Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-06-18
THE Villas COUNTY NEWS
is THIRTY YEARS YOUNG

Thirty years ago the first copy of the Villas
County News was issued in Eagle River
Thirty one years later it still begins the publ
cation OF its first copy for that year, but under
mighty different circumstances. Then being an in
FAINT, that is thirty years ago. it had to be noursh
ed very carefully for there were few medical men
IN the state who could properly subscribe medicine
powerful enough to keep it alive But it did not
die.
Looking back over those thirty years and scan
nlng It's four pages, two of which 'boiler
plate" or canned" news and two of home news it
showed the lack of proper nourishment, and the
weeks progressed seemed to gain in strength rip
enlng into robust manhood time passed. Then
again you would notice slump; that when the
paper would slam some politician and get handed
the icy mitt and cut off from nursing the county
tit with its little succuent handouts. change
would win favor from the powers that be- and again
receive its share of milk from the mother breast.
So it went year after year, until it had grown to
maturity.
Not alone this the trbulations and trials
OF the Villas County News; it covered every news
paper, almost, IN the state when population was
very small and everyone striving to break the back
of the other fellow and grab off livelihood the
easiest method known 1t wasn't exactly case
OF stealing or dirty graft, but those days public
office went to the fellow with the largest arm, the
strongest pulland the jug with the largest handle.
Sometimes, sack of flour given to the news
paper man by some pOmpOus candidate, won
stranger and vote. Them were the days, fellows,
when every fellow for himself and to thunder
with the weakling.
of the early paper who either built for it record
clean and above petty graft, who used it simply
tool for their daboical interests, are without
number 1t is safe to say that during the time the
average newspaper has been in existence dozens of
fellows who considered themselves molders of opin-
ions, have debauched the name of hundreds of
newspapers and cast slur upon the profession. A
newspaper nowadays without backbone; without
enough grit to back up the better things of the
community, is blast upon the face of the globe
and should not be tolerated an expressor of pub
lie opinion. Such newspapers, if one can catalogue
them such, are scavengers and unfit for passage
into the homes of moral and intellectual people.
During the seventeen years the Villas County
News has been in the hands of the writer, it has
been the aim to make of it a monument of clean
illness; to work for the building up of the commun-
ty to keep free from the clutches of petty politi-
clans and pettifoggers -leeches which should be
cleaned from any communicated aim for higher
sphere in which to bring to close period of
labor blessed by men and cursed by the crooks.
Whether the efforts of the owner of this news
paper have brought forth good, is left to the read
The aim has been for friendly advancement
and the issuing of a newspaper that could be re-
ceived in any well-kept home with enthusiasm;
that had the backing of the better class of people
who strive to see advancement in an honorable and
upright manner-whO can point to the towns
paper their" newspaper If | have made good
during the seventeen years of my sojourn in Villas
county, that in itself is enough to show that my
efforts have been appreciated and is incentive
to strive harder to make for the village the county
and the state better and bigger name and one
to be proud to herald to the four corners of the
States.
d. C. Menefee.