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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1896)
. , , BEE. PAGES 1 TO 5. PART 1 DAILY BEE.SIB ESTALLISIiLll .J t \ E 19. 1St 1. OIItIIa. FIiID.1I IIUL\ \ ( , , Jt \ E 19 , 1s9 G-T j T..X TY-FOrB PAGES. SIB GLE COPY FIVE CE\'I'S i FiVE YEARS N i QIIII. er QwitTU1 AnniverBASy &f tht h cif T Ere. GENESIS OF A GREAT NEWSPAPER V How L& : d Boeellattlr Os to Toned all f O lilsa Dally , PROGRESS TO i 1 S POTION OF INFLUENCE Guesser At ieved Despite Adrarae Oeaditoas and PC sistent Oppa tt ALWAYS A FIRM FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE Iaformnl Pnhlle Rcerptlon Tona ht in the Court of 1'he Ilrr Btiildlnu to All Suh.crlbrrs , Patronn and friends of The Bce. With yester'day's issue The Bee eom phtt9 the flat twectyflve rears , n1 Its ez it'.en e and now enters open the second g.arrr rtctury of { ts career , Founded J. a it 1 , it has grown irum a bttUe t r-page * lwet Into the magntdeent news- pc3er 01 today. it has worked nneeasingly fcr the and of the pee welfare progress pie c , flmaha "rid Nebr Eka. and bas shared the r fortunes and th 1r misiortnnes for twtat c-ire ? 'tars. It has advocated re- y i .Ian p. .nclrea and fouht the battles cf trve rerublicandsm. and cart look bae1 u , 0n a t wenty-9re , rears' career u1 'itch It has rean to be proud. The hstory of The Bee is ao bondd up and intertwined with the bhtor'y of Omaha. Ntlrasla and the great Cvet during the same period that to tell of the one is to tell of the other. It Is a bisto.y of pioneer 403t m the fi Id bt weste.'n journalism , The Bte hating almost from the nrst on an ] mamtriaed the reputation for leading inWtd of following. The Bee stands for ent.erlnse and , regress which are stamped upon rt-ery page of the story of its develop- . In rommemora ion of its--guarterr centen- nhai annversary , The Bee for today is a Epc ial illustrated souvenir number , de- votrd to the history and ach1evementa of the paper and Its founder. In additkm to the complete news o1 the day , it presents L\ eperial features which cannot fail to be \ zaterest.ng. entertaining and instratttre to its rnny Saithful friends and loyab readers. In further celebration of this memorable rable or , anon , the editor and founder of The Lee. Edward Roeewater , 'iii be at home to subeciber. patrhs and friends gemtraIiy frcm 5 until lO o cIo7k this even- lug n the beasttful : oourt of The Bee ) build n > . The Bee tniildin ; will be apectauy illuminated and decorated both exterior and interior. To this infernal general public reception a cordial inritn- tton is bere eztcnded to all renders of The Bee , zrth whom the editor will hope to renew - new and strengthen his personal acquaintance - ance and express his thanlx for past support - port and much appreeaated encouragement BIRTII OP TILE BCC. Founder Trll. the dory of How lie Cnmr to Cuter Jonrnull.in. How did you come to start The Bee' That quctlon has been fretucntly asked , but never before answered by me iaprint. In the winter of 1STO I held the position of manager of the Atlantic & Pacific Telegrapb r company. Omaha was then a town of about 1iCCC population , with two daily paper , the Omaha Terald and the Omaha Republican each representhg one of the two great poilU cal particE. The Republican was a prosperous - ous concern with a lucrattre party patronage but ita prprfetw , Major St. A. D. Baicombe was not a pratlcai newspaper man , and , air r though the republcan party was in the ascendant in Nebraska and growing stronger from year to year. the paper had been greatly distanced by its democratic cnmpetitor , ably ed'ted by Dr. George L. Miller. Among the rank and file of the republicans there was much dissatisfaction , and par y leaders who had cndearored to induce the owner of the Republicai to infuse more vitality into the paper finally decided to start a wideawake republican daily omens 1lajor Balrombe 'would sell his paper , or a controlling inter- tczt Ilis refusal to part 'with the property except at an exorbitant price left no other alternative than to establish a rival to the Republican. At that period , and for some years previous. I had