USA > Iowa > Cass County > History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history > Part 55
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"Ilaving sold our interest in the Mes- senger office to Mr. J. H. Willey, our in- terest in the same expired on the 31st day
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
of December, 1879. We started the Mes. senger in Lewis fourteen and a half years ago, when neighbors were few and far be- tween in Cass county, and the progress and growth of Cass county since that time could hardly be believed by any one who is not posted in the matter. We issued our paper in Atlantic, April 16, 1869, at that time a very small burg. But we are pleased to know that we have the best town of its age in the State of Iowa. We have not time nor space to review many things which we would like to. We have many friends throughout the county who have stuck to us through thick and thin, many of whom have always stood ready to lend a helping hand at any time we might ask. To all those we wish a a long and prosperous life, and we shall ever remember them in our heart of hearts. We part with the Messenger with some feelings of regret, but hope to see it ever prosper, and with a wish that all its patrons may live long and be happy, we respectfully bow out."
J. H. Willey, on taking up the editorial quill, wrote the following short bnt pithy salutatory, a specimen of Spartan terse- ness that should serve as a model to many young venturers. upon the rough and stormy seas of journalism:
"It is customary for incoming editors to indulge in a 'salutatory,' varying in length from a 'stickful' to a column, devoted to making promises as to what they propose doing. I do not care to do anything of the kind. If I make a success, people will find it out; and if I don't, they will know it soon enough."
The paper is now a nine-column folio, cleanly and neatly set up, and printed
with care on a. Campbell press. The edi- torials are carefully and well written, for Mr. Willey, although a young man, is one of the few men in the profession who think before they write.
H. C. Johnson, the father of the Mes- senger, was born at the village of Hop- kinsville, Warren county, Ohio, January 23, 1834, and is the son of Joseph HI. and Mary Johnson, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Kentucky. H. C. was reared in his native village until he came to Iowa, in 1852, On the 4th of July of that year, he landed at Muscatine, and taking the stage, for this was prior to the advent of railroads in the State, to Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa, where he en- tered the office of the Republican, then run by his uncle, Doctor S. M. Ballard, where he learned the trade of a printer, to which he has stuck ever since, with slight exceptions. In 1858 he removed to Council Bluffs, where he remained about a year. In 1859 he came to Cass county, and has made it his residence ever since. When he first came here, he went on to the large farm belonging to Doctor Ballard, lying in this and the adjoining county of Audubon, where he worked in the summer, and in the winter months went to Des Moines, where he worked at his trade on the Iowa State Register. In 1863 and 1864 he was engaged in the office of the Gazette, at Lewis, and on the demise of that journal, in 1864, initiated the Cass County Messenger, as mentioned above. lle was united in marriage with IIannah A. Goodale, a daughter of Jeffer- son Goodale, one of the pioneers of Cass county, in 1860, by whom he has twelve children living - IIarry, Cora, Eddie,
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
Eugene, Frank, Carl, Leonore, Madge, Robert, Grace, Leila 'and Dollie. After disposing of his interest in the Messenger to his partner, he, in April, 1881, started a job printing office in Atlantic, and is engaged in that line of business at the present (1884).
r J. H. Willey, the present able editor of the Messenger, is a native of the "Buck- eye State," having been born in Zanes- ville, Muskingum county, Ohio, on the Ist of April, 1853. He is the son of M. H. and C. B. Willey. When IIenry, as his friends call him, was about two and a half years old, his parents removed to Oska- loosa, Mahaska county, Iowa, where he was reared, and educated in the schools of that city. When he was sixteen years old, he removed to Boone county, but re- mained there but about six months, when he came to Atlantic, Cass county, where lie has since remained. When he first came to this point, he engaged in any work that he could find to do, not being of the kind of men who sit down, and, Micawber-like, "wait for something to turn up" in their favor. In August, 1870, he entered the office of the Messenger, then conducted by H. C. Johnson, to learn the "art preservative." Having acquired the trade, on the 1st of October, 1873, he purchased a half interest in that journal, and in connection with Mr. Johnson, car- ried on the work of the office. In March, 1875, Mr. Willey was appointed postal clerk, and assigned for duty on the Chi- cago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad. This position he occupied, without sever- ing his connection with the Messenger, however, until the 1st of January, 1880, when he resigned, and once more entered
the office of that journal, having por- chased the remaining interest of Mr. Johnson, and has continued it ever since, alone. Mr. Willey was united in mar- riage on the 28th day of September, 1876, with Miss Sarah Eugenia Boyer, of Boone, Iowa. By this union there have been two children, Ilarry and Nellie, the former of whom has, however, passed from the arms of his sorrowing parents, and translated to a congenial sphere, where his name is written upon the "White Stone."
ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
The journal with the above name, the leading representative of the press of Cass county of the present day, was established in 1871, by Hon. Lafayette Young, the present owner and editor. The first paper bears the date of February 16, and was a neat, sprightly nine-column folio, in good form and excellent dress. On presenting himself to the patrons of the paper, Mr. Young made the following few remarks, by way of a salutatory.
"We have located at Atlantic for the purpose of engaging in the business of publishing a newspaper and doing job printing. The location is the one of our choice, after nearly three months pros- pecting in Iowa. We decided in favor of this place, because the town and county have a great and prosperous future in store for them. There is no better coun- try in Iowa than in Cass county, and no better country in the wide, wide world than in Iowa. Because of the goodness of the country here and the prosperity of Atlantic-the Magic City-we have here come and begun business.
"The main feature of the Telegraph will be a devotion to local interests. We
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
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intend to use all means in our power for the development and advancement of Cass county, for here we have located and this place we expect to be our home.
"In politics, the Telegraph will be Repub- lican. But we accede to all men the right to hold and express honest differences of opinion, and will respect them none the less for the differences.
"We come into the community strang- ers, but hope by strict attention to - busi- ness and as much fairness in the same as the generality of editors are capable of exercising, to merit and receive a portion of the public patronage."
As a specimen of the way the new pa- per was received, the following items are clipped from the first issue of the Tele- graph:
"A number of Iowa papers kindly placed our paper on their exchange list before the appearance of the first number. The State Register and Council Bluffs Nonpareil have sent us their daily edi- tions for the last fortnight. Boys,for your kindness, we shall remember you in the silent midnight hour while engaged in- working our imperial No. 5 hand press."
"We print one thousand copies of this number of the Telegraph, and have but two subscribers. But thanks be to the men themselves, those two paid in ad- vance !"
The people of Atlantic, also, seem to have appreciated the new paper, and a liberal amount of advertising appears in its columns. The paper was published on Thursday, as appears from its pages, at a subscription price of $2 per annum.
On the 29th of June, 1871, the paper appeared with a slight change of name, being now known as the
ATLANTIC WEEKLY TELEGRAPH,
and the journal enlarged to an eight col- umn folio, "to accommodate the large amount of advertisements coming in," thus showing that the success of the pa- per was assured from its inception. On the 17th of April, 1872, the publication day was changed to Wednesday. In May, 1874, the paper was enlarged to a nine column folio, as yet a "patent inside" journal, and during the fall of the same year, while the county fair was in opera- tion, a daily edition was issued. This was a small, five column paper, but spark- ling and bright, like the weekly. In the same fall of 1873, Mr. Young determined on printing his paper "all at home," and in order to bring it about, and permit him to get the paper out in time, he decreased the size of it to an eight column journal giving his readers and patrons the follow- ing explanation of the change:
"The reader will notice that the Tele- graph has changed itself a little this week. We are going to try printing and editing the paper all at home once more. We have reduced the size to that of a few months ago, but even in this form our ex- pense will be greater than heretofore, while printing a nine column, patent in- side sheet. We enlarged without notice or comment. We ensmall without any fuss, or apology. Those who like the Telegraph can take it or not, just as they please. We shall strive to make it better than it has ever been. Now is the time to subscribe. See special offer in another column."
