Iowa Old Press
Alton Democrat, January 30, 1897
ONLY SEVENTEEN PAPERS
That’s the Number in Sioux County and Its Most Too Many.
Three new papers for Sioux county during January is not a bad record.
The Rock Valley Bee is the firstborn, the Hospers Echo is the second
and the Maurice Journal is the third. The Rock Valley Bee has been
established by Lansing Hurd, formerly editor of the Hospers Bee, which
was absorbed by the Ireton Clipper for “county printing purposes."
The Maurice Banner went the same way that the Hospers paper did, and
these two "aching voids" have immediately been filled. The Hospers
Echo has started upon its journey under Jake DeBoor's management and
the first issue is a creditable sheet. The Maurice Journal will be
published by Mr. Woodward who has been filling a "long felt want" at
Struble. He published an interesting paper at Struble and will
doubtless give Maurice people their money's worth.
And this leads us to remark that Sioux county has more newspapers than
any other county in the state with equal population, and they are
supported more liberally than some papers we know of, in counties that
boast of only three or four publications. This is remarkable when it
is considered that a large portion of the people cannot read the
language.
The time will come in this county, however, when the people will
refuse to support so many different publications and will insist upon
taking but two or three papers, which will of necessity be splendid
ones. Then the papers that best serve the people with the news and are
true to the real interests of the people—papers of proven integrity
and honesty will survive and be built into splendid properties. When
that time comes these surviving papers will be magnificent
publications—a credit to the county and a delight to their
subscribers.
So long, however, as the people split up into small factions and
divide their patronage between seventeen different papers, just that
long will there be seventeen papers that must live a hand to mouth
existence.
THE DEMOCRAT has been greatly favored by the people of this county and
it has done its utmost to serve its patrons to the extent of its
income. Every cent made by THE DEMOCRAT above cost of living has been
spent in adding to the equipment of the office and the betterment of
the paper.
This has been appreciated by the subscribers as is evidenced by their
continued patronage. Yet if only half of those who do not take the
DEMOCRAT would subscribe, the DEMOCRAT could astonish the "oldest
inhabitants" by improvements. That the newspaper business in this
county is badly overdone nobody can deny.
That all the papers are sending out publications equal or better than
their patronage warrants must be conceded. That the people of Sioux
county are most liberal in supporting newspapers is a truth known the
state over. But there must come a time when this will change and the
seventeen papers will be merged into a half dozen, we confidently
predict, and while this may prove a hardship to those who are
compelled to remove, yet the result will be beneficial to the people
for they will then receive papers that are newspapers in every sense
of the word. In the county today there are the
(1) Herald, (Sioux County Herald)
(2) Volksvriend and
(3) Free Hollander at Orange City ;
(4) Journal at Maurice;
(5) Clipper at Ireton ;
(6) Independent and
(7) Republican at Hawarden
(8) Register and
(9) Bee at Rock Valley ;
(10) Index at Hull ; the
(11) Reporter at Boyden ;
(12) Mirror at Matlock ;
(13) Echo at Hospers ;
(14) Observer at Granville;
(15) Free Press and
(16) Nieuwsblad at Sioux Center,
(17) THE DEMOCRAT at Alton.
Here's to all of them !
TEACHERS MEETING
A Good Attendance and Interesting Program
The teachers meeting held in this city last Saturday, was very
largely attended notwithstanding the inclement
weather. Several interesting and instructive papers were read and
discussed, and the meeting proved
one of mutual benefit to all present.
These meetings reflect much credit upon Mr. Mishler, our county
superintendent, and he is proving himself a model and efficient
officer in promoting the best interests schools of our county, and
proud of the fact that each year schools have shown a marked improvement
over the previous one.
The following teachers were in attendance from various parts of the
county:
Capel—Delia Gosline, Lulu West.
Center—Hattie Carder.
East Orange—Lena Hein, Mary Willgen, Mary Desmond, Marie Barry,
Jacob Noethe.
Floyd—Dora Werkhoven, Jennie Hein, Edith Snydera, P. Eulberg, Frank
Oldenhorg.
Grant—P B Fitzwater, Ellen Griffin.
Holland—"W. Van der Kamp, A. W. Leard, Maggie Burns, Gertrude
Thomassen.
Logan—Ella Waite.
Nassau—H. TePaske, Prudence Pierce, II. Schalekamp, Anna Weldon,
Emeline Scribner.
Reading—Hattie Keith.
Sheridan—Porter Webb, F. W. Moon.
Sherman—Bessie Visser, Percy Kolthor, Nora Buckley, Sadie Alderson,
Bessie Kennedy, Peter Van Peursem.
Washington—Bessie Buck, Clara Sinclair.
West Branch—W. W. Johnson, Sarah Hospers, Lou Gerla.
Welcome—Anna Rouwenhorst, Julius Abroe.
Alton—T. 13. Hutton, Helen Riddle, M. 11. Douglas, Ella Robins,
Tressie Waldo, Anna Strong.
Hawarden—E. E. Rail.
Boyden—S. C. Huffman.
Hospers—F. K. Noordhoft.
Granville—J. H. Schroeder, Louise Langenhorst.
Maurice—Maggie Murray. '
Ireton—J. N. Stahl, Lola Stansberry.
Orange City—D. W. Gross, J. C. Trainer, Katie Vos, Nora Held, G. J.
Muilenburg, O. W. Herr, Gordina Shoup, Sue Johnson, Lulu Robinson,
Josie DeBooy, Lillie Hutchinson
Anna Mouw, Hendrina Zwemer, Carrie Finch, Miss Vander Linden
Sioux Center—Allie Boer.