USA > Wyoming > History of Wyoming, Volume I > Part 49
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By 1893-94 the matter of preparation for the university was being more ade- quately handled by local high schools and a list of such accredited schools was compiled whose graduates might enter the university without further examina- tion: The list, then, comprised Cheyenne, Evanston, Lander, Laramie, Rawlins, Rock Springs and Sheridan.
In 1896-97 the College of Agriculture was reorganized with a one-year course, a two-year course, and a four-year course. This last led to a degree and was supplemented by a graduate department in agriculture.
The School of Military Science was added in 1892 and the School of Music in 1895.
The catalog of 1897-98 announced the readiness of the university to grant the degree of Master of Arts and the next year a preparatory and first year medical course were outlined as well as a two-year pre-legal course, The latter had been foreshadowed in the report of the trustees of the University in Decem- ber, 1889. "While not yet prepared to open a full law school with regular courses of instruction looking to a degree, the university has made arrangements for lec- tures by a number of distinguished gentlemen whose courses, to be given at their convenience, will afford to private students of the law in the territory an excel- lent opportunity to lay the foundations in a study of general principles for a full and systematic course at a somewhat later day." The continuance of these, how- ever, did not seem justified and it was not until 1915-16 that preparations were made for their reestablishment and revision.
The campus of the university now contains forty acres, which is gradually being supplied with both shade and ornamental trees.
The Liberal Arts Building, the first to be erected, faces the west and is 150 feet by 50 feet in dimensions and is of three stories, with basement. The material used in the construction is native sandstone, obtained in the nearby mountains. There are twenty-eight rooms, steam-heated and lighted by electricity. The auditorium, seating 400 persons, is upon the second floor of the building.
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The Mechanical Building, costing $12,000, was completed in the spring of 1893 for the College of Mechanical Engineering. Sandstone was also used in this structure of twelve rooms.
The Hall of Science was completed in 1902. The Gymnasium and Armory Building was erected in the summer of 1903, at a cost of $15,000. In the spring of 1907 the Legislature transferred the old penitentiary property to the university and appropriated $5,000 to repair and equip it. The Woman's Building was secured from the liberal appropriation made by the Legislature in 1907. The Normal School Building was erected by funds from the 1909 appropriation and cost $50,000. It was finished August 1, 1910. The Central Heating Plant, located near the center of the campus, cost $16,000, and was installed in 1904. Agricul- tural Hall was erected in 1914 for instructional and laboratory purposes. The building cost $102,000. The first unit of a second Woman's Dormitory, Hoyt Hall, was constructed in 1916, at a cost of $45,000.
The act of March, 1886, creating the university, had provided for its main- tenance by a tax of one-fourth of a mill on all taxable property in the territory. The first state legislature in 1891 undertook to offset the support granted by the Agricultural College of the University under the act of 1862 and the so-called Morrill Act and Hatch Act-whose terms were now complied with-by reducing the state appropriations from one-fourth of a mill to one-eighth. This remained the source of state support until 1905, when the rate was raised by the Legislature to three-eighths of a mill and by the Legislature of 1909 to one-half of a mill (but limited to $33,000 annually). In 1911 the amount to be raised by the half-mill tax was limited to $85,000. The Legislature of 1913 fixed the tax at three-eighths of a mill without limitation. In 1915 an additional permanent building tax of one- eighth of a mill was voted. In addition to the income from the earlier federal acts in support of agricultural and mechanical education, already noted, the Agricultural College of the University and the Agricultural Experiment Station have received appropriations from the Adams Act of 1906, the Nelson Act of 1907 and the Smith-Lever Act of 1915. By an act of the Wyoming Legislature in 1915 the university is to receive one-fourth of the income of 200,000 acres of federal land granted to the state for "charitable, educational, penal, and reforma- tory institutions."
The different presidents of the University of Wyoming have been :
Dr. J. W. Hoyt-May II, 1887, until December 31, 1890; deceased.
Dr. A. A. Johnson-March 27, 1891, until June 30, 1896; Denver, Colo.
Dr. E. P. Graves-July 1. 1896, until June 30, 1898; Philadelphia.
Dr. E. E. Smiley-July 1. 1898, until August 31, 1003 ; deceased.
Dr. C. W. Lewis-September 7. 1903, until June, 1904; deceased.
Dr. F. M. Tisdel-July 22, 1904, until March 28, 1908; Columbia, Mo.
Dr. C. O. Merica-May 8, 1908, until July 31, 1912; Kendallville, Ind.
