The history of news: Part III

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
Historian Leonard Cash begins this week’s installment of “History on Main” with News Journal articles from over a century ago. 
On Sept. 5, 1909, a woman named Etta Sage moved from Colorado to Newcastle because she accepted a position with the Journal. 
Two months later, W.W. Sage, who was the foreman for the Journal, was out of town, buying the “latest improved machinery,” according to an article from Nov. 5, 1909. Shortly after, the Journal reported on Nov. 12, 1909, that the office had a newly installed press and binding machine in order to print books and pamphlets. 
The office was “having trouble,” as Cash said, because an article from Dec. 17, 1909, reported that they were lacking steam and light in the office, which caused a “handicap.” The article noted that this was having an obvious effect on the quality of the issues but that they hoped to see improvement soon.
The Journal received additional help because the May 13, 1910, issue reported that Mrs. Arells Konans was hired to be the new the stenographer and machine operator. 
According to the June 24, 1910, edition of the paper, the Journal was relocating again. This time, it was moving to a location between what was then the First National Bank and the “new Nichols building.” Cash said this is where the currently empty building next to Perkins Tavern is (Block 10, Lot 7).
In an article from July 29, 1910, the Journal reported that it was busy working on moving around some of the machinery after the move and so was apologizing for the unsatisfactory condition of that week’s issue. 
“Hence we are unable to get out as good (of a) sheet this week as we would like, but we hope that by next week, Richard will be himself again and can settle down to the old routine of work,” the article said. 
On Sept. 30, 1910, two more pages had been added to the paper that week, and it was “the intention to make this a permanent feature in the future.”
According to the Nov. 25, 1910, edition of the American Bulletin, the Journal officially moved into its new location, and W.O. Carleton, publisher of the Journal, “spared no expense in making his new office complete, and the News-Journal now ranks among the best modern plants in Wyoming.” 
Job critic in National Printer-Journalist, E.S. Hanson, gave his two cents for the Journal as well. 
“The News-Journal has, I take it, done some intelligent and well directed educational work along the line of getting the people educated to appreciate a good thing when they see it, and are to be congratulated on the success they seem to have attained,” he said. 
Not much must have happened in 1911 because the next paper Cash has in his records is from Jan. 18, 1912. The Weston County Gazette was a newly established, democratic paper in town started by a man named C.R. Yeoman. The first issue would be published the following week. A couple of months later on Mar. 14, 1912, the Gazette relocated, moving to a room that was “one door east of the old Electric Company office.” 
On Nov. 7, 1912, the News Journal was caught in flames. The staff explained that they were busy putting out the fire that broke out on their block that morning. 
“Our readers will kindly bear with us this week for our late appearance and lack of important news matter,” the article said.
Shortly after, the paper suffered from another problem — this time involving a busted water pipe. According to the Feb. 7, 1913, issue of the paper, it caused “quite a little inconvenience” for them. They detected the problem when it was “discovered that the basement was rapidly filling with aqua.” The article surmised that something similar happened to the Journal’s neighbors west of them. Fortunately, a cutoff was found before the water did any damage. 
On Oct. 16, 1913, the paper reported that it had received a new mechanical foreman for the office –Howard L. Weimer. He had previously lived in Fairfield, Iowa, and Harrison, Nebraska, “to be near his ranch interest” and sounded very qualified for the job.
According to an article from Aug. 13, 1914, former typesetting machine operator for the Journal, Molly Hill, accepted a new position at the Cambria Commercial Co. (which was a store, Cash said) to work as the bookkeeper.
On Apr. 20, 1916, the Journal lost another employee. E.H. Culbertson, who was in charge of the mechanical department for over a year, resigned because he was taking on a job at a daily newspaper in Great Falls, Montana.
“Mr. Culbertson is a first-class workman solver and (is) industrious, and we wish the success he deserves in his new field of labor,” the article said. “Mr. and Mrs. Culbertson have made many friends in Newcastle who regret to see them leave and whose best wishes will go with them.” 
On May 18, 1916, the News Journal incorporated the Western Printing Co., which was a business the paper had started for printing jobs, and the motto was “no job too large for our capacity, and none too small for our careful attention.” The paper’s producers used an alliteration to describe themselves as “producers of perfect printing for particular people at proper prices.” 
Former publisher Carleton announced in the Nov. 22, 1917, issue that the Journal and Western Printing Co. were sold to P.J. Kinney from the Weston County Gazette and associates, and this change was effective on Jan. 1, 1918. Carleton put the Journal under the charge of business manager C.O. Main because Main was to remain as manager in the exchange. 
On Nov. 7, 1918, the News Journal fell victim to yet another fire. This time it was caused by a gasoline leak around one of the machines because it had not been turned off properly. Fortunately, the fire was put out by six buckets of water before the firefighters even arrived, and with the help of an electric fan, everything was back to normal. 
“In fifteen minutes, the wheel was grinding along as usual,” the article said. 
 
The News Letter Journal/Leonard Cash history series continues in next week’s issue.