Evening star., 1937-11-07
Young Residents of Capital Area Follow Varied Pursuits
Editor at 16
Ranks as
Veteran
Bill Mcclure Also
Has Printing
Business.

About four years ago a 12-
year-old youngSter who fancied
himself a newspaper editor, de-
cided that a man in the publish
ing business couldn't get very far
without a printing press.
With a little persuasion, Santa
Claus was brought around to the
same conclusion, and Bill Nc
Clure was launched into a
thriving business, now known as
the Mcclure Printing & En-
craving Co."
In the four years Bill has been
working with his press, his equipment
has been improved from the small
toy-like press Santa thought suitable
for young printer to Standard-Size
press valued at $3.50. A homemade
engraving set has been added to his
shop and it is now possible for the
young executive to offer reproduction
of photographs and cartoons along
with his former printing service.
The business itself has paid for
this expansion, and Bill, in addition,
has enjoyed an increased supply of
spending money.
Orders for handbills, letter heads,
business cards and Christmas cards
have increased steadily. And just
about the only thing now that's hold
ing Bill back in the role of printer
and engraver is the fact that he's
returned to his first love-journalism.
Elected last year to the post of
editor in chief of his school newspaper,
Bill, who is Junior at Western High
School, finds that school work and
editing considerably hamper his busi-
ness activities.
But it's just as well, we gathered
from an interview at Western with
the young editor.
Bill is at heart newspaper man
and the fact that he earned the nick
name of Scoop" at school is evidence
that he shows signs of ability in his
journalism activities.
Bill explained that an interview
with Stepin Fetchit was partially re-
sponsible for the nickname. There's
another boy out here with the same
name I have" he said, land just
about the time We were wondering
how we could be distinguished from
one another, + happened to get that
interview"
Long before that, however, Bill had
been scooping his various neighbor-
hoods on local items.
The Maple City News, neighbor-
hood bulletin published in Knoxville,
Tenn, was his first effort in the
newspaper field. A succession of
newspapers followed: The Western
Sun, which was a merger of two rival
newspapers, he said; the Wise Owl, a
magazine giving reports of summer
vacations; the Riverside News, BIZ
weekly published about the happenings
of his neighbors in local apartment.
So, by the time Bill had entered Cor
don Junior High School it seemed
natural enough that he should assume
the editorship of the Gordon News.
In most of his private enterprises
he's been the boss, and more frequently
the whole show.
Even in his engraving company he
carried on with virtually no help except
from a cartoonist.
He learned printing by the trial
and error method, he declared. Just
got his press and went to work.
AS for the future, Bill-of course
would like to be publisher. He hopes
to prepare for that end by course
at Princeton, and then maybe a job
out in Hollywood reporting the comings
and goings of the movie world.
In the meantime, he'll keep the
Mcclure Printing and Engraving Co.
together. Its profits, he figures, will
be a nice nest egg toward the time
he'll be able to buy out his own
newspaper plant.