USA > Montana > Yellowstone County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
USA > Montana > Park County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
USA > Montana > Dawson County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
USA > Montana > Rosebud County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
USA > Montana > Custer County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
USA > Montana > Sweet Grass County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
USA > Montana > Carbon County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 102
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The proprietors with true newspaper in- stinct, got enough material together to pub- lish a diminutive copy of the Daily Gasette, which was issued Sunday morning, May 3rd, chronicling the news of the fire and how the paper had been almost suffocated at its birth. This initial paper was a three column folio, printed on a job press The cir- cumstances under which the Gazette was started were certainly discouraging, but the proprietors did not lose courage : they imme- diately ordered a new plant, built a new brick building and continued the publication unin- terrupted. Mr. Matheson was editor of the paper, Mr. Devine business manager, while Mr. McFarlin was superintendent of the "art
preservative" department. These gentlemen conducted the paper as an independent jour- nal, taking no part in politics.
The weekly edition, which was named Montana Stock Gazette, made its appearance May 23, and was five column, eight page paper. Two months after its establishment it was enlarged to six columns. Messrs. Devine and McFarlin withdrew from the paper Oct- tober 1, 1885, and Mr. Matheson, who had purchased the stock, became the sole owner. He conducted both the daily and weekly edi- tions until January 20, 1887, when Mr. E. B. Camp purchased the stock and assumed charge. To edit the paper Mr. Camp employed James Davenport Whelpley, who now has a national reputation as a Washington corre- spondent. Mr. Camp decided that the daily was too great a luxury, and on Wednesday, February 15, 1888, it was suspended. Lack of support by the business men was the reason assigned for the suspension. At the same time the name of the Montana Stock Gasette was changed to Billings Weekly Gasette, the first number under the new name appeared Febru- ary 23.
Mr. Camp sold the paper September 13. 1888, to E. H. Becker, who conducted it for many years as a Republican paper. At the time Mr. Becker took charge it was the only paper in Billings and Yellowstone county, as it was for several years, but still was not enjoying a superabundance of prosperity. During the next decade the Gazette lived a vacillating life. In bright times a daily was published; with the tightening up of business a drop would be made back to a weekly issue, with perhaps the hope of "a daily next spring." The first daily under the management of Mr. Becker was be- gun in September, 1889, but was short lived. The weekly edition, which up to this time had been a six column quarto, was reduced to a five column paper on November 12, 1891, but was again enlarged to the former size August 4. 1892. The daily was again published during
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the campaign of 1892, beginning with the issue of October 3rd. Again in 1894 Mr. Becker decided to launch a daily issue. The paper was started July Ist, but lived only until the latter part of August. A little longer life was ac- corded, the same kind of a venture the next year. A Thorne typesetting machine was pur- chased, full Associated Press dispatches were secured, and September 3, 1895, the Daily Ga- cette once more greeted the citizens of Billings, . this time as a morning publication. A semi- weekly took the place of the weekly edition January 21, 1896, and has been issued ever since. Business conditions were of such a character during the late nineties that the daily publication on the scale it was being run by Mr. Becker could not be profitably maintained, and after the election in November, 1896, the Daily Gazette was no more.
In June, 1898, Mr. E. L. Boardman, who since December, 1894, had been editor of the paper took a four years' lease on the plant and assumed control of its affairs. A morning daily was established September 11, 1900, and was published for nearly three years, suspend- ing April 30, 1903. In the meantime Mr. Becker had again taken charge of the office. The Daily Gazette again made its appearance October 13, 1904, being published every even- ing. Later it was changed to a morning paper, linotypes were added to the office, Associated Press dispatches were secured, and the Gazette has now taken its place as the leading daily paper of eastern Montana. The Gazette was purchased early in the year 1907 by Clinton Ham, formerly of Chicago, and that gentleman now presides over its destinies.
In chronicling the events in the history of the Gazette we have entered into present day conditions. To turn to the pioneer days : From May, 1885, to April, 1891, the Gazette was the only paper in Yellowstone county. On the last named date (April II) the Billings Times, a weekly publication devoted to the interests of the Democratic party, came into existence un-
der the guiding hand of that veteran news- paper man, J. D. Matheson. It was a five col- umin quarto and an excellent publication. Mr. Matheson continued the publication without interruption until February 7, 1899, when he sold it to M. C. Morris, formerly of Little Rock Arkansas, and that gentleman has conducted it ever since. Mr. Morris made the Times a semi-weekly publication and early in 1901 es- tablished a daily, which was published for a short time. The publication is now semi- weekly, and is a six column folio. M. C. Mor- ris is editor and proprietor and Ralph L. Mor- ris is business manager.
