USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 76
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 76
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 76
USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 76
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Harry Hubler, who had personally been connected with the Wilbur Register, was the proprietor of the new venture in Lincoln coun- ty journalism. Mr. Hubler was a practical printer, a ready writer and he made the Jour- nal a very creditable and popular paper. In May the following year James Odgers pur- chased the Journal, which he published a few months. He then started the Coulce City News and for a short time published both papers.
The population of Sprague in 1890 was 1,722, and the place was transacting more busi- ness than towns of several thousand people. In May of that year the first daily paper made its appearance in that city. It was called the Ad- vertiser, a sheet diminutive in size, but well supported by the business men. Marshall Mc- Clure and M. L. Ryan were the proprietors. In June the weekly Advertiser was also started. The daily did not long retain its pamphlet size, as on June 20, it was considerably enlarged and improved.
Publishing a daily paper in a town the size of Sprague was a considerable expense, a lux- ury that could be indulged in in small commun- ities only where public spirit is alive in the pop- ulation. That this was the case in Sprague was made manifest by the fact that the Daily Ad- vertiser was published for nearly three years and that its place was immediately taken by the
Daily Mail, which continued until July. 1894. Mr. Ryan severed his connection with the Ad- vertiser early in 1891, and for a time thereafter Mr. Thompson was associated with Mr. Mc- Clure in the venture. April 19, 1893, the last numbers of the Daily and Weekly Advertiser were published and the plant shipped to La Junta, Colorado. The Advertiser made ene- mies, as has every newspaper, good, bad or in- different, and in its closing days was much in disfavor. Commenting upon its suspension a contemporary said :
"The Sprague Advertiser is now no more, though its demise was not unexpected. The paper can scarcely be said to have been a legi- timate enterprise, conducted on legitimate principles, and the ending is the common lot of every enterprise not founded on honest ef- fort. Such publications are likely to spring up and flourish for a time, but a day of reckon- ing is sure to follow sooner or later."
Following the suspension of the Almira Journal, John W. Hartline purchased a news- paper plant, brought it to Almira, and launched the Alinira Democrat, the first number appear- ing October 27, 1890. Fred McDermott was installed as editor of the Democrat which con- tinued to sound the praises of Almira for about fifteen months.
The first Lincoln County Democrat to be published under the name Lincoln County Democrat, made its bow at Sprague Septem- ber 16, 1892. It was published by De Rackin & Richards, and was a seven-column folio. As its name suggests it was a supporter of Demo- cratic principles and office seekers. Mr. Rich- ards soon withdrew from the management of the Democrat and Mr. L. F. Williams became associated with Mr. De Rackin in the publica- tion of the paper. Publication was suspended the following spring when the proprietors be- gan publishing the Daily Mail.
For one year during the business stress un- der which the country was laboring in the early '90s, the little town of Reardan supported a
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
paper. This was the Reardan Messenger, a six-column folio established in March, 1893, by J. D. Crossette, and D. H. Stewart, the lat- ter, being, also, the publisher of the Cheney Sentinel. Mr. Crosette assumed editorial charge of the paper, but within two months sold his interest to Mr. L. B. Goshorn, of Spo-' kane. The latter at once took editorial direc- tion and added new life to the journal making it one of the brightest of the Lincoln county newspapers. Under the most favorable cir- cumstances it would have been no easy matter to have conducted a paper in so small a place with any profit, and during the hard times that had to be contended with existence simply be- canie impossible. Early in 1894 publication was suspended. An effort was made in the spring of 1894 to revive the Messenger by E. S. Doyle, but that paper was not destined to long survive.
The Sprague Daily Advertiser suspended publication April 19, 1893, but the Sprague Daily Mail made its appearance simultaneous- ly with the suspension of the former paper. It was established by L. F. Williams and S. E. DeRackin, who for some few months had been publishing the Lincoln County Democrat. Though not very large at the start the daily was bright and newsy, and bid fair to "fill a long felt want." The Weekly Mail, was also published in connection with the daily. June 26, 1894, the Daily Mail suspended publication. The firm of Williams & De Rackin was dis- solved, the former retiring and Mr. De Rackin continuing in the publication of the weekly edi- tion. He associated with him in the enterprise A. J. Lacey, a gentleman who was described by a contemporary, as a "native of West Vir- ginia, a lawyer by profession, something of a farmer, handy with the pen, and talks out of meeting." Messrs. De Rackin and Lacey de- voted the Mail to the Populist cause which was a very popular cause to support at the time. They established a Populist paper at Wilbur
which paper was looked after by Mr. Lacey, the latter remaining with the Mail only a short time.
