USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 34
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THE BOONE COUNTY ADVOCATE
made its first appearance in Boonesboro about the middle of Sep- tember, 1865, its publisher being O. C. Bates. At first the paper claimed to be neutral in politics, but in a year or so it was classed as republican. It continued under the name of Advocate until 1873, about eight years. During those years its different publishers after Mr. Bates were Mitchell & Hilton, B. F. Hilton, O. A. Cheney, Means & Lawrence. In 1873 W. B. Means and A. Downing ac- quired the paper from the firm of Means & Lawrence, changed the name to
BOONE COUNTY REPUBLICAN
and moved the office from Boonesboro to Boone. They published the paper about ten years, making it a bright and influential paper, a consistent exponent of the principles its name indicated. Their successors as editors and owners of the office during the next fourteen years were N. E. Goldthwait, C. Tomlinson, Clapp & Tomlinson, Evans & Tomlinson, Goldthwait & Evans, Wrigley Brothers, Gallup and N. E. Goldthwait, Gallup & S. G. Goldthwait, W. H. Gallup, H. S. Kneedler, Boys, Loomis & Curtis and Boys & Loomis. In 1896 W. H. Gallup and S. G. Goldthwait published a daily called the
BOONE DAILY REPUBLICAN
This daily was continued about six months, when S. G. Goldthwait sold his interest in the weekly and daily newspaper plant to W. H.
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Gallup, who discontinued the daily, but continued the publication of the weekly for about one year, then he sold the plant to H. S. Kneedler. Mr. Kneedler continued the weekly for a time, but in 1899 commenced the publication of another daily called the
EVENING DAILY REPUBLICAN
which was continued by him and his successors, Boys, Loomis & Curtis, about five years, or until the weekly and daily Republican was sold to S. G. Goldthwait, the then owner of the Daily News, and the two papers were consolidated under the title of News-Republican. This closed out the separate existence of the daily and weekly Re- publican and buried the bone of contention that cannot help but exist where two dailies are in a small city.
In mentioning the different publishers of the Advocate and Re- publican as briefly as possible, it appears that the founder of the paper, O. C. Bates, had had newspaper experience at DeWitt, Clinton County, and after leaving Boonesboro established the Vindicator at Estherville, in Emmett County, going from there into Minnesota, where all trace of him was lost. 1. J. Mitchell was an early day lawyer of Boone County, a state senator and a district judge of the eleventh judicial district, and was only an editor for a few months. B. F. Hilton was connected with the Advocate for three or four years and when he left Boone located in Blair, Nebraska, where he engaged in the newspaper business and was elected to the state senate of Nebraska. O. A. Cheney, after disposing of the Advocate, settled in Lyon County, engaging in the publication of a newspaper there, but he finally moved across the line into South Dakota. W. R. Law- rence came from Danville, Ilinois, and was a law partner of John A. Hull a part of the time while here, as well as editor. In a few years he returned to his old home, where he became a successful lawyer. A few years ago he was appointed United States Circuit Judge of a district including Indian Territory and the Territory of Oklahoma. He is now a resident of Muskogee, Oklahoma. W. B. Means was also from Danville, Hlinois, but when he came to Boone he stayed. Since being here he has been connected with the Repub- lican about ten years, has been twelve years postmaster of Boone and is now senior member of the firm of Means Brothers, abstractors and land and loan agents. A. Downing, who was Mr. Means' newspaper partner, was one of the first settlers of the City of Boone. He was the city's first postmaster, the first mayor, was county treasurer one
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
term and for many years was pension inspector. At present he lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
N. E. Goldthwait came to Boone in 1868. He has been connected with the Republican several times, also with the News. He has always taken a great interest in schools and educational matters, was for several years connected with the Baptist College at Des Moines, but is now wholly retired from business, passing his time in com- fortable circumstances and with ease and contentment, which are the rewards of a well spent life.
Clinton Tomlinson was one of Boone's brightest young men. He was so good a writer that he was retained as editor in three different changes of proprietors of the Republican, and when he did retire from the paper he established a daily in Springfield, Missouri. When he disposed of that paper he was engaged as editor of the Dry Goods Economist. He died while filling that responsible position, his re- mains being brought to Boone for burial.
