Old Timers Who Helped to Make The Bee
3$
THOMAS J KIT'MOItltlS
A J KKNIIHICK
KIMVIN 0. IIAUDV
tnornlng papers, however, he liuil ut differ- Kuty nulled duwn the dollars thut rulltd
ont times bucIi rivals aH W 111 U. Vlsselier, lo nlelr cofferB from the energy of others.
I nr. maiT who i.i 1111. ues au cuter
I, pilau aim uiiuiiB u Hum aituney Hy Edwnrds, W. J. Cuddy, Homer SUill, Thesu uruvud nn unfulllug subject for ex-
JJ in lubUBl inuiiiiui.il rightly is ut- Sam Donnelly, Will Kent, Fred It. Ollea and ,,url dissection when the usual actlvltlis
eoiutu tlie eienii and the honors othora, and tho writer can alllrm from per- t()0k u day ,,11. Mr. Annlu was first iti
thal wail upon biicccs. in thu pun- 8onai knowlodgo that ho wus frcuciitly uiututl Into tho mystorlea of editorial and
lie oyu Ho is tho cuiuui nguru in me complimented by having his nows trans- aelasorB work. It was Ulto a task to
undertaking, tlie master mum ulruetlug Us frrod In part or bodily to the columns of "catch on" to tho "old inau's style," as the
uiiuiib, icBpunsimu lor us euiiuuel and ob- mornlng contomporarleB. Early In 187'J tho ,oys say, uud muuy u weary day's toll In
ligations. Una Is purtlcuhuly true of tho Cnnkor of political ambition took root In thu gluss cage, which then served us tho
man who Is both editor unu puolislier of u Soronson'B mind and duvulnped Into a race editorial den, reposed peacefully In tho
newspaper, llo formulates mo plana uud for 0,co Jn tnu flln uf ti,at yt.lu., Ti,u ro. WUHlo Uilskol whl.u lUu Hhadea of ovenlng
directs tlio policy of tlie paper und his publican county convention tendered him foil. Time uud putleuco, however, made
personality Is inseparably luentlllcd with tuo nominatlon for clerk of tho district amends. Mr. Annlu was quick of mind and
its growth und prosperity. Success, how- court( position particularly Invltlug from eye, possessed u copious vocabulary, a rlpo
over, is not wiouglil wholly ny tno leapuu- a flnancla pont of view. Ills opponent wns imagination und soon mastered not only
slblu manager. 11 la rather the worn of w jjanl8i ijams won tho olllcu nnd Sor- tho policy und stylo of The llee, but tho
uiuny minds and willing bunds directed in ung(m tno oxpcrunco, tho details of which, caustic phrnsiulogy of tho editui-ln-chlel.
u common groove. Ihu commander of an wrlUon by hm8uif( covered nearly two col- In local nowa rustling, an ussignmeut ho
armyorthocuptulnot u battleship doea not unU8 of Th(J uo of Novombcr 6 1879, Soon ,rL.(,la.nlly covered, ho was even more suc
woik out alt tho plana of battle or do uil nflor dcfcat Mr 8orc8on u(t Tno Dco Cesaful, for In that held his Imagination and
tho lighting, llu caunot rely wholly on or ft dusk on tno HCptlbllCnn. Ho did not diction hud fretr rein, and many a weird
his own strength and energies, no directs llm, tnL,ro tU(J constituency ho had grown sensation enlivened tho routine Items of u
tho forces at his command and his success up w,th LUoraMy Uo wrot(J ,ur ..umpty day.B ruUi Mr Auulu rumalUL,d wlth Tho
depends, not only on tho plans of battle, bl,ncn0B and ns B0OI1 as opportunlty offered Ueo until culled to Washington us prlvato
but ulso upon the loyalty, Hie cour.igu, ill- rolurncd to Tuo Ueo and noId tll0 reBponsl- aocretury to Senutor l'addock. Now he Is
lulllgencu and lighting strenglli ot llio l)0a,U()Il of manaKg dUor until tho comfortubly (luartered, lllllng tho position
men hehliid tho guns. spring of 1888, when ho uccoptod a llko posl- of chief of tho western division of tho rural
It is lilting on tills oecus on to giuueo U(jn on U)o 0maha joraid. A yoar latcr no iall aervlce, with heudiiuurters at Denver.
uucnmuu UllU lutuil mu "uliiuv v.. w.u .ll., .,.! ... . 1 I Ulll II If I.., III..- f rri.