In January, 1895, Mr. DeRackin, having been appointed to the office of sheriff of Lin- coln county to fill the unexpired term of Sher- iff Williams, installed Mr. W. E. Grant as editor of the Mail. Three months later Boyd Brothers, formerly of Spokane were selected by the owner to publish the paper. In June, 1895, Sheriff DeRackin severed all connec- tion with the Mail, the control passing into the hands of a publishing company composed of leading Populists, who placed B. J. McMahon in editorial charge. In the big fire two months later the Mail plant was literally destroyed, en- tailing a loss of $900, covered by $500 insur- ance. An effort was made to put in a new plant and continue the publication of the Mail, but this project was abandoned.
During the years that Populism held sway in Lincoln county that political party had no more ardent supporter than the Harrington Leader. This paper was established in May, 1893, by M. P. Stephens. It was a bright, newsy publication and began business with fair prospects. The financial depression of the succeeding few years consigned many papers to the journalistic graveyard and the Leader went with them. It was in August, 1895, that Editor Stephens wrote the following farewell to the town of Harrington and sought pastures. new :
"The Leader has stood the trials and tribu- lations of hard times as long as it possibly can. Our subscription list was quite large and in- creasing, but nearly all were 'stand-offs,' and the more we had the worse we became finan- cially. Our advertising has dwindled down from about $90 per month to a miserable $10. These facts staring us in the face, a dreary winter approaching and a large family to be cared for, make it imperative for us to seek a livelihood elsewhere."
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Mr. Stephens moved his plant to Hillyard and commenced the publication of the Hill- yard Headlight.
For a short time during the campaign of 1894 the Harrington Democrat, a campaign paper, was issued from the Leader office.
The Sprague Independent, weekly, was launched November 3, 1893, by W. F. Thomp- son. During the strike of the Northern Pacific employes in July, 1894, the Independent was run as a daily and furnished a full account of strike matters. Beginning with the first of Oc- tober the Independent was again issued as a daily, a five-column, eight page paper, suspend- ing on December Ist. The Independent was the heaviest loser among the Sprague news- papers during the great fire of 1895, the loss being estimated at about $2,000 with no insur- ance. The paper did not suspend at once, how- ever, and appeared again after a week's lapse, printed on a jobber in pamphlet form, promis- ing to grow in size, beauty and excellence. It appeared spasmodically until the middle of De- cember, under the management of Howard Spining, now of the Wilbur Register, when it gave up the ghost and left the Herald the only paper in the field where before the fire four thriving newspapers were published.
The Farmer was the name of a monthly publication issued a short time in 1894 by W. F. Thompson, of the Sprague Independent. The Farmer was established in March.
March 16, 1894, Mr. F. F. Lischke estab- lished the Lincoln County Populist at Sprague. It was a five-column folio devoted to the Pop- ulist cause and was published from the office of the Sprague Independent. The last issue ap- peared in July of the year of its birth, but in its place appeared the Lincoln County Demo- crat, by the same proprietor, the first issue of the new paper appearing August 8th. Mr. Lischke claimed to have thoroughly "soured" on Populism and promised to give the inside history of the Populist movement in Lincoln county, together with interesting sketches of the
leaders and candidates of that party. He kept his word and for some time ran a serial story entitled "Populists I Have Met," the charac- ters of the story being well known men of the Populist party in Lincoln county. Mr. Lisch- ke made use of strong adjectives and added flavor to the 1894 campaign, after which his paper was suspended.
The Truth Teacher was the name of a pub- lication which certainly was a novelty, both in appearance and literary character, established in Creston in 1894 by E. E. Millikin. The press work was done on a mimeograplı. The Truth Teacher devoted its columns to the the- ories advocated by the Seventh Day Adventists. It occasionally branched out into politics and was Populistic. This paper continued publica- tion several months.
