The Klamath news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1923-1942, November 13, 1925, Image 10

Historic Oregon Newspapers

The Klamath news., November 13, 1925, Image 10

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About The Klamath news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1923-1942 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1925)

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Newspaper Page TextTHE Page Two FiMflv. November 13. 102o NEWS HOUNDS ARE LURED TO KLAMATH BY ATTRACTION OF FIGHTING RAINBOW TROUT By R. W. HARWOOD , Back of every great record of achievement is story. Sim mered down that story is but the conception of an idea. Later follows the unfolding and development. John Wanamaker bought apples by the barrel and sold them down near Wall street for five cents each. He dreamed the while of a great mercantile establishment, a million times greater than his apple-vending cart.' Today great stores remain as a monument to his develop ment of that dream. It is straining the allegory to bring together the peddling of apples in Now York and fishing in the Klamath country. But that is just what it is proposed to do. For it was on a fishing trip that the idea was conceived to start and build a newspaper in Klamath county. It was to be such a newspaper as Klamath had never known. An ideal newspaper one of fearless and genuine service, one of honesty and integrity. But whoa! This is going too fast. Here" is the inception of the idea : "Gosh, I'd like to be running a newspaper up in this country I'd get some of these dsn." Benjamin H. Stevenson, news paperman on a vacation, was author of the remark.- It may be gathered that the fish were not biting that day. The next scene takes us far away from Klamath to a night at the Press club on Powell street, San Francisco. Stevenson was having dinner there with his life long friend, Byron H. Hurd, business manager of the Banker's Printing company, at one time with the California Power company and later with the Mercantile Trust company of San Francisco. Hurd also had been In the Klamath country fishing and hunting. Wherever, the world, over two people who have ever hunted or fished the lakes and streams and mountains' of Klamath get together there is Just one topic of conversation. "I'd like to be running a news paper up in Klamath maybe I could make a little time for fish ing," said Stevenson. "Well, why don't you? Klam ath's going ahead with the main lines of the S. P. going through there, and the Oregon trunk may build down from Bend." This from Hurd. Idea Develops -"Good Idea, alright. You come up and manage the business end, and I'll do the rest. We'll get out a weekly. I always did like the Idea of a nice little weekly. There'll be plenty of time to go fishing " But Hurd Interrupted. He is full of business, this man Hurd, when he gets an idea. "We'll organize a company, give the boys who are willing to stick an interest, and put over a real paper that will grow up with the community," was his contribution to the conversation. And with paper and pencil they were busy for the next two hours, stopping only when the Chinese waiter at the Press Club chased them out of the dining room. But an idea had been formed, developed and given an Impetus that was to carry it a long way toward achievement. Hurd was the executive of a thriving business. He did not leave It to come to Klamath Falls. His money did, however. And so did Stevenson. Buy Weekly The first step was to Join for tunes with a trio of Klamath pub lishers who were then publishing the Klamath News as a weekly. These were Nate- Otterhein, Walter Stronach and F. C. Nickle, who were operating as a partnership or ganization. Stronach and Otter hein had faith In the future of Klamath and welcomed new capital and fresh blood in their enter prise. Kickle was paid for his in terest and departed for other fields. For the sake of the record to posterity let it be written that Nickle, Ottcrbein and Stronach had founded The News on November 13, 1923, as a weekly. Just one issue as a weekly and It became a bi weekly publication. For six months it was published twice a week and on Juno 3, 1923, It was published as a trl-weekly. All the time It was getting bigger and better. Just a year after it was founded