Grundy County, Missouri - Chapter 10, 1908

NEWSPAPERS - The First Attempt - The Republican - The Times The Star - The Tribune - The News - The Gait Herald - The Gait Sun - The Laredo Tribune - The Grundy County Gazette - The Spickard Herald - The Brimson Banner - The Brimson Booster.

This short chapter is proffered to his brethren of the quill, with confidence that under their guidance the press of Grundy County shall in no wise swerve from the high plane of honor nor lose aught of the power that has characterized its history.

THE first newspaper ever published in Grundy County was the Trenton Pioneer. It was estabhshed in 185 1. David T. Wright was its founder, and for two years its editor, seUing the plant in 1853 to R. C. White. In 1854 Mr. Wright bought back the paper from Mr. White, moved it to Lindley, changed its name to Christian Pioneer, and its nature to a religious pamphlet, which Mr. W^right ran, assisted by Rev. H. O. Howard. The paper was moved from Lindley again to Trenton in 1859, and bought the material of the defunct Herald. The plant was burned in 1862, and for two years the county was without a newspaper.

The Trenton Herald was started by E. C. Jones, who sold it in 1853 to S. P. Mountain. Mr. Mountain was a man of strong rebel proclivities, which he did not hesitate to express. And it was probably because of his radical southern views that his paper died for want of support in 1859, ^^^^^ the material was bought by the Christian Pioneer.

The Grand RiA-er News was established in 1864 by A. O. Binkley and C. W. Buckingham. The plant was brought from Corydon, Iowa. Buckingham soon retired, and Binkley in 1865 sold the paper to John E. Carter, who the same year sold it to N. T. Doane, who enlarged it from a six to a seven column folio and changed its name to the Grand River Republican. Editor Doane died in 1868 and his administrator. Dr. Kerfoot, leased the plant to E. S. Darlington, who, in partnership with \\\ H. Roberts, bought the paper in 1869. In September of that year they sold it to W. B. Rogers, who has held the editorial chair since that date.

When bought by Col. Rogers the Grand River Republican was a seven column folio, neatly printed, with a good advertising patronage. His first number was issued September 2. In the fall of 1871 it was increased to eight columns. In June of that year Col. Rogers informs his readers that he has ordered a job press, and that letter heads, envelopes and similar work which had heretofore had to be ordered from the city, could be ])rinted in Trenton.

In July the Grand River Repu1)lican was advertising its job office. In 1872 the name of the paper was changed to the Trenton RepubHcan. In that year its circulation statement showed 800 subscribers.

In June, 1879, the size of the paper was enlarged to a nine column folio. The subscription lists of the Trenton Star were sold to the Republican in 1885, which for a time bore the name Republican-Star. The Daily Republican, a five column folio, was started September 3, 188). In April. 1884 steam power was added to the plant. In January, 1887, J. A. Gilluly, for a long time city editor of the Republican, became a partner of Col. Rogers. In May 1 89 1, Col. Rogers, having again acquired entire control of the plant, sold a half interest in it to C. J. Colvin, formerly of the King City Chronicle. At the same time the paper was made a seven column quarto. In 1900 the subscription price of the paper was reduced from $1 .50 to $1 .00 a year. The sworn circulation for the year of 1901 was 1,777. ^^ ^9^^ N. G. Rogers, the son of Col. Rogers, became a partner in the establishment which has since been known as W. B. Rogers & Son Printing Co.

Politically, this paper has since the war been Republican. It was consolidated with the Trenton Tribune, a rival Republican paper, in 1903, taking the name Republican-Tribune. Its weekly edition consists of sixteen and its daily of eight five column pages, all home print and machine set. The W. B. Rog-ers Printing Co. is now a corporation, with a capital stock of $i 5,000. It maintains a separate job office and an excellent plant. The proprietors are members of the Associated Press.

The Grundy County Times was established in 1 871 by Grundy County Democrats. The plant was purchased from the Chillicothe Constitution. S. L. Harvey was its first editor. He was succeeded by Frank Dinsmoor in 1874 and Mr. Dinsmoor by C. L. Beechem in April, 1879. Mr. Beechem retired from the management of the paper in Noveml^er, 1879, '^^^1 Dinsmoor again assumed control. He sold to M. G. Kennedy in August, 1880. In July, 1887, the Times was changed to a stock company and a daily started. W. W. Witten was the editor. In December, 1888, Mr. Kennedy again assumed control of the Times and has been its editor since that time except during the period from May i, 1896, to May I, 1898, w4ien the paper was under control of W. W. Witten.