Friday, April 27, 1894, Lincoln county was honored by a visit from a distinguished party of newspaper men from the central west who had come to investigate and write up the coun- ty. The party consisted of David Ward Wood, of the Farmers' Voice, Chicago; James Strong Judd, of the Orange Judd Farmer, Chicago; C. D. Coleman, of the Rural World, St. Louis ; E. S. Brooks, of the Rural World, St. Louis; D. H. E. Whitford, of the Ohio Farmer, Cleve- land; J. B. Conner, of the Indiana Farmer, Indianapolis ; Charles E. Nixon, of the Chicago Inter Ocean; E. V. Smalley, of the Northwest Magazine, St. Paul; P. J. Smalley, of the Daily Globe, St. Paul, and D. R. McGinnis, of Sunnyside, Washington. The party were met at Spokane by delegations from Sprague and Davenport, and came over the Central Washi- ington railway to Davenport, where they were entertained by citizens. From Davenport they drove to Sprague where they were also enter- tained.
The Harrington Kicker was a Republican organ established at Harrington in July, 1894, by C. B. Grace. The Kicker struggled for a time and proved that its heading was no mis- nomer. It was printed on a mimeograph.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
The Sprague Journal, a namesake of one ci Sprague's papers, was established in Sep- tember, 1894, by Leonard F. Williams, who, together with S. E. DeRackin the preceding year had started the Mail. The new paper was bright and newsy and ardently devoted to Democracy. Mr. Williams was a graphic and pleasing writer and he enjoyed a substantial support from the citizens of Sprague. The fire of August 3, 1895, destroyed the Journal plant, the loss being estimated at $1,000. Mr. Williams did not deem it advisable to re-estab- lish the paper, but in company with John R. Reaves, of Spokane, he purchased the Ross- land ( British Columbia) Miner.
The Wilbur Express was established at Wilbur, October 12, 1894, by De Rackin & Lacey, who were, also, proprietors of the Sprague Mail. Mr. De Rackin did not long remain with the Express, but the paper, rechrist- ened The People's Monitor, was published by A. J. Lacey for several months. It was a Popu- ilst organ. But the Populist party and the editor of the Monitor did not dwell in harmony, and the new paper, apparently successful at its inception, soon began to retrograde. Here is the way the Wilbur Register gives the history of its contemporary :
"The editor of the Monitor came to Wil- bur with only a pair of sleeve buttons in his purse, and succeeded in inducing some of the business men, through political friendship, to assist him in starting a "pop" paper. How well he succeeded is attested by the flattering patron- age accorded to the (their) Erpress during the first few weeks of its existence. Every encour- agement was given it, and for a time it looked like the Express would be a success financially and otherwise. The patronage of the papei be- gan to decline, however, and its fall was more rapid than its rise."
Early in May, 1895, Mr. Lacey left Wilbur. For the succeeding few weeks the Monitor had a new editor every week. Attorney E. A. Hes- seltine first tried his hand, then Attorney W.
L. Sarver, took charge. In June publication was suspended and the plant shipped to Cheney.
The People's Banner, a weekly Populist paper, made its appearance at Davenport on December 19, 1895. C. H. Scott was the edi- tor and publisher. Mr. Scott also launched a monthly journal known as the Searchlight, but only one or two issues appeared. February 2, 1896, Mr. Scott sold the Banner to Former Sheriff De Rackin, and he and his family took their departure for Seattle, where he continued the publication of the monthly journal in the interests of the Populist party. Mr. De Rackin did not receive the support in Davenport which he considered himself entitled to, and August 8, 1896, he moved the plant to Harrington, and continued the publication under the name of Harrington Banner. Here the Banner changed its support in the county seat contest to Har- rington, and the editor, who in Davenport was outspoken against fusion of Populists and Democrats, now supported the allied forces. Following the election of 1896 the Banner sus- pended publication.
This was De Rackin's last newspaper venture in Lincoln county. To say that his journalistic career in the county was unevent- ful would hardly cover the facts. During the several years in which he was engaged in the business at Sprague, Harrington and Daven- port, he succeeded in stirring up more trouble of a political nature than any other person who ever resided in the county. The subsequent movements of this Populist editor are equally as interesting as those in the Big Bend coun- try. In 1899 we find him publishing the San Juan News on the Island of Porto Rico-and in trouble. The following press dispatch ex- plains the nature of his difficulty :
"San Juan, Porto Rico, April 12, 1899 .- The supreme court has confiscated an issue of the 'San Juan Newos, an American newspaper published here, for criticising the court last week. The News printed an extract from Gen- eral Fred D. Grant's report stating that the
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Porto Rico judiciary is corrupt, and referring particularly to the lower courts.