ntiD iuui-iuu.u uiiu iui lou ,min nuinuu uu . ... .ivi.i. uvvituii; .njt luuui U4 A uu
ind held thu position ulmost
for live years. Kent was a
proprietor of tho Omaha Weekly remarkable nowsgatherer, as well as a
Kxumlnur. rupid, entertaining writer. His capacity for
Willis Sweet waa a member of Tho Iloo work was enormous nod his prolific pen was
start In tho mlddlo '70b, both ua edl- alwaya equal to tho space available, llo
torlal writer and correspondent. During hud tho raru tact of making a favorablo Itn-
tho senatorial rampnlgn of 1S7C-7 ho presslou on llrst acquaintance, and this fnc-
diBtlnguished hlinsulf na a corra- ulty, coupled with u studied policy of dis-
apondent and hla lutters from Lin- penalng Bugar In print, made him u host of
the pencils who worked o. Francisco Pa- Ueo In 18b0 an
... ... ' , editor nnd proprietor of tho Omaha Weekly remarkable nui
men behind tho pencils who worked for
and fought
and Its boyh
Ua early homo on lower Karnam street.
lu that period of lime, about seventeen
yearn, Thu Ueo fought tho hurdesl buttles
ut its career und llkuwlsu uchluvud muuy
notublo triumphs, Fui tho llrst seven
yuuru tho modest Btalf couslBled of two
men tho editor-in-chief and tho city
editor, lu 187U an ussoclato editor was lu
stalled. Two years
morning and i veiling editions weru Inaugu-
luter Independent t(1"' c"v,'rl,K tno progress of the senu- friends who assisted him substantially In
torlnl contest which resulted In tho eloctlon catching tho elusive Hem. When tho morn-
"ZrnZvMit unct tho lt Alvln Saunders to tho United lug edition of The l.ee , was started twenty
to two. tho luxury of u telegruph editor "' "h" " "ii'"riunuy
waa Indulged lu uud In the full of that year ,0 8 8 lco; M?r Mp' fWM to ut ln ,ractli:o 1111 "r ll"-'or' ot
un exchange editor waa Installed. Year by fl wed the tide of Immigration westward Tlle ,.,. ,,,, K1IU.
.. . ... ,r,.Ui,..r mi,! '""1 settled In Idaho. When tho territory
....... .1... ...i..... ....Ml Imiitil In nriiMlinr uud
expand and at the time of removal to Its boenmo a Btato Mr. Sweet was honored with
i,.m..i i, Hi,.ff Ini.l umwn Bl,ftt I" congress.
to metropolitan proportions, with a mail
aging editor, two ussoclato editors, two city
I'lrnt AxKiiclati- Killlor.
Kent argued that If a man remained
aw uko say twenty out of the twenty-four
hours at work or play, or both, ho would In
llfty years havo lived as long ns tho man of
lu tii who slept tho regular number ot hours.
WMltiim K. Annlu fiilnii tn Thn lliwi
editors, night editor, exchungo editor und iS79 ,, liad Krdui,t,,,j from i.r,1Cotou n Kor muny months ho did the ontlro local
about half u dozen reporters. Bright, ac- fuw Inontis before, tho lntervenlnc tlmo bo- work on both mornl 111? mill nvitlllm oflltlimo
tlvu, pugnacious young men. full of life, (? Bpolt wUh co)0KO Xp,,,it n tho snutehlng Bleep nt off momentB or stretch
vigor and umblllon, loving a light us f0(t()U fll,(,H of Wyomlng. Tho latter ex- lng on his desk nfter tho night's work was
heartily uu their chief und as eager for u pt,rloncu ,,rovl!d particularly useful In done. On one notable oecaaiou his plan of
acoop au a hunter for big game. Iheio reaching tho emlnenco he attained In Bleeping enabled him to Hcoro ono ot the
were uo uronea in me ime, uu y - ()manil jourlmIlsmi Tm.ro W(lK lt,n ng ow grcatt.8t "scoops" ln the annals ot Omaha
(Ulto a bunch of animated fossils In town Journalism. Kent was curled up on his
who tolled not, nor would they lend n holp- desk In tho frame annex to the old Deo
lug hand to public enterprise, but dill- building
wub no room for them. At ull times hd
ward ltosowuter wns the mentor and motive
power ot tho establishment. Ho was al
ways on the go. His energy and capacity
for work hi eiued without limit nnd his
exnmplo was a stimulus for every ono lu the
shop to keep moving. Hustle never had
a truur exponent. Nucesslty was a hard
taskmaster then, but even now, long after
necesslly bus taken Might, the samo Irre
presHible spirit, slightly toned down, re
uialua and permeates overy department uf
thu paper.