been the telegraphic correspondent for the New York Herald , Chicago Tribune , fin , anatt Commercial and St Louis - vnwcrnt. now the Globe-Democrat iuring the six years ending in 15C9 , while trting as the local manager of the Western L nton Telegraph company , I had also been agent of the Associated presa , 11y practical experience as a telegrapher and news gath- e'er placed me in dose contact with the press and afforded me an excellent opportunity - nity for journalistic training. incidentally 1t is pertinent to state that I was an ardent republican trained in the abolition school , and had passed through the fiery ordeal of a Union man living in the heart of seceseton at the outbreak of the war , and participating In several campadgns with the union armies. CON1ECTION WITH OMAHA TRIBUNE. At the urgent request of a large number of prominent repuWicans , I rentrrod upon the task td organizing a stock company hating Sur its object the establishmeat of a Zest Y class republican daily. After three months of the hardest of hard worh I suoeeoded in securing ; 30OOC in subseriptions to the stock of the Tribune Printing company , ; ° , OOO of whicb was subscribed by myself. I had not the romotoat idea of ever buooming an editor or of tieuk ng any poaitisn in oenneotipn with the paper. ] 1y pion was to induce some man with a national reputation to come to Omaha and extabtieb a name tar it that ttuuld insure its gipr'emaey in this section. With this cod in viewI addressed ltdters to several of the use t noted editors o1 the country - try , and amour these wtre Horace Greeley Lad Eamuel Bow les. The avtopuph rusjwnse of Horace Grusley , whleh is presttt'ved bay me as a memeata of the greatest of American tditors docipherM into } lain English , rsads as rolows : NEW TORE TRIBCTI + E. NEW TGRE , ' IJrch 37 1CDear Sir : 1 have ywtws sk . the IEth uiat In my judgwaet Mr Steentn Ilrotirwsy of IVSUWswn , K Y. , would make sLrh n paper as you want He Is aide , Honest - est troll uaft.rmed and ten.petae lie was [ jr..irly edtor of thr Reformer at Hater t : rn at I bas brra utir of c r repubican canal czacssnrs k. , . he TCa tuuS4 pL'j. I yon stile hta , ask the P. M to forward In ease he Mv 1d be absent. Tours , I4ORACE GREfiLET. E. Rosewater. Esq. , Omaba. Neb. 9ana Fowles hed beet aeress the eotutheet only a Sew years previous and ltad described the cuualry in his greet wi rk , "Belrond the Mississtpplt " I endeavored to my kttter to Impress upon bt the adrantsge of Iocattug Is sae .f the iutare great cities of the west. Mr. Bowles made the following response : THE 11&PUIILICAN , QpRUtGFFfu , Mats Mareb 22. l -My Dear Str : Tsar sn7ptesRfoas [ are very flatteritag. I sboold like os many accounts is share in the up- buddies of a good journal at Omaha , bet I ferir tt is altogether out at the gsestioa. I am pretty stroogly authored bere. It I Is a rery dii&cnlt thing , nay , tmpesditite to Improvise either a journalist er a journal. I cannot at this inoment pet my thoogbt c.DtYV000rOD ; 0770'K/nt7ti.D00ntYJ7D / DD ' - - o Gerald was an Irishman by birth and had behl a Deuteoant's commission In the British - ish ar ny in India. He mss a poltebed writer and bed serred an apprenticeship with Willlam ( 'alien Bryant o the New Tork Post and With Horace Greeley on the New York Tribune. EXPERIENCE AS TEMPORART EDITOR. The ! kb dey of July dawned upon us bet Mr. Thomas had net reeebtd Omaha. The hIgb eoundtu ; preepsetes had set cterytiody tin tiptoe to see abet a swath the great New England editor a'euW cut , and a great dilemma confronted the board of directors A council of war was held sled my over to edit the japer in con3unetk a what ilarry Gerald until the arrival of Mr. Thomas was aeeepteL Promptly at Z p. m. en Monday. July 2. the Omaha'Dafly Tribune inede tm appearance. It was a handsome sbes in Its typographical male-up , in fact , too costly for a town of the else of Omaha. Fur a Iwbole week the sot n z . editorial columns ' filled by { m } seif stud Gor old , and do one ' Ifn Omaha had s diseorexett that the great MaeaII 5 followed by the lmpeaohment of Governor David Butler , In which 1 had taken the initittfre , bed a