Allen Burke, the retired publisher of the Emmons County Record, asked me to volunteer at The Hunter Times on the Bonanzaville grounds where they always celebrate the 4th. This newspaper building was moved in from Hunter ND and now contains a number of presses where the printing business can be demonstrated. Yesterday was a hot one, but I was surprised at the size of the crowd that ignored the temperature.
I’ll need to start admitting to myself how old I’ve become because standing for several hours in a hot building started getting the best of me and I had to check out at 2:30. I thought this is the way they worked pre-air conditioning.
Allen, in retirement, spends time with the newspaper museum he has established in Braddock ND. He also partners with Dr. Suzzanne Kelley of the NDSU Press when she brings one of her classes to Braddock to annually publish a book on the old-time machines.
The newspaper business at one time was important and most any small community possessed a weekly made possible by the simplicity and portability of the first presses. One model of them was a Washington Hand Press which could be hauled on a wagon to some small town and set up to begin printing in short time. It is easy to lament to present state of journalism where the news is generally available only online or bloviating tv programs.
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