J. B. Clapp was not a practical newspaper man, but possessed a great deal of energy and was a pusher and an enthusiastic worker for the good of Boone and Boone County. He was a member of the board of supervisors, was school director and took a great interest in the moral and religious advancement of the community. The later years of his life were spent in evangelistic labors.
C. S. Evans was a stirring newspaper man whose name is found connected with more than one paper of the county, although his resi- dence here was not of long duration. From Boone he went to Ains- worth, Nebraska, where he immediately engaged in newspaper work and so remained several years. He finally changed his location to Norfolk, Nebraska, and died there several years ago.
Wrigley brothers, three in number, came from the west part of the state, having published papers at both Denison and Mapleton before coming here. They remained with the Republican about five years, then removed to Fremont, Ohio, where they are today and where they have been for over twenty years publishing the Daily News of that city.
H. S. Kneedler had been a writer on different dailies of the state, owner and editor of the Cherokee Times for a few years and came into possession of the Republican in 1897, remaining with it about five years. From Boone he went to California, where he was engaged in several occupations for about ten years, then returned to Eldora and purchased the Ledger, which paper is now engaging his atten- tion. Boys, Loomis & Curtis, who succeeded Mr. Kneedler, came
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
from Illinois, the two former conducting the Daily and Weekly Republican about five years. Mr. Curtis, after a few months in Boone, purchased the Knoxville Chronicle, which paper he is still issuing. W. W. Loomis, after selecting his chief life adviser, Miss Alice Bibbs, located in Chicago, and is at the head of a company that publishes several papers for different Chicago suburbs. J. H. Boys is now a banker in the growing young State of Oklahoma. Upon the retirement of Boys & Loomis from the daily and weekly Republican, the paper went into the hands of S. G. Goldthwait, pro- prietor of the daily and weekly News, the consolidated papers appearing under the name of
BOONE NEWS-REPUBLICAN
This consolidation occurred in 1907 and since that date the city has had but one daily and one less weekly. The Boone News- Republican is a highly creditable paper to the City of Boone. In fact, but few cities double the size of Boone can boast of as good a daily. It is clean and bright in all of its departments and never on the wrong side of any moral questions or any measures that are for the good of the community.
THE BOONE COUNTY DEMOCRAT
was the first paper started in the county that was not commenced in Boonesboro, and the first one to continue for over forty-five years without change of name or location. It was started in Boone in 1865, and in Boone it is still published. Its founder, L. Raguet, has never been surpassed in the county as an all-around editor. He could defend his party principles vigorously and strongly without incurring antagonism or bitter enmity and was never happy unless every issue of his paper contained some local witticism or something to build up a smile. Mr. Raguet was a native of Ohio and published his first paper at Mount Vernon in that state. His first paper in lowa was at Afton and his next place Boone. He remained in Boone only about six years, when he returned to the southern part of the state and engaged in the grocery business. He afterwards moved to Kan- sas, dying at Marysville about a year ago, aged about eighty-four years. His successor as owner of the Democrat was J. Hornstein, who was a very successful editor and the best financier among the numerous editors of Boone County. He made money in his paper,
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but made more money outside of his paper. He was editor of the Democrat about twenty-five years. He went from Boone to Chicago, where he was engaged for several years in an extensive job printing establishment, dying only a few years ago. His remains were brought back to Boone for burial. In the beginning of his newspaper career here, a Mr. Waldo was associated with him for a year or two, but who soon after selling his interest to Mr. Hornstein moved to Nebraska.