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IIISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
As the year rolled on the Telegraph grew in the estimation of the people of Cass and surrounding counties until it stood in the front ranks of journalism in this section of the State, and on the 3d of May, 1876, the paper was enlarged to nine columns and a new cylinder press and steam engine added to the equipment of the office. In speaking of the Telegraph, Mr. Young tersely and gracefully said:
"We send the Telegraph this week to our readers in an enlarged form, and hope that we may be able to keep the paper this size and to make it better as it grows older. We have made many improve- ments in our office, and have many more under contemplation. The reader will observe that we have changed the "make- up" of the paper, placing the local depart ment on the third page, as is the custom with the majority of country papers. This is done to enable us to print the outside pages first, which will enable us to fold the dry side of the paper outward."
On the 8th day of June, 1881, the Tele- graph again made its appearance in an enlarged form, being changed to a ten columin paper. It was afterwards changed to a nine column, six page paper, which form it has continued to the present time.
The Telegraph has always rested solely upon its merits, and has always stood for its intrinsic worth; with what success is shown by its present condition, as it, to- day, has as much influence and as large a circulation an any paper in Southwestern Iowa. Lafayette Young, the editor, is well fitted for the responsibility of the position, bringing to it a mind above the average, a keen, trenchant pen, and a journalistic courtesy rarely found in the
craft. The paper always under his con- trol has ever supported the principles of the Republican party, and has had a con- siderable influence in moulding the course of local politics in this district.
ATLANTIC DAILY TELEGRAPH.
In the early winter of 1879-80, Mr. Young determined on the establishment of a daily newspaper in the city of Atlan- tic, deeming that the time had arrived for that venture, and accordingly, on the 8th of December, 1879, a journal under the above caption made its appearance before the people of Atlantic and Cass county. It was in form, a clean, neat slreet, of six columns, folio. In initiating this newspaper, Mr. Young gave the fol- lowing few reasons for the attempt at establishing a daily in this locality:
"The first number of the daily Telegraph, new series, is here presented. A great many people will feel like inquiring why we undertake to publish a daily. To such supposed question we make answer as follows:
"1. Our city now has over four thou- sand inhabitants. A vast majority of these people are readers, and a great many of them-probably three hundred-take daily papers already, and may possibly be indneed to take a daily published at home, if it contains something which they desire to see.
"2. We have a large, well-equipped printing office, and can, just as well as not, do more in the printing line than we do.
"3. Job printing, which used to be the main stay of printing offices in cities of this size, is no longer the source of any profit, hence if the work of our establish.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
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ment is to be increased profitably, it must be in the line of making newspapers.
"4. We desire to make the weekly bet- ter than it has ever been, and, in order to do that, we hope to make the daily pay part of such increased expense.
"5. A weekly paper cannot well be made to suit botb town and country read- ers. The city subscriber desires all the city news he can possibly get, even of the most trivial occurrencs; while the country reader wants all the general news of the world which he can procure, with only the most important of the local or town events. With a daily for the city, and a good weekly for the country, both classes of patrons can be suited.
"6. There are disagreements among advertisers also. There are classes of business men whose interest it is to adver- tise and work for city trade. To such class the daily will be more acceptable and economical as an advertising medium than the weekly. Then there is another class of business men, the reverse of those, who can address their patrons to a better advantage through the weekly.
"7. Atlantic cannot expect to be a real growing, thriving city without a daily pa- per. If there is to be a daily published here, it will have to have a beginning. When will there be a better time than the present? Business, all admit, is growing better.
"8. There will be times when a daily paper here will be an actual convenience, but that will not be every day. Nearly all notices of public meetings occurring in the wrong time of the week to be an- nounced in either of the weekly papers, heretofore have been given by posters or
hand bills. Such announcements can bere- after be made at less expense through the daily, and all the people will see them, for the reason that scores of the inhabi- tants of the city who do not take the daily will read a copy of it which is taken by somebody else. This will be a positive fact, and we can illustrate it. About one hundred daily Registers are taken in this city, but at least six hundred people read them. This fact may be of no service to the paper, but it will be of advantage to the advertisers.
