The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-02-01
IT'S A SAL STORY, MATES

We pause to consider the sad case of Charles William
Jerome, publisher of the Poplar Standard. He is about
to be broke, Invested Of all his wealth, a sacrifice on the
political altar, a martyr in the ancient game" of get
while the getting is good.
For four years Jerome has had the county printing
and the Standard has been the official paper. So far as we
could observe he has had his own sweet way in the mat
ter of prices. If he has ever had a claim disallowed, or cut
it has escaped our notice. Month after month the county
board proceedings have shown his bills totaling from a
few hundred to many hundreds of dollars, always allowed
and paid. A recent batch of his claims we are quite GER
tain footed over $4,000, allowed and paid. At another
meeting, about the last of the old boards, a single item of
his went through for over $1,000, allowed and paid. It
would be extremely interesting to know just how much
all the claims the Standard has filed against Roosevelt
county would total. If that grand jury is set to work
many such valuable statistical items will be revealed.
The Standard has not been cut off from its source of
for wo years more, and if the item of 1887 for printing
the delinquent tax list one time is a sample, it must be a
very profitable contract. Two more years, making six
IN all, of unbrOken prosperty-is it not fine?
If the farmers and their wives and children, scattered
over these hills and valleys, Drawing the winters, toiling
through the summers, fighting debt, bearing 10 under
staggering taxes-f they only could have absolute as
surance Of six consecutive fat years. Many of these fam
lies do their honest best during a whole season and do
not at the close realize in gross proceeds of their labor
as much as 1887. DrOuth never hits the shrewd county
printer, fortified with the right kind of a contract and
the right kind of a conscience. Thirteen hundred and
thirty-seven dollars for seven and a half pages of tyne,
composed, printed and circulated to a few hundred peo-
pie. The work, we would estimate, of two men for not
to exceed seven days. And there are two publications vet
to collect for. Now the legislature has passed a law (the
chief aim OF which is most c0mmendable, by the wav)
that will enable Jerome to do it all over again next October
Nothing but luck, in the matter Of county printing, has
come his way yet. But he bowls savagely, like the infant
pulled mOmentarily from the mothers breast, because
there is a "rumor'' and there may be" an "edict" point
ing the way to his financial ruin, through holding up his
claims. The hold-up game should be restricted. Jerome
cites the sad case Of Joe Dolan of Sheridan county and
tells what q terrible time he has had with his printing
claims. We wonder if Jerome considers he has gotten
into the Dolan class.
Tho c1100ac+ion. Of q orooJ ;,,r1, ,ooo, - na4 ,nJouI
Bills hide worse than anything else, and so he storms
away on his front page, first as eve" and then as IT." He
admits he would line up with the same gang, on the same
side of the fence "again tomorrow" AS to "a plan being
hatched" he has nothing to say, either" Just Simply
setting tight" even if he is financially ruined tomorrow.
Is it not courageous? Is it not noble? Is it not sad?