Miller & Boynton succeeded Mr. Hornstein, Mr. Miller being the newspaper man and Mr. Boynton only interested in the paper financially. They were both from Carroll County, where Mr. Miller had had newspaper experience and had also been chosen a member of the Legislature. Mr. Miller went from Boone to Southeastern Kansas, where he re-entered the newspaper business and also engaged in the oil business. In fact, prospecting for oil and selling stock in oil companies was his chief occupation. During Mr. Miller's last year or two of connection with the office John R. Herron, who had grown up in the office, was interested with him in the publication of the paper and in the management of the business. The firm of Barnett & Herron succeeded Miller & Herron. Mr. Barnett was not a practical newspaper man, but was a good writer and careful manager during the short time that he was editor. John R. Herron and W. F. Menton succeeded the firm of Barnett & Herron in the year 1900 and continued as partners for two years. In the year 1902 W. F. Menton sold his interest to his brother, J. A. Menton, who is still with the paper. W. F. Menton soon afterwards went to Cali- fornia and is now a resident of Santa Ana. For the eleven years succeeding 1902, J. R. Herron and J. A. Menton were owners and editors of the Democrat. On October 5, 1913, a stock company was formed under the name of the Democrat Publishing Company. The stockholders of the company are the two former proprietors of the paper, with two or three members of the family who have no man- agement of the paper, only a financial interest. The paper has always maintained a high standing as a democratic paper of the county and has been a success financially as well as sound politically. Both Mr. Herron and Mr. Menton are Boone County young men and are entitled to a great deal of credit for the success they are making.
TWIN CITY DAILY
This is the name of the first daily paper started in Boone County, having its origin as far back as 1880-thirty-four years ago. The
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
name of the venturesome publisher was Frank Rice. It was pub- lished in Boonesboro, but aimed, as its name in'dicates, to be a true representative of the then separate towns of Boonesboro and Boone. But the field was too new at that time to afford it a living support, hence it was compelled to cease its existence after about a three months' struggle.
BOONE DAILY NEWS
In the latter part of 1888, two ambitious Boone young men, be- lieving that Boone ought to have a daily, took upon their shoulders the task of issuing a daily paper in Boone County. Their names were Fred Shulters and Harry Mitchell. The latter was the practical printer, while the former did the hustling. Their outfit could hardly be called elaborate, as it consisted only of an Army press, large enough to print one page at a time, a very moderate supply of type and a liberal use of plates and telegraphic news and general reading matter. They labored faithfully and long each day for about a year and then sold the plant to E. G. Erwin. Mr. Shulters went from Boone to Des Moines, where he remained for some time, but at present is in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
Mr. Mitchell continued to work at his trade for a few years in Boone and then went South and is now proprietor of a prosperous job printing establishment in Petersburg, Florida. Mr. Erwin had had daily newspaper experience in the eastern part of the state, having been connected as a writer with papers in both Clinton and Rock Island. He continued as publisher of the Daily News for about ten years, building the paper up from the smallest beginning a daily newspaper could possibly have to one of prominence in the state, and one of which the city could be proud. Before Mr. Erwin left the paper the people realized its importance as a local booster in making Boone known throughout the state. From Boone Mr. Erwin went to Denver and then to Kansas City, where he published for a short time a monthly, devoted to mining interests in the West. He died there about ten years ago. Messrs. N. E. Goldthwait and J. S. Hullinger followed Mr. Erwin as proprietor of the Daily News. This firm existed for only a short time, two or three months perhaps, and was then succeeded by Hullinger & Corey for five or six months and then the names of O. E. Carter and Charles Olson appeared as proprietors for one week. They were succeeded by Carter and S. G. Goldthwait, and then, after about a year, or in 1903, S. G. Gold- thwait became the sole owner and propreitor of the paper and is
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still at its head. S. G. Goldthwait has changed the paper from a struggling small city daily to a prosperous daily that would do credit to a much larger city than Boone. He has given it a character that commands attention and high respect in all parts of the state. In 1906 Mr. Goldthwait purchased the Daily Evening Republican, consoli- dated the two dailies of the city and hyphenated the name to Daily News-Republican. Since that consolidation, a fine two-story brick building, about 25x100 feet, with basement under the whole structure, besides extending nearly twenty feet under the front sidewalk, has been constructed for a permanent home for the paper, and which is ample for a great number of years to come. Besides the magnificent new home for the paper, the equipment for the production of the paper has been increased in like proportion by the addition of two Mergenthaler linotypes, a fast running press that will print and fold, four, six, eight, ten or twelve pages at a time. Nothing has been omitted in its equipment that would give facility and speed in the production of its class of daily papers. Like the lowa land that has advanced in fifty years from $3 to $300 per acre, the News has grown from an Army press birth that printed one page at a time to its present high efficiency, power and influence. For the past four years George Brunton, who for twelve years previous was connected with the paper as local editor, has been associated with Mr. Goldthwait as manager and has aided greatly in the growth and business of the paper. He is a Boone production whose entire business life has been spent here and mostly in the newspaper field. He is highly esteemed by all doing business with the office. S. G. Goldthwait has also spent nearly all of his life in Boone. He learned the printer's trade before going to college. Upon returning to Boone he became the reporter and local news writer for the Boone Daily News under Mr. Erwin, then came to the Boone Republican office. He soon became a part owner and was interested in the first daily issued from the Republican office. When that was discontinued he went to Chi- cago, remaining there about three years. He then returned to Boone to take an interest in the Boone Daily News. He is now serving his second term as postmaster of Boone. After that goes into democratic hands he will spend his whole time giving the people of Boone a still better daily, if possible, than they are now getting.