Dr. C. A. Duniway-August 1, 1912, until September 1, 1917; Colorado Springs, Colo.
Dr. Aven Nelson (acting)-September 1, 1917, until June 30, 1918; Laramie, Wyo.
The total enrollment in the departments of the University, exclusive of short courses and correspondence study students, has increased by decades as follows :
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in 1890 there were 82 enrolled; in 1900 there were 187; in 1910 there were 315 and in 1917 there were 618.
The people of Wyoming may well be proud of this record of the University's material prosperity and its educational achievements, which have given it such a high rank among the state universities of our country. No state in the Union has been more liberal in its endowments or shown a broader and more progressive spirit in promoting all the agencies for a free, common school and higher educa- tion for all classes of our people.
During the past year a night school system of free instruction of adult aliens is being inaugurated in the principal cities and towns of the state by the official boards of public instruction, acting in cooperation with the national govern- ment. In this way every citizen of our great state may be qualified to become a legal voter, as our state constitution has a provision which requires that every voter must be able to read the constitution in English.
Vol. 1-29
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE WYOMING PRESS
ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS-FIRST PUBLICATIONS IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES- FIRST NEWSPAPERS IN WYOMING-THE LEADER-WYOMING STATE TRIBUNE- OTHER EARLY CHEYENNE NEWSPAPERS-NEWSPAPERS OF LARAMIE-THE LAR- AMIE BOOMERANG-THE LARAMIE REPUBLICAN-OTHER WYOMING PUBLICATIONS -"BILL" NYE-"BILL BARI.OW"-WYOMING NEWSPAPER STATISTICS IN 1918.
ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS
The newspaper, as we know it, was preceded many centuries by the manu- script publications of old Rome-engraved upon wax tablets with an instrument known as the stylus-which were hung in prominent places in order that people might read of the passing events and the political trend of the times. These publications were called the "Acta Diurna," and were issued irregularly.
Little progress was made in the profession of journalism until the year 1622, when there was born the first publication worthy of the appellation of "news- paper." Europeans had received their news in the form of manuscript literature and for a time the written news-letter was in vogue, to be enjoyed, however, only by those of the wealthier class of people.
Then, in 1622, the "Weekly News from Italie and Germanie" made its saluta- tory to the London public. This publication was printed upon a crude press invented by Nathaniel Butler, which press has been designated by historians as the progenitor of the modern type of machine. The content of this small news- paper consisted exclusively of social items and satirical essays upon the foibles of human nature, until 1641, at which time the parliamentary reports were pub- lished. This was the first attention given to politics. The first advertisement appeared in 1648, written in verse, and exploited a Belgravia tailor.
The first daily morning newspaper was the "London Courant," published in 1709, consisting of a single page, with two columns each about five paragraphs in length, and using for content various translations from foreign journals. With the inauguration of the first daily newspaper, the press quickly gained in favor and before the year 1760 over 7,000,000 newspapers were sold annually in England alone.
The first newspaper, as such, in the United States was the "Boston Public Occurrences," established in 1690. This was a small quarto sheet, with one blank page, and was afterwards suppressed by the Massachusetts authorities. Then came the "Boston News-Letter," first conducted in 1704 by John Campbell, the postmas- ter. The "Boston Gazette" was established in 1719, then changed to the "Massa-
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chusetts Gazette." This paper and the "News-Letter" were the official organs of the British administration until the evacuation of Boston. In 1721 James Franklin began the "New England Courant," which suspended in 1727. Two years later, Benjamin Franklin, who had been employed by James Franklin, established the "Pennsylvania Gazette" at Philadelphia, which he operated as a weekly until 1765. Then it was merged with the "North American." The "Boston Evening Post" ran from 1735 until 1775. The "Massachusetts Spy" began in 1770 and continued until 1848; the "Philadelphia Advertiser" was started in 1784 ; the "New York Advertiser" in 1785. The "Evening Post" of New York City was founded in 1801 and is still published.
