The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-01-22


bune shortly before midnight The figures coming in
early were decidedly alarming for the Republicans
The news editors could not believe them so the fig
ures given the Democrats were placed in the Repub-
lican column and shot out Up the street the Globe
was showing the honest-to-goodness returns. The
milling mob which completely packed Fourth street
would not believe them The universal verdict was
that the Globe was lying again, as usual"
In the half century the writer has been con-
nected with the newspaper game have witnessed
the development of the country publisher from the
ranks of mendicant to substantial business man
The rural editor has almost invariably given his
very best for his community, even under adverse
conditions
1t isn't many years ago that the country mer.
chant advertised because he felt it his duty to
make contribution to support necessary evil
the country publisher.
A story is told of publisher in one of the south.
ern Minnesota towns in the early days
bill at the end of the year for advertising The
merchant is said to have been quite surprised stat
ing that he hadn't advertised during the year The
resourcefu publisher is said to have informed him:
Il can't help 1t; the space was there for you just
the same"
The writer made his first venture in the pub
fishing rural weekly in February 1898 at Pres
ton, MINI, when the Preston Courier was established
The typesetting machine certainty and as they
said to be "man-kers" did not care to learn
to operate of them At that time there were two
other papers in Preston with population of less than
600. This partnership lasted less than year In
the spring of 1894 established the Chatfed News.
The equipment consisted of fair outfit of type
Washington hand press and job press of some an
cient make which has not been manufactured for
years. year after the News established
the type foundry was clamoring for 500 payment
the plant. deal made with the ladies of
the Presbyterian church to get out ''Womens Edi-
ton" of the News. This was 16-page affair." eight
pages printed at home, two pages at tine. The
run was 1000 copies. Our pressman printer
named Rube Allen. The first run was put to press
Friday morning and it was a real mans job to print
900 old Washington hand press in 10 hours
but he made it. Saturday morning the second run
was put to press Sunday the standing matter
cleaned up Monday the third run was prepared;
Tuesday the third printed Bright and
early Wednesday, press day, the final started
The ladies netted 500, did the writer. Rube
receiving the magnificent salary of $500 per
week, part of the time, and supporting a family
The News was sold Jan. L. 1899 and returned
to Preston and repurchased the Courier. In year
we discontinued the Courier purchased the paper at
Wykoff and moved the plant to that village In another
year the business men who backed the venture were
in the newspaper business and we went to Grand
Meadow to operate the paper in that village for
friend, George Keenan,, superintendent of schools
who was operating the paper lease
Candidates for office were given quite elaborate
write-ups in the Record at much "per." The Aus
tin gang appeared to like these write-ups came
to Grand Meadow to be properly introduced The
campaign between Congressman "Jim" Tawney
and Mr.. .knatvold, of Albert Lea, a hot The
writer received $500 week and half Of the po-
tical revenue. In so years experience we made
political money at Grand Meadow than we ever
made before since.
In the fall of 1902 we went to Fairfax to as
sumo the editorshp of the Standard which was then
owned by the business men. salary and percent
age of the profit was our recompense. After year
the paper was leased year later the property was
purchased. Fairfax was always good newspaper
town for its size. The writer edited the Standard
until 1911 when he became part of the Eberhardt
administration at the State Capitol Chief Assist
ant State Fire Marshal The Standard was disposed
of in 1921.
The first visit to this city was in February 1913
enroute to Grey Eagle to investigate fire. We liked
the appearance of Sank Centre very much. A. NJ
Welles the then publisher of the Herald was an old
of he ife
anxious to get back into active newspaper work
During the visit with Mr.. Welles suggested that
we would like to purchase the Herald. He said the
property not for sale but he promised however
that if he did decide to sell he would give us the
first chance. A wire from him the early part of
July said he was ready to sell. On our arrival in
the city Mr. Welles took to his summer home at
Birch Lake. He served fine beefsteak dinner and
the deal was made, the property passing into the
hands of the writer Aug. 1, 1913.
Incidentally we of the few in Min
nesota to resign political job to go back to work
During the years in the city son. Hugh, has
at various times been associated with in publish
ing the Herald H. c. Sherwood was partner for
year. Four years ago the Sank Centre Publishers
Inc, with the writer M. ]. Fleming and Ed L. Rattle
as partners was incorporated. This has been most
congenial partnership and profitable The
thought always uppermost Is to the people Of
this community
A number Of young who have been assoc
lated with the writer for short great length Of
time are now making their marks in rural news
paper work Among them are Grove Wills pub
Usher of the splendid Eveeth Clarion; Horace Cut
ten one of the publishers of the excellent Red Lake
Falls Gazette; Carl Carlson, neutrality-suspicious. of
the Merose Beacon, and Dewey Zette, publisher of
the Richmond Reporter.
This rambling yarn has been in the writer's sys-
tenn for soma months It is long time to look ahead
fifty years AS glances backwards it is but a
little while. In the half century have had our
troubles and disappointments; degree of sue
cess has been attained believe. If were
youngster again and knew the grief ahead
still inclined to believe that we would enter the
paper profession.
It is great old game, if you don't weaken.
THU WnDT N TnDAV