USA > Missouri > Jackson County > Kansas City > Kansas City, Missouri : its history and its people 1808-1908 > Part 26
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The Jackson County Medical library was placed in the public library March 7, 1898, and thoroughly catalogued, to be used by any one bringing a permit from a member of that association. In 1897 James M. Greenwood, superintendent of the public schools, gave the library a valuable collection of arithmetics, numbering 300 volumes, one of the most complete in the United States.
All subscribers to the library surrendered their cards January 1, 1898, and a free circulating and reference library was inaugurated. The new system of free distribution caused a remarkable increase in circulation. The library then contained about 45,000 carefully selected volumes. The West- port library called the Allen library, with 1,300 volumes, was added as a branch to the Kansas City public library in July. 1899, when Westport was annexed to Kansas City, and was opened in November as its Westport branch.
In the librarian's report for the year ending June 30, 1899, J. V. C. Karnes, chairman of the library committee, mentioned for the first time the probable need of an annex to the present building. He said: "There is a great need for increased room for the work in the children's department
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and the prediction is ventured that it will only be a short time when an annex to the library building will be demanded." The need of an annex was urged also by the librarian. In the following year, Robert L. Yeager, president of the Board of Education, in a preface to the librarian's report, said: " Already the library is taxed almost to its utmost capacity in the several departments, and especially in the children's room. It is crowded, and the board is now studying the problem of enlarging this department, as the aim of the board, as a means toward a better citizenship, is to in- fluence the youth of our city. We feel that if we can only get control of the small boys and girls and start them on the right path of reading, we have made a great step towards improving the citizenship.
" As this is the last report that I, as president, will have the pleasure of submitting to the people, I earnestly invoke their support and countenance of the library, and especially in devising means for the increase of the chil- dren's department."
The crowded condition of the children's room made an addition abso- lutely necessary in 1900. A small room north of the children's department, formerly used as a reception room, was equipped for a children's reading room. Although this addition afforded temporary relief, the increasing num- ber of small patrons soon made more room necessary.
The Kansas City public library sustained a great loss when J. V. C. Karnes, vice-president of the Board of Education, and chairman of the library committee, resigned, August 24, 1899. Mr. Karnes took an especial interest in the library and he was a friend to every member of the staff. An appreciation of Mr. Karnes was expressed by Mrs. Whitney, the librarian, on the occasion of the unveiling of a portrait of Mr. Karnes that had been presented to the library: "Could the heart of the Honorable J. V. C. Karnes be unveiled tonight as is his portrait, upon it would be found the imprint of the Kansas City public library." Hon. Gardiner Lathrop was chosen to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Karnes.
The year ending June 30, 1906, completed the twenty-fifth year of active service of Mrs. Whitney as librarian. It has been a quarter century of steady growth, of rise and progress; no retrogression or adversity had been felt in the history of the Kansas City public library. The important changes and advancement in the character of the work had been made in a gradual and thoroughly systematic manner, due to the broad co-operation of the Board of Education. While the growth was not marvelous, the library ad- vanced step by step until it ranks among the advanced libraries of the country.
The general complaint of librarians throughout the country, whether they are situated in large cities or in small communities, is that the citizens,
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although enthusiastic over almost everything pertaining to the betterment of their towns, although interested in all phases of municipal government and in municipal art-for some reason cannot be persuaded, or even cajoled into an appreciation of what should be the first institution of a city, the free public library. In Kansas City, it may be on account of the library being so closely allied with the schools-they are governed by the same board and are maintained by the same fund-the citizens always have understood the value of a library in a community and they have always been sufficiently interested to use the library and to appreciate its worth.
The Kansas City public library is not only a part of the educational sys- tem of the city, but it is regarded as an important factor in civic progress. While statistics indicate definitely the growth and development of the library, no conception is given, through figures, of the moral and intellectual influence of the institution on the residents of the community, or its influence in the development of the future generations, the boys and girls.
