Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-31
Americas
SmdrteSf IMAM
Newspaper

- is Ira Gosset Hawk. 14-year-old Ohio farm boy
who, despite nfantile paralysis, has built up
paper with nationwide circulation among some of the
most prominent people in the world.
The story of this courageous youngster back to
1897 when at the age H. by paralysis
His schooling stopped and he confined to his farm
home at Lynchburg, Ohio For IL months, Ira stayed
bed leg a and his back strapped to board
After long and painful months in bed young "Gossett
he likes to call himself began TO realize the wisdom
of continuing his education The services of tutor were
obtained and he plunged again into his studies using the
books his former classmates,
he down with nfantile paralysis Gossett
had been editor of the school paper With his illness the
publication stopped Then he hit the idea OF getting
little typewriter school for his pals doing
all the necessary editorial work in bed,
He named this paper the Salem Echo-after the town.
ship which he lived The first issue totaed 100 copies
BY of the school year of 1898 the circulation had
225 free copies Then having finished the eighth
grade, Gosset decided to give up his paper
strange thing happened. A friend sent so cents
house. and left equal amount asking that the paper
be sent to them AT first the youthful editor didn't want
to keep the money.
Then the idea struck hm-maybe he could keep
running the Salem Echo and make enough money for a
college education With that thought in mind young Cos
set printed copies his June At the time he
eight subscribers at so cents The 1872
sample ones to get new subscribers
But these 1872 samples brought him in III new sub
scriber raising his total to 119 BY August there
ia regular subscribers and by September the young
editors paid circulation had gone up to 237 BY the end
of its first year the Salem Echo had 500 padup sub
scribers.
The first year Gossett had the Echo mimeographed
at the County Farm Agents office in Hllsboro The
papers rapid growth however taxed these facilities
officials advised him that they would be unable to
the Of the young editor II sunk"
But he wasn't for Gossetts fame had spread A pres-
the countrys largest Monograph companies
heard of the youths plight and it wasn't long before
brand mimeograph machine the gift of this executive
set up in young Gossetts home
Then big typewriter company him two machines
his 18th birthday and another his 14th.
paper company sent to his house all the newsprint he
needed and another concern presented him with an old
addressing machine.
Steadily, Gossetts little paper grew. His motto
making the my best for the good of others" He
filled his paper with humor features, editorials, and
stories 1e his except that he credits
his scotty the Duke of Stagmoor with being associate
editor Today the Salem Echo has than 1900 sub
scrbers the As states, and IL foreign countries
Il have worked with all my might trying to make each
issue better than the last young Gosse explains "The
paper has grown from four-page sheet to regular H.
generally 16-paGe paper. and sometimes 20 pages"
Among the readers the Duke and Duchess of Wind
sor, Shirley Temple, Jimmy Fdler Booth Harrington,
governors doctors lawyers college stu
dents and heads of stock exchanges One Of his most
enthusiastic supporters tho Juvenile movie Jane
Wthers who has dug 90 subscriptions for him Several
nationally known have placed ads young Cos
sctts paper along with several large hotels
Slowly the plucky 14-yearold building up his
against all odds During his four year edorship
he has spent IL months in bed with paralysis eight weeks
again for the transpantng Of tendons and FIVE diff
ferent occasions he has had bouts with broken
also put him back into the hospital for six weeks
When he went back to school in 1910 for the first time
he fell and broke his other and fractured the crippled
leg Today this courageous youngster gets
and half pound brace his leg and clutches. He
dsmisses all woudbc sympathzes with the remark that
he's glad that l well am" Yet with all these
breaks against him. Gossett still puts out paper that
good enough receive the 1910 for the best
junior newspaper IN the United States
For the past year young Gosset has been supplement-
ing his editorial work by giving talks 10 boys clubs and
making appeals IN behalf Of fantile paralysis funds
Earlier this year he delivered his first paid speech
S15before Rotary club and added the fee to his college
The youthful editor usually lectures about boys
their philosophers and how he started his paper He's
only even a
because he doesn't know the ropes" as yet
NaN