"We could enumerate a dozen other reasons why we have undertaken this en- terprise, but the above will suffice to give the reader an idea of what we have been thinking about."
The Daily Telegraph was enlarged to a seven column folio, on the 21st of March, 1881, a form which it preserves to the present. All the usual press dispatches appear in its columns, together with all the local news of any moment, and the editorial comments, and political leaders are written in Mr. Young's happiest vein. Like its elder brother, the daily Telegraph is strongly Republican, and has a large influence in the city and its environs.
Lafayette Young is a native of the Hawkeye State, being born in Monroe county, May 10, 1848, on a farm. When about ten years of age, he went with his parents to the town of Albia, and in 1860, entered the office of the Albia Sentinel to learn the printer's trade. Ile remained in the employ of that paper until 1861, when it changed hands. Again thrown out in 1862, by the editor, Josiah Young and all hands joining the Union army and closing the office. He continued working
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
at his trade in a printing office in Albia, Eddyville and neighboring towns, until about 1866. At that time he went to Des Moines-walking the entire distance- and set to learning the "art preservative" more completely, at Mills and Company's large printing house, and during the years of 1868 and 1869, worked at his trade in St. Louis, Missouri. In March, 1870, Mr. Young returned to Des Moines and be- came city editor of the State Register, and held that position until January, 1871, when he came to Atlantic and es- tablished the paper which he has since published. The paper was established on an actual capital of $400. Mills and Company sold him a large amount of second-hand material on time. Success has attended Mr. Young's labors on every hand. To-day he has a large daily and weekly newspaper steam printing office, second to none in southwestern Iowa, and owns the two story brick building in which the office is situated, besides a fine residence property in a desirable location. In March, 1870, he was married in Jones county, Iowa, to Miss Josephine Bolton, by whom three children have been born, one daughter and two sons. In 1873 he was elected State senator for a term of four years, from the district composed of Adair, Cass, Adams and Union counties. He served on several important commit- tees, and voted for the original law fixing railway, freight and passenger charges. Ile was re-elected senator in 1877, for another term of four years, from the dis- trict comprised of Adair, Cass and Madi- son counties, and served as chairman of the Senate committee at the two follow- ing sessions, and led the contest against
the repeal of the railway tariff law. Hc has always been a Republican, and was elected senator as a Republican. He has also borne an active part in all public en- terprises proposed for the advancement of Atlantic or Cass county. He had much to do with building the water works and served as secretary of that incorporation for about two years, during the construc- tion of the same. He has also attained a high degree in Masonry.
ANITA TIMES.
The journal with the above name, was established in the fall of 1877, at the town of Anita, by Charles F. Chase and Claude Faust, under the firm name of Chase and Fanst. The first issue bore the date of November 14th, and was a seven column folio, printed all at home. It was intensely Democratic, and bristled all over with pungent criticism of the course of its political opponents. This paper started in response to the wishes of a great number of the business men of the town and vicinity, as there was, then, no paper published in the county, as the exponent of the principles of the Demo- cratic party. As the day for the publica- tion of the first number drew near, great anxiety was felt among the merchants and business men to see the new paper. Ac- cordingly on the 14th of November, when everything was ready, and the form was laid upon the platen of the press, a large number of the prominent me'n of the town gathered into the office to watch the proceedings. A dampened sheet was laid upon the press, and Mr. Chase, with his own hands, speedily brought round the lever, and an impression was taken. He, laughingly, ascended a box which
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IHISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
stood in the room, and proceeded to sell, this the first issue of the Times, to the highest bidder. Considerable merriment was the consequence, and bidding ran quite spiritedly for a while, and it was finally knocked down to Edwin Cate, the pioneer merchant of the town, who had bid twenty-five dollars.
For several years this paper was oper- ated with good success. Mr. Faust, after a time, retired, and the paper was ably edited and issued by Charles F. Chase, alone.
