T. B. WOLFE

                THE FIFTH EDITOR

In the summer of 1893 the HERALD was in financial trouble and the parties who had been backing it wanted to quit and a meeting of parties interested was called and at this conference it was told the paper was not paying expenses; those that had been putting up the expenses declined longer to stand for it; an offer of $1400 from the republicans was what made the Populist leaders sit up and take notice and it was considered imperative that the paper be run in the interest of the Populist party and an editor with  some money was considered necessary to make things go. T. B. Wolfe was importuned to take charge but declined saying, "I'd be mobbed inside a month", after talking it over until after midnight I finally agreed to put up $400 and take a third interest with the privilege of owning the plant at the end of the year. This relieved the stringency for the time and on December 1st I took charge and it was a source of much speculation and comment about town as to how long I would last in the business. The foreman was a rank republican and got out my first issue wrong side out which I never knew until the other papers began guying me about it. My troubles were many and at one time I was ready to quit and say I was a failure, but about this time L. M. DeuPree, an old printer living in the west part of the county came down and talked the matter over with me and revived my drooping spirits and infused enough stamina into me that I determined to make it go or blow every dollar I was worth in the attempt. In a year or two the business began to improve, some good crops helped matters wonderfully and the paper began to prosper; my friends began to encourage me by calling and bragging on the paper; no one knows how hungry a fellow gets for a word of commendation occasionally, and I haven't a doubt but many a man has failed when he might have succeeded had his intimate friends only shown just a little interest in him and said so.

When I took charge of the paper about 700 copies were being printed, the second month cut off nearly 200 dead heads that had been accumulating on the list and I actually had only about 500 to start with, this has gradually increased until at present 1425 copies are printed each week. The paper owns its own home and its two owners have comfortable residences that are paid for and the HERALD PUBLISHING COMPANY'S draft has been sent to India at different times and was cashed without question in that far off country.

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