The history of news: Part II

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
In this week’s installment of “History on Main,” local historian Leonard Cash continues his series on Newcastle’s newspapers. 
To start off, an article from March 1, 1901, reported that the News Journal was busy relocating to a new building, so it told its readers that the paper might not be up to scale for that week but improvements should be expected in the near future. 
According to an article from May 17, 1901, contractor Dow finished remodeling the former office of the News Journal (also known as Newcastle Journal or Newcastle News Journal) for Mayor Frank’s office, who was to have the “swellest room in the city.” Cash said he is unsure of where this is. 
The News Journal must have been a successful business because in the June 27, 1902, issue, they gave themselves a pat on the back. 
“When you stop to consider that the News Journal has over 800 readers most of whom are in Weston County, you will agree that it’s the advertising medium in their part,” the article said.
In addition to the Journal, there was another paper in town called the Newcastle Times, which started around 1900, Cash said. Its original publication day was Friday, but it was changed to Wednesday, according to the Jan. 1, 1904, issue of the Times.
A few weeks later, the News Journal announced on Jan. 16, 1904, that it too was changing its publication date. Instead of Friday, the paper would go out on Saturday.
“But we will get out promptly Saturday morning so as to meet all mail as we have hitherto,” the article said. 
The paper continued to be a success because, according to the Jan 30, 1904, edition of the News Journal, there were so many stories going around that the paper didn’t have enough space to print it all. 
Less than a year later, the Journal upgraded its Washington hand press to a Campbell power press, according to the Sept. 23, 1904, issue of the paper, and it was reportedly working well. 
On Sept. 30, 1904, the Newcastle Times reported a change of ownership when H.D. Reynolds purchased the business.
According to an article from Oct. 14, 1904, the News Journal, which was published weekly, was to be published twice a week during the political campaigns, a change the publishers felt the readers would be grateful for. 
H.D. Reynolds from the Newcastle Times sold his business to R.M. Bell, who was from Missouri, according to an article from Jan. 6, 1905. 
The March 3, 1905, issue of the Journal gave itself accolades for doing its duty of serving the town by helping to increase local businesses, and it planned on continuing to support the citizens of Newcastle and Weston County. 
According to articles from May 19 and May 26, 1905, the Times “cut down their home print to two pages.” Shortly after, Bell, who was the editor, had “thrown up his job” to accept a new position in Sheridan, where he would “no doubt find his job more profitable than the conducting of a second paper in Newcastle.” 
A few months later, The News Journal encouraged the townsfolk to buy its newspaper in an ad from December 1905. 
“The News Journal is printed 52 times a year for $2.00, and you can bank of it visiting your home each week you are a subscriber,” the ad said. 
The former office of the Newcastle Times was in rough shape, according to an article from Dec. 29, 1905, because the awning was reported to be a “sorry sight” in “dilapidated condition.” Pedestrians had to “either stoop or get their heads bumped.” 
The News Journal reported on Jan. 19, 1906, that it was having problems that week during its move to a new office building. The paper was relocating to the west room of the Kilpatrick Bros. building (which was the empty lot between Antler’s and Newcastle Hardware, Cash said), where they would have “one of the best and most convenient offices in the state.” 
The Journal was settled in at Kilpatrick Bros., according to an article from Jan. 26, 1906, and wanted its “friends and patrons” to come visit. The building had two new “handsome” signs in the front, “so there (was) no chance of your making a mistake.”
The News Journal office received another upgrade. The March 9, 1906, edition of the paper reported that a “three horse power Hart Parr gasoline engine” was installed, and the owners believed future presses would be gasoline instead of “Armstrong.”
“Little by little we have been adding to the office until today there is not a(n) office in the state (that) is better equipped to turn out work quickly, all done in the latest faces of type,” the article said. 
On Aug. 17, 1906, the Journal reported that it was adding four more pages to their paper to create a total of 12 pages, which was “pretty good for a country sheet.”
W.O. Carleton bought the News Journal, according to the Feb. 1, 1907, issue. It was the final issue for J.W. Beatty, Hilton and A.L. Putnam because they were retiring. Even though it was reported in an earlier article that Putnam already retired, Cash said he probably came back. 
A public writing room was added to the office of the Journal, with a newly installed writing desk, as reported in the Feb. 15, 1907, issue. This “room” was in the corner of the office, and it was a place set aside for people to come write letters or read. No invitation was needed. If they didn’t have anything to write with, they could purchase stationary equipment at the office. It was a multipurpose nook that could be used as a meeting place as well. 
The News Journal reported on May 31, 1907, that another paper was possibly going to start in Newcastle, but the article didn’t name it.
A few months later, in the Sept. 13, 1907, issue, the Journal entered its 19th year of service. 
According to an article from Nov. 15, 1907, J.O. Fountain from Deadwood, who was representing Fairbanks Morse Co. installed an electric engine in the office, so it had the “proper power required for the successful operation of our presses and machinery.”  
Shortly after, sometime between Dec. 6 and 13, 1907, a machinist named S.S. Wolcott from Chicago, along with the Unitype Co., installed new a new typesetting machine at the Journal. However, according to the Jan. 3, 1908, issue, Wolcott went back home, leaving the paper “on our own resources to fight the thing out by ourselves.”
Unfortunately, there was a breakdown on the new machine, according to an article from June 26, 1908, so the type had to be set by hand. But it was soon to be repaired and expected to be up and running by the next issue.
By the end of the year, the News Journal was having troubles with its equipment again, but this time it was with the gasoline engine. The Dec. 18, 1908, edition of the Journal reported that its foreman and machinist was gone, so he couldn’t fix the problems, but the office was grateful for the help of John Sedgwick and Dr. Johnson for offering their services in the foreman’s absence. They helped by fixing the spark plug and other interior problems on the engine. 
“The dingbats (of the engine) got into harmony with the whangdoodles and the engine has since run like an Irish politician for Alderman,” the article said. “(Sedgwick and Johnson) have become proficient in solving the mystifying riddles of which gasoline engines are made.” 
Luckily, the Jan. 1, 1909, issue announced a few weeks later that the foreman had returned. 
 
The News Letter Journal/Leonard Cash history series continues in next week’s issue.