The Frostburg spirit., September 11, 1913, Image 10

About The Frostburg spirit. (Frostburg, Md.) 1913-1915

Image provided by: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

                
SALUTATORY.
(Continued from first page)
the leading citizens and businessmen
of that town, where most of my life
has been spent.
After doing a thriving business
there for a number of years and
serving that community as postmaster
for eight years, I sold my newspaper,
the Somerset County Star, and went
to Windber, Pa., November 29, 1909,
where I purchased The Windber Era,
which paper under my management
did the largest advertising business,
and doubtless the largest job printing
business of any weekly newspaper in
Pennsylvania. While a resident of
Windber I also served one term as one
of the clerks of the Pennsylvania
Senate, which position I was also
appointed to and filled during the last
session of that body.
On April 1, 1912, I sold The Windber
Era, and in July of the same year
moved to Meyersdale, Pa., where I
purchased a half interest in The
Meyersdale Republican. At the end
of the same year I sold my interest in
that paper to my brother, W. S. Eiven
good, who is now the sole owner of
that prosperous model rural journal,
which has a circulation of nearly 3,000
copies weekly, although published in
a town not more than half as large as
Prostburg, and which also supports
another newspaper.
I pulled off one other little newspa
per stunt in 1895, when I was sum
moned to Somerset, Pa., to get out a
souvenir centennial edition of the
Somerset Vedette, during the centen
nial celebration in Somerset county.
The paper was largely of a historic
nature and a boomer of the big cele
bration. It made a great hit and was
a great financial success. That sums
up my newspaper career to date, and
I am pleased to state that in each field
where I have labored in my chosen
profession I have been more than
ordinarily successful.
What Shall the Harvest be in
Frostburg?
When I purchased the Mining Jour
nal property, last May, and word went
out that I would soon succeed The
Journal with a paper bearing a differ
ent name, but practically a continua
tion of the old publication under dif
ferent policies, all sorts of predictions
were made and opinions expressed on
the outcome, by various individuals
and newspapers in different commun
ities. Some said I undoubtedly made
a good purchase, while others freely
predicted that I was about to locate
in the poorest newspaper town in the
universe. The Somerset Democrat
expressed itself this way about my
venture:
“Pete Eivengood has purchased the
plant of the defunct Mining Journal
at Frostbu’g, Md., and will try to run
a paper there. Frostburg is known
as the newspaper graveyard, fourteen
attempts hiving been made to publish
weekly papers in that town, with dis-
aI-Tlui3TCAui us't.o'C:ios l. WnO attemj-keu
it.”
Che of the Cumberland newspapers
\ also slopped over and said a whole lot
/ of things about the purchase of the
Journal plant—things that go a long
way toward making the outside world
* believe that Frostburg is a community
of mossbacks, illiterates, tight-wads
and people utterly devoid of public
spirit and local pride. It declared that
Frostburg never was a newspaper
town, and added that it never will be.
However, after hearing from some of
the Frostburg people who took excep
tions to the insult and slur upon this
community, the offending Cumberland
paper made a very clumsy attempt a
few days later to smooth over its
blunder and heal the sore spots.
Much injustice, I believe, has been
done to Frostburg by outside papers
declaring that this town of 8,000 peo
ple is too antiquated to support a
newspaper and insisting that no one
ever made a success in the news
paper business here. The assertions
made are not altogether true, for it is
a fact that J. B. Oder, founder of the
Mining Journal, published that paper
successfully for a period of 39 years,
met faithfully his obligations, I am
told, lived comfortably, etc. Then,
after reaching an age greater than
that at which most people retire from
business, Mr. Oder consolidated his
plant with that of Cook & Rodda, suc
cessful job printers, and a corporation
consisting of twenty-two members was
formed to carry on a publishing and
job printing business.
The venture was not successful,
owing to the fact that too many peo
ple were interested in the business
for all to get satisfactory returns from
it, dissensions arose, the paper sus
pended, but with its credit good and
not involved in debt, and the plant
and business disposed of to the
present owner.
Abiding Faith in My Native State
and County.
I have abiding faith in my native
state and county, even though both
are hampered with some very bad laws.
If it were not so, Iwould not be here,
for I know of many much smaller
towns than Frostburg, over in Penn
sylvania, that have newspapers doing
the finest kind of a business, where I
could have made purchases highly
satisfactory to myself in this lifie of
business. I came here, sized up the
situation and it looked good to me. I
am favorably impressed with the ex
treme sociability of the people, their
assurances of support, the resources
of the community, and many other
things that ought to make for news
paper success.
I know, of course, that fried pi
geons and roast ducks are not hang
ing around on the shade trees here.