When the present library building was opened to the public in Septem- ber, 1897, it seemed a very large structure; it did not appear that there would be a need of " more room " for at least twenty-five years. The build- ing in 1908 was inadequate for the various departments; the children's rooms were very much crowded; the newly devised fiction room was merely a temporary arrangement. The space was too limited for the books and the patrons. It was evident that an addition must be built to keep pace with the growth.
Twenty-six library sub-stations had been established in the out-lying public schools in 1908. The school libraries are under the supervision of the principals. The sub-stations aid in giving the books of the library a wider circulation.
The library staff in 1908 was composed of the librarian, assistant librarian, ten regular assistants, eight pages; three special night assistants ; and three extra Sunday assistants. A foreman and four assistants were em- ployed in the bindery.
The number of volumes in the Kansas City public library in 1908 was 90,000.
The Public Library Quarterly-in January, 1901, the Kansas City Pub- lic library organ was launched. The institution had long realized the neces- sity of a library organ as a means of communication to the public and to other libraries, and to this end, beginning with January, nineteen hundred and one, the KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY QUARTERLY was published. The purpose of the Bulletin was to publish lists of new books to supplement the printed catalogues; to publish bibliographies of special subjects, announcements of current publications and general library news
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of interest to the reading public, it being the desire of the library that the peo- ple of Kansas City become more generally cognizant of the aim and influence of the library work. The Library Quarterly presented itself to the reading public, pleading as a raison d'etre, a supplementary catalogue of new books, accompanied by several pages of local library notes; this purpose has been strengthened by publishing with each number a complete dictionary cata- logue of some one class of books. The Twentieth annual report of the pub- lie library for the year ending June 30, 1901 was published in the January 1902 issue of the Kansas City Public Library Quarterly, with a view of plac- ing the annual reports more generally before the library patrons. The re- ports since have been published in the quarterlies following the close of each fiscal year.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE PRESS.
Years before Missouri had become a territory, Western enterprise had established a newspaper within its boundaries that was published under diffi- culties unknown to modern journalism. At one time, publication was sus- pended temporarily for want of white paper; again, mails were delayed for two months; on another occasion dearth of news made publication impossible. But these hindrances were regarded as mere incidents by the pioneer jour- nalists.
The St. Louis Republic, the father of Missouri newspapers, was established as the Missouri Gazette, a weekly periodical, July 12, 1808, in St. Louis, then a village of less than one thousand inhabitants. It was printed on foolscap paper with an old fashioned hand press. The newspaper was a success from the begin- ning and increased steadily in size and in importance. It appeared as the Lou- isiana Gazette, December 7, 1808, so as to appeal to a general rather than a local field, Missouri being then a part of the territory of Louisiana. When Missouri became a territory, the newspaper resumed its original title. The publication having changed editors, became known as the Missouri Republican, in 1822, under which title it was known until 1888, when it became The St. Louis Republic. This paper was changed from a weekly to a daily on Sept. 20, 1836. The second newspaper established within the borders of Missouri, the Western Journal, was first published in 1815, and was a rival of the Missouri Gazette. Under a variety of names, it lived a checkered career until 1832, when it expired as The Beacon. The St. Louis Times, founded in 1829, lived
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and died four times and finally, in 1881, was bought by the owners of the Missouri Republican and absorbed by that publication. The St. Louis Globe- Democrat was evolved from the Workingman's Advocate, a Democratic news- paper established in 1831. The Advocate was transformed into The Argus, again into the Missouri Reporter, the Union, the Missouri Democrat, and finally, in 1875, was merged with The Globe, becoming the Globe-Democrat. The first newspaper published west of St. Louis was the Missouri Intelligencer, established in Franklin, Mo., in 1819.
Kansas City's first newspaper, the Kansas Ledger, was established in 1851, when the town had a population of about 500. At the end of two years it suspended and for eighteen months Kansas City was without a newspaper. The Kansas City Enterprise appeared in October, 1854; later it was known as the Western Journal of Commerce and finally became The Kansas City Jour- nal. The Western Metropolitan was established in 1858 as a rival of the Western Journal of Commerce. It afterwards was known as the Kansas City Enquirer, one of the newspapers that suspended publication during the Civil war. In the border war in 1856, a newspaper named the Border Star was published in Westport. Its politics were extremely pro-slavery.
