CHAPTER XI
WORTH COUNTY JOURNALISM

CHAPTER XI WORTH COUNTY JOURNALISM ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS----FIRST PAPERS IN THE UNITED STATES----FIRST WORTH COUNTY NEWSPAPER----THE SENTINEL----WORTH COUNTY EAGLE----KENSETT MAIL ----WORTH COUNTY INDEX----NORTHWOOD ANCHOR----HANLONTOWN NEWS---- MANLY PAPERS----AN AMATEUR EDITION.

ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS

The publication known as the newspaper was preceded many centuries by the manuscript publications of Rome - written on wax tablets with the stylus - which records were posted in conspicuous places to inform the people of the events happening and the political trend of the times. These were known as Acta Diurna, but their issue was very irregular and without sequence and often entirely suspended in times of scarcity of news.

But little advancement was made from this early prototype of the press until 1622, the date of the birth of the first publication worthy of the name of newspaper,. For years prior to this time the mental appetite of medieval and modern Europe had subsisted upon periodical manuscript literature. In England the written news-letter, supplied only at such fabulous prices that only the rich could afford it, was, for a long time, in vogue. The news pamphlet was the nearest approach to the newspaper that had obtained until 1622; when the first regular series of newspapers was born. In that year the Weekly News from Italie and Germanic made its salutatory to the London public. It was printed upon a mechanical contrivance, perfected by Nathaniel Butler, who might be termed the progenitor of the newspaper proper. This contrivance, spoken of by con­temporary writers by that name only, is supposed to have been the forerunner of the present intricate presses. The first attempt at a newspaper was crude and weak, and no attention was paid to political events until 1641, when the parlia­mentary reports were inserted in the paper. Then the career of the newspaper as we know it may be said to have commenced. The first advertisement occupied a place in the columns in 1648, and was in verse form, setting forth the virtues of the fashionable tailor of Belgravia.

The first daily morning newspaper was the London Courant, published in 1709, and which consisted of only one page of two columns, each about five paragraphs long, being made up from translations from foreign journals, many of them a month old. The press now made rapid strides and had so gained in popularity and prestige that before 1760 over 7,000,000 papers were sold annually in England alone.

FIRST PAPERS IN THE UNITED STATES

The first newspaper, as such, in the United States, was the Boston Public Occurrences in 1690. It was a small quarto sheet with one blank page, and was afterwards suppressed by the Massachusetts government. Then came the Boston News-Letter in 1704, first conducted by John Campbell, the postmaster. The Boston Gazette was established in 1719, then changed to the Massachusetts Gazette. This paper and the News-Letter were organs of the British rule 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 worked for James Franklin, established at Philadelphia the Pennsylvania Gazette, which he conducted 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 WORTH COUNTY NEWSPAPER

The first newspaper in Worth County was the Northwood Pioneer, established by P. D. Swick, who issued the initial number on October 24, 1869, as a six-column folio. The paper was enlarged to seven columns during the following year and in 1873 it was changed to a six-column quarto. Swick came here from Dundee, Ill. He held the paper until March 19, 1874, when he sold out to A. T. McCarger. Mr. McCarger kept the paper until August 31, 1876, then sold the paper to W. C. Eaton. Under the latter the Pioneer suffered financially and on October 20, 1878, the office was closed, with the assistance of the sheriff. However, in December, 1879, Eaton endeavored to revive the Pioneer and managed to sustain life in the publication until April 29, 1880, when he sold out to the Messrs. Elliott, the owners of the Kensett Mail. It was consolidated with the latter paper and issued under the old heading of Pioneer until August 19th, then closed.

THE SENTINEL

On June 1, 1875, P. D. Swick, erstwhile editor of the Pioneer, in company with Dar Weed, started a paper called the Sentinel. Soon after the sheet was abandoned and the equipment shipped to Page County.

WORTH COUNTY EAGLE

This paper was established in 1877 by H. G. Rising, the first issue being published on September 20th, as a seven-column quarto. The owner operated this paper but a short time, selling out in February, 1878, to Sidney A. Foster. On July 1, 1883, Almond R. Miller took possession of a part interest in the paper and the firm was known as Foster & Miller. The Eagle continued to be published until October 23, 1884, when the Worth County Index bought the subscription list and the plant was shipped out of the county.

KENSETT MAIL

The next paper in the county was the Kensett Mail, started by the firm of Raymond & Elliott on January 1, 1879, at the village of Kensett. Shortly afterward James Elliott became the sole proprietor. The paper took a prominent part in the agitation to remove the county seat to Kensett at this time and when the object failed the sheet was moved to Northwood and consolidated with the Northwood Pioneer. Even as the Pioneer had failed, the new combination was doomed to a similar fate and on August 19, 1880, Mr. Elliott sold the whole business to the Worth County Eagle.