In the issue of July 14, 1880, Mr. Chase made the following announcement of the publication of the paper in Anita:
"To the Friends and Patrons of the Times:
With this issue the Times ceases its publication at this place. Feeling it to be the duty of every man to do the best pos- sible thing for himself and the cause he espouses, we have concluded to move the Times to Atlantic, where it will be pub- lished as thoroughly Democratic-as bere- tofore, under the same ownership and control, yet under a new name. Those who are now subscribers to the Times we hope to retain as subscribers to its succes- sor, under the same terms as heretofore, and those who have found its advertising columns profitable, we hope to continue to serve.
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"The name of the Times' successor will be The Cass County Democrat, published for the good of the people of Cass county. We expect to secure a good correspondent in each township in the county, and to such will pay a moderate compensation.
"With many feelings of regret we sever the ties which bind us to the good people
of this town and vicinity, among whom we have lived, and at whose hands we have received so many kindnesses during the past three years. We leave you with none but the kindest feelings and best wishes for your growth and success as a town, and, as a people, we wish you well. The Cass County Democrat office, wher- ever it may be located, will be open at all times to you, and the hearts of ye editor, and his wife, likewise.
"Remember the Times in kindness, and feel lenient when you reflect that it did its duty by you to the best of its ability, that it never faltered nor swerved, and that in the future it will be far from deaf to you. And so, adieu, hoping to greet you with another and much better paper at the time mentioned above."
On removing to Atlantic, the name of the paper was changed to that of
CASS COUNTY DEMOCRAT,
a name it still continues to bear. The first issue of this journal made. its appear- ance on the 11th of August, 1880, from its new quarters in the city of Atlantic, and was warmly greeted by the adherents of the political faith of which it was so strong a champion. It was established as an eight-column folio.
With paper No. 22, of volume 5, which bore the date of January 4, 1882, the jour- assumed a new form, taking that of a neat, six-column quarto. In this shape it was run by Charles F. Chase until Sep- tember 27, 1882, when he disposed of his interest therein to Bilderback and Gard- ner, who published the first issue under their management on the 4th of October.
Messrs. Bilderback and Gardner did not long continue together, for on the 1st
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
of December, 1882, E. D. Gardner sold his interest to J. N. Foster, of Atlantic, and the paper was continued under the same name, by the new firm of Bilderback and Foster. For some reason these par- ties could not make the journal pay, so it was taken back by C. F. Chase, under mortgage, on the 6th of September, 1883, and has been published by him ever since. On the 18th of October, 1883, Mr. Chase inserted in his columns the following re- marks to his patrons:
"The publisher of this paper feels that he owes an apology to its readers and ad- vertising patrons, and wishes to make it. He took possession in the heat of the cam- paign, finding the business of the office in a bad shape, and an insufficient force of workmen. Much of his time was taken up in the burdens which come with the campaign, leaving him utterly unable to untangle the snarl. The press on which our weekly is printed was nearly ruined, and we were unable at that time to get it repaired. Because of this, the paper was poorly printed, and gave poor satisfaction to its readers, though none felt worse about it than we did. While out working for the Democracy we were obliged to entrust much of our business to strange hands, and now we have every reason to believe that they violated that trust. We learn that a good many towns missed their papers entirely for several weeks. This we regret very much.
"Now,however, we are again on our feet, with time to give our paper our personal attention, which we propose to do in the fullest sense. We shall personally super- vise the printing and mailing, and we guarantee that in the future there shall be
no repetition of the right to complaint by our subscribers that there has been in the last few weeks past. Particular attention will be paid to the advertising depart- ment and we can safely guarantee to ad- vertisers complete satisfaction in every particular.
"To our readers we desire to say that we shall, endeavor to make this paper as read- able as possible, and we ask you to assist us in placing it in every home in the county.
"And,by the way, we need considerable money just now, and would like to have all those in arrears "whack up" as fast as possible. Thanks for past kindnesses."
The paper is a nine column folio, at the present time, neatly printed and manifest- ing in its make-up the oversight of a prac- tical printer of first-class ability; ably edited, and with a large amount of spicy locals and pungent editorials.
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