THE
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