Stevenson and Hurd entered the field with their Idea born in the Press Club. They acquired a ma jority of the Wock, capitalized for J26,000 and on November 13, 1924, The News burst Into the field as a daily. Its reception was Immediate but the four men back of It, ottcr bein, Hurd, Stevenson nnd Stronach were experienced publishers and were sot deceived into the fallacy of counting any chickens before they .were hatched. There was a crying need for a progressive morning newspaper in the field, but they knew that public support and con fidence is not won in a day or a week by a newspaper. Know History It is the history of newspapers, and proven by statistics, that two years are required to successfully establish a newspaper. Any mush room growth is viewed with sus picion by the publishers them selves. Hearst, when he founded the New York American, was told it would be impossible and the , cost of five millions prohibitive. His reply was that he had his lifetimo and some thirty millions to spend on the undertaking. Suffice it to say the men behind The News were fully advised as to the long, hard road ahead of them. At this time The News was printed at 119 South Fifth street, Klamath Falls, in a little building owned by Mrs. Willits. They had only a floor space of 60 by 20 feet for all departments of the paper. Compared with the paper of today The News was not so much. Four pages were printed in a double run on an antiquated drum cylinder press. The circulation was ..about 1000. Mutter was set on one linotype. News was brought in from the outside world, a 600-word pony press service carried over the Western Union, Stevenson was the business and editorial department with the assistance of Miss Frances West who worked after her high school hours. Staff Grows There was slow but constant growth. L. W. Rood, a one-time local publisher, took the editorial job with The News. Later Mrs. Lynn A. Zimmerman joined the staff as society editor and reporter. All the time there was a steady, sure growth. It was a red letter day when a direct wire service was put Into the office to handle a full report of 15,000 words from the world wide service of the Unit ed News and United Press. This called for a news editor. The business was keeping apace and the old building would not hold all departments, so the me chanical department was moved in February, 1925, to the baacement of the Odd Fellows building, leaving the business office behind. A se cond linotype was installed about this time. The organization was badly split, physically speaking. As there was no room for the wire service In the old building it had been placed in a room of the old bank building, so The News was published from three different places. Shortly, however, 'the cooks' and waiters' local moved from the part of the basement they were using and the separated units of The News were gathered under the same roof. Tho basement was re-modeled and offices built. What Counts Circulation that unfailing baro meter of a newspaper's growth was constantly Increasing. It had been a considerable chore to fold the papers by hand feeding. The press was grinding out papers con stantly on an eight-hour run. A Duplex printing press was an absolute necessity.' These cost $16, 000, but when one was Installed and was turning out the finished product at the rate of 6000 copies an hour, all ready for the mail, stages and carriers, the staff thought It wt.i well worth the mon ey. The mechanical department was now well equipped. It Is the only newspaper on the Pacific coast where no typo is set by hand,, and a third linotype is about to bo Friday, 13th If you are luhorlng under the iiuprosslou that Friday, the thir teenth, is an unlucky day, don't bother to tell your views to any stockholder in Tho Klamath Dally News. He would simply tell you to hunt up some marines and con fide in them. For Friday, the thirteenth. Is thrice bltwsed Ly every person whoso Interests rest with The News. On Friday, the thirteenth, the publtratiou was born as a weekly; on Friday, the thir teenth. It was graduated Into a daily, and today. Friday the thir teenth. It will have a very suc cessful birthday, thank y.m. Since its inception, too Klam ath News has grown steadily. Daily Its reader become more numerous: dully its list of adver tisers grows. The