far resebtng lslaence. not only upon Nebraska p.stities but Omaha journalism. The asceedaecy to Fewer of the sntl-0rant. bolters' faelleL Islesed new life into the Tribune , wbieh had ' } that time aesrly swamped the men 'a be bed exa barked fa the venture. The ltspubllcan was enrrespondtngly weakensL In March , 1511. the Tribune changed from an , sterassn tea a morning daily , thoA foreleg the flgbUng which culminated in the eonsslidntien of the Tribune with the RepsHiean , under the name of the Tribune and Jiepabltcan. The cootrolltag interest In the mammoth con , owlidated , as the paper w as then called , was is the hands of the new senatorial dynasty. with C. E. Thomas as tditor tn-chief and 5t. . A. D. Bakombe as manager. The part I had taken in the impesebnwet of Gerernor Butler and my pronounced hostility to the man wlra had suddenly come tats power subjected me , very naturally , to constant attacks from the Tribune end Republican. Dr. Miller's herald was not very friendly , either. although it had expressed ; referenee for General Thayer as his own suceeasor is the senate , and had endorsed the course of the Douglas delegation in the legislature in Pset a and Greet Western Telegrapb coin- panfes and eoUld not fn the netare otthtsgs j tale an settee part in pnbfle agitation There was no way epee to exert lafluencr uicn the pubfe mind In support of the board of edaeattoe bill , except by circular letter , pamphlet or ps r. It so happened that Harry Gerald , wbo bed so ably aselsted me is editing the Tribune daring the first week of Its Career , was tbes foot-Ioese. My proposdtlos to btu to start a fly sheet for general distributiee Sa the business portion of the city and in the Omaha Aeadeuy of Music , then otcupl d by a theetrical eom- pany , aes cheerfully sfeeptsd by him. I made a personal en-as among my heal- flees frlemds end acouatntances for a few advertising cards , and arranged with Red- field Bros. . job printers , for the type and press work of the new daily On Monday morning , June 1. 11 , Harry I Gerald and myself stood over the forms { which mode up the new two-page paper , or rather theater program. At the bead of the first page , in large , tdack type , appeared peared "The Omaha Punchinello. " "What do you want to eaf it The Punehin-e le fort' " exclaimed Gerald. " " " sbCaid be' We "Oh , said 1 , "witat It can't call it the Gatette , the Commercial , the Chronicle or Intefligencer. It's only a brief aneouneemeet war made Is the first number : FIRST \'OT1CE TO THE Pt UV. "Attention is directed to the spechJ teie- graphle di q atcbse at The Omahae , otw { tataing the latest tnttillgence ap to the boor of going to Frees ThoroeEbly tom- I densed. the tedegropb news of The Bee wilt. it Is to be hoped , aSord some evidence , Is nddttio i is the other novelties , that the editor of this journal in detetmteed to de serve seecess to a hlthdto aatreddsn fleId of journalistic effort To the Omaba public. ever Irompt to recognise enterprise. is t'iua preseuted , free of cbarle , shat may , without - out esapceratlon , be exited the rsctI ei es Bence of diurnal hlstery. ' The "essenee. " so called. tsriessisted of two- thirds of a cortumn of telegraph from hose and foreign points , equal to o-third of a column of the present lire. The Bee became a four-se paper on the lid day of Judy , after prtnttag tws'lre num bers The four-page edition was 6z1" , with four columns to the page. On the 11th of Jule the paps : was still running Under the heading "H. Geralde , Edltor and Publisher , " and in the editorial oolumns appears the following - lowing paragraph : W e would fain direct e.ttontthn to the The pee , typical of industry and perset'tr- ante , has pTaduefly eniarped Its sphere of action , and we lisle will be able to t onUaoe to labor for and + vtth the people for many years yet. We bare no desire to flaunt our floc deflsnly to the tereese , altbouRb we here in an unequal and bitter contest with ompetiag rontempnrariss succeeded. not , withstanding their repealed pryttdlot sos of failure. Our circulation fn Omika + e today eyttel. If not larger than that of any news- pier In the city. and the people