BOONE WEEKLY NEWS
was started by E. G. Erwin soon after his purchase of the Boone Daily News in 1886, and has always been issued from the News office
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
as a part of that establishment's business. The owners of the Daily News are owners and managers of the Weekly News and of the weekly News-Republican, as it has been called since the consolida- tion of the News and Republican offices. The same character that is borne by the daily is also borne by the weekly.
BOONE COUNTY ADVOCATE
This Boone County Advocate was started in 1891 by A. E. Evans, a son of C. S. Evans, who had formerly been connected with the Boone County Republican and should be called Advocate No. 2, the first one being started in 1865-over twenty years previously. It was published only a short time, a year or so, and never had any other owner. Mr. Evans afterwards spent several years in Nebraska, where it is understood he still resides.
BOONESBORO HERALD
When Means & Downing moved the Boone County Republican from Boonesboro to Boone, they left a part of the material in the former place, which they run as a job office. This material was purchased by J. N. Reynolds, principal of the Boonesboro public schools, who started in about the year 1878 the Boonesboro Herald. He continued the paper about a year and then sold to E. C. Evans, who changed the name to
BOONESBORO NEWS
but continued it only a short time, when the material was sold and removed from the county. The News was the last paper published in Boonesboro. Mr. Rickard moved to Adel, where he published a greenback paper for several years, then journeyed on to Colorado, where he died several years ago. J. N. Reynolds, who started the Herald, was sentenced to Fort Madison for four years, but was pardoned after about a year. He was next heard from at Leaven- worth, Kansas, where he published a red-hot paper of some kind that caused him to be sent to jail there. But while thus imprisoned he continued his paper, writing his editorials while in jail.
BOONE SATURDAY GLOBE
was launched in Boone in 1886, its object being purely a conveyor of local news, with society news for its chief feature. Its publishers
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
were Stillman & Wilkins. Mr. Stillman was a bright young man and thorough printer of Jefferson, whose father, E. B. Stillman, was then owner and editor of the Jefferson Bee. Of Mr. Wilkins' history either preceding or succeeding his career in Boone we have no knowl- edge. The paper was bright and attractive as long as it lasted, but it appears its patronage was not such as its publishers anticipated, hence it was discontinued before its first anniversary had been celebrated.
BOONE COUNTY HERALD
Herald seemed to be a favorite name for newspapers in Boone County, four having appeared under that name, but at present they are all a matter of history. The Herald, of which we are now writ- ing, made its first appearance in 1893 with the name of F. E. Moore as the responsible party for its existence. Mr. Moore published the paper alone for a while, and, being quite liberal with his charges of bribery and graft among certain Government officials, he was called upon by a United States marshal and taken before a Federal judge at Council Bluffs. The judge looked him over carefully, and because of his youthfulness and inexperience, gave him a good talking to and allowed him to go in peace. He afterwards took into partner- ship with him J. W. Hullinger, an enthusiast and stirrer in whatever business he undertook. He could build the finest air castles and clothe them in the most beautiful hues of any pen swinger who ever worked on the Boone press. For a time, perhaps two or three months, the paper was a boomer. Mr. Hullinger was succeeded by Mr. Shipley in about 1896 and the firm of Moore & Shipley were proprietors for a time. They sold to Harry Walton, who conducted the paper alone for a time, then took into the business as a partner Miss Adda Emerson. The firm of Walton & Emerson sold the paper in April, 1899, to G. H. Kick, who continued it until June, 1900, when the paper was discontinued. In the meantime Miss Emerson became Mrs. Kick, and the couple were afterwards for several years the owners and publishers of the Pilot Mound Monitor. Mr. Moore went from Boone to the northern part of the state, where he continued the newspaper business for a while, then took up the study of law. Mr. Walton engaged in newspaper work at Oelwein after leaving Boone. Mr. Hullinger, after quitting the Herald, purchased an interest in the Daily News, which held his attention for a year or two. He moved from Boone to Clinton, went on the road as a traveling
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man and died in that city in a few years. Of Mr. Shipley there is no history after parting with his interest in the Herald.