FIRST NEWSPAPER IN WYOMING
Within a few weeks after the first settlement was made in Cheyenne there appeared the "Cheyenne Leader." the first newspaper in what is now Wyoming. This paper was established in July. 1867 by Nathan A. Baker and J. E. Gates. For nearly two months the publication was printed at Denver, but on Thursday, September 19, 1867, Baker first printed an issue in Cheyenne. In 1868 the "Leader" was enlarged and issued tri-weekly. Shortly thereafter the success of the publication warranted a daily issue. It is interesting to note the scale of prices in those days; the subscription price was $12 per year and $7 for six months. Advertising was scarce, much of it being in the form of "patent" copy, for which little remuneration was received. Consequently, the editor felt keenly the neces- sity of charging a round price for his paper. Mr. Baker began his paper as an independent republican organ and in his salutatory he stated :
"This is an age of speed. Railroads are the motive influence that works changes bewildering to contemplate. An apt and striking illustration of it is pre- sented in the growth of Cheyenne, the infant prodigy, and railroad center of the West. Sime six weeks ago but two houses indicated the city's location, where now between one and two hundred houses stand to attest the vigor with which American people set about in important undertakings. All this indicates a confi- dence which must have a sure basis. Having full conviction of the destined importance of this point, we have come among you to print a newspaper and we ask, as the pioneer journal, that cordial support which we know will spring from persistent, effective labors for the commercial growth of our city. Promises as to the course of our paper are hardly necessary, as the best test of capabilities consist in the actual performance of duties pertaining to our position, rather than in words. We come upon no speculative venture, nor from mere curiosity ; we mean work, and shall give exclusive attention to our profession. So give us that kind encouragement of the heart as well as of the purse and our success is assured."
If a review were made of the newspaper histories of the various states of the Union, especially those of the Middle and Far West, few towns would be dis- covered wherein a daily newspaper existed during the pioneer days. It is a notable fact that two communities in Wyoming-Cheyenne and Laramie --- possessed sufficient vim and progressiveness to support a daily paper during the hard and troublesome days of settlement. The fact assumes greater singularity when it is considered that Cheyenne and Laramie were plains settlements and not created within easy distance of older and large centers of population.
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Mr. Baker secured a small printing outfit, undoubtedly a hand-operated affair, and had it hauled to Cheyenne by ox-teams and installed in a small building on the east side of Carey Avenue, then called Ferguson Street, immediately north of the alley between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets. From this small plant the paper was published by Mr. Baker until April. 1872, when Baker sold out to Herman Glafcke. The latter had come to Wyoming two years previously as secretary of the territory. Mr. Glafcke conducted the paper under the republican policy, but in later years, when he again assumed control of the "Leader," he operated it as a democratic sheet.
According to one account, Mr. Glafcke sold his paper in 1877 to a group of wealthy cattlemen, who employed John F. Carroll as editor and Joseph A. Breckons as manager, both of whom were Pennsylvanians. However, another authority (Hubert Howe Bancroft ) states that Glafcke retained the paper unt:1 October, 1881, then sold to the Leader Printing Company, composed of the following gentlemen: Morton E. Post, A. H. Swan, G. L. Hall, J. W. Collins, J. C. Baird, E. A. Reed, Frank H. Clark, and H. B. Kelly. Notwithstanding the contradictory nature of these facts, it is known that John F. Carroll became editor of the paper on May 23. 1884, and continued in that position for three years, then surrendered the office for a few weeks, but soon returned to enter a period of service which extended until the winter of 1895-96. Carroll was a born newspaper man and was gifted with a brilliant personality and trenchant pen, which insured him the success he won. He is directly responsible for the rapid growth of the "Leader," during his years of incumbency, for his journalistic genius was such that could not be denied.
The Leader Printing Company sold out the paper before the end of the year 1881 to W. C. Irvine, who in turn disposed of the plant to the firm of Morrow & Sullivan. Soon after it was owned by Morrow alone. In 1884 the paper passed into the hands of the "Democratic Leader Company," an organization composed of WV. C. Irvine, J. C. Baird, N. N. Craig, John F. Coad, Fred Schwartze, Luke Murrin, David Miller, Thomas Mulqueen, Charles F. Miller, Luke Voorhees, C. P. Organ and others.
In the winter of 1895-96 the "Leader" was sold to Col. E. A. Slack, then owner of the "Cheyenne Sun," an account of which is given later. Colonel Slack merged the two publications and changed the official appellation to the "Cheyenne Sun-Leader." However, within a few years the word "Sun" was dropped and the old title retained. Wallace C. Bond, a son-in-law of the Colonel, was an associate in the business until the latter was appointed receiver of the land office, then Capt. Harry A. Clark became a partner, forming the firm of Bond & Clark.
