The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-12-14
MAN WHO OPERATED FIRST
PRINTING PRESS 0N STATE
TELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCES

NEAN1L udy lCoiuCHlo u lin
II, pioneer towns of the west nc
Is doubt well remember that the
first newspapers we're printed. or
what was known as the Washing
ton hand press. The publishers
who blazed the trails through the
west always extended a royal vel
come to the tourist" printer, if he
was a swift" at pulling the lever
of one of those historic printing
machines.
Like in many other states in pio-
neer periods the Washington hand
press had its day in Montana. The
first newspaper published in Mon
tana was the Montana Post, pub
lished in Virginia City, during the
gold rush days when the igilantes
controlled law and order in this
part of the west. The Montana
Post got its start by being printed
on Washington hand press, and
one of the first printers to pull the
lever" on this press was M. M.
Manner, who in the latter years OF
his life has resided in Lebanon, Ind.
Mr.. Manner, now in his 18th
year, retired from the profession
six years ago, He now spends a
goodly portion of his time relating
his early-day experiences in Mon
tana
Recently he wrote a story of his
experiences in Montana which was
published in the indianapolis Daily
Star and also in the Lebanon Daily
Reporter.
Tells His Experiences
This story from the pen of Mr..
Manner follows:
81 enjoy the distinction of hav-
ing pulled the lever of the hand
printing press that printed the first
newspaper issued in Montana, then
a territory-the Montana Post. 1t
made its first appearance in Vir-
ginia City in July or August, 1864.
A man named John Buchanan was
its editor. had charge of the me-
chanical department. The first
issue contained an account of our
trip from Kalida, Putnam county,
Ohio, from whence we came, to
Virginia City, Mont. This account
was all we could get to put in the
paper, as the country was new, wild
and woody, no telegraph or tele-
phone to secure the news.
1--WE bought the material and
outfit at St. Louis, Mo-, shipped it
on a steamboat called the Yellow
stone, and went up the Missouri, |
expecting to land at Fort Benton.
We got up the river about 80 miles
below Fort Benton, where the boat |
was unable to run over the rapids,
was caught by swift current of
water, which forced it down the
river for quite a distance, landing
on an island. In few days the
water went down and the boat was
lying on the bottom helpless. The
freight was unloaded and placed
on the island; the printing outfit
was part of the freight. After
the boat had laid there week or
ten days, quick and hard rain fell,
raising the river about three feet
in short time. They hurriedly
got up steam and spared the boat
to deeper water. We were COM
PEELED to remain there about two
weeks until OK and mule teams
came down from Fort Benton and
took us, the printing outfit and
other freight, up to the fort. From
there we conveyed it to Virginia
City in wagons drawn by oxen.
First Copies Brought Good Return
'The printing outfit was small.
We had only ten bundles of paper.
We printed a bundle the first issue, /
$50, and sold them for so cents
copy in gold dust, or ST in green {
backs. The paper contained four t