of Wis state are gradually but surely adrs ethg The Bee to the trout rank as the orattn of the p + eaple of Nebraska. Our patrons may rest assured that ae tbail Mare no ort to sbow 3aec'tkapy our appreciation of their enooaragemeat by aoswerring fidelity to prlnrirle and undsonted and rldormua ez plseure td eorruptlcu in pubtie places. Identified 2Mrsonelt wttfs Omea and Nc- braoka for the post vase years , hariag shared an her early mod continued struggtos , we shall continue in our egorts to advance our city and state on the bigh nod toward prosperity and drilsalion. In this we need the oe-operation of our friends. and if their past support Is a criterion we here no fears for the future We theiedure , luck forward rte to l5 : with calmness siad confidence. It ls , . 7 oD o : = : n = ' 707 D o o ocoao coocco ooo rr. ; oo o 11 , t t tw 'tpC . rC' Il' 1st , t C 1 I - _ - 1 ' ; DOe Oo " . . I ' ' OO D a. . " ! 4 O : tt l ( > 2 I e > wo i : _ I' a ) C- ; - z' I I r p ! _ I au a I i w w"mwnmmnro _ - -i { - ' ' i r I ' ' I t , i { . , l i rll I l. r ! eel HI ' = f ' t .c 11' : _ _ k - h t ° ' _ Rcl' . - - - - = ! - = R - cl'I o' ' Y I 1L J : ODODC DGGDOOapo4eDDS746'Oe , rlxro'.7Ca0 UtJ'L Od . 0 I- E - - - ? xxt.-d. . ' . - ' ' ' - } - s . .L " ' . yl - tl { Cn , ' , F ln - _ _ 1@C ; : : . = ; 0 D I .I I I h' - k , ' L i , h I - - - - - ° " . 0 l . . ' ' r - Mt ' ' . 'rttrrrr I _ - - - - - - - - - - s. c r : .a'- tom' t G -fhl. l 1 - I / r I f f _ f : 4- .1 r I b . . . .i - t'N' ( . - i L 0 g - , 1r i ljdr o o . I I - t J _ h - ' _ - - - - - - - fit O u . _ _ . \v 1II fl { - , 1. ,1 I , - , LNfOCT . - , . . - . , _ - C - 1896. . -U'Y p-r . - . _ a . . : , J ° "Ib III I I , r I D _ _ _ , u t1 0H H + " = T - 1'DOD70 C70D 700x:77 upon a man worthy of your consideration , but I may be able in a day or two to su- gest one fur you. What you should do is to buy out the present republican paper and then get better man into it. I advise this most earnestly It is a great deal better and easier than to undertake to oust a rival. I am , yours truly. SAM L l0 iWLES. ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETED. In April , IF7o , negotiations were entered into with Hon. Joseph Hall of Portland , Me. proprietor of the Monitor Printing company - pany , by which the job printing plant of the Mouitor company was acquired by the Omaha Tribune company. Mr. Hall had been secretary of state for the state of Maine and was reputed to be a man of good business capaoitj Ender the agree- meat made with him , the machinery and printing materials which were brought to Omaha were upon appraisal to be exchanged for Tribune company stock. In those days a job o See was considered an Indispensable - ble adjunct of every newspaper and our acquisition was considered most fortunate. Shortly after I had reccti'ed the letter from Samuel Bowles , declining to assume the udnarship of the new republican daily , an application far the positlon ' 'as received - ceived from Mr. C. B. Thomas , accompanied by a retnmmendatlon from Mr. Bowies , which endorsed Mr. Thomas as a polished writer and experienced journalist. Mr. Thomas hailed from Duxberry , Mass. , had received a oollegiate education , and for a number of years bad been editor of secrral New England papers , notably the Worcester spy. After oonsidtraWe vorresjandooce we engaged Mr. Tbozwue for the position of odrier-in chiet id the Omaha Tribunes In Juna , 1d7& the prospootus of the Triune was issued and the announcement wade that the paper 'wuid be publisbed evoty aftetvoaa , cmept Sundays , and its fist copy was to appear on Monday , July % . in due rime Mr. Joseph Hall , with his ManAar jah praattag pleat , landed In Omaha and were Installed in very aommodtous ttai i in what wat then the Ioost oentrai portion of the szity , on the west side tat Faiwioenth Wpaat near the oarnao1 Far , unm. Bj the saddle of July eeerythtag was ready to began pubUcntion of the Tribune About that time a literary gc' . t-y the name of iiav , ert'.d for"td irta + iuaha and was added to the uti ° or.al star. Harry a chusette editor had ; not yet arrived. It - Igoes without any- - tug that I felt de- 0Dn00'0r'c ' cidediy flattered by my first editorial experience Within thirty days from j the appearance of the Tribune it dawned upoa me that the puller was sure to be a great sink-bole. Its expenses had by far outrun its receipts , and its circulation was less four weeks after it had started than it had been on the fast day. As a member of the board o1 directors I requested information from the manager concerning its financial uondition , but be declined to go into details. My resignation from the board was thereupon tendered , and I was fortunate enough to induce other lnumbers to take my stuck without less The campaign of ls7d was intensely ez- citing , as it invoiced the election of a United States senator. The stalwart or Grant wing of the republican party was marshaled to the support of General Jahn M , Tbayer , who was then serving the last year o1 hie term. Thaler was a very popular - ular party leader , and in spite of the most bitter opposition succeeded in carrying the republican primanes and nominating a legislative - islative ticket pledged to his support. A rival legislative tiekt was put in the deld by the faction opposed to ! Thayer , and this bolters' ticket was supported vigorously by the Tribune With unparalleled imbeculty and pucilanimity , the Omaha Republican remained neutral in the light for fear of offending the leaders of the bolting anti- Thayer faction. The Tbarer stalwarts wore therefore oompeued to issue a campaign sheet , edited promisoucusdy , in several lan- guages. by a dozen attire repubheaus , in- ciuding myself. This campaign sbect was lasped from the job oSice of P.edlitdd & Bros. , where The Dee was subsequently ushered into life. The regular republican legislative ticket , on which 1 had aocopted a nomtnation for the lower house , was triuwpbaady elected , and I was thus launched into the j'lkical arena , In which 1 have Mnee played a mare or less oouajlcuaus part. The re-alerctiun of General Thayer to the United States senate would have been a death-Wow to the Tribune , let it was de- crt' d otherwise. A coalition of aU the , democrats with the anti-Grant kedspendunta , senstnted together by a large aasunt of boodle , resulted in the rwirumtii of Thayer and the triumph of the faction of repub- { renegades that had supported Andy Johnson and his Paltry IxPLUE1rE OF POLITIC : The cutcome of the senatarsi eleuon , voting for the impeachment and removal of Governor Butler , and in purging the state house of corruption. One of the measures in rich I had taken an active interest was the reorganization of the public schools o1 Cmahc. 4t that period the graded schools of O as were under the control of a common school board , elected in the primitive sebool house meet- ing. This board had a salaried treasta cr and secretary. There was also n board of regents of the Omaha High school. Chartered - tered by the territorial legislature , this body was entirely independent of the common school board. Its original design was to create an academy on the grounds occupied by the territorial capitol and to make it an exclusive. somewhat aristocratic , educational institution. When the bill came before the legislature authorizing the issue of bonds for the erection of the Omaha High school building I made the proposition that the board of high school regenfs should be consolidated - solidated with the eommoii school board , or that the board of regenla .assume the management - agement of all the aehools These proposl Lions were contemptuonsly rejected , as was also the proposition that tlr4irectors of the common schools ahould assume the management - ment of the high school cs well as of the graded schools. Thereupon I set to' work .to frame a bill for the creation of a board ci education for the city of Omaha This WU was modeled after the laws governing the boarda of education - cation in the cities of. Detroit. Cleveland and Cincinnati. It conferred upon an dice- tive board of odueati ° n the control and supervision of all the public schools , including - cluding the High school , and made the city treasurer 01 Omaha ex-officio treasurer of the board of education. This hop was pushed through