The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-02-05

dDOuG Vile SplIlC u jesus VI NetZaIcI1f
written by the man responsible for
publishing both the letter and the ed
itorial.-Forum.
JUST ''SHOP TALK"
This is just a little "shop talk"
about the country press Of North Da-
kota, based on nearly three years
continuous reading of the weekly and
small daily papers of the state.
When the weekly bundle of Eek
changes" piles up on the desk, some
old familiar friends naturally come
first to hand.
Walt Taylor's LaMoure Chronicle,
for example, can always be counted
upon for some sound thinking on
state affairs. Few men are better
posted on state history than walt,
and despite his vigorous opinions, he
is always fair and willing to see the
other fellows SIDE
M. A. FORMERS Cavalier County
Republican reveals personality not
unlike that of the Chronicle "Mark''
never. stoops to personalities and how
ever decisive his stand may be, he re-
members that dignity should be part
Of a newspaper. When you feel Bit
ter or venomous, Walt or Mark, is
good antidote.
George Heinze's Tower City Topics
reveals a rough and ready fighter.
George has never learned to 'soft-
pedal, and whether you agree with
him or not, you feel that it is his hon.
est opinion.
Percy Trubshaw's Valley City
Times-Record has much the same per-
sonality, in daily form, as the Topic
disclOses. "Percy" is never quite hap
py unless he has his coat off and is
wading in, and whether you agree
with the Tmes-Record or not, you
admit there is personality behind it.
Out at Beach, "Walt" Cushing is
making the Advance one of the livest
weeklies in the state; and up at Hills
boro, L. E. George is doing the same
Hughes Globe Gazette at Wahpeton
would be a credit to any weekly news
paper office, and out, at Williston, Geo.
FAIRIES is getting out an editorial page
on the Herald that ought to make the
casual reader who pick it up stop and
wonder why such real ability isn't
drafted into bigger field.
There are score or more like them
including E. L. Peterson's Dickinson
Press; Grant Hager's Walsh County
Record at Grafton; Wardwell &,
Thompson's Pembina Pioneer-Ex-
press; Glen Colcord's Minot Indepen-
dent; jim Cramer's Marmath Mail;
and L. H. Bratton's Pierce County
Tribune. Pick up any Of them and
you can read some original ideas.
They may carry some s'patent in
sides" or they may be all home print
they may be five column pages or they
may be seven; they may be hand set
or they may have linotype, but the
big fact remains that they are indig-
!enous. They have grown up in THEN:
communities and are representative
of. their communities; they express
the thoughts and ideas of the men
who have built them with loving
hands; their owners have made them
as respected newspapers. Through
every issue runs the idea: This is
my newspaper and it represents my
town, and for me it is the best town
in the best state in the union" Such
papers are the best examples of what
the country press should be. III You
can't dictate to any of them what they
are going to think or do. You can't
put ring in their noses and lead
them. They aren't afraid of hard
knocks, for they are used to them.
Then take the other side Of the pic
ture:
Pick out of the pile of exchanges,
one of the bureau sheets. It car
RES as many of the "canned editor
ials'' sent out from St. Paul league
headquarters as the paid manager
has paper to print; it has long arti-
cles with st. Paul or Bismarck date
lines, written by league press agent
and mailed out for publication; it has
about as much personality and char
acter as a handful; its "editor" is
just an Office manager, working for a
salary, and his interest in the paper
or the town is represented only by his
weekly pay check. Read one Of these
papers, and you have read them all.
In fact if the date lines were changed
only one paper need be published, for
all Of the So offices.
The newspaper law was aimed to
give the bureau sheets" monopoly
Of the field in North Dakota, but it
hasn't done it. It put few Of the
boys out of commission, but the rest
Of them have rallied their friends
around them and are making game
and winning fight They will come
through stronger than ever, and most
of them will be boosting for the
home town and chronicling the doings
Of the home folks. when Townleyisn1
is forgotten in North Dakota -Fp- +
rum.