At the close of the Civil war there were only two newspapers in Kansas City, the Western Journal of Commerce and the Daily Kansas City Post, German. The first newspaper that was established after the Civil war was the Advertiser, which struggled for four years and then was discontinued. With the growth of the city the field of journalism broadened and there was a demand for better newspaper service.
The first issue of The Kansas City Times appeared in 1868. For two years it found existence a hard struggle, but, in 1870, having changed manage- ment, a successful era began. Publication of the Evening Mail began in 1875 and continued until 1882 when it was consolidated with The Kansas City Star. Another newspaper known as The Mail was established in 1892. It con- tinued until October, 1902, when it was absorbed by the Kansas City Record. The Kansas City Star, an evening newspaper, was founded in 1880. The publi- cation, under the management of William R. Nelson, has had a career of un- broken prosperity. The Evening News was published from 1885 to 1890. One of its editors was Willis J. Abbott, distinguished as a writer of stories for boys, and who became political editor of the New York Journal. The Kansas City Globe was established in 1889 and lived two years. Louis Hammerslough was the editor and owner. The Kansas City Presse, established in 1883, has be- come one of the leading German daily newspapers of Western Missouri. The Daily Record, the official newspaper of Jackson county, was established in 1888. The Kansas City World, an evening newspaper, was published from
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1894 to 190S. The Independent, a weekly newspaper, was founded in 1899. The Kansas City Post, a Democratic evening newspaper. was founded in 1906.
When the Kansas City Enterprise was established, September 23, 1854, William A. Strong of North Carolina. had charge of the editorial department and David K. Abeel, from Michigan. of the mechanical department. Andrew J. Martin of Tennessee became associated with Mr. Strong in the editorial management of the newspaper in the spring of 1855. Robert T. Van Horn bought the Kansas City Enterprise, October 1, 1855. Under his management the newspaper prospered and became a power in the community. Colonel Van Horn related how he happened to buy The Enterprise :
"I purchased, or rather bargained for the paper when it was ten months old, agreeing to take possession at the close of Volume 1, or on October 1, 1855. It was then a five-column. four-page weekly, and called The Enterprise, a very descriptive title for the time and the circumstances. In July, 1855, I was in charge of a steam boat belonging to my brother-in-law. I had lost an uninsured printing office by fire and was putting in time steamboating until I could find a location and paper suited to my money and means.
"At the Virginia hotel in St. Louis, where I stopped, I was introduced to a gentleman, William A. Strong. a lawyer from Kansas City, and he finding my real vocation was that of a printer. told me of The Enterprise of which he was one of the editors. He was a fine talker as was proved by his prevail- ing on me to go home with him and look over the situation. assuring me that the paper was for sale. Accompanying Mr. Strong on his return, I landed from the steamer "Polar Star" at Kansas City on the last day of July, 1855. Looking over the situation and talking with several of the owners, I was referred to Jesse Riddlebarger, a commission merchant, and Gains Jenkins, who had been delegated to sell the paper. As they offered to take five hundred dollars for it, two hundred and fifty dollars cash and a note for the balance in a year, I accepted the offer and left for St. Louis and Ohio to get ready.
"On the last day of October. I called at the business place of Mr. Riddle- barger and informed him that I was there to pay the money and take pos- session of the printing office. He seemed surprised and very frankly told me that he was very glad to see me as he had not expected to do so and was waiting that day simply to keep his own word. To my inquiry why he was so surprised. he said that everybody had said he was a fool for taking the mere word of an utter stranger and keeping others from buying. But as they had never said anything about it before me he was 'mighty glad' I had come to take it. He gave me a receipt for the first payment, took my note for the other. and walking with me a block. from Delaware to Main street on the levee. put me in possession of the office and the paper. But at the end
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of the year came my surprise. On my calling to pay the note when due, it was handed me receipted 'by valuable service' and so it was that the price paid for the paper was actually two hundred and fifty dollars."