Neither are they anywhere else. I
know that the running of a newspaper
means hard work, long hours, many
sleepless nights. It is an incessant
grind, and like a woman’s work, is
never done, no matter where the news-
paper is located. But lam not afraid
of work. Why, I could lie down and
sleep alongside of work, so little do I
fear it ! But I’m too busy all the time
to think of such a daring act. I’ve
got to hustle for a living to provide for
that Rooseveltian family of mine, and
don’t you think for a moment that it
doesn’t take money and energy and
scheming.
Well, I’m going to do all in my
power to give Frostburg a good, clean,
newsy paper. I’m not quite as young
as I used to be, and work is beginning
to go harder with me each year.
Nevertheless, I believe there is lots of
goood hard fighting in me yet for this
fierce old battle of life, with the cost
of living mounting higher and higher
each year. I believe that if I do my
best, the best I know how, in my new
field of labor, that this big, hustling,
bustling community is not going to let
me fail in business or want for the or
dinary comforts of life.
It fcs simply unthinkable that a town
as big as this can’t or won’t support a
newspaper of its own. Really, what
individuality has a town without a
newspaper published within its bor
ders. ? Can Frostburg afford to have
the finger of scorn pointed at it by
Eonaconing, Meyersdale, Salisbury,
Oakland and other much smaller towns
around it for not having a newspaper ?
No, verily no ! A town as big as this
that can’t or won’t support a newspa
per of its own, ought to be ashamed
to be on the map of its state or coun
try, and it ought to have a wall built
around it so thick that a million tons
of dynamite couldn’t make a dent in
it, and thus be securely sealed up and
isolated from the rest of the world.
If what outside newspapers and
people have been saying of Frost
burg is true, then I am doomed to fail
here, and fail at a time of life when
failure usually means not only finan
cial loss, but dead hopes and a pre
mature grave. But I pin my faith to
Frostburg, and as I have said be
fore, only an actual demonstration of
the dire predictions of outside croak
ers can convince me that I have re
turned to my native state only to fail
after succeeding admirably in every
other field where I have engaged in
the newspaper business.
Policies of The Frostburg Spirit
Outlined.
In speaking on this topic, let it be
understood that I came to this town
free and unhampered. I came here
without being under any financial,
political or any other obligation to any
person in this town. Nobody.had any
strings on me then, and nobody has
any on me now. lam not in a posi
tion where I have to grind anybody’s
ax, political, financial or otherwise.
I am my own master, and I propose to
remain so as long as I am in the news
paper business. I have never been in
any other position as a newspaper
publisher and editor. I have always
owned myself and spoken my own
honest sentiments. My motto; is
“equal justice to all and special favors
to none.” That does not mean, of
course, that I will not do a good turn
for a good turn,, but when there is an
exchange of favors with me, the ex
change must be honorable and on the
square. 1 v
I take men as I find them, and I ac
cord to others the same freedom of
conscience and the same rights that I
expect them to accord me. I care not
what your brand of religion is, wheth
er you are a Protestant, Catholic,
Marmon, Turk, Jew orGentile. I care
not in whose sanctuary, synagogue,
temple, cathedral or joss house' you
worship, or fail to worship. All those
things are matters for you to settle
between yourself and your conscience,
if you possess a conscience, which
many people apparently do not, and.
some, too, who make the loudest pro
fessions of piety. If I find you hon
est, tolerant of the rights of others
and on the square generally, I will re
spect you, and if I do not find you
that way, I can have no respect for
you. What you profess, cuts no figure
with me; but what you do, does.
I shall endeavor to be fair in all
discussions pertaining to men and
measurers that properly come up for
public comment. I shall call a spade
a spade, when it becomes necessary,
as it sometimes does to be plain and
vigorous in disscussing a topic. I
am no mollycoddle, and I’m not afraid
to go after the biggest game that ever
walked on two legs when I feel that it
is in order. I know how to go after
a crook of the upper crust as well as
after a crook of the lower crust, and
if you think I don’t, you’re entitled to
another think. And I’ll go after one
as readily as the other when occassion
requires it.
The Spirit Republican in Politics.
All men have political convictions,
and I have mine. lam a Republican
believe in the principles of the Re
publican party, and feel it my duty,
as a citizen of this great nation, to ad
vocate my party principles. , I do not
claim that the leaders of the Republi
can party or the men it has elected to
office have always done the best for
our country, but I do claim and firmly
believe that it has the best record of
honorable achievement of any party
in this country. And I believe that it
will come back stronger and better
than ever in a few years. However,
I recognize that there are good men
in all parties, just as there are good
men in all churches, and I shall strive
to give credit wherever credit is due,
and to condemn wherever condem
nation seems to be justiable and in or
der. But, I am a Rupublican, and
independent enough to advocate the
party principles that I believe in in
stead of trying to straddle, pose as
non-partisan and then let my politi
cal sentiments crop out during every
political campaign and be just as par
tisan as anybody else, as the editors
of these professing non-partisan and j
independent newspapers invariably
do.