"General Henry warned the Newos to de- sist, but the action of the supreme court today was taken without the consent of General Henry, who countermanded it. The same su- preme court also demanded that the Newes sub- mit all its articles to it before publication. Gen- eral Henry disapproves of this and there is much feeling among the Americans on account of the incident."
Mr. De Rackin, a short time after this in- cident, went to the Philippine Islands and en- gaged in the publication of a magazine. In 1904 he received an appointment as representa- tive from the Philippine Islands at the St. Louis Exposition, and had charge of the ex- hibits from our eastern possessions at the big fair.
Early in February, 1896, F. W. Middaugh and John O. Moore began the publication of the Harrington Independent, a bright, newsy little six-column paper, which commanded the business support of the town in which it was published. The plant was one leased from the Medical Lake Ledger office. As its name sug- gests the Independent affiliated with no poli- tical party when it started on its career, but with the opening of the 1896 campaign it suddenly embraced the Populist faith and announced that thereafter it would devote its energies to fighting the "money power." The Independ- ent's exchanges were caustic enough to say that money had, doubtless, exerted a powerful in- fluence of the Harrington editor. In August, 1896, the Independent plant was removed to Davenport by its owners and the Lincoln Coun- ty Populist appeared. Here was a peculiar move in newspaper circles. The Populist People's Banner transferred its plant from Davenport to Harrington and the Populist In- dependent at the same time moved from Har- rington to Davenport. During the life of the Populist in Davenport there were many changes in proprietorship and editorial management.
The paper was started by F. W. Middaugh. In January, 1897, an interest was purchased by Charles H. McCourt, a young man who had had considerable experience in the profession, having published papers at St. Croix, Wiscon- sin, and Ortonville, Minnesota. Other changes were made from time to time, Mr. Middaugh each time retaining an interest in the paper un- til January 1, 1898. At that period Mr. Mid- daugh's interest was purchased by Mrs. Joseph Sessions. This left the management in the hands of Mrs. Sessions and Mr. W. E. Grant. Mr. Middaugh continued to edit the paper, however, until July 1, 1898, when the Populist plant was leased to J. J. Sargent and G. W. Curtis, who conducted it during the campaign of 1898. Mr. Sargent was an experienced newspaper man, having been for five years city editor of the Rock Island, Illinois, Register, and having also published papers at Dawson, Dakota, and Pullman, Washington.
The election of 1898 resulted disastrously to the Populist party in all parts of the state of Washington, and as a natural consequence brought about the suspension of many organs of that party. The Lincoln County Populist did not suspend, but January 7, 1899, it ap- peared as an independent paper and with the name changed to Lincoln County Mirror. On the date of this change of heart McCourt & Curtis became the publishers. In. September of the same year Mr. McCourt disposed of his interest in the Mirror to Bert Grube, and for the succeeding few months the paper was conducted under the firm name of Curtis & Grube. The junior member of the firm soon tired of newspaper life and Mr. Curtis became the sole publisher. Disaster overtook the Mir- ror at the beginning of the year 1900, and it was relegated to the journalistic cemetery. A "whereas" on the door announced that the rude hand of the law was upon the plant in the na- ture of a sheriff's notice of sale upon a fore- closure of mortgage. The Mirror plant was taken to the town of Chesaw, on the north half
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
of the Colville Indian Reservation by Fred J. Fine, who established the Chesaw Times, a journal destined to survive but a brief period.
It is doubtful if many residents of Daven- port will remember that the Davenport Courier was at one time a newspaper published in their town. The Courier enjoyed but a brief career. In fact it "died a bornin." This was in Decem- ber, 1896. Messrs. Fine & Miller were the publishers, and the first issue proved to be the last. Mr. Fine appeared to have been the moneyed man of the firm, and it is alleged that his partner, after involving him in debt, de- parted suddenly and mysteriously fon other fields, leaving Mr. Fine to foot the bills. This action seriously embarrassed the remaining partner of the firm, and other complications arising as to the ownership of the plant, the en- terprise was abandoned.
From December 4, 1896, until June, 1897, the town of Sprague, which a short time before had boasted of a daily paper and two or three excellent weeklies, was without a newspaper, too much discouraged to support even a weekly. Then there appeared a small, three-column, eight-page pamphlet labeled the Sprague Times, and fathered by T. F. Sullivan, former- ly employed by Mr. Winship on the Herald. The first year's experience in editing the Times was not a success financially and Mr. Sullivan's pathway was not strewn with roses. Septem- ber 1, 1899, Mr. R. D. Anderson purchased the plant and has since continued the publication of the Times. Mr. Anderson, upon purchasing the paper, made it a seven-column folio with two columns patent. September 12, 1902, the form of the paper was changed to a five-col- umn quarto, four pages being printed at home, which form it still retains. The Times is a Republican paper.
