Page History: Colville Examiner

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Page Revision: 2009/04/21 14:11

Table of Contents [Hide/Show] Title info    History    Essay Notes    Research    Digitization plan    Notes    Evaluation Reel    Evaluation Issues and pages    Evaluation    Totals

Title info¶

• Ayer Annual¹; ²
  • Publish day: Saturday
  • Content: Democratic
  • Established: 1907
  • Pages: 10; 8
  • Size: 9x12 in.; 15x22 in.
  • Editor: J.C. Harrigan
  • Publisher: Stevens County Publishing Co.; J.C. Harrigan
• Frequency: Weekly
• Coverage
  • Region: Northeast ³
  • County: Stevens
• Unique ids
  • LCCN: sn88085318
  • OCLC: 17365658
    

History¶

• Succeeding: Statesman-examiner, Colville (1948)
• Related to: Scimitar and Statesman-index, Colville
• WSL publish history chart: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/docs/iii/charts/statesmanexaminer.htm
  ===Essay Draft===
  In 1907 a group of Colville men, dissatisfied with the way that the democratic position was represented in other Stevens County newspapers, formed a corporation to produce a new paper. The original corporation members were: E.M. Heifner, J.A. Rockford, John B. Slater, L.C. Jesseph, C. A. Ledgerwood, J. G. Kulzer of Valley, and J.W. Dunlap of Loon Lake. The group contacted J. C. Harrigan of Spokane to edit the paper and authorized him to purchase a modern newspaper plant.
  

James Corneal Harrigan, editor of the Colville Examiner for forty years, was born in Toledo, IA in 1878. He had worked in the newspaper industry since he was a child. Upon completing his Ph. B at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Harrigan decided to move west. His first professional newspaper work took place in the Butte-Anaconda area of Montana. He later moved to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and was working for the Spokesman Review of Spokane, Washington before accepting the call to run the Colville Examiner.

The modern equipment was not immediately available, so the first issues of the Examiner were printed on a C&P 10x15 job press and stapled together with a borrowed stapler. In spite of this hardship, the Examiner soon proved to be a strong competitor for not only subscription income, but also lucrative county printing contracts. The introduction of a third newspaper in the small town of Colville was not welcomed by the competing papers (The Statesman-Index and the Reveille) and a lively banter soon sprung up in the editorial pages, documenting the fierce competition for survival between the papers.

The Statesman-Index was particularly incensed by the upstart paper. The editors began referring to Harrigan as "Red Top" on account of his red hair, purchased new lino-type equipment, and got the town council to declare the Statesman-Index the "official paper" of Colville. They also filed a successful lawsuit during that year, claiming that the Examiner had been unfairly awarded a government printing contract. The June, 12 1908 issue of the Stateman-Index features an original cartoon depicting "Red Top" attempting to raid the county treasury and the Stateman-Index, in Roman Soldier garb, piercing "Red Top" with an arrow of "Law."

Harrigan claims not to have been intimidated by this, and steadily worked to build the Examiner. He was not bothered by the moniker "Red Top," and one day "woke with the realization that Red Top was a complete name and not a nickname." The May 9, 1908 issue of the Examiner appeared with the paper's name printed in red ink at the top of the front page, with no explanation provided in the text of the paper. Readers were amused by the reference though, and Harrigan printed "Red Top" on his business cards and started signing his own editorials "Red Top." The Examiner staff was also fond of spreading outlandish rumors about Harrigan's history and character to Stateman-Index staff who, upon researching the claims, were dismayed to find that no scandal could be found in Harrigan's past.

The Examiner continued quite successfully, and Harrigan attributes part of that success to the office's location on Main Street which made it seem more respectable than the Statesman-Index, whose offices were approached from an alley. The Examiner's $1.50 per year subscription price was considered "exorbitant," but Harrigan made sure word went around that "the newspaper cost 50% more than the older papers because it contained 50% more news." In 1908 the new Cranston folio newspaper press run by water power was installed. The Statesman-Index was apparently involved in a ballot-printing scandal in 1910, which paved the way for the Examiner to acquire more county printing contracts. In 1910 the Statesman-Index was sold to Alonzo Doty and the banter between the two papers became more good-natured. Doty started the Colville News Bureau as a means of sharing news between the papers, and the newspapermen occasionally collaborated on large printing projects. The Statesman-Index would change ownership many times, but Harrigan stayed with the Examiner (taking full ownership of the paper in 1909) until 1948 when it was sold to Charles Graham and merged with its old competitor to form the Statesman Examiner.

The Examiner covered local news in Stevens County, Washington, which is noted for its silver mines and timber industry. (More here on content...

The Stevens County Historical Society has indexed this paper for births, deaths, and legal notices. They also have an obituary index for all local papers.