HoNlcr or VFtt'riiim.
Taking them In thu order ot their eonnec
Hon with tho paper, tho men who helped
to in.iku Tho Ileo and Impressed their lu
dlviduullty on Its eulumus are Alfred Sor
ensoii, Willis Sweet. W. U. Anuln, Will H
Kent, A. J. Keiidrlek, Kdwln V. Hardy and
James 1). llayues. Nut moru than two ut
thorn worked on The Ueo at tho samo time
fur tho talf waa very limited lu tho early
days. Three ot the number uru still real
dents ut Oiiiuhu uud ono continues a mem
bur of the stuff. Two havo become publish
ers; ono lb In thu postal service; one Is lost
In thu vast oeeuu ot humanity.
Alfred Soreuson hold u "ease" on The
Ueo In the fall of 1S71 and graduated from
that post to the reporturlal staff. The
'stuff" in those days, from '71 to '711, never
exceeded n pair the editor and proprietor
nnd thu city editor. Mr. Sorenson tilled the
latter position for eight years nnd made n
splendid reputation as a rustler for uowb
Tho tusk of covering tho news Hold made
largo drafts on leg power, and ns Mr. Sur
ensoii was well equipped In that respect he
experienced little dllllculty lu distancing his
rivals In tho race for the Joyous "scoop."
Ho was equally rapid lu turning lu copy
Possessing thu two necessary talents for
reporturlal work In those days, ho buc
ceeded In making the local pages ot The
Ueu tho best In tho city. Ho had uo last
ing rivals lu thu evening field. On tho two
The forms for the morning rdl-
IIKNKY A HASKHI.l..
Hon hud Just gone to press, when word was
brought to the olllco of thu llndlug of the
body of u murdered mun lu tho postolllce
building. Kent wus uwukonod and hurried
to the bcene. llefore dawn of that Novem
ber morning tho second edltluu of Tho Ueu
uppeured with the llrst account of the tragic
death of Watson U. Smith. Hut tho physical
man rebelled aguinst tho pace, as Kent soon
discovered. Ho burned tho caudle at both
ends, lust thu necessary strength for steady
work and became a Journalistic wanderer
ln thu west.
One uf the old reliables of Tho Ueo local
stall' was Andrew J. Kemlrick, who served
as city editor from lhbl to 1S87. These
years embraced the boom era and there was
news to burn. Tho local stall had grown In
numbers, but there was an abundance of
work tor all. I.Ike hla predecessors Kcnd
lick had tho energy nnd ambition ot young
manhood ns well ua the "uoso for news,"
supplemented with greater self-restraint
and steadiness of purpose. While bis asso
ciates on rival papers blew oil steam on
the slightest provocation Kendrick screwed
down thu safety vulvo uud kept tho pressure
nearly oven. Ho maintained n steady-going
pace on his dally rounds, exercised good
Judgment and accurately gauged tho value
ot current news. A vein of quiet humor oc
casionally enlivened his recitals and wus
particularly noticeable lu his headlines. One
lustuuco Is recalled in which a famous dry
goods merchant figured exclusively ln a
two-column uutlcc. Tho merchant prince
was au extcuslvu advertiser, using printer's
ink lavishly, besides orchestras und brass
bands. Kcndrlck's headline introduction to
the morchnut prince's departure between
days simply announced "Smith's Special
Sail," and thedollcato hint It conveyed spread
u smllo over town. After leaving Omaha In
1SS7 Mr. Kendrick seemed a responsible po
sition on thu Chicago News, which he held
for several years. About eight years ago
ho settled in Kort Smith, Ark., and btancd
tho News-Hecord, a dally publication.
There as elsewhere ho has earned success,
having built up a good newspaper properly
and acquired a moderate competency.
The .Mini I rum CI vvfliiiitl.
The growth of The llee had renched such
proportions by 1SSC that n second associate
editor was employed. ICdwiu C. Hardy was
given the desk. "Tho Major," as ho is fa
miliarly called, Is a Cleveland product,
having ndvnnced from tho prluter'a caso to
thu top round through nil departments of
newspaper work. 1'ew men in tho harness
In Omaha have had such wide experience In
I'HKSSKS THAT 1'ltINT THK HUB
l'KKUY S HKATIl
the profession. Whllu setting typo In Cluve
laud during thu war he conceived the idea
of u commercial review for the market
pago of thu Cleveland Leader. Kiuanclal
and commercial problems were ut that time
seriously perplexing tho business world. Mr.