the Irj ighture by me in spite of all opposition and remonstrance from the regents. The only concession I was fereod to make was that the raUfiea j tion of the act was to be submitted to the voters of the city of Omaha at the special election called for voting on the bonds for the erewtin of the High school. I had taken great pride In this measure and felt a deep interest in having my work endorsed - dorsed by the people. ) ether of the ox- toting Omaha dailies was disposed to favor the change. The Omaha Aepufdiean rigor- ouely opp0aod it. 1t ales became apparent that much of the opjasitiae w5a due to the tact that the auntru4 of the ; deUt UO to Ire expended on the High sdxwl building waste to pass out of the hands of the Board of P.egenu several of whom were prominent bank odicers THE BEE APPEARS , ; I was still manager tit the A.tlsnUc and little funnygrarn and I don't expect it ever to be a newspaper. I can't give it a political - ical name , either. Punchincilu is odd and suggestive of pun , wit , sarcasm. and my idea is to punch up some of the old fossils. " 'H'ell , ' eaad Gerald , "why not call it The Bee. That 'could also be suggestive. The Bee gives honey and it stings. It is alno an emblem of industry. After all this may become a newspaper and you might want to retain the name after it once is started. " "We will call it The Bee then , " said I. "It mutters very little to me anyhow- , because cause I don't expect to have much to do with It after the school bond election" Fo the heading of "Punchinello" was ( taken out and that of The Omaha Bee was inserted in its place. Another question presented itself : "Who's to be the rosponslble editor" " I did not want my name connected with the inaignid- cant sbeet , which would at best perish within a few UCeks and might subject mete to ridicule and contempt So we inserted at the bead of the editorial column on the second page , Barr } Gerald , editor and pro- prietor. E. RC EWATER GCNESIS OP T1lE BEE. Carly i true Ir fez' Estatcn-e and Sab- .rquent i uerras. The history of The Bee is a panorama of stirring events and thrilling incidents. It is the history of a mighty struggle against adverse - verse circumstances , formidable oppoaition , and obstacles which. during infancy , seemed almost insurmountable. It is a history of sears of ceaseless toil , crowned with popular approval and support. Its success Is not due to more accident or good luck , but is the re- suit of twenty-five years of bard labor and untiring exertion The Daily Bee made Its flrst appearance on the 19th of Jae is7L It was a two- page , lzli sheet , Zve columns to a page ind had the appearance of a theater le' ° - gram. In fact the program of the Academy of atusic filie $ all but two columns of the first page Five hundred copies were struck off at Redliold Br'others' job office , of 'which about ) OC were laid upon the seats at the Academy of Music , and the remainder were distributed free in the stores and hotels. The name of H. Geralde appeared at the head at the oulumn of paragraphs as editor and puWiaher. but the real puldlsbor and founder 'was Edward Rosewater , who was at that time manager of the Atlantic and Pa- dtie telegraph lanes and wtthbead his name to avoid disagreeable moorlety in ounnee- uon with what be then regarded as a von , ture that would nut survive sixty days. No prospectus was iasded , bkt the tuIlowhag communication of Hon. Edward Rosewater on the all important topic here-the High school question. The communication needs no eulogy at our hands. It speaks for it- self" Mr. Rosewater's contributions continued to take the form largely of signed communications - cations until July :7 , when the following announcement was given to the public : EDITOR DISCLOSES HIS IDENTITY. "The popular favor accorded The Omahn Bee as a gratuitous advertising medium and the general desire expressed by n large number of our citizens for its en- lergement as an evening journal warrant the hope of its future suafeess as a thoroughly - oughly fearless end independent exponent of public opinion. Mr. Harry Geralde will continue as editor-In-chief , assisted by gen- tlemcn of journalistic