An offshoot of the Gazette was the Mon- tana Wool Journal, a monthly publication de- voted to the interests of flockmasters, which came into existence in August, 1891. It was in the form of a pamphlet, sixteen pages, and E. H, Becker was the publisher. It continued in existence two years, suspending in August, 1893. Lack of interest by those engaged in the wool and mutton business was the reason assigned for the suspension.
For a short time in 1892 Shelby Eli Dillard, who before had published the Red Lodge Picket, conducted a paper in Billings, labeled The Montana Vociferator, the printing be- ing done from the Times plant. Mr. J. D. Matheson, who was the publisher of the Times at that date, has given us the following history of the lurid l'ociferator :
Shelby Dillard was a humorist of homespun type. who discovered the system of simplified spelling before Roosevelt, and the Vociferator's appearance was eagerly looked for, for every issue was a roast for some one. It continued until near the election of that year. Feel- ing sore one night over the thought that he was not receiving his full share of the good things the Demo- cratic state central committee was supposed to be dish- ing out, Shelby sat down and indited the following tele- gram to the chairman at Butte: "I must have $200 by tomorrow or hell will begin to pop." Promptly by the first mail came a check for the required amount. Shelby was so husy celebrating its receipt that he neg- lected to issue any more numbers of the Vociferator, which was certainly a lurid publication while it lasted. The weak spot in the Democratic armor which the com-
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mittee was afraid of having revealed was never dis- covered.
Until the fall 1892 there had not been a paper founded in Yellowstone county outside of the county seat town. The first one was the Stillwater Bulletin, which was started by J. M. Ramsey, formerly of the Big Timber Pioncer, at the little town of Stillwater (now Columbus), about the Ist of October, 1892. It was a six column folio and liberally patro- nized by the business men of Stillwater. W. L. Kearns bought a one-half interest in the journal one year after its founding. but sold back to his partner in November, 1894. Mr. Ramsey then moved the plant to Billings, and in company with H. L. Knight founded the Yellowstone Valley Recorder.
The Recorder made its appearance early in December, 1894, the publishing firm being Knight & Ramsey. It was a seven column quarto, and was independent politically. It continued an existence under the same manage- ment until late in August, 1896, when the pro- prietors removed the plant to Missoula and established the Missoula Daily Democrat.
The little town of Columbus had its second journalistic experience in 1895. In June of that year Messrs. Walter Aitken and A. C. Potter, who had formerly been employed on the Livingston Post, brought a printing outfit from Broken Bow, Wyoming, and established the Columbus Erpress, a six column publica- tion, independent in politics, but irrevocably attached to the free silver issue. Not securing the desired support, the proprietors in Septem- ber of the year of founding moved the plant to Big Timber, and continued publication un- der the name of the Big Timber Express. Co- lumbus was again without a newspaper.
After E. H. Becker had leased the Billings Gazette to E. L. Boardman in 1898, he started a new publication, the Billings Republican, which first saw the light of day August 5. 1899. Later H. F. McFarlin became associa-
ted with the founder. The Republican was is- sued for only a short time.
The Billings Now's was established in 1900 by Al. Filson, who continued to preside over its destinies until the fall of 1901. It was then sold, and in September J. D. Matheson became the editor. Soon after publication was discon- tinued.
Two papers had already tried to perma- nently establish themselves in Columbus, but it was not until late in the summer of 1901 that a successful venture was made. In August a stock company was organized for the purpose of publishing a weekly paper in the town. Part of the plant of the defunct Big Timber Express, which had once before been employed in printing a paper at Columbus, was secured, and before the close of the year the Tri- County Now's came into existence, under the management of Mr. Snyder. A. J. Bryant later became the publisher and he is now pub- lishing the paper, which is a five column quarto.
The little town of Laurel has been the home of a newspaper since September, 1906, when the Laurel Sentinel came into existence. The Laurel Publishing Company is the pub- lisher, and D. W. Watsbaugh is the manager. The Sentinel is a seven column folio.
The Billings Daily Journal ( evening) was published for the first time on December 12, 1906. . It was established by the Commercial Printing Company (inc.), and is a six column quarto. Although young in years, it has taken a prominent place in the business life of Bil- lings.
The latest venture in Yellowstone county journalism is the Yellowstone Monthly, estab- lished in May, 1907, by E. W. Beedle.