D. K. Abeel, who had had charge of the mechanical department since the paper's first issue, purchased a one-half interest from Colonel Van Horn, January 1, 1857. The following October the newspaper was enlarged and its name changed to the Western Journal of Commerce. In 1858, the name eof the newspaper was changed to The Kansas City Journal and June 15 of that year it appeared as a morning daily and since has continued as such. A telegraph line was completed from St. Louis to Boonville, Mo., in June, 1858. The owners of The Journal made arrangements for the telegraph news reports, receiving them by express from Boonville.
The Kansas City Journal, at first, appeared six times a week, including Sunday, but omitting Monday. The Sunday issue was regarded with disfavor by some members of the clergy and some of the citizens. On one occasion Colonel Van Horn invited a number of the censors to his newspaper office and showed them just why a Sunday issue involved no Sabbath-breaking, explaining that all editorial and mechanical work was done on Saturday and that a Monday issue would require all this work to be done on Sunday. Thus it was seen that a Sunday issue preserved the sanctity of the Sabbath, which a Monday issue could not do.
Previous to the Civil war, The Journal accomplished an important work in encouraging civic improvement in Kansas City. It gave plans and schemes for the betterment of the city, encouraging the building of railroads and fos- tering other projects. Through the intervening years the newspaper has been ardent in advocating local improvements.
Colonel Van Horn was a Douglas Democrat and a Unionist. His news- paper was Democratic until the close of the presidential campaign of 1860, in which it supported Douglas as the representative of the Union element in the Democratic party. Colonel Van Horn could not be induced to advocate the cause of the South, and his newspaper declared in favor of the Union and soon became the leader and exponent of the loyal element. The posi- tion of The Journal was made known immediately after the close of the campaign of 1860. Thus The Journal became a Republican newspaper in 1861, and it has ever since continued as such.
Colonel Van Horn sold his interest in The Journal to D. K. Abeel in the summer of 1860, but he remained on the editorial staff until the beginning of the Civil war. Mr. Abeel continued the publication of the newspaper until June 14. 1863, when T. Dwight Thacher purchased it. The newspaper ceased publication, March 7, 1861, and was suspended for about one year on
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account of the hostilities. It was issued as a daily news bulletin from May 16 to August 20, 1861.
Colonel Van Horn, with A. H. Hallowell bought The Journal from T. Dwight Thacher, March 23, 1865, after the close of the Civil war. With Colonel Van Horn once more at its editorial head, The Journal, with renewed vigor, used all its power and influence in helping to upbuild the city. It resumed its former aggressive campaign in favor of the advancement of rail- roads and municipal improvements. It urged and was instrumental in the reorganization of the Chamber of Commerce, which had ceased to exist dur- ing the Civil war. The Journal is credited at this particular time with having done more than all other agencies combined to encourage the commercial development of the city. Colonel Van Horn retired from the newspaper March 2, 1867, having been elected to Congress.
In the fall of 1867, The Journal moved from Main street and Commer- cial alley, Commercial alley being then the first street from the Levee, running east and west from Main street, to a building on the east side of Main street, just south of Second street. This was the first move the paper had made in ten years. The Journal's first place of publication was on the second floor of a brick building on the southeast corner of Main street and the Levee, the lower floor being occupied by "Kit" Cole's saloon. But as the whole building later was taken by the Shannon Brothers for the first exclusive dry goods house in Kansas City, The Journal moved to a new frame building one-half block east of Walnut street on the Levee. This proved to be too far from the business center, and William Campbell of Clay county erected the three-story brick building at the corner of Main street and Commercial alley where the newspaper was published until the fall of 1867. It was while The Journal was at its first place of publication that there "occurred an incident fraught with larger consequences than any one event connected with the enterprise of The Journal, but which has been strangely overlooked-the beginning of the Pike's Peak gold excitement and the consequent opening and wonderful growth of Colorado."
Not only did it print, as an editorial, the first newspaper article ever pub- lished concerning gold in Colorado, but The Journal alone of the newspa- pers west of the Mississippi river, continued to exploit the new field in spite of ridicule, until the emigrants began to buy outfits to cross the plains. So bitter was the press of Leavenworth, Kas., and St. Joseph, Mo., that at one time mob violence against The Journal was threatened and covertly en- couraged.