WORTH COUNTY INDEX

The oldest newspaper in Worth County at the present time is the Worth County Index, edited by Frank Scammon, a true veteran of Iowa journalism. This paper was established in the year 1881 by Mr. Scammon and O. D. Eno and the first number was issued December 22d of that year. The paper was a nine-column folio at the beginning, but has since been changed to a six-column quarto. The firm of Eno & Scammon conducted the paper until the autumn of 1884, then Walter Gillrup purchased O. D. Eno's interest and the firm became Scammon & Gillrup. This association was perpetuated until the fall of 1908. Then Frank Scammon bought out Gillrup and has since conducted the paper alone. The Index was first printed in the old courthouse, then in the Eno Building. In 1884 the newspaper was moved into its new home, the present one. The Index has always supported the republican party and has won a reputation in the county by its editorial quality and mechanical excellence. Mr. Scammon has edited the sheet for a period of thirty-six years, a record in itself, and has given to the paper an individuality and interest not always found in the weekly newspapers in the state.

THE NORTHWOOD ANCHOR

The Northwood Anchor was started as the Beacon by J. B. Ada of 1885. Mr, Adams was a democrat and postmaster at Northwood under the fhe Cleveland administration. Perceiving the loss of his office he soon sold the ms in the allpaper, also his position as postmaster. Several owners then followed, none of them keeping the paper any length of time. Finally Thomas J. Wilcox purchased the small plant, changed the politics of the paper to republican and the name to the Anchor. For several years he operated the paper with success and about 1896 L. L. Thompson became the owner. Thompson published the Anchor with varying success until 1908 and then sold out to E. K. Pitman, the present publisher. In 1916 the latter sold an interest to L. S. Barnes and the firm is now known as the Pitman-Barnes Printing Company. The plant has been improved and modernized in the last decade, a linotype and other equipment having been added. The Anchor is republican in politics and is issued weekly. The character of the sheet, both editorial and mechanical, is of the highest order.

HANLONTOWN NEWS

Of the smaller papers of the county, the Hanlontown News and the Fertile News are published in conjunction by M. A. Aasgaard. The paper was established in the year 1902 and issued weekly. The paper serves well its purpose as a news medium and advertising carrier for the southwestern portion of the county. It is a six-column quarto.

MANLY PAPERS

Both the Manly Signal and the Kensett News are now published by H. H. Hallett, who has succeeded in making a creditable publication of each. The News was started in 1897 and the Signal is about three years old. The Manly Chief is a weekly publication, edited by Lafe Hill.

AN AMATEUR EDITION

In October, 1869, P. D. Swick, editor of the Pioneer, returned to his home in Dundee, ILL., to get married. Two young lawyers who had office room with him decided to take advantage of his absence and publish an issue of the Pioneer of their own composition and set-up. The lesult was enough to furnish a bit of humor to the citizens, if not a bona fide newspaper. The fact that the ink-roller lifted a few type every time it rolled over the form only added to the mechanical appearance. A specimen column follows :

PIONEER EXTRA OK. 1869

P. D. SWICK Editor and Pro­prietor of the PIONEER has been c a llied away on "pressing business -- which means this time and place ihat the afyresaid gent has gobe to ILL to get married - For details see telegrams His h on or (SWICK) in order to prevent any ore from making pi of his fixtures bonnd-up the lever as one would a ba by, packed away the type ason e would pork and placarded the whole "HANDS OFF.,, He also appointed all his friends as a committee of the whole to watch over the machine, the committe are now doing their duty.

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS

DUFDEE ILL. Sunday 6 A. M. S WICK is here.

12 M.

Has donned his store clothes!

3 P. M.

Is becoming impatient,-- his boots are tight.

9 21 1/2 P. M.

Prfmises to love, honor, and cherish so long as they both shall live.

LATER.

"Glorious o er all the ills of life victorious.

COMMERCIAL.

GOLD -- The supply is not equal to the demand, sales light Potatoes and Turnips are coming up, Apples and other fruits coming down. Printer pi by the pint or half bushel i quantities to suit cus­tomers. Editors and Divels are a drug in the market.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

Met on Monday last to canvass the votes cast at Election

When called to order all were present except member from Fertile No returns being made from that town the Board empowered and sent for them Canvass made resulting as follows

203

State Ticket Rep

Dem

Hartshorn 191

Rosecrans 17

Regular County Ticket Elected.

Swamd Land Contract Forty one maj Stock Act 81 maj.

NOTES ABOUT TOWN.

Peterson is banking his house.

Lem Dwelle is driving team

C. C. Wattson is sisk.

G. F. Wattson - Ass't Divel.

Knapp is blacking stoves.

J. U. Perry is digging potatoes.

Theven Finch Ass't Divel 1/2 day.

Uncle Abbey has gone to Austin

Collin is Editor - at large.

Beckett is Editor for South Div.

Pike is Divel - l&rge etc.

Swick has gone to Dundee and - done it.

Morhous is pegging away.

Dr. Gray is trying experiments as to the sticking propeties of shoo maker,s wax on a man's coat tail. Selah.

Transcibed by Gordon Felland, July 23, 2018.