CHAPTER VIII.

EDITORS AND THEIR WORK.

Since the organization of the County, in 1855, more than forty-five newspapers have been born. A score of them died in their babyhood, and many never reached the years of their "teens." Only one of the very first has survived, to enjoy the life and prosperity of the present day--the Chief, born in the fifties. Following is a brief historical mention of each. In the town histories will be found additional information concerning these publications.

Constitutionalist.---The Doniphan Constitutionalist was the first paper ever published in the county. It was started in 1855, by Thomas J. Key. It lived about two years.

Chief.---The first issue of the Chief was printed at White Cloud the first week in June, 1857. In July, 1872, the office was removed to Troy, where it is still published. Sol Miller was the editor until the spring of 1897, when he died.

Era.---A paper called the Era began publication at Geary City, in June 1857, with three editors in the sanctum---E. H. Grant, Republican; Joseph Thompson, Democrat; Earl Marble, American. It was a free state paper, but it soon died, aged less than two years.

Advertiser.---In July, 1857, Fairman & Newman started the Elwood Adveriser, a neutral paper, which lived only until the wild plums were ripe again.

Crusader of Freedom.--- This paper was established at Doniphan by James Redpath, early in 1858, to boom Jim Lane for the presidency, but Lane soon picked a quarrel with the editor, and the paper gave up the ghost after a few months of existence.

Enquirer.---Thomas Key, taking "a sack" of type which had been used in he printing of the Doniphan Constituionalist, went to Iowa Point and started he Enquirer, in July 1858. It proved a failure.

Leader.---In the summer of 1858, F. W. Emery and Charles Perham established the leader at Palermo, but it died in the great drouth of 1860.

Free Press.---In the winter of 1858-9 the Elwood Free Press was established on the ruins of the Advertiser. Its editors were D. W. Wilder and Albert L. Lee. Later, Harmon D. Hunt was one of the editors. The paper dried up in the fall of 1861.

Democrat.---Late in 1858 Joseph Thompson, taking the outfit of the Geary City Era to Troy, established the Democrat at that place. After a "checkered" career of a few weeks it turned up its leaden toes.

Highlander.---About the opening of the year 1859, Faulkner & Seaver began the publication of the Highlander at Highland, with T. P. Herrick, editor. It passed away after a few months of real usefulness.

Dispatch.---In the fall of 1859, Ansel Watrous, Jr., and J. W. Biggers started the Dispatch, a Democratic, paper, at Iowa Point. The editor was Dr. Jabez Robinson. The spring of 1860 saw its death in Iowa Point, but in the fall of the same year it was resurrected and published at Troy as the Doniphan County Dispatch, with Biggers handling the quill. After the election it died again.

Post. ---The Doniphan Post, Democratic, by George Rees and his brother, was establishad[sic] in the summer of 1860. It lived a little over a year, the political climate not being suited to its constitution.

Patriot.---Dr. E. H. Grant, with the material of the defunct Post, started the Doniphan County Patriot in Troy, in April, 1862. It was made a Lane paper. F. M. Tracy was afterwards connected with it, but it was absorbed by the Investigator in the spring of 1864.

Investigator.---In February, 1864, the Investigator, an anti-Lane paper, was started at Troy. Its editor was H. C. Hawkins. The paper soon absorbed the Patriot, but was itself soon converted into another paper, the Soldier, established the following year.

Soldier.---In 1865, just after the close of the war, the Doniphan Soldier was established at Troy, S. H. Dodge being the editor. It soon "folded its tent," there being no more fighting to be done.

Reporter.---The Patriot-Investigator-Soldier outfit was used by Joseph H. Hunt to start the Reporter in Troy in 1865, which was continued by him until his death in 1866. Robert Tracy then took hold of the paper and published it until it was taken to Wathena, in 1867, where it was run under the management of E. H. Snow and George W. Larzerlere, until 1877, when it died.

Republican.---In November, 1868, C. G. Bridges started the Republican at Troy. In 1871 he sold it to Beal & Sanborn, who ran it until 1875, when Sol Miller bought the outfit and buried the paper.

Democrat.---A paper called the Democrat was started in Doniphan, in May, 1871, by J. J. Ricketts. Thomas Stivers was the editor. In 1872 the paper followed the path leading to the already well populated newspaper graveyard.

Herald.---The Herald was started at Doniphan in 1872, by Drs. J. J. and W. W. Crook, but even those brother physicians could not save the paper from an early death. The Herald was Democratic.

Leader. ---A Grange, paper called the Leader was established at White Cloud in August, 1872, by Yard and Overholt; but fate got the "underholt," and the paper lived only about two months.

Bulletin.---C. G. Bridges, once of the Republican, bought the Wathena Reporter in May, 1877, and, bringing the outfit to Troy, established the Bulletin, a Hayes paper. In January, 1879, it croaked.