Among those who performed commend- able editorial service on Billings newspapers in past years, aside from those already men- tioned, were Messrs. B. S. Scott, J. E. Hendry, S. P. Panton, A. H. Hersey and Walter Alder- son.
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ROSEBUD COUNTY.
The establishment of newspapers in Rose- bud county has not been very prolific. The first paper started within the boundaries of the present county of Rosebud was the Forsytli Times, which first saw the light of day on September 29, 1894. It was a six column folio, independent in politics, and was owned and ed- ited by F. G. Tyrrell. Mr. Tyrrell retired from the management March 9, 1895, when F. H. Benjamin became editor. The paper was increased in size to a six column quarto. In 1899 Thomas Alexander took charge and ran it a year, when Lyons & Marcy became the owners. They ran it one year only and then sold to Ira Cole, the present owner. In the spring of 1906 Mr. Cole purchased the plant of the opposition paper, discontinued its publi- cation, and has become the sole newspaper pub- lisher of Rosebud county.
The Rosebud County News, Forsyth, was founded in 1903 by A. H. Buchanan. He ran the paper only a short time, when V. Beeman assumed charge. The latter conducted the pa- per nearly a year and then sold to W. Ellery Johnson. March 1, 1906, Mr. Johnson sold the plant to Ira Cole, publisher of the Forsyth Times, and the Rosebud County Now's went out of existence .
CUSTER COUNTY.
The first newspaper published in Custer county, the first in the Yellowstone valley and the first in Montana territory between Bis- marck, N. D., and the Rocky mountains, was the Yellowstone Journal, which was first taken from the press at Miles City on the 24th day of July, 1879. The material for the publica- tion of this pioneer paper was freighted in by bull teams from the point that was then the terminus of the Northern Pacific rail- road, a distance of 350 miles. The founder of the Journal was Major Thompson P. Mc-
Elrath, an hereditary and practical newspaper man, being the son of the McElrath who was part owner with Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune about the time of the breaking out of the civil war, and himself having been engaged in the newspaper business in New York city. Mr. McElrath was a major of the United States regular army and took station with the troops at Fort Keogh in the fall of 1876. In 1879 he deemed the community that had congregated at Fort Keogh and Miles City worthy of a newspaper, and the result was the establishment of the Journal. Concerning the starting of this paper the Yellowstone Journal in after years said :
"Old timers maintain that the paper was started as the personal organ of Gen. Nelson A. Miles, at that time colonel of the Fifth U. S. Infantry, stationed at Fort Keogh, and that the money that purchased the first equipment was furnished by Col. Miles. Of the truth of the latter allegation, the writer is uninformed, but the files of the paper during the period when Col. Miles was here do not warrant the asser- tion that it was his organ in the usually ac- cepted sense. While the issues of those days make frequent complimentary mention of Col. Miles, it must be remembered that at that time most of the news was military, and Miles was 'doing things' that warranted newspaper com- ment. It is quite likely that he favored the starting of the Journal, even to the extent of giving financial aid, and so far as ability is concerned it would have been hard to find a more capable man for the literary end of the enterprise than Major McElrath, an educated gentleman, thoroughly schooled in editorial work, but so opposed to diligent methods that he was never ready for either publication day or pay day."
In his salutatory Major McElrath said : "Our functions are of a local character-to re- cord the growth and progress of this new country, and to aid in those results whenever it lies in our power, to place before eastern
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readers the fullest possible information re- specting the advantages which nature has so lavishly bestowed upon this 'New Northwest.' In a word to be the lionest and impartial journal of the Yellowstone valley." Politically the Journal was Republican, and in size it was a seven column folio.
Early in January, 1880, there came from the Black Hills country, where he had been engaged in newspaper work for three years previous, W. D. Knight, an expert printer and pressman, a natural mechanical genius, local re- porter, solicitor and general all-round man. To him on January 8th was given the publisher's chair of the Yellowstone Journal. He infused business methods into the office and gave the paper a new impetus, which would never have been accomplished under the easy going Major McElrath. One year later Mr. Knight retired from the Journal and the founder again as- sumed charge. On October 29, 1881, the pa- per was increased in size to a seven column quarto.