In politics the Times has always been uncompromisingly Democratic. It was from the first a seven column folio, later doubling the number of pages. Like both other Trenton papers, its presses are run by electricity.

The Trenton Star w^as established as a monthly in 1877 by G. S. Dunn. It was a three column quarto, and dealt with general rather than local news. It was publi..ned a year. It resumed publication in May, 1879, and was in August of that year made a weekly. The paper was an eight column folio, always Republican in politics. In May, 1890, Mr. Dunn sold the Star to a company composed of

Thos. A. Murphy, Solomon Stewart, George Hall, B. F. Harding, R. V. Young, J. E. Carter, C. L. Webber, L. Garrett, M. L. Boyles, G. L. Winters, H. J. Herrick and A. I. Lord, who incorporated as the Star Publishing Company. Mr. Lord was business manager of the paper and Mr. Carter editor. The latter retired in July, 1881, Mr. Lord taking editorial control. The Star plant was ruined by the great fire of 188 1. A new plant was put in, however, and the paper continued publication until March 5, 1885, when it was sold to the Republican. In the meantime G. S. Dunn had succeeded A. L Lord as editor.

The Trenton Tribune was established September I, 1890, by W. P. Wardrip and A. D. Starr. In one month Starr retired, Judge Stepp acquiring a controlling interest in the paper. C. D. Morris bought Wardrip's interest in the paper in December. The Tribune was established as a daily and weekly, the daily a five column folio and the weekly a six column quarto. The weekly was enlarged to a seven column quarto in September, 1893, and the daily was afterwards increased to a five column quarto. It was for a time edited by Morris & Freeman, then by Morris & Rowley, the latter retiring in June, 1894. Mr. Morris then became sole proprietor of the paper, which he published until August I, 1895, selling a half interest on that date to E. S. Bronson, who retained that interest until 1899, when Mr. Morris again became sole proprietor. The Republican bought the Tribune in 1903.

The Tribune was a strong Republican paper. It was attractively gotten up, was very active in both political and business affairs, and, especially under the management of Mr. Morris, who was instrumental in making the paper a power in poHtics, had a very bright, aggressive, and readable editorial page.

The Trenton News, Trenton's latest venture in the newspaper business, is owned and controlled by a stock company of Trenton and Grundy County business men and is incorporated with a paid up capital of $10,000. It is aggressively Republican in politics. The first issue of the News was published May 30, 1907, with Charles Allen and H. W. Sawyer as editors. Mr. Sawyer soon withdrew from the paper and in July Mr. Allen retired, W. C. Myers taking charge. Under Mr. Myeis the business patronage and subscription list of the paper grew rapidly, until September 15, 1907, when J. E. Ford became editor and publisher. The business of the paper continued to grow steadily, and January, 1908, a sworn circulation statement showed the paper to have 1,164 subscribers. Mr. Ford sold the plant to the gentlemen who now own it in March, 1908. W. M. Denslow is editor, B. C. Nichols president of the company and W. C. Myers, treasurer.

The News was started as a weekly, five column quarto, patent inside. Under Mr. Ford's management the paper was made all home print. The new proprietors have added about $8,000 worth of new material, doubled the size of the weekly, and are putting out an eight page daily, all home print, well printed and edited. Before the daily was six months old its sworn circulation statement showed it to have more than a thousand regular subscribers. The job department of the News is equalled by few papers in Missouri.

The Gait Herald, Volume I, Number i, was issued by Charles D. Parks, formerly of Cambridge, Iowa, September 8, 1887. An attempt to start a paper of the same name was made by S. J. Graves in 1886, which was unsuccessful, only a few numbers being issued. Among the Herald's first advertisers are M. Humphreys, G. M. Brown, Dorsey & Knight, A. H. Pratt, Garriott & Haley, G. W. Bidwell, Wm. Duff, E. D. Chesman, Gault House, (Jennie Winters, prop.) and the Huston House, (J. P. Huston, prop.) In 1888 the Herald was sold to the Herald Publishing- Company, who in four months sold it to Garrett & Butts. These gentlemen failing to meet their payments, the plant fell back to the company who in December, 1889, leased it for two years to M. Bingham. In 1891 the paper was sold by order of sale in partition, the buyer being Col. Rogers of the Trenton Republican, who leased it to M. Bingham. It was also run for a short time, in 1895, by J. T. Smith. Col. Rogers afterward sold the paper to Sam and Abe Tolle, December, 1895, the latter selling his interest in 1897 to Joseph Warren, who in turn sold his to Sam Tolle & Son. The Tolles changed the paper to an eight page six column, which form it retained.