Hardy's idea was welcomed by thu pub
lisher and hu wus given the ussignmeut.
Krum a meager beginning it became ono
ot tho most Important features of tho paper.
In developing It Mr. Hardy studied nut only
tho practical side of llnuncu and commerce,
hut reud und reread ull standard publica
tions, uud to this systematic training he
owes his thorough knowledge of both sub
jects, which bus been abundantly shown lu
tho editorial columns ot The Ueo during
recent presidential campaigns. His experi
ence runs thu gamut of dramatic criticisms
and descriptive writing, from speeches fur
congressmen to toast responses and ho has
been known to "wrlto up" a prlzo tight ns
cntertuluingly as he thunders about thu
grand old party. Mr. Hardy is tho oldest
member of The Ueo editorial staff and holds
tho record for continuous service.
Many other names of men who wcro on
The Beo staff for briefer periods servo to
recall tho frequent changes that took place
on tho press ot Omaha ln tho early days.
Kred It. Giles, a brilliant, errutlc genius,
drifted from ono paper to another ua reg
ularly as tho seasons. Ho struck tho pacu
that kills and long siucu Joined tho ma
jority. Frank Allen was another hot hoy
who rustled news for Tho Ueo, subsequently
became press agent for Loyal L. Smith, the
merchant prince, and was lost to sight ln
tho confusion following Smith's abrupt de
parture. "Gabe" Hunkles, ouo of tho veteran
printers of Omaha, frequently shook the
caso for tho telegraph desk, but ns n steady
Job preferred the independence of tho stick
nnd rule. Ho Is a modern edition ot Old
I'lod, and can dig up more errors In u
proofshect than nny ninu lu tho harness.
Ho has been with The Ueo so long Hint
mention of dates would shatter his dreams
of perennial youth. lMward A. O'Urien
flitted about Tho Ueo for several years,
settled on the stnff ns city editor in 18SS
and held on for four years. Ho Is nt pres
ent on the Oakland (Cal.) Tribune.
Thu roster of Ueo veterans Is not an ex
tensive one. Thu times did not call for
numbers, hut fur many qualities lu one.
Thu upbuilding of Thu Ueo, to which they
contributed, wna a continuous battle
ngalnst open nnd unseen foes, powerful
competitors and limited resources. Meager
as thu squad was, tho members wcro loyal
to tho core nnd wolcomed n scrap as
heartily as a squuro meal. It did not
mnko much dilTurcnco whether tho paper
provoked n light or ono dropped In for exor
cise, thu staff was always ln nn accommo
dating mood and never turned down the
Invitation of nn anxious rival or political
clique.
Old mill .lmv Condition,,.
It Is frequently nsserlcd that tho news
paper men of tho days under review did a
much greater nmotint of work In u given
lime than Is required of men In llko posl
Uons today. Tho conditions aro so differ
ent that a fair comparison cannot be made.
In tho early days local men enjoyed the
groatost freedom of expression. Kaoh re
porter covered the town for his paper, but
thu news nrea was limited nnd the task
was largely ono of muscle. Kaeh was
Identified a tho public mind with 111
product of his pen, personnlly receiving
credit for hU work, and Innumerable favor
from friendly admirers. Next to the pub
lisher, the city editor was. to uho an ex
pressive nlirase, "a lnrge toad lu n small
puddle." Public ncrlaim wns n constant
stimulant nnd tho absence of the restraints
f thu blue pencil nrcounls for tho greater
amount of space filled In the local
columns of twenty or more years ago. Now
the city work Is divided up and men as
signed to the several divisions. Oc
casionally a reporter who Is a specialist
In his department becomes identified with
his work In the public mind, but ns n
general rule thnt Identity Is restricted nnd
"holly lacks tho cnpltnl "I" which dis
tinguished the enrly days. Greater nreu
racy u required. Imagination Is hold In
cheek and editorial observations nro rigidly
excluded from news nintter. In hours of
mbor nnd quality of work tho city men
today fairly rival their predecessors, but
tho honors nnd emoluments of long ngo
perished with tho years thny nourished In
THOMAS J. riTZMOIUtlS.
