White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-08-12

events, in both of which President
Harding figured, were written by a
newspaper man who got his initial
training in Nevada. One was the
story Of the arrival and entomEment
of the unknown soldier: the other
that of the capitol ceremonial over
the body of Mr.. Harding himself
Kirke L. Simpson, once employed
as city editor of the Tonopah Sun,
where he did his first newspaper
work, is the writer of these wonder
full articles. Simpsons first employ
er was l.. C. Branson, at present city
editor of the White Pine News. who
gave the great writer his first and
only newspaper training before he
entered the employ of the Associated
Press, with which he has remained
since he left Tonopah about the first
of the year 1905.
During the boom days of Tcnopah
and Goldfeld the greatest of all
problems for newspaper owners was
help. Mr.. Branson had started the
Tonopah Sun as a daily January ~,
1905, eight months less one day after
it had been started as a weekly. He
had no experienced daily newspaper
people in his employ capable of hold
ing executive positions on the min
ute. He got along the best he could
for a few weeks, but to make matters
worse three weeks later the same
publisher started the Goldfield Sun
as a daily and tried to run tho two
papers in towns twenty-five miles
apart, with meager transportation
and poor telephone service. This
struggle continued for q full year and
grew desperate. Good help was Sc
cured many times, but in those get
rich-quick days of a mining camp
boom they would have what seemed
better opportunities and would tackle
something for themselves, often max
ing big money on their W account.
At last in the early part of Janu-
airy, 1905, as he had done a time Or
two before, Mr.. Branson inserted q
want ad in the San Francisco Chron-
icle for a city editor. The replies
were sent to L. C. Simpson, then tel
egraph editor of the Chronicle, who
was Branson's San Francisco repre-
sentative, sending him the telegraph
ic news, and Mr.. Simpson was to pass
upon the applicants as they called
upon him. Only n seeming to be
worthy of consideration applied and
his name was H. Won Wiegand. Mr..
Branson wrote to Mr.. Won Wiegand to
call upon Mr.. Simpson, which he did,
and the result was a reply that he
might do but not likely. Won Vie
gand was described as a young Ger
man who was apparently a member
of the long waiting list of San Fran
cisco'S newspaper unemployed and
about all that was said was that it
him to Nevada, his ideas being vague
and his competency seriously doubt
ed.
At that time the situation grew
worse and Branson, with his two
dailies. could hardly spare the time
to go to the coast to look for a man,
but this he shortly did. He told Mr..
Simpson that he wanted to sec Won
Wiegand himself. Mr.. Simpson con-
yinced him it would be a mistake
and said he knew of no real news
paper man of desk ability and expert
ence whatever. After a day or two
Mr.. Simpson finally said if the Ne
vada man were willing to take a cub.
who was wholly inexperienced, he
had a kid brother, but it must be
with the understanding that he was
green and had to be trained and
taught the game from the day he ar
rived. Mr.. Branson reasoned that be-
ing of a newspaper family Kirke
Simpson ought to make good. His
one brother was telegraph editor of
the Chronicle and another, Ernest S,
Simpson, was city editor of the same
paper and afterward was managing
editor Of the Call.
Without meeting Kirke, Mr. Bran
son returned TO Tonopah and when
the young man arrived it proved that
he knew more about papers and their
behind-the-scenes ways than his
brother had given him credit for. Be-
sides he said he had worked a week
or two on the local end Of the Chron-
icle and had written a few news
stories. He was put to work, in the
meantime a city editor named New
man having been hired. Newman
was u capable man for a city paper
but was a one-story man. Country
work requires a man who can handle
dozens Of stories, large and small, in
a day.
After Newman left Simpson was
given the desk and made good in
many ways. He had his weak spots
for that particular work. One was
his utter lack Of ability to remember
and correctly spell names Of people.
In fact he was an all-around poor
proofreader. But as a writer he
made good from the start. Wbiln