The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-07
Edr|Y-Ddy
Papers Were
Full Of Hurnor
So Says Article Telling
About Editor of Old Fort
Benton Record.
BILL DOAK, LIBBY,
MAN, WAS A REPORTER

Probably no one in Montana reads
with greater interest stories of ear
ly pioneer days than does William
(Bill) Doak of Libby. This is nat
ural, inasmuch as Bill lived through
those stirring days and can talk
most interestingly of events that
went to make Montana history, from
the days of the vigilantes, of the
cowboys and the open range down
to the more prosaic events of the
present.
Doak's interest was aroused when
he read this week a story in the
Montana Oil and Mining Journal
of Great Falls. The story recites
some humorous incidents in early
day newspaper publishing in Fort
Benton. 1t tells about the work of
w. H. Buck, editor of the old Fort
Benton Record.
81 knew Buck WE'LL" said Doak,
land was reporter on his paper. Be-
fore going to work for him l was
night clerk for Fort Benton hotel.
Editor Buck had an old man who
secuted around among the cowboys
and others to pick up news items
of the ranches The cowboys, in
pursuit Of their natural deviltry,
manufactured several stories out of
pure imagination, recited them to
the old news gatherer and later
saw them in print, This peeved
Buck, the editor, and he began to
look for a reporter more capable to
cope with the cowboys and their
kind" said Doak. His choice fell
on Bill Doak, who was then a young
man of about twenty. Doak knew
everyone in the entire country and
could hold his own with the cow
boys.
Buck, he says, was private secre-
tary to very prominent politician
OF New York City In the time Of
Boss Tweed. He came to Montana
with = detaehnssa4A -. u. s. sol<aisG1
and later started the Fort Benton
Record. After leaving the Record,
Doak was subscription solicitor for
another early day paper and COW
cred much OF the Fort Benton to
Billings district soliciting and col
lecting subscriptions. The article
that aroused his interest told of the
humorous incidents that often were
found in the early day newspapers
The article follows:
"From a strict standpoint of en-
tertainment it would be difficult tc
find anything in early western his
tory to compare with the weekly
newspapers which flourished-or al
least which appeared-in the more
populous towns of Montana in tht
seventies and eighties" writes De
Lesson, the peripatetic conductor o.
the Helena Daily Independent.
THE editor, il he was worth hi
salt" writes Lesson, worked many
and many gem of barbed wisdom
and common sense into his editoria
columns. Few ever touched TIL
trivial. Their reporting was Away
profound and if not always pro
found and if not always accurate
was hilarious. Suppose that yol
were a subscriber of the Fort Ben
ton Record, edited by w. H. Buck
1
month would have included quite
lot of chuckles.'
For instance.
God and Ye Editor
A subscriber wrote in and Wante
to know why it wasn't possible t
carry the date of publication on eac
page. In answering this subscribe
in print the editor explained such a
idea was impossible because. "A
times it pleaseth me and at times
pleaseth God to publish this pape
on any day we see fiji" Who but
country journalist of early Montar
!, would have coupled the editori;
1--WE" with Divinity?
The editors best story for tt
month of June, 1875, (and all qut
tations in today's column are fro
the June issue only concerned tt
efforts of the captain of the steam,
Carroll to provide fresh milk +
his passengers on a voyage dow
the Missouri river, The capita
dickered with a farmer for the pu
chase of a COW, went out to Il
pasture with one of the mates al
chased the recalcitrant animal ,
to where the boat was tied up. TIL
succeeded in getting the cow I
board but got no further becau
at that point the animal got out
hand and chased everyone off t
boat SO the captain gave up
idea. Commented the editor at t
conclusion of his story: ut was j,
as well. The captain didn't kns
much about cattle and what he h
purchased was q Texas steer. Tit
would have been no milk on boa
anyhow"
The Fort Benton Records c
crusade was for larger city a
the editor bickered constantly abt
failure of eligible bachelors to W
Once he commented caustica
For the prices our merchants
charging for perambulators we
not blame young people for not m
rying.
Pouring oil on troubled wat
was another function of the wee