They ran the paper until 1898, selling it May 12 of that year to W. E. Payton and Frank Bondurant. Mr. Payton in 1900 sold his interest to Bondurant Bros., A. R. Bondurant acquiring an interest therein. Most of the time from 1900 to 1904 the paper was managed by Frank Bondurant, individually, he selling to J. E. Ford, July 21, 1904. The latter, May 31, 1906, sold the paper to Fred S. Tolle, editor of the Sun, with which it was consolidated.

The Herald was Republican in politics. It was at first a six column folio, patent inside, afterward increasing in size, the last year being a six column quarto.

The Gait Sun, Grundy County's most unique and one of the most successful ventures in journalism outside the county seat, was started September 22, 1900, by Sam S. Tolle. He was editor and proprietor of the paper until his death, July 2y, 1903. Since that time it has been published by his son, Fred S. Tolle. The Sun is a five column, eight page paper, all home print and all home news. It prints perhaps more strictly local matter than any country paper in North Missouri in a town the size of Gait. In 1905 the proprietor of the Sun bought the Herald and the two papers were consolidated under the name of the Gait Sun and Herald. The Sun has always been Democratic in politics, but sufficiently broad in its political views to hold a large number of Republican readers. One of the best hits ever made in the county was a series of humorous articles originated by Sam Tolle, describing the proceedings of "the Old Men's Club," an imaginary club of the old men of the town, whose peculiarities of speech and manner were set out in a friendly but highly ludicrous way. The plant and home of the Sun and Herald burned in June, 1908. The plant has been refurnished and a new building erected. The Sun uses gasoline power and sets its type with a Simplex machine.

The Laredo Tribune was started March 6, 1890, by S. J. Graves, formerly editor of the Harris Voice. It was a six column folio, patent outside. E. R. Anderson became publisher of the paper in

February, 1891, and W. E. Pay ton in July, 1891. January i, 1896, Ben F. Wood bought the paper, which he managed individually until January i, 1900, when he formed a partnership with C. C. Crossen, who is now its editor. The paper has been enlarged to a five column quarto, four pages of home news. It is non-partisan in politics, though its editors, Messrs. Wood and Crossen, have been and are prominently connected with the Republican party.

Prior to the establishment of the Tribune an unsuccessful attempt was made to establish a paper in Laredo in 1888. It was called the Grindstone and was printed by the Gait Herald, under the guidance of Dr. A. B. Morris.

The Grundy County Gazette, published at Spickards, was founded by J. H. Rockwell in 1887. In November of that year W. M. Denslow, now of the Trenton News, assumed charge of the paper. It was started as a six column folio, and was for a long time patent inside or patent outside. The files of the paper January 1890 to 1894 are missing. Will A. Morris became editor of the paper within this time and Fred Burri41, under the firm name of Morris & Burrill, joined him in a partnership.

In 1894 the paper was published by the firm of Denslow & Burrill, who made a five column eight page paper of it. In 1895 W. M. Denslow again assumed entire charge. He sold the paper to Messrs. Tolle and Newlan, who dissolved partnership within a year, Messrs Sam Tolle & Son continuing the publication of the paper. They sold out to P. G. Wild February 8, 1898. J. T. Morgan became connected with the paper as editor in June,

1900. In the fall of that year J. J. Noah became publisher. Mr. Wild severed his connection with the paper November 29, 1900, J- A. Davidson becoming owner and editor. In May, 1901, he sold to E. E. and J. G. Sanders, the latter becoming editor. E. E. Sanders took charge of the paper September 7, 1902. In 1905 Mr. Sanders retired, P. G. Wild becoming manager of the Gazette. C. W. Claybaugh was publisher from April 13, 1905, to January i, 1906. Leon Tracy became publisher February i, 1906.

The Spickards Herald was started in the meantime by E. E. Sanders, former editor of the Gazette. It began publication October 25, 1906. The two papers were consolidated by Mr. Sanders buying the Gazette subscription list, April 25, 1907. Since July 24 of that year he has published an eightpage four column paper, all home print, under the name Spickards Herald and Grundy County Gazette. The politics of the paper, as of the old Gazette, is Republican.

The Brimson Banner was established by Tom Brown in the town of Brimson about the year 1903. It continued publication at Brimson until the first of January, 1907, when it was removed to Melbourne, and is now published as the Melbourne Herald.

The Brimson Booster was established in 1904. Its first editor was Fred W. Badger, a man of considerable ability as a writer. He left in August, 1905, and was succeeded as editor by Truman B. Gibson, who remained until May, 1907, when the paper suspended publication, Mr. Gibson coming to Trenton to become foreman of the News.