During the campaign of 1898 the Demo- cratic party desired to have an organ at the county seat. Accordingly arrangements were made with Rufus P. Wood, proprietor of the Medical Lake Ledger, to remove his plant to
Davenport and there issue a Democratic paper. It was October 14th before the first number of his paper, the Davenport Chronicle, made its appearance. The new paper was a five-column quarto carrying four pages of patent matter. Mr. Wood was a young gentleman who had had considerable experience in newspaper work, having edited the Medical Lake Ledger for several years, and lie made the Chronicle a creditable publication. The field in Daven- port for several years had been filled to over- flowing-there being the Lincoln County Times, Lincoln County Mirror, and the Chron- icle. The inevitable happened. The Chronicle suspended in April, 1900, outliving one of its contemporaries, the Mirror, only a short time. Mr. Wood took the Chronicle plant to Colville where he commenced the publication of the Stevens County Reveille.
November 11, 1898, the Harrington Citi- zen was printed for the first time. It was a six-column folio with two of its four pages patent and was independent in politics. James R. Goodwin purchased the plant and established the Citizen, being assisted by Verne L. Joslyn. January 13, 1899, Mr. Joslyn leased the plant from Mr. Goodwin and conducted the paper alone. He made it an all-home print affair which feature was continued only about six months. July 7, 1899, the Citizen passed into the hands, by lease, of G. E. Shawler, who re- mained in charge until June 29, 1900, when- Mr. Goodwin again took charge. W. M. Miller presided at the editorial desk until De- cember 14th. Under Mr. Goodwin's manage- ment and Mr. Miller's editorship the Citizen became Democratic in politics, and during the campaign of 1900 supported Mr. Bryan for president, and the county fusion ticket. The paper was enlarged to a seven-column folio- and greatly improved. September 27, 1901, the Citizen plant was purchased by C. G. Gar- retson, a young man who had recently grad- uated from Williams College. Mrs. Garret- son was made associate editor. Under this new
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
arrangement the paper became Republican in politics. James Goodwin, its founder, repur- chased the Citizen October 2, 1903, and turned its politics again into the Democratic channel. The Citizen is now a five-column, six-page pa- per and all printed at home. It is a live, newsy journal and its columns are weekly filled with interesting local and county news.
The town of Almira was without a news- paper from the suspension of the Democrat early in 1892 until August 10, 1900. On this date C. C. Hammerly and G. A. Northrup launched the Big Bend Outlook, which ap- peared as a six-column folio, with patent feat- ures. Mr. Hammerly was editor and Mr. Northrup business manager. August 5, 1901, Mr. Hammerly purchased his partner's inter- est and became editor and proprietor. Since March 28, 1902, the Outlook has been a five- column quarto, four pages patent. The po- litical complexion of the Outlook is Repub- lican.
The Democratic Davenport Chronicle had been "out of print" only a few months when the salutatory of a new Democratic paper for Davenport was written. The name of the new venture was the Davenport Tribune and was issued September 6, 1900, by James Odgers, who for many years previous had been the pub- lisher of the Coulee City News. To many the field would not have appeared an inviting one for a Democratic newspaper. Davenport was a journalistic cemetery filled with the graves of political papers which had supported Demo- cratic and Populistic principles. But the Tri- bune was a success from its inception. It began life as a five-column quarto, with four pages patent, but soon increased to a six-column pa- per. It remained this size until November 14, 1902, when it became a seven-column folio all home print. The Tribune plant is an excellent one, having a large power press and all the latest improved printing machinery. The Tri- bune is strongly Democratic and is the leading paper of that faith in the county.
The Reardan Gazette was established May 3, 1901, by O. B. Setters. The paper was started as a four-column quarto, four pages patent. July 19th of that year Mr. Setters se- cured the services of J. J. Sargent, a practical newspaper man who was associate editor for one year. August 28, 1903, the Gazette was sold to Mr. J. P. Taylor, an old-time news- paper man from Minnesota. Mr. Taylor at once enlarged the paper to a five-column quarto which form it still retains. He is publishing a very newsy periodical supported liberally by the people of Reardan. The Gazette is Re- publican in politics.
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