BOONESBORO NEWS
made its appearance in 1883, under the guardianship of C. S. Evans as editor and owner. It was continued about three years and was apparently well managed, but failed to get a foothold sufficient to make it a fixture in the county. Mr. Evans had formerly been asso- ciated with N. E. Goldthwait as owner of the Republican and moved to Nebraska after winding up his business relations with the News.
DER BOONE HEROLD
a weekly paper printed in the German language, was established in 1883 and lasted about three years. It was started by a stock company, the German residents of the city being the stockholders. Its first editor was J. W. Weippert, a good editor, but who continued with the paper only about a year or so. The stockholders then transferred their interests to Henry Kaul, of Chicago, who continued the paper a year or two, then discontinued its publication and returned to Chicago. But before discontinuing Der Herold, which was a paper of local or state news only, he started a paper called
NACHRICHTEN AUS SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN
a paper devoted exclusively to giving the news in the most thorough manner and to the minutest detail of the Schleswig-Holstein German provinces. It speedily became a favorite with every former citizen of that country residing not only in the United States, but in whatever country they had emigrated to. Its rapidly increasing business and growing circulation induced Mr. Kaul to move his headquarters to Chicago in 1890, where the paper is still issued by him and is still meeting with the highest success. Mr. Weippert, the first editor of Der Herold, went from Boone to Des Moines, where he engaged in business for a time and died there a few years ago.
SVENSKA HERALD
a paper in the Swedish language, was started by Ernest Carlson in 1895. It was a paper devoted to county news mostly and attained a circulation among the Swedish people of ten or twelve hundreds.
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
Mr. Carlson devoted about a year to building up the paper, but, being a member of the firm of Carlson, Rickseen & Nelson, general mer- chants, was unable to devote the necessary time to the paper that it should have, so sold it to C. A. Nystrom. Mr. Nystrom's previous business experience was such as was acquired in the schoolroom. He was a good Swedish scholar and made an acceptable Swedish paper. He continued the paper about a year, then sold the subscrip- tion list to Mr. Erwin, of the Boone News, thus closing the issuance of a Swedish paper in the county. Mr. Carlson is still in the general merchandise business in Boone and his firm is one of the most pros- perous in the county. Mr. Nystrom took up teaching in the county again for a few years, then moved to Plankinton, South Dakota, where he was principal of the city schools. For the last few years he has been at Buffalo Gap and a few months ago was admitted to the bar as a lawyer. His numerous friends in Boone County wish him much success in his career as a lawyer.
THE INDEPENDENT
In 1899 Messrs. P. D. Swick and C. S. Alexander commenced the publication of The Independent, a paper devoted to the interest of labor and labor unions. In less than a year Mr. Alexander retired from The Independent and became one of the proprietors of the Holcomb Printing Company, a leading job office of the city that has been in existence about twenty years. B. P. Holst succeeded Mr. Alexander financially, but Mr. Swick has ever been the writer on the paper. . He is always happy in his command of language and has a style all his own. Mr. Holst's interest in the office was not long, being soon turned over to Mr. Swick, thus giving him the entire ownership of the office. Mr. Swick has had nearly forty-five years' experience in the printing line, either as foreman, local writer or owner and editor. He was a Union soldier in his teens. After laying aside the blue he learned the printer's trade, then started his first paper-the Pioneer-at Northwood, in Worth County, in 1869. He was like a great many editors of those early days, always ready to sell. He found his buyer, or the buyer found him, in 1875 and the Pioneer became the property of A. T. McCargar. In 1877 Mr. Swick com- menced publishing the Lovilia Gazette in the southern part of the state, which occupied his time for about two years. His next news- paper work was in Newton, on the lowa National. After leaving Newton he was associated with Ham Robinson for a short time in
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