Under this management the "Leader" was continued until the year 1906. At this time I. S. Bartlett and his sons organized a company and purchased the publication from Bond & Clark. Mr. Bartlett immediately changed the policy of the paper from republican to democratic, an affiliation sustained until the present day. For two years the Bartletts conducted the "Leader" in a highly successful manner, then sold to W. S. Edmiston. J. Ross Carpenter. Alexander Hastie and Sen. John S. Kendrick were also associated with the company at this time. In 1914 Mr. Hastie was forced to withdraw from the company on account of ill health and at the same time the Carpenter and Kendrick interests were taken over by the present publishing company. The officers of this company in 1918 are :
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Burke H. Sinclair, president ; Thomas Hunter, vice president; E. A. Swezea, secretary, treasurer and manager. The company has a capital stock amounting to $60,000.
Among the men of prominence who have been associated with the "Cheyenne State Leader" during the past half century are: W. E. Chaplin; Robert Breckons, late United States attorney to Hawaii; Will Reid, present land office register ; S. A. Bristol, Cheyenne; T. Joe Fisher, clerk of the District Court, Cheyenne ; John F. Carroll, for years managing editor of the "Portland Telegram," who died in the autumn of 1917.
WYOMING STATE TRIBUNE
On November 20, 1869 there appeared the first issue of the "Wyoming Tribune" in Cheyenne. Edward M. Lee and Samuel A. Bristol inaugurated this paper, the latter in the capacity of editor-in-chief. Mr. Bristol was a native of Connecticut, came to Colorado in 1867 and to Wyoming in 1869, just a short time before the establishment of the paper. In addition to his efforts upon the "Tribune," which paper was obliged to suspend in September, 1872, Mr. Bristol, in company with John J. Knopf, started the first printing office and book bindery in Wyoming in May, 1882.
Late in the year 1884 a gentleman by the name of Hobart, backed by Senator Hill of Colorado and Sen. F. E. Warren of Wyoming. established another news- paper in Cheyenne and called it the "Wyoming Tribune." Whether or not this paper was a continuation of the publication started in 1869 under the same name or an entirely new venture is difficult to determine. The office was located at 1709 Ferguson Street (now Carey Avenue ) and from here the "Tribune" was published every day except Sunday. A short time after the paper had been established J. K. Shingle became business manager and George W. Perry, now of Sheridan, took the position of editor. J. A. Argesheimer, now a resident of Cheyenne, was city editor under the Hobart and Perry management.
Sometime in December, 1894. Joseph M. Carey purchased the plant and organized the present Tribune Publishing Company, which was incorporated with a capital stock of $50,000. The name of the publication was changed to the "\'yo- ming Daily Tribune" and the sheet was issued every morning except Monday. The paper quickly became a live news organ and, in addition to local reportorial excellence, had the advantage of the Associated Press service. Frank Bond became editor under the Carey management, but resigned to accept a position in Wash- ington. D. C., and is now chief clerk in the general land office.
In March, 1901, William C. Deming came to Cheyenne from Warren, Ohio, and took charge of the "Tribune" as editor and manager. In August, 1904, in partnership with J. H. Walton, Mr. Deming bought the paper from the Carey interests. At this juncture, the "Tribune" was changed to an afternoon daily. Mr. Deming purchased the stock owned by Mr. Walton in October, 1917, and now possesses nearly all of the interest in the plant. The "Wyoming State Tribune," a name adopted March 25, 1918, is republican in its political affiliation and has won a state wide circulation and popularity by its editorial and mechanical excellence.
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OTHIER EARLY CHEYENNE NEWSPAPERS
The "Cheyenne Sun" was originally the "Daily News," started by the firm of Benton & Fisher in 1875. This latter paper ran about six months, then was purchased by A. E. Slack and the name changed to the "Sun." The merger of this paper and the "Leader" occurred when Slack purchased the latter in the winter of 1895-96.
The "Star" was established in Cheyenne sometime in December, 1867, by O. T. B. Williams, but survived only one year.
The "Argus," a democratic newspaper, was started in 1867 by L. L. Bedell and suspended in the year 1869. The printing firm of Stanton & Richardson revived the paper for a period of a few weeks only.
The Cheyenne "Gazette" was established by Webster, Johnson and Garrett in 1876, but within a few weeks was removed to the Black Hills. This paper came originally from Plattsmouth, Neb., to Laramie, Wyo., and bore the name of "Chronicle."
The "Northwest Live Stock Journal" was started by A. S. Mercer and S. A. Marney in 1883. and continued publication for over ten years.
NEWSPAPERS OF LARAMIE
"The Frontier Index" was the first newspaper published in the City of Laramie. This paper was established by Fred K. Freeman & Brother in 1868 and began its existence as a daily in May of that year. The sheet was published in the rear of the old Frontier Hotel, the site of the W. H. Holliday Building. However, the life of the "Index" in Laramie was short and uneventful. In the autumn of 1868 it passed on with the railroad to Benton, then a town located where Fort Steele now stands, thence to Bear River, where it was soon afterward destroyed during a riot. The "Index" was a three-column, four-page paper, carrying local news and advertising.
