The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-02-02
VOLUME XII.
THE PIONEER PASSES
ANOTHER MILE POST

The Pioneer last week completed its
eleventh volume and this week we is
sue the first number Of Volume u.
It was in February, 1912, that the
first number Of the Mellettc County
Pioneer was issued. The people then
resident Of Wood felt the need of a
newspaper and they organized a sort
of stock company, bought a small
printing plant and under the super
vision Of G.. l.. Watson, then cashier
of the First State Bank of Wood,
began the publication of this paper.
Shortly after starting the paper the
plant was sold to b. r. Cole, who pub
lishcd the Pioneer until November |,
1912, when the present editor bought
the plant and has been in continual
char%r of the paper since that date.
When we look back over the past
we sometimes wonder how we ever
managed to gct out paper in the
small quarters and with the limited
material which comprised the office
equipment when we first took charge.
Since We have been publishing the
picnocr we have made improvements
almost every yea, and year by year
Our volume Of business has grown.
We doubled the eizc Of our Office, and
right now we are crampod for room,
and led we the means we would not
hesitate ono minute to double the size
of our present oficme building. There
is no question that we are greatly IN
need Of more room in order to conduct
our business properly. We discarded
practically all Of the original plant
that we bought in 1912 and added new
type and presses, and made our equip
ment as near modern rs you will find
in arv town several times the size of
Wood. A little over year ago we
added linotype to our plant and
have since been printing the Pioneer
the linotype way. During the past
year we added an autocaster to our
equipment and are now making our
own advertising cuts and cuts of late
news event and our cartoon and
comic strip right here in Wood and
are giving our readers real up-to'
the-nrinute modern feature service.
We have, we believe, the only such
equipment in this section of the state.
We also have the only equipment in
this part of the state whereby we can
produce type engraved and embossed
effects on stationery and society
printing, and we have enjoyed very
good business in our job department
for the past several years, because we
have been able to deliver real high
class product at moderate price.
Our subscription list is growing
steadily and it is seldom that we lose
a subscriber. Advertising space in the
Pioneer is in great demand, and all
in all our business is growing very
satisfactorily. We hope to continue
to Improve and enlarge the Pioneer
as the years roll by, and some day we
hope to be able to erect suitable
modern home for the paper on the
corner Of First and Gray streets.
We begin the publication of Volume
u of the Pioneer with bright hopes
for the future growth of the Pioneer,
and in the future, as in the past, we
shall endeavor to give our readers the
very best newspaper that we are cap
able of producing in this field. wei
will continue to boost for Wood and
Mellette county and its people, who
we believe to be among the best and
most law abiding on earth.