Evening star., 1952-01-01

than ever. The heavy military
traffic had made ruts in the ave-
nue.. Deserted army camps, cir
cling the city, added to the gen.
eral atmosphere of neglect and
decay. The departure of it's war;
time garrison had given rise to
talk of an imminent business
slump. At SIS, as he pondered the
future, Mr.. Wallach felt old age
creeping on. Life on his country
estate-far from the struggles of
a new era-seemed appealing.
One evening, Crosby Noyes re-
turned to his desk and found a
note from the boss. Mr.. Wallach
was making good on an agreement
of long standing. The letter
amounted to a 48-hour option to
buy The Star for $1O0.00O-one-
half to be paid in cash and the
balance within year.
Please have George (probably
Mr.. Wallach's servant) place your
reply on my mantelpiece by Mon
day night, the letter concluded,
so that I may know your deter
mination on my arrival here ). :"
The Star Is Sold.
Although Mr.. Wallach's price
was high for a paper of less than
1000 circulation. there was no
hesitation on the part of his chief
assistant. Working fast, Mr.. Noyes
got in touch with four friends
who had already agreed to join
him in buying the paper if the
opportunity ever arose. A counter
otfer-reducing the cash payment
to one third and extending the
time for curtailing the balance
reached Mr.. Wallach's mantel-
piece before the deadline. The
deal was closed.
The four men who, with Mr.
Noyes, took over The Star on Oc-
tober 81, 1867, were Samuel H
Kaufman, George w. Adams
Alexander r. Shepherd and Clar-
ence B. Baker. ...
Mr.. Kaufman was a native OF
Ohio. He had published news
paper in GAINESVILLE before coming
to Washington to work for the
Treasury Department during the
war. Mr.. Adams, an outstanding
member of the Washington press
corps. had served as correspondent
for the New York World for many
years.
Mr.. Shepherd was a leading fig
ure in the city's elected govern
ment. His interest in The Star
was only one of many irons in the
fire. Clarence Baker, whose con-
nection with the company was to
last less than two years, hao
served as The Stars business man.
ager under Mr.. Wallach.
The new owners published un-
der the name of ''Noyes, Baker anc
Co.," until October Is, 1868, when
The Evening Star Newspaper Co
was formed under a charter
granted by special act of Congress.
the previous July. (Federal char
ters were not uncommon before
the establishment of the District.
first general incorporation Law
in 1900 At the first company
meeting, Crosby S. Noyes was for
mally confirmed as editor. Samue
H. Kaufman became The Star.
first president.
The company announced it.
plans to keep The Star ''indepen.
dent, outspoken and honest. ex.
pressing itself on all matters O.
public interest, but always, WI
trust, with fairness and good
temper" In a tacit admission
that the paper had strayed from
the purpose for which it wa.
founded, they announced tina,
the time finally had arrived "wher
Washington can by right of .hel
population and business, demand
a paper devoted essentially to hel
interests" The Star, they prom.
ised, would fill that demand from
then on. just four weeks afte,
taking over. the new owners coult
afford to smile at Mr.. Wallach'
gloomy forebodings. With bust
ness picking up throughout tn,
city, and with 1,100 new sub
scribers on The Star rolls, the out
look had never been roster.
1t was in the 70s-during tn,
days of Washington's territoria
g governm e n t. that The Stal
threw itself into the job of helpine
to build the kind of city JOSEPH
Tate had dreamed of. Alexander
Shepherds partnership in ths
company was more than just 8
sound business investment. Hi.
friendship with the editor, basee
on q common devotion to Wash.
IingtonS future. went back many
years to d period when they hae
served together on the Common
Council. In 1871. Congress set vi
a new form of local government
Both Mr.. Shepherd and Mr.. Noye
realized the time had come to re-
pair the effects Of long neglect.
There was plenty to be done
In spite Of its growing population
and . brisk bsaflding boom. . gpot