The "Laramie Daily Sentinel" was the second paper printed at Laramie. N. A. Baker was the proprietor and J. H. Hayford the editor. The first number was issued May 1. 1869: the "Sentinel" was of five columns and was issued daily. . On the first day of May, 1870, Baker sold the plant to J. H. Hayford and J. E. Gates, and the publication was continued under the firm management of Hayford & Gates, with Hayford as editor. On January 1, 1879 the daily issue was sus- pended and the publication continued as a weekly until March, 1895. when the plant was closed entirely. During the life of this paper the policies of the re- publican party were supported and the sheet became very popular. James H. Hayford was one of the most forceful writers of the Rocky Mountain region ; he was appointed judge of the Second Judicial District and died about three years later. James E. Gates is still living at Santa Monica, Cal.
The "Laramie Daily Independent" was established December 26, 1871 by E. A. Slack and T. J. Webster, the former acting as editor. The "Independent" pro- claimed a policy indicated by its name, but in truth followed the dictates of the democratic party and began its career in opposition to the territorial government. In 1872 it supported Horace Greeley for President of the United States. T. J. Webster sold his interest in the paper to Charles W. Bramel on March 21, 1875
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and then the title of the "Independent" was changed to "The Laramie Daily Sun," which then took up the democratic cause without reservation. The sheet was suspended, however, on Washington's Birthday, 1876. E. A. Slack bought the interest of C. W. Bramel and transported the plant to Cheyenne, where, on March 3, 1876, he issued the first number of the "Cheyenne Daily Sun," a re- publican paper.
The "Laramie Daily Chronicle" was established by C. W. Bramel about May, 1876, to fill the vacancy left by the removal of the "Sun" to Cheyenne. He conducted the paper during the summer and autumn, but after the November elections sold it to three employes-T. J. Webster, A. R. Johnson and George A. Garrett. These three men conducted the paper until March, 1877, when they moved the plant to Cheyenne and established there the "Daily Gazette." Shortly afterward, on account of poor business conditions in Cheyenne, the paper was again moved to Deadwood, S. D. Of the three owners of this democratic paper, only one, Mr. Garrett, is now living and he resides. at San Diego, Cal.
The "Laramie Daily Times" was originally a Danish paper at Salt Lake City, then was moved to Evanston, and finally L. D. Pease and C. W. Bramel brought it to Laramie City January 1, 1879. In 1882 the plant was sold to F. W. Ott, who continued it for several years as a weekly publication, supporting the democratic party.
THE LARAMIE BOOMERANG
The "Laramie Boomerang" was established by a stock company on March II, 1881, to supply a much-needed organ for the republican party. The republi- cans had been used rather roughly by the democrats at the fall elections of 1880 and, in self defense, the former decided that a daily newspaper would be the best fortification. The incorporators of the Boomerang Publishing Company were : M. C. Jahren, Robert Marsh, Henry Wagner, A. S. Peabody and J. J. Strode. Jacob Blair also held stock. A. S. Peabody was the president; M. C. Jahren, secretary and treasurer; and E. W. Nye, editor.
Edgar Wilson (Bill) Nye was at this time a resident of Laramie, having come from Wisconsin in May, 1876. He was connected with the "Sentinel" while it was a daily paper and also acted as correspondent for the old "Denver Tribune," upon which paper Eugene Field was then employed, also the "Detroit Free Press," "Texas Siftings" and "Peck's Sun." Nye continued as editor and manager of the "Boomerang" until the winter of 1882-83, when he was taken sick and left the state. He returned during the following summer, sold his stock in the paper, then went upon the lecture platform.
The "Boomerang" then passed under the control of Mark Jennings, George A. Garrett, George Cannon and W. E. Chaplin, each of whom owned an equal amount of stock. Subsequently, about the year 1885. Jennings and Chaplin became the sole owners and, still later, Jennings took over the Chaplin interest and conducted the paper alone until the summer of 1886, when he sold to W. E. Chaplin and T. L. McKee. In 1888 the two latter gentlemen bought the few outstanding shares of stock, dissolved the corporation and entered into partnership under the firm name of McKee & Chaplin. This organization was perpetuated until May, 1800, then the "Boomerang" was sold to N. E. Corthell, who represented a number of democrats.
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