News raunot believe that ill-luck attaches to Friday, the thirteenth. There are now thirteen boy carriers beat that. added. Otterhein and Stronach, heads of this department, are proud of It. Walter West joined The News, first as accountant and was later made business manager. W. H. Grubbs came Into Klamath as ad vertising man, and Is now advertis ing manager. A. K. La Dieu Is promoting the service as circula tion manager. There are twenty people on the staff, men, women and printers. More Money All this growth was not without cost and the original $25,000 was not sufficient to carry on. It costs to build a newspaper nnd bring it up to the standards In every re spect to which Klamath county la entitled. As advertisers must make known the quality of their goods, so newspapers must mako known their qualifications to serve the ad vertisers. The News has spent more than $1000 advertising in national publications in the past year. And each of Its ads has carried a boost for Klamath county. "Wo beltevs Klamath county Is a good place In which to live." say Tho News ad vertisements which have appeared throughout the United States. Money was spent to Increase the circulation and to Improve the ser vice to subscribers. Metal tubes to protect The News from Inclement weather now appear throughout the county. Yes, It took lots' of money. It was found necessary to increase tho capital stock to $50,000. Of this $12,000 has been Issued, but not ono cent has been distributed to ' others than the original four In vestors, with Hurd the majority owner. Results have justified expendi tures. Walter West on September 1, put a statement for October on the desk of Benjamin Stevenr.in, the managing editor. Steven-cin's face took on a smile. He called out in the shop for Otterhein and Stronach to assemble for a director's meeting. When all were Inside ho presented them with the statement. For the first time the Income more than balanced tho operating expenses. A wire was sent to Hurd. Everybody was happy. "Now, when we get a few of tho bills paid a dividend will he In order," said Otterbein. "Yes," It was agreed. "Then I can hire someone to do my work and get In soma more timo for fishing," continued Otter hein. "'I wish the darn thing was a weekly again," he added rcmlnls cently. Boys Thirteen Thirteen husky. Industrious young sters undertake the task of putting The News at your door each morn ing. They are: Nolan Arnett, Law rence Ynrnes, Victor Bechtel, Norton Taylor, Ernest Holbrook, Buster llrown, Ray Paddock, George Trnn nel, Raymond Orr, Francis Kranen burg and Jack Wlcken, who carry the Klamath Falls routes. Ilert Boll Is the Khlpplngton carrier, and Mervln Smith does the stunt In Pel ican City. Some Scenery The News Is not without pleasing human features. Ruth Rice helps In the business of circulation, nnd Edith E. Low graces the front of flee. Both are pleasant and admir able. But lay off, dear public. Doth are married. News Columns World's Market It la a Mln meilluui when lmi'm ami n-uu-m call Iki rtvcli' ill. Ami tlu limrki ilmi tho win Id s wants I III llin i bu ifliil tuiltin ot a K"ol ni'waMN'r Tho News. A Uily ailvc-Hlsm! fur a Ihhiw kn-n In The News and III oilier iiomhIWImt. Hlio uoloil a vnt illlfVrvine. The mori ildliulile atiil rraii-r iiuihIkt f aiillcin rt'MHilldiil ID Tim Nous ail. Ami It whm a woiilnii The New m-iit her tlml alto tiupliiNL kUumtli renti-nt liave learniil (lint one liuH'rtlun In The News Is rnouiiti. Real Newspaper For Klamath Co. World wire news, local news, editorials, market prices, radio pro grams, social happenings, cartoon daily on editorial page; Kumous Fans cartoon by llopp. Sunny Dick's Sayings, dinner stories, children's cross-word puisle. step word puisle. Heart and Home Prob lems conducted by Mrs. , Elizabeth Thompson', and lots of sports these are provided dally for readers of The N'ows. Mustn't forget right pages each Sunday of comics the Kutzenjam mer Kids, Bringing Up Father, Itoob McN'utt, Just Kids, Polly and Her Pals, llurney Google and Spark Plug. Tlllle tho Toller, and Elmer. Tho Sunday edition of this news paper has run as high as twenty pages. 