Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-06
Geo. B. Winship Recalls Incidents
Of Early History of Grand Forks
Herald and Various Other Papers

with some imaginary enemy. When
he left. The Herald he took up ,vetcr-
mary surgery, and I understand
achieved affair degree Of success. n
s. c. Harris was a, printer editor,
very competent and reliable when not
in his cups. Men Of his class are ex-
tremely valuable on a country daily,
because they "a do 80 many things
In an emergency. An editor who is q
printer and can set type, makeup
forms. and do the various mechanical
stunts required to be done in a coun-
try office, Is a prize. Harris belonged
to that class. He made good any
place he was put. But he was human
and weak. couldn't resist the cup that
cheers. and ~inebriates If lifted too
often. It was about $3.50 with him
one month sober. one month drunk;
so in due time he dropped out.
Frank La Witt was on the local
staff for a year or two. He was a
former publisher of the Plaindealer,
andya good all-round newspaper I,,an;
a little too phlegmatic, perhaps, to, be
q hustler. but withal a business get
ter andSa ready writer. He located in
Iowa I'M the late zoos, where he pub
lished a weekly paper until his dem,ee
a year OF two since.
The Herald's first editorial writer
was W.. NJ. Scott, who iubse Tue ntly
founded the Larimore Pioneer. Mr..
Scott was a plodder, and . stident Ut
moro than ordinary caliber. He read
everything with an independent, IN
biased mind, and his judgment was ac
curate and dependable. Some OF the
best editorials in the career Of The
Herald were the product of Mr.. Scott.
he was the first deputy commissioners
OF labor. under Mr.. Helgsa.n, AMI
after retiring from Office. :ocated at
kiona. Washington. where he now re-
Mdes.
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One Of the early employees ef The
Herald was H. W. Washburn, a
graduate Of Yale and a str1kinsly
handsome and distinguished looking
man. He was recommended by II. +.
Hall, of the st. Paul Globe, and I
took him "unsight and unseen"
While he favorably impressed me. I
had my "doots." I put him to the
test without delay by assigning him
work on an editorial against the le-
peal Of the Pre-emption law. I out
lined the points I wished to make,
gave him some data, referred him TO
Appleton's Cyclopaedia for additional
facts, told him to write a crisp. Incl
sive editorial not to exceed column
in length, and when finished to lay his
copy on my desk. It was there the
next evening, a whole ream Of 1t, but
in no form that could be used as an
editorial. 1t was at least three
column in length. practically a rehash
Of the presumption law. and every
point I had suggested was omitted.
OF course. we could not use it, and I
had to blue pencil the whole mess.
By this time the awe-inspiring charm
of the handsome n dignihed man
began to dissolve, and 7 resorted to the
third degree in my interrogatories as
to his newspaper experience, and
found that he had neve had any. He
had reviewed a few books for eastern
papers, but had done no editorial
work such as The Herald required.
The nan vas quite contrite, admitted
he had underestimated the importance
OF country dailies, n asked for a
further trial at a reduced salary. I
gave him the trial at $40 a week, but
he did not make good-he couldn't
grasp the technic of country news
paper work. and I had to let him go.
He worked for the Plaindealer awhile.
doing various simple tasks. 1t was
my habit to drop into the Plaindealer
Office occasionally and chat with Mr.,
Murphy. On such occasions W. j.
would drop everything and pay strict
attention to me. Murphy. you know,
was a'lordly sort of entertainer, and
with the air of a potentate. he would
J swing on his swivel chair until he
touched the door and tapped for
Wash Wash would appear, get his
instructions to cross the street to Kin
kels n get two IS cent cigars,
humbly bowling obeisance as he re-
tired. Poor old Washburn couldn't
stand this humiliation long. He. came
to me utterly crushed, and asked me
to assist him to get back to St. Paul,
said he had prepared a lecture on
J Shakespeare, and thought he might
hold forth in Gotzian hall at an early
date. I knew that his high-brow dis
course would not attract many people.
but out of sympathy I offered to help
him. We advertised the lecture.
printed the admission tickets. several
of which I sold, myself, and Mrs. Win
ship and I attended the lecture. There
I were not present over a dozen or is
people when Mr.. Washburn essayed to
speak. He had barely finished his
prologue. when there was confusion
or the stairway. and the shout, fire!
fire! resounded through the hall. In
stantly there was a rush for the stair
way, and in a few moments the hall
was empty-all h work of mischiev-
Gus boys. I stayed and consoled the
lecturer the best I could: and the next
day I saw him off at the train. I
never knew a big. husky, healthy
man. %splendidly equipped educational
~. SO utterly helpless and SO devoid
of initiative as was this man..
X X +
I. Harley Brock vas the mex writer
who ground out editorial pabulum for