Essay Notes¶

• 75 Years of Colville Newspapers, By J.C. Harrigan, The Statesman Examiner 1960-10-21
  • Colville took shape as a town in 1882, dedicated on Feb 28 1883
  • 1885 rich silver strike at Old Dominion Mountain
  • Competition for county printing contracts/ 1910 ballot mixup scandal
  • Stateman Index refers to Harrigan as "Red Top". Original cartoon appears in June 12, 1908 Statesman Index depicting "Red Top" raiding the county treasury. Harrigan "woke up one day with the realization that Red Top was a complete name and not a nickname." May 9, 1908 issue of Colville Examiner: Newspaper's name appears in red ink at top of first page with no internal comment in paper. Harrigan beings printing the name "Red Top" on his business cards and signs editorials with the nickname.
  • First press was a "C&P 10x15 job press". Replaced in 1910 by Cranston folio newspaper press run by water power. in 1912 Examiner expandes, buys press used for Kettle Falls Scimitar.
  • Main street vs back alley offices
  • Alonzo Melville Doty buys Statesman Index in 1910. Starts Colville News Bureau. Sold paper in 1926
  • In 1912 Colville Examiner produces Colville Daily Bulletin, a free advertising sheet for motion picture houses, published 3 times per week.
    

• From Tales of the Pioneers, p. 82-83
  • James Corneal Harrigan, editor of Colville Examiner for 40 years, born in Toledo, IA July 18, 1878. Ph B(?) from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, at age 23. Moved west, worked for Montana papers, Seattle P-I, and Spokane Spokesman Review. Worked in newspaper industry from childhood through high school and college.
  • "In1907 a group of Colville men, dissatisfied with the way in which the two Colville newspapers were presenting the democratic cause, contacted Mr. Harrigan in Spokane and asked him to become the editor of the third paper in Colville...He agreed to accept the offer and boarded the SF&N for the 4 hour trip to Colville, arriving at the Colville depot on a hot, dusty July day."
  • Directors of the new democratic newspaper corporation were: EM Heifner, JA Rockford, John B Slater, LC Jesseph, CA Ledgerwood, JG Luzer of Valley, JW Dunlap of Loon Lake. These men named the paper and gave authority to Mr. Harrigan to order a modern newspaper plant.
  • First papers were produced on a small job press with pages stapled witha stapler "borrowed from Attorney H. Wade Bailey" in the basement of a building owned by Rusch and Allen on what is now "King Cole's Corner."
  • Newspaper not greeted cordially by competitors. "One editorial challenged the new paper and its backers to a scrap which would not be terminated until 'hell became a frozen lake'."
  • March 1908. Examiner moves to brick structure owned by Stenger and Thomas. New press run by water power was installed. The new paper prospered even at the "exorbitant price" of $1.50 per year. "The word went around that the newspaper cost 50% more than the older papers because it contained 50% more news."
  • Paper sold to Charles Graham in 1947
  • Harrigan was a member of several service organizations: President of Inland Empire Press Association, VP of Colville Chamber of Commerce, Asst. Exe. Clerk US Senate (1933-35), County Food Administrator in WWI, State delegate to democratic convention (1920), member of Modern Woodmen, Knights of Pythias, Royal Arch Mason, Royal and Select Master, Shriner, and Philatelic Society.
• "JC Harrigan took ownership and full control of Colville Examiner April 3, 1909" | From the Colville Examiner 76, April 10, 1909.
• Books by J.C. Harrigan:
  • Little Journeys Around Town
  • Recollections of Toledo 60 to 80 years ago (?)
    

Indexes

• The UW has an subject index of the Colville Examiner on Microfilm. This was originally a WPA project completed in 1940. It covers the Colville Examiner from 1908-1920. Some place names are also indexed. A1128
• The Stevens County Historical Society has also indexed this paper. They typically indexed for births, deaths, and legals. They also have an obituary file which covers these years.
  

Research¶

1. N.W. Ayer & Son's American newspaper annual-- 1909 -- 910
2. N.W. Ayer & Son's American newspaper annual and directory -- 1912 -- 965
3. NDNP Candidate Title List (Appendix A1.2)
4. Chronicling America record (LOC) - Colville Examiner
5. WorldCat record - Colville Examiner
6. WSL record - Colville Examiner
7. UW record - Colville Examiner
   

Digitization plan¶

2008-2009 grant

• WSL ordered duplication and testing of 1907-1922 (5 reels) from Proquest
• Received order 2008-12-01
  

Notes¶

Evaluation¶

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Reel¶

• Filmed by: Bell and Howell for WSU
• Positives held by: WSL
• Negatives held by: Proquest
• Holdings:
  • Location: WSL
  • Call Number: NEWSPAPER 44/468
  • Lib. has Oct. 31, 1907 - April 30, 1948
    

Evaluation¶

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Issues and pages¶

Evaluation¶

Totals¶

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