Sentinel.---An independent paper, the Sentinel, was established at Highland in January, 1878, by George F. Hammer, but it did not live to see the flowers of spring.

Advance.---In February, 1878, E. A. Davis started a greenback paper in Wathena, calling it the Advance, he did not succeed in getting together enough greenbacks to pay expenses, and so had to suspend publication of the paper the following June.

Mirror.---This paper, founded on the ruins of the Advance, by George W. Larzelere, the same year at Wathena, did not live long.

Review.---In October, 1880, the White Cloud Review was founded by George H. Holton. The paper was Republican. It died in September, 1887.

Central State.---The Central State, Democratic, was started at Highland in November 1880, by John L. Parker. Soon after it passed into control of a man named Moore. Its life was short and not very sweet.

Bible Investigator. ---The Bible Investigator, a paper devoted to the discussion of religions subjects, was started at Doniphan in 1882, by William Kirby. Its publication was not long continued.

News.---In March, 1882, Dr. Welsh & Son started the Doniphan News, a small local paper, but continued its publication only about six months. This little paper was a great joke.

Enterprise.---The Severance Enterprise was established in February 1883, by H. H. Brookes, and dried up a few months later.

Times.---E. J. Van Deventer started the times in Severance, August 30, 1883, a few weeks after the decease of the Enterprise, but the first frost, which came early in November, killed it.

Times.---On September 3, 1880, A. W. Beale established the Times in Troy. The paper had many owners and editors, and lived until about 1900.

Resurrection--Eagle.---David Magoun, a hot-footed printer, started a paper in White Cloud in October, 1887, calling it the Resurrection. The second week the name was changed to the Eagle, and the fifth week the bird soared away.

Review.---The White Cloud Review again appeared in August, 1888. Saunders Brothers were the proprietors. It existed until January, 1890.

News.---The Severance News was started on the 6th of April by W. T. Randolph. In September, 1892, it was purchased by P. L. Gray, who published it until the spring of 1897. Since that time it has had four editors, L. P. Johnson, Eva Ryan, M. Lucey, and Hattie E. Peeler.

Gazette.---The Wathena Gazette made its first appearance on the fourth of July, 1889, published by C. C. Bartruff. About a year later it was dead and under ground.

Echo.---The Bendena Echo first saw the light in the rear of the store of Pat Gray, at Bendena, on the 13th of July, 1889. It was a very small paper containing local news and literary matter. The publishers were Gray and Morgan. The author of this history set his first stick of type in the Echo office. The paper died young.

Nuncio.---The publication of the Highland Nuncio began about December, 1889, in charge of the students of the University. We do not know how long it lived.

Vidette.---H. S. Hogue started the Vidette at Highland, in February, 1892. The paper was purchased by Tobias Larsen, in 1897 and is still in his charge. It is a very good little paper, with a bright minded editor.

Globe.---In the spring of 1892, J. J. Faulkner established the White Cloud Globe, which is still continued by E. L. Marker.

Sun.---E. C. Mailler, aged 17, started the Sun at Leona, in 1894. It was burned out, but was re-established. However, it died after a year's struggle against bad luck in hard times.

Hustler.---The Doniphan County Hustler was established over the ruins of the Sun, by E. C. Mailler (the irrepressible Bunt), in January, 1807. It lived about a year. In March, 1903, Harry Mailler, "Bunt's little brother," purchased the outfit of the defunct Hustler and established Hustler II, which is still continued. The desire to print is in the Mailler family, and the present editor of the Hustler is a young man who will one day shine a bright star in the literary firmament.

Star.---Bert Howard started the Star at Wathena, about 1895. After a few years of struggle it began to show symptoms of dyspepsia. Pool Grinstead took charge and made it a newsy sheet; but he got into political trouble, and lost it. He then established the Republican. But his political views again got him into trouble and his second paper was lost to him. Possessing true editorial grit, he started a third paper and called it the Times. Some months ago he severed connections with this third venture, but we feel sure that he hasn't put off the harness for good. Both the Republican and the Times still continue.

Wheel.---In 1896, C. E. Williamson began the Wheel at Denton; but it soon rolled away.

Journal.---A paper called the Journal established at Denton late in the nineties, soon wore out for lack of oil.

Let us all admire the courage of our own Sol Miller, who, in 1857, when there was less than half a dozen houses in the village of White Cloud, opened his "sack of type" and founded the Kansas Chief, for forty years the best all round paper in the State. Miller was one of the few men who lived through the troublesome times when men settled their differences with sword, and gun, and knife, without ever having pulled the trigger of a gun to fire a shot. In his own sketch of his life he stated that he never had fired a gun, which is a remarkable statement for a pioneer editor to make.