Year: 1877


the first number OF the new year, Per
hapg, at this time, A glance backwards
over the past year will illustrate some Of
the dlfirntic, we have had to encounter
and overcome, the assistance received, nS
well as the benefits conferred upon the
section of country represented by the
STAR


1t was not from wish to seize the
editorial pen, or an ambition to make
journalism profession, that caused the
venture To be made, in what, oNe year
ago. WAS deemed SO unpromi>ing field
Of labor.


Our professional and other private
business employed all our time so fully
and protitRbly, it was only 10y sacrificing
large share Of public or professional
business that we could find time Tor edit
ing or building up n Journal


We were induced "a start the enter
prise from sencc of duty to the commu-
nitv, and to the institutions with which
we had been intimately connected here,
making it almost matter of public
necessity that Il journal should be pub.
lshcd to represent the varied interests
uf the Snohomish, as well as of those re-
gions 10 the northward Of this river val
lev, having similar wants and similar IN
terests. and which were in many respects
represented by no journal in the Terri
tory.


Rep,ated efforts had been made to in
duce parties to take, what then seemed
the great risks OF publishing a journal
here none were willing to make the
venture. We knew nothing OF tue bu.
einess, hut did know shat we wished
repres,nted, and had studied the commu-
nity carefully, and knew the support
that could be obtained here. 1t was
from the lsct thar the need OF n journal
was 80 great here; that none others
would start it and that We could secure
at least twice the support ohtalnable by
others, that We vtntuyel to take the
risks.


At TINT time none were jealous of the
undertaking; all protested to wish 1t
every success possible, yet most people,
within as well Us without the county,
looked npon The enterprise as visionary,
10 say the least, and that it could not
possibly live for more than few months.
The obstacles were certainly serious, our
entire ignorance Of the mechanical de
tails o! the business compelled us to
learn By dearly bought experience in
many cases whom to select as our assist
ants, and what were the most economical
wavs OF conducting our business.


TIE support receivable from this val
lev could not be over one third as great
AS required to publish q paper of the
present size of the STAR. Yet 1t would



be necessary TO secure support and cir
Cuistioa sufficient to sustain paper OF
at Last this size, if we wished to make
our journal representative of all these
intellectual and social questions, as well
rs local interests it was designed to re-
present


We found in Dr.. Folsom, one whose
literary aud scientific attainments placed
him in the 'front.' rank among men of
thought and culture, while his devotion
to the STAR, and tie assistance he has
uniaimly rendered, to any extent re-
Quirod, enabled us to leave the editorial
work almost wholly in his hands for
weeks together thus giving us time for
travel, and 10 study up the local resour-
ces of the country, learn its interests and
how 20 represent them, as well rs to Sc
cure additional support tor the STAR.
HID it not been for DIR. Folspms gener-
ous assistance the STAR could not have
been raised to its present influential po.
sition, nor done the work it has effectu.
ally performed.


In every enterprise man is engaged, to
be successful IN the fullest sense of the
term. he needs the cooperation of wom-
an loving assistance. What man can
achieve in life more frequently depends
upon whether he is properly mated with
n csmpsnion suitable for him, than upon
his intellectual culture, or personal ex-