former Governor J. F. A. Strong and Bob McChesney who sold out their plants and businesses when the camps in which they happened to be, were at the height of their greatness.
 There have been innumerable Eange1s" who poured large sums of money into newspapers at times that