Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-04-15
Q. NJ. Moss Retires as Pilot

One OF the grand men of Mon
tana newspaper publishing Gurnie
m. Moss announced his retirement
in last weeks issue of The White
fish Pilot.
Mr.. Moss, now II, has turned
over publication of Whitefish,s
newspaper to his son, Maver end |
Herb Callies.
We've special affection for Mr.
Moss. 1t was in July, 1916 that we
first saw the Flathead. One OH
jective was to see Glacier National
Park, and the other to continue the
search for an opening as country
editor. We'd left the city. At that
time we weren't thinking of start
ing paper.
1t was Gurnie Moss who told
us, "why don't you start a paper |
in Columbia Falls" He added that
one of these days with the pros
pect of Hungry Horse Dam, some
one would. There'd already been
four Columbia Falls weekly pa
pers come and go, the last ceasing
publication in about 1912. Some of
them were good papers too.
The first % issues of the Hun
cry Horse News were written in
Columbia Falls with type set and
printing done at the Whitefish Pr
lot. Then Mr.. Moss went to the
legislature, and the Hungry Horse
News was printed at the Flathead
Monitor in Kalispell owned by
Howard Miller, and at the end of
1947 there was the new Hungry
Horse News building and shop in
Columbia Falls with Harold Tolley,
printer.
Mr.. Moss has earned the years
when man doesn't have to work
a full day and carry responsible
ties of a business.
We hope that he sits at his type
writer and creates editorials and
columns that he is capable of
writing, and also take some in
teresting trips.
He's had wonderfully full life
of service, and is gifted with splen-
did ability to express himself in
writing or in speech.
Through the years we've 'acquir-
ed details about his life. Our
thought is that readers would like
to know more about the man who
has been a publisher in the Flat
head from 1919 until 1855, and
though retiring as a publisher is
still an active and able citizen.
The following paragraphs are not
~ for Jr
picked up information from time
to time.
He was born on a Missouri farm
near Forest City in 1884, and grew
UP in Oklahoma. The story is the
more interesting for his home be-
ing at Claremore on the spot where
the memorial to Claremore's Will
Rogers has since been erected.
He is one of those few men in
the United States who can say thai
he is a third generation from the
time of George Washington. Mr.
Moss grandfather was born ir
Virginia when George Washington
was still alive. 1t was the Situa-
ton of his grandfather being thu
youngest son, and his father, TIT
youngest son.
Then there were years at Drak
university in Iowa with a B. S
degree in 1909 and Ph.B degre
in 1910. We've seen the Drak
university yearbook of those days
They weren't Mr.. or Mrs
Moss copies. Both of them wen
to Drake. las-
Anyway Gurnie Moss was a.
outstanding student and athlete.
He became a school teacher an,
coach first at Kemper Militar
Academy in Missouri. Then Their
was graduate work at the Univer
sity of Chicago and few years la
ter at Columbia university in Ne'
York City.
In 1912 he came to Montana
become coach and teacher
Great Falls high school. His foot
ball teams included Alex Wardel
present publisher of the Gree
Falls Tribune.
Then he was superintendent
schools at Waller, and finally {
Oct. l. 1919 he took over II
Whitefish Pilot from the late
R. Tallman.
1t was in 1925 that he first we
to the Montana legislature as
representative, and in 1943 b.
came a state senator serving un'
1855. All told with two terms O
there were IA years in the hou
and IL in the senate.
It was about in 1850 that v
gained new respect for the man
fair philosophy and political a
tuteness, Flathead labor endorse
him for the state senate. That W.
about the time that he was also
Republican majority leader IN u
Senate.
knowledge of education can
naturally to him, and he was r
garded for years as the best Il
formed man on school leglslatlc
We are not particularly famlll
with the history of U. S. highW
No. 2 development through t
years. We do know there was ha
work by the Roosevelt Highw
association, which Moss head
for eight years. The Roosev'
highway became u. S. No. 2
In recent weeks the Whitefl
publisher helped organize and Q
came first chairman OF the Fls
head Development Committee.
has headed similar Flathead {
CARNATIONS before.
Immediate plan of MIR. and M
Moss is to take a trip to Caltorl
next month to see their other s.
Hal and his wife in San Francis
The following five paragraI
entitled "Pilot's Skipper Tai
Shore Leave" is reprinted from
April 9th issue of The Pilot.