experience It will be the aim of the publisher , from the outset - set , to make The Bee a newspaper in the true meaning of the word. "EDWARD ROSEWATER , "Publisber and Proprietor. " On July f7 , Ix71 , a second enlargement took place , making The Bee four pages , JOz : 'O , of fire columns each twelve ems wide. The third enlargement came August S , 1511 , when it comprised four pages , l x4 inches , six columns to the page. The price of subscription was 1j cents per weal : , or IO cents per month. On September 1. , 16 1 , notice appeared as follows : "NOTICE-Mr. Robert Anderson Is no longer connected in any rapacity with this paper and no responsibilities incurred by him will be recognized by me. 'E. ROSEOiATER , Proprietor. " On September G of the same year The Wuekiy Bee was established , since grown to magnificent pernportiuns and encoring ape , dally to the intelligent farmers and labor- as , As marking the suwcssful eampfetfon of the first year , the youthful Bee indulged in these optimtatle redeotions taken from its editorial columns of December f 0 , l il , under the caption , "The Plrat Tear : " COMPLETION OF THE FIRST TRAP" "in closing a moot eventful year and entering - tering upon the rut unknown future , prag- slant no doubt with many changes to our city and state , ire device to erntoss our heartfelt apln colation of the sugart and triendshlp of the patrena of The Bea. It is especially gratifying to ass that our lode- pendant course in diaosaing fearlessly and hnjartiaily all gneat10AI of pubic lulu y has been rewarded by a constantly jog sobseriptaan list and advertising patron- age. Of Bumble and unprettxding origin we hope , to be an era of uolverual reform , of the downfall of intolerance and bigotry , of commercial progress and prosperity not only in Omaha and Nebraska , but in the whole union. " FIRST ILLUSTRATIONS. The first number of The Bee for 1ST : lied upon its front page a cartoon of a peaceable citizen gnln for his mall to the Omaha pcatofhce. It represented a man armed with about a dozen firearms , aererrl knives , a mountain howitzer drawn by an ironclad dog , and a revolver in his mouth. This wee the first pictorial newspaper work done in Omaha. On Monday , April Ili , 1S2 , C. B Thomas , who had severed his connection with the Tribune cud Republican as its editor , made a temporary engagement as assoriate editor of The Bee. This engagement terminated , however , a few- days after the establishment was destroyed by fire June 11 , 1F. On May 6 , IS : . The Bee was again enlarged - larged , this time to double its atze , and the publicatiun ofice removed to 1 + 10 ( old num- her ) Twelfth street , two doors south o1 the original office. The proprietor had purchased - chased a new dress of type , but the presswork ' work 'was done in the P.edfeld huflding on a Cincinnati drum cylinder press , operated by band. BURNED BY LNCEXDIARIES. Early on the morning of June 11 , 1E7 , The Bee offlee was deetroyed by the torch of en incendiary , end the first announce. meat of the fire was made by The Bee on the afternoon of the same day. The detailed - tailed account of how the fire was dlscov. erect and extinguished concluded with this reference to its origin and the parties tm plhcatad in the crime : "The fire was undoubtedly the work of an incendiary , as the Lames when first dts- corcred were breaking forth from the basement - ment and first story of The Bee offlee the rear , and 'ere running up the outsi3 of the buudiag an the south. There has been no fire in the buUdiag for nearly t month past. Prom these circumstances it was concluded by nearly everybody that h WILE the devilish work of an tnaend For venous reasons the anger of suspicion was almost unlveraaUy pointed to a Rolz art Anderson , who has bees employed S 5r same months paot as the bookkeeper of The Bce. last week he pet drunk and neglected his faitl0eas and was accordingly duaeharpeL To give the public notice tha ; he was no longer oouneeted with this ea. tsbhahmesut in any manner whatever , 1t iecsme I.ucussary to insert a notice to that of ect 1n the paper. This , of course greatly angered Anderson at The bee estabisshmcnt t il '