When The Journal printed the first article concerning the discovery of gold in Colorado, Pike's Peak was the one popularly known topographical fea- ture of the Rocky Mountain region. Cherry creek, the site of Denver, where
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gold was found, then was an unknown locality except to trappers and fur traders. The article speaks of "gold in Kansas territory"; there was no Col- orado then, and Cherry creek was in Kansas. These are the bulletins printed in The Journal, August 26, 1858, under the headline, "The New Eldorado- Gold in Kansas Territory":
"We were surprised this morning to meet Mons. Bordeau and company, old mountain traders just in from Pike's Peak.
"They came for outfits, tools, etc., for working the newly discovered gold mines on Cherry Creek, a tributary of the South Platte.
"They bring several ounces of gold dug up by the trappers of that region, which in fineness, equals the choicest of California specimens.
"Mr. John Cantrell, an old citizen of Westport, has three ounces of the precious dust, which he dug with an ax.
"Mons. Poesinette has several rich specimens.
"The party consists of nine men, all of them old mountaineers, who have spent their lives in the mountains. Mons. Bordeau has not been in the states for nine years, until the present time.
"We have refrained from giving too great credence to these gold discov- eries until assured of their truth, but it would be unjust to the country to longer withhold the facts of which there can no longer be a doubt.
"Kansas City is alive with excitement and parties are already prepar- ing for the diggings.
"The locality of the Mines .- In order to give a correct idea of the locality of these mines, we will state that they are on Cherry creek, one of the most southern branches of the South Platte river, in the center of the best hunting grounds of the Rocky mountains. Game exists in great abundance and plenty of timber, water and grass. They are in Latitude 39 deg., and doubt- less extend to all the streams of that region. The waters of the Arkansas and the south fork of the Platte rise together about the same parallel, and no doubt all partake of the same auriferous character.
"The Route to the Mines .- The best route for emigration is by the Santa Fe Trail to Council Grove, Walnut creek or the crossing of the Arkansas, by Beale, Fremont and Gunnison's route to the Huerfeno, thence following the Arkansas river, which will lead them into the heart of the mining region.
"Outfits can be procured either at St. Louis, Independence, Kansas City or Westport, and the best natural road in the world for two-thirds of the dis- tance. We will give more details tomorrow, as we are compelled to go to press with only a synopsis of the intelligence we have."
This announcement was followed as promised by a full account of what had been discovered and by interviews with some of the prospectors. In fact, the history of the early findings and the names of Russell, Gregory and
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1
others that later became familiar, originally were printed in The Journal and now vindicate the newspaper's position.
Colonel John Wilder who was editor of The Journal, was shot and killed March 9, 1870, by James Hutchinson on account of a personal difficulty. In May, 1870, Colonel Van Horn, at the end of his third term in Congress, bought Colonel Wilder's interest. A few days later, D. K. Abeel joined his old partner by purchasing other interests and the firm became known as R. T. Van Horn & Co. C. G. Foster still retained his interests and remained with the newspaper.
On account of the continual growth of the paper, The Journal, in 1871, moved from its Main street quarters to No. 6 West Fifth street. With this move, as with each preceding one, the newspaper's facilities were increased and larger and better accommodations were obtained. Colonel Van Horn purchased C. G. Foster's interests August 30, 1871. The Journal company was organized and incorporated under the state laws, February 15, 1872, Colonel Van Horn was editor-in-chief; Mr. Abeel business manager until August 9, 1872, when Isaac P. Moore purchased the stock of Mr. Abeel and became the business manager. D. K. Abeel, Charles N. Brooks, M. H. Stevens and W. A. Bunker purchased a controlling interest in the newspaper, August 8, 1877. Colonel Van Horn remained president of the company and editor-in-chief; D. K. Abeel became vice-president and business manager, and M. H. Stevens, managing editor. Near the close of 1877 The Journal moved to 529 Delaware street and a few months later a double cylinder Hoe press, the first of its kind in Kansas City, was installed. Also at this time the publication of a Monday issue was begun.
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