Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-13
Geo. B. Wins1ip Recalls Incidents
Of Early History of Grand Forks
Herald and Various Other. Papers

BY GEO. III. wINsHR.

W. l. Dudley was one of the most
r,useful and competent men ever m
s.plOyed on The Herald. During his
long service he filed almost every po-
sttion. from the printers case to the
editorial throne. He was as timid and
but he had IN ability as a newspaper
reporter. He got the news he went
after, but how. was always a mystery
to me. He seldom talked with people,
did not have established news centers
or fixed sources of information. but
he always thoroughly covered the city,
showed up with q note book full of
facts, and his statements were seldom
( c~ontroverted. In public meetings he
quietly slipped in, and occupying an
i~nconspicuous seat in the back ground,
he failed to note every motion
and every point made by the speakers.
His reports were full, accurate and
comprehensive. 1t was as q descrip-
tive writer, however. that MI. Dud-
ley excelled. 1 have in mind, at his
time. h burning of the first Hotel
Dacotah. and Dudley's vivid descrip-
ton Of the scene. It was a remarka-
BILE word picture of a disastrous con-
Migration, n it's naked simplicity
and minuteness Of detail left nothing
unsaid in the report. His style was
clear. distinct and simple, and his
language pure and undefiled. During
the late years of his service we got to
know and appreciate his talent, and
about all the important descritive
work was assigned to him. That fine
~120-page illustrated writeup of Grand
Forks, issued in 1904 in celebration
of. the silver anniversary Of The Her
aid. was largely the work of Mr. Dud-
ley; and every time I look at it., and
that is suite often. I am reminded Of
-~1l ia #SD1,ISS 1-J Ij~ ry,;c< M .Af.
hcient service.
Joe Scanlan was a dapper little fell
low, who did good general work for
The Herald in the late '90s. He was
any department n doing we'll As
/ reporter, solicitor, collector and socie-
!. ty Teller he was equally at home, and
he had energy and tact n geniality
In abundance. On one occasion, early
in 81. o found himself alone with
the city work, and came to me for
7 help. I asked him if he had any
in mind, and he said that w. P. Davies
was foot-loose and we might get him
to help US out. I approved the sug-
gestion. and Joe hunted up Mr.. Davies
n set. him to work. I had known
\ of Mr.. Davies for some time, but as
he had been a school teacher and q
farmer and latterly a carpenter, I was
in doubt in just what vocation his real
talent resided. He qualified amply in
the local field. and quickly got the run
Of all the other departments. gradual
" working his way to the editorial
room where the heavy leaders were
pounded out, and where lighter 1ucu-
brations found an outlet in the Nubs
OF News column. In all these depart
J ments Mr.. Davies made good, and in a
very short time he was installed as
managing. editor and chief editorial
writer. T. quickly realized that Mr..
Davies was the ma I had long sought,
and from that time on I began to
leave home winters for a more or 1esa
protraeted absence. feeling that there
was a reliable man at the. helm of
The Herald who would steer the old
craft away from breakers into calm
and safe waters. OF the world. the
flesh and&the devil" our views were
substantially in harmony. Our minds
in many ways worked in grooves
somewhat similar, and u standards
Of politics, morals and religion were
much the same. He Interpreted me
with are precision, and I reposed full
confidence in him; SO my absences
from home Of one or six months were
made possible because of his loyalty
and integrity.
Among Mr.. Davies many common
dable qualities was his apparent salts