During the year 1881 Mr. Knight estab- lished a second paper in Miles City, the Chron- icle, but on the last day of that year lie pur- chased the Journal from Major McElrath and cliscontinued the publication of the Chronicle. Under Mr. Knight's ownership the Journal was Democratic. During the campaign of 1882 he ran a daily edition of the paper, hav- ing associated press news service. The daily was continued several weeks after election, and was then discontinued, after a life of about three months. July 14, 1883, Samuel Gordon purchased a half interest from Mr. Knight, and thereafter the paper was Republican in politics. In September, 1883, shortly after Mr. Gordon became a member of the firm, the daily edition was again started and became a permanent institution. Mr. Gordon became sole proprietor in July, 1891, at which time the paper was made a six column quarto.
From a special edition of the Yellowstone
Journal issued in 1900 we take the following :
"It is one of the pleasing memories of the Journal's editorial den that at one period in its carcer a positive engagement was made with "Bill' Nye to come to Miles City and write for the Journal. At that time 'Bill' was not as famous as he became later on, though he was far from being unknown. His health was poor, and he was seeking a locality congenial to his physical condition. A friend of his, then resident of Miles City, and who, being afflicted with the same complaint-a pulmonary one --- had found great relief here, had urged Nye to come here. He had replied that he could not afford to be idle, and that while he was doing some syndicate work, he would like to secure a position with a local paper that would at least pay his expenses. The matter was presented to Knight and Gordon, and though there was at the time no necessity for additional help on the literary end of the paper, the proposition was received favorably, an offer made to the illus- trious 'Bill' and accepted by him, but it never came to anything. Shortly afterwards Mr. Nye was picked up by a Wisconsin cyclone and had his leg broken, and his lengthy convales- cence and rapidly growing popularity com- pelled him to ignore his engagement with the Journal. Had he come here and stayed, he might have been alive yet."
As casually mentioned before, W. D. Knight started the Chronicle at Miles City in 1881. This was Custer county's second news- paper. Before the end of the year, however, Mr. Knight had purchased the Journal and dis- continued the Chronicle.
The building of the Northern Pacific rail- road to Miles City in the early eighties made that city quite a prominent one and business of all kinds thrived. There was considerable ac- tivity in the newspaper line and for several years the establishment of weekly and daily pa- pers was of common occurrence. On February 19, 1882, Major Thompson P. McElrath and
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J. W. Cobb started the weekly Press. In June of the same year we find that John X. David- son is in possession of the Press plant and that he is running the Miles City Daily Press. The daily edition was apparently short lived, for we read in a contemporary on February 24, 1883, that the daily edition is again being re- sumed, this time as an evening journal. In the spring of 1883 T. B. McElrath again became the publisher of the Press. Telegraphic news was received and the paper otherwise im- proved, but in June, 1884, the paper was again laid to rest, the cause alleged being lack of pub- lic support.
The Daily Rustler made its appearance on the streets at Miles City April 14, 1883, pub- lished by E. H. Becker.
The Daily Record, Democratic, came in August, 1884. It was an evening paper and was owned by W. W. Carland.
The Stock Growers' Journal was estab- lished at Miles City in 1884.
The Daily Gasette was the name of another paper which made its appearance on the streets of Miles City May 11, 1885.
The Miles City Independent was started August 27, 1903, by the Independent com- pany, of which Chas. Larsen was president and James G. Ramsey, formerly of Glendive, was the editor and manager. August 10, 1905, Jos. C. Smith succeeded Mr. Ramsey. Later J. P. Kirkpatrick became manager, and after him B. F. Yerkes.
DAWSON COUNTY.
Dawson county's first newspaper was the Glendive Times, the first issue of which was published on August 11, 1881, by W. W. Maybee. The paper met with popular ap- proval from the start and for more than a year was the only paper in the county. A daily edi- tion was put out from June 4, 1884, to Novem- ber of the same year.
The county's second paper was the Yellow- stone Press, which was established at Glendive in the fall of 1882 by Blake & Burdick, in op- position to the Times. W. W. Maybee, owner of the Times, soon after bought G. M. Bur- dick's half interest in the Press. In January, 1883, publication of the Press was suspended, leaving the older paper alone in the field.
The Glendive Independent came into ex- istence in 1884 and for many years took a prominent part in the affairs of Glendive and Dawson county. For two weeks during the campaign of 1884 a daily edition was pub- lished. In September, 1892, J. R. Widmyer took the management of the Independent and made a Republican paper of it.
The Dawson County Review was estab- lished at Glendive in 1898 by John R. Stout and is still running under the same managa- ment.
The Yellowstone Monitor, of Glendive, was started by C. L. Rood, March 2, 1905. E. A. Martin purchased a half interest June 1, 1906, and the paper is now run under the man- agement of Rood & Martin.
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