110 columns somo paper for Klamath county and a good bit of northern California. But enough said. The readers appreciate values, and so do advertisers. The dally la now a year old and going nlcily. STAFF STORIES ON WHAT THEY THINK (J KLAMATH NEWS TAKEN BY AND LAR( Bv "Charlie" L. Hunt News Editor Having arisen early on account of Armistice Day, snared my morning cup of coffee at The Club cafe, I arrived at the office to find a note on my desk from the chief which read: Please give, us three hundred word ou whut you think of our paper." C.in't you image a city editor just ' loving thai. I'm sleepy for ono thing. By nil rig'.iu I'm in bed for two or force hours yet. But I'm not. I'm telling you what I thluk of my pepor. I have not said much about that to unvotie hut of course I'll tell you ull about It. This you will undcnitr.nd Is confidential and not to be spread around at all. If I didn't think you would keep my confidence I would loll you noth ing. But to return to telling you what I think of my paper. I havo been thinking of something like this for quite a long while but just have'nt gotten nround to It. It is one thing a city editor loves to do, tell "some body else" what he thinks of his newspaper. Excuse mo Just a minute while I count up how many words I've written. Doggone It I'm only half through. . Ten or eleven words to the line. 15 lines makes 150 or 200, nope 160, nope ICS. oh h 1 I never could count. I was going lo be a banker once, but It took mo a week to try and add up a column of figures which wero longer than the Wash Ington monument. When I got through I had moro answers on tho bottom than there were figures to bo added, so the hanker hinted that many a good man has made millions by starting In wheeling con crete. I never did cater to chauffouring on any two-handled rig, I'm not greedy, anyway, - But about my paper. Personally I'm a whole lot better at criticizing some other paper, but we'll let that go. Excuse me Just a minute till I count up again. Well we're getting t,ere. I've got twenty r forty ,oro wor(, written so Dint helps somo. Lets see the last time I counted I had 19 lines. Nineteen and ten Is 190 and 11 more lines and ten Is 110. , Hurrah, Its done. Bye-Bye. The Sun Never Sets onthe TeW Service Secured By The Klamath W A press service thai rovers tho world. That Is what the t'nlled News brings to this newspaper, through the medium of Us correspondents stationed III every city of Importance In the t'nlled States and the cap itals u( foreign countries. Tho headquarters of live United Press United News In this country Is at New York. Out of New York this great news gathering association through Its web of leased wire. Is In touch with the eastern section anil through Its trunk wires running lu CMcutio the exchange lit Important news Items Is carried In a contin uous stream. The Klamath News Is In direct connection with the Chi cago United Press-Tnlled News headquarters, where wires radlaln In all directions, picking up and ex changing news As au Illustration of the expedi ency of our wire service, the United ' News correspondent from an Impro vised tablo In the court room at Lit tleton, Colo., Is sending out prompt and minute details of the trial of Dr. Blazer In th "human husk" or "human murder1' rase. Longest Wire "Ily Ilia longest leased press wire service In the world, Is an old story. Sometimes It doeiin't mean much. Hut it la written on authority of J. W. O'llrlen. telegraph narrator of The Klamath News, that Ihs wire running Into this office Is the long est leased press wire In the country. The wire used by too United News and United Press Is leased from the American Telephone and Telegraph, company. It extends from Chlcagd to Vancouver. II. C, vt t Omaha, Kansas City, Denver, Salt Lako and By Paul Farrington, Reporter And what could possibly bo wrong we modestly concede such a remote possibility with that Journalistic organ whlc.i. possibly, may occasloally be right and which, mayhap. Is sometimes the expon ent of Justice? Tho man whose signature makes possible my weekly stipend has 'suggested II have found It well to follow such a mnn's suggestions) thut I Indite some 300 words which might tend lo expose any Irregulari ties which may appear In The News' journalistic picture. The assignment Is so simple Now It I had been told to cover a women's meeting but that, as one of my contemporaries (a Mr. Kipling) has said Is another story. The answer Is, I repeat, obvious. In