White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-19
HISTORY Of WHITE PINE NEWS
FROM PEN OF AN OLD RESIDENT
(By b. r. MILLER)


White Pine county. also has the honor
OF being the Oldest paper in the state
with one exception. The first news
paper launched in Nevada and which
is still being published weekly was
the Reese River Reveille, which first
went to press in May, 1868. w. C.
Phillips being editor at that time The
third oldest paper in the state, the
Elko Independent, began publica-
tion shortly after the News was trsi
started. :.
The first issue of the News, which
began it's career as a daily in the
stirring days of White Pine, was
printed on Treasure Hill in December,
1868, by w. H. Pitchford and R. w.
Simpson as proprietors, and with
Myron Angel, a noted newspaper
writer OF early days, as editor. The
Elko Independent, l believe, was
started in May, 1863.
Mr.. Pitchford was a man OF wide
newspaper experience and who was
well known throughout the state, re-
mained as one of the proprietors of
the News until 1870, when he found
ed the Pioche-Ely Record and pub
lished that paper for two years, until
1872, when he established the Shell
Creek Prospect. publication of
Schellbourne which appeared for
about a year during the excitement
at that camp.
r. w. Simpson, the other founder
of the News, was for a quarter of
century recognized as one of the lead
ing newspaper men in the state. Many
of the present day readers of the
News Will remember Bob Simpson,
especially during his last newspaper
days on the Ward Reflex.
w. J. Forbes became connected
with the News in 1869, and q year
later leased the publication and
moved it to Hamilton, changing 1t
into tri-weekly. Mr.. Forbes earned
the reputation of being one of the
boldest. most daring and most VEN
turesome newspaper men in Nevada,
being founder of the Unionville-Hum-
boldt County Register as early as
1863 and keeping that publication
going until 1869, when he became as
sociated with the News. Later he
left to join Mr.. Pitchford in the pub
lication of the Shell Creek Prospect,
which lived but year. in 1873. The
following year Mr.. Forbes started a
publication of and edited the Battle
Mountain Measure for Measure.
During the life of the latter pub
lication Mr.. Forbes attained an al
most national reputation on account
OF his witty sayings, and his arti-
cles were widely quoted throughout
the entire state and nation. One of
his best known sayings, thrust at
Governor Nye. Nevada's first COVER
nor. has become a newspaper classic,
though it has often been credited to
others than the author
Governor Nye had secured an ap-
preparation of $4,000 for the build
ing of a dam and sawmill to manu-
facture lumber for the Piute Indians,
and the entire sum had been expended
with no tangible results to show for
the outlay. In commenting on the
fact editorially Mr.. Forbes remarked
that Governor Nye has a dam by
millsite but no mill by a damn
sight"
Mr.. Forbes later started the New
Endowment in Salt Lake City and
threw down the gauntlet to the Nor
mons. In a short time. however, he
realized there was no profit At that
time in the publication OF an anti
Mormon newspaper I'm a Mormon
community and, taking the matter
pholosophically, in his valedictory
number closed with the remark: I'VE
stop publication because We did not
bring money enough with us.
Shaking the dust of Salt Lake City
from his feet Mr.. Forbes then mi
grated to Virginia City, where there
were already several newspapers be-
ing published. Undaunted by this
fact the intrepid editor. admitting
that he might be trespassing on tho
field of others, decided to name his
paper The Trespass. which proved to
be lively publication for several
years, when death claimed the edi-
tor.
C. c. Goodwin, who vas identified
for thirty years with the Tribune and
Evening Telegram of Salt Lake City,
also served on the News in the palmy
days of White Pine. Mr.. Goodwin.
journalist, jurist, poet and author,
welded pen which was always dip
ped in sunshine and which turned
every experience. no matter how sor-
did, to some useful purpose.
Charlie Goodwin. as he was famii-
iarly known to mis- friends and thou
sands of admirers. has written some
of the most eloquent things that have
ever appeared in the press OF Me-
vada. His admiration for his old
friends in White Pine county never
failed, and his love for the pioneers
OF the state was sincere. for the had
mixed with those sterling founders OF
the commonwealth and knew the
work OF the men who had carried
to a successful conclusion the gigan-
| tic tasks of the early days. His "Ode
to the Pioneers" which was set to
music by the late Lieutenant Cover
nor Charles e. Lawton and sung at
the banquet given In honor OF the
pioneers at Carson on the evening Of
March 1, 1887. is a classic and Is per
haps fitting that II should be repub-
lished In the columns of the News.
ICON ,INtJEO ON PAGE FOUR.)