The Coconino sun., 1921-11-04
Official Paper of the Coconino Cattle
 Growers Association. Official Paper CoconinO Farm Bureau. Official Newspaper of Coconino County.
THE SUN GOING ON 40 YEARS

The COconinO Sun is 39 years of age and IS starting on the annual trip to 40. The Suns father was The Champion established in 1882. The Sun also had one cousin, The Gem, which came over several years ago and threw in with The Sun. In April, 1908 the present owner of The Sun purchased the paper from the c. M. Funston estate The Sun has large variety of experiences during it's lifetime, some that were patheticaly humorous; some that were pa- thetic without being humorous. Over twenty years ago it was published in the form of a book about the size of the old-time almanac. It was good what there was of it and printed on a small job press by printers who were experts. In "them good old days" there seemed to be a sense of loyalty among those tainted with print er's ink. For instance. though temporarily dis drifted back to sniff the print shop atmosphere. It seemed at about that time there happened to be temporary rift in the financial atmosphere; a depression as it were, of finances which of course were far and wide apart in the average country printing office during those times. Old they used to abruptly take their bank account out of one bank and place it in rival bank for the purpose of embarrassing the bank they had suddenly disapproved of.
 We'll, in short time we became acquainted with the interior mechanism of The Sun. George Burroughs was the chief mechanician with Nor mon Bill, or Flat Wheel Bill, who furnished the electric power for the pedal on the 8x12 Gordon -Old Style, several castings broken but still as good as new.
 The first intimation of the impending panic was preached by Bill, who secretly advised me that the boss had been gone for several weeks and he was afraid to look the Chinaman down on Front street in the face again. Also, George and me has ct up all that sack of potatoes the boss left in the cellar and have been sleeping on the floor. Don't say anything bout it. Could you let me have four bits; l ain't eat for two days; don't tell George or he will want me to split with him; and me, I'm hungry" Bill sure looked the part and we are glad to confess, got the four bits When Flat Wheel had got on his way to show down with China boy who wot him not, George, the fellow who was typical of Opie Reid's printer, spoke in a shy whisper. He hadn't overheard the previous conversation. Say, honest, we have got to walk out; it's a shame to turn the boss down, but we've eaten up all the potatoes down in the cellar by baking them on the office stove; and the woods all gone and we can't sleep here in the office any longer. If you have dollar you're not using, could you? Don't tell Bill about it for he'd want me to dvvy up and haven't had square for week" Sure could we. And we have never told to this day on the gang. The Sun came out and shone. The Sun kept on shoning and shining. What world this could be made if they were all like old George and Bill They wouldn't quit until the last old potato was baked until the last stick of wood had burned out.
 Old George had been state printer Tn hlS time, in far west state. The last time saw that loveable old George, was at little sidetrack town called Prescott-some miles from Ash Fork. He rapped on the window of the then celebrated Congress House and motioned for "us" to come out. T was ashamed to come in or wouldn't have come to the window" the old stalwart confded.
 "Well, where is old B" was the natural first thought. "Well, honestly, Fred, we got out of Flag on freight train and Bill looked so dis reputable, that I ditched him at Williams"
 The very next night Bill came along to the same window, looking like Bolshevili with his we'll brushed whiskers asking for his partner George. That was the last we ever saw of them, but there were hundreds more just like them at that time.
 The Sun has grown from four page five col umn paper in 1908 to six column twelve page with a circulation of 400 paid up readers and every one booster for Flagstaff.
 We hope the next ten years will show an equal improvement in The Sun and Flagstaff as well.
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