one of those clear, concise sen tences I shall ho able to explnln, with that assurance whl. Ii charac terizes my cvory interline Just ex actly what Is wrong with Tho News. Ready? Great local contemporaries, re sorting to that literary eleganco of which, I am sorry to soy, I am in capable, havo assured the masses that the California Oregon Power company, the Southern Pacific Rail way, the Russian Reds, a local hot dog stand and a large majority of the German secret scrvlro, kindly provide those funds which causa The News' flat-bed press to make Us ungodly noise at 3:32 each morn ing, except Mondays. (Adv.) The News, I am sure, should bo more highly, more thoroughly sub sidized. And you, I do not speak without having given the problem the consideration It should be nc corded by my keen, analytical mind. Romeniher I have frequently soen In bold-fare type the fact that The News, despite Its whispered claim lo a dally incrcaso In advertising and circulations. Is the raclplont of money on which a negligible sum of very dirty dirt has accumulated. In a word, or three, my criti cism Is this: The News should havo even moro financial backing. Let us, one and all, en'donvor to en list aid of the Salvation army, the moro affluent members of the Na tional Bootleggers' association. Inc.. several charities, Henry Ford, John I). Rockefeller, the Lady that's known as Lou, Charles Wood Eher leln or what have you? The News-must have eight or ten more millions of dollars behind It. The words, such as they are, are out. Count 'em. All donation, will be gladly rocolved at the box office. Han Francisco, adZ?" gelos and Ban hi... Chicago i, m,.L7' 7. of the , nll( vices. The .... tinder the direct, .H .t,us suppose l0,'KJ ervstlon Indian. .. Ihrow open tu .m 1 ervslli.nwhlcb. they lu J uej urn uint would hi which the United 8t.tn ,. Ivresled. O'llrlen would silviHia he had 600 words o m' "ry. ins Chlc.,o , bandies hundreds of M usy. lie must arheduhj li acroruing to Its vi (0, words. A day's ni m iy run 15,000 words, or day. 15.000. A srhedm. les, each in the ordtr ol portaure Is dmiiihI i. cago manager would kin pui pvsaiiity l no won, of Klamath Itwll... . . vu mn certain hour. Sev.t hanJ papers would roc -ire . m from Chicago to Viorosm I'icgo., rrom t ciuio sent on east. The wire Is ipo ttch J to 1 1 p. in . and darlni tkJ u linen pounds out lu ... , i.. mm typewriter in fining uainJ MU Has His TroubU L. I). Hlr belongs it malic service, ll u tuiti rulatton manager, ssi Lu of tho thirteen Ness csrricJ he dots toe cotloctltic. Bv Lo'u Brnoi Reporter and Oortrlr nd Tho reporter ism ot thi that Lilly Dchnlltwrurusl ler Mnrlahbcll an solas their cousin In ths Poktiid try. Just a part t k j a day. After Ihst.ordesl thewl rlcdly writes ths notss of copy paper and dttksis street to Interview W. C who shipped out 8,00 frrsi last week. Hlio icenU ( And Incidentally (orU tho happiness of the Scliu family and their visit Ijiter the 'reporter si noiind out her copy for 1st comes to ths House ner in her notes, snd It k4 hieroglyphics. ' nut sfw thrmirh ths 1905 sirKl: nhona bonk and looklSI V n w... .1 The Ktamiu where she remembers nrtl Srhnllswerner doings sfl tains ths correct ipsluM name. Sighs! (Kdltonso women reporters slghl- Tli. .t.v I. .Atlt tO tbl rfn.k wllh Mivnrnl huodrsi ... a .( ths BdU mm fsuu i ii i u rv s has an antipathy for nrfi worth a "SO" head. Tl rnmna tn the HSOtVPi tin h. ant for ill I"""1 Innklns nt tvoe. Whs! H of Bchnitswerner. He in unriBiiiii, luu I.. . "m" hr fha "n" l ""A the early part of th ""; rci. I.K nn rltmSS tO ilia ull. " i ...j.. ti. nn Is WM17 manjr" hours under s slril a ..i i.. his ln " BI1U uvniucn - . reading proof on six wl . .- .u. ...liars 10 l"" iuguiB. worn '' Bchnltr.wernsr sisters are r a visit. And he siw ' j . ...a i. hr atl'W reporter laneu j spoil It correctly, snd M "I . .. ... i.i.n. In H Hcnmits warmer an old Pcnnsylronls Dt . . , mii.hnrf. no anew in i-ih-".- . This time it resrhes o" tvne operator who hss minutes bofore d'a 4,1 ..a .......wlit sfl(fC. cup oi niiui.." funny name, SchrnW War' ly something Is wrong, tompi 10 rocu.j I( by tho reporter, the edllo'. t raadtt otype man, pro"' sentence to ner sister And to bed ins pi- -.v. ..a of the ScMl" inai is iiiu , sisters, tholr vacation, scrlptlon to The Klamath W