Co-operation Asked from All Loyal
Frostburgers.
And now, friends, the success I
achieve in building up a good, strong
newspaper in Frostburg depends
largely on you. With your hearty
co-operation I will succeed; without it
I can only fail. lam starting out un
der fairly favorable prospects. Al
ready I have added a large number of
new subscribers to the old subscrip
tion list purchased and taken over
from the Mining Journal, and the list
is growing right along. But I want
all good and loyal Frostburgers to
help to swell it.
Sample copies of this issue will be
distributed all over town at my own
expense, and all those on my subscrip
tion list will also receive papers
through the mail. This means that
many of you will get an extra copy,
which I trust you will mail to some ab
sent friend who might be induced to
subscribe. In that way you can help
me with litfcle trouble to yourself, and
I appeal to you to be kind enough to
do this, as it will be boosting your
home paper and the town in which
you live. Also, please give me your
own subscription, if you are not al
ready on the list, or subscribe for some
friend. One loyal Frostburger has al
ready subscribed and paid for five
subscriptions besides his own, for a
full year. That’s the way to show
your loyalty to your home town, and
it is spending money wisely to boom
the circulation of your home paper.
Read the Advertising and Subscrip
tion Rates and Terms Carefully.
These you will find at the top of the
first column on the 4th page. They
are as low as I am able to make them
under present prices of blank paper
and other material entering into the
production of a newspaper. To
charge less would be to invite busi
ness failure at an early date.
No money is made on subscriptions
at best, but Ido want to break even,
at least, on that branch of the busi
ness. To make a newspaper pay, it
takes lots of advertising and job print
ing patronage, and if you are in busi
ness, kindly insert an. advertisement
in your home paper, as that will pay
you as well as me. Advertise regular
ly and judiciously, and ycrti Will get
good results. And don’t fail to bring
your orders for job printing to The
Spirit office, where we have every fa
cility to serve you well in that line
and at reasonable prices.
Call at the new Hohing, Spier, and
Eapp block, on Mechanic street, and
inspect our nifty and up-to-date priut
ery."' You’ll agree that Frostburg
never before had such a well equipp
ed printing house, and I think you
will be as proud of it as I am. But do
not expect too much of me in the out
start. Remember that I must have j
time to get acquainted with the peo- j
ole and get the run of thing=i genera)-!
ly in and about the town and vicinity, j
Ever since purchasing the. Journal
plant I have been so busy getting
things in shape to move into our pres
ent quarters, that I scarcely had time
to read a daily paper, eat, sleep or
think along many lines. The moving
of the plant was a hard and dirty job
and I am sore and stiff yet from the
heavy lifting it required. Then, too,
I had my household effects to move
from Meyersdale and the home to put in
order. Oh, it was a picnic at moving
I had, for sure, and it reduced my
avoirdupois from 192 to 170 pounds.
That’s training down some for the
fray, isn’t it? And it cost money, too,
great gobbs of it, and I have’nt got
much left.
Therefore, lastly, but most import
ant of all, cash up on your subscrip
tions and do not expect me to carry
your accounts long. And whenever
you find a bill in your possession from
The Frostburg Spirit, remember that
it is due when presented, and that in
no case am I willing to wait longer
than 30 days for payment, as I must
pay my help at the end of each week
and other bills at the end of each month.
Another thing, do not- expect me
to be chasing after you time and
again for the payment of a bill. My
time is as valuable to me as yours is
to you, and the mails bring checks
quickly if you give them a chance to do
so when you are too busy to call in
person to settle. Let us treat each
other fairly and in a businesslike way,
'rendering to each other as prompt
service and as prompt payments as
possible.
The paper will be improved and
new features added as fast as I can
make the arrangements. Help me by
reporting such news as you may hap
pen to know and think would be of
interest to readers of the paper. But
do not try to work any veiled adver
tisements on me to be palmed off as
purely news matter. Whatever is
sold for the purpose of gain or profit,
or for which admittance is charged,
cannot be advertised free of charge in
these columns, no matter from what
source it comes. But The Spirit’s
columns are always open to announce
ments of free sermons, free lectures,
worthy charities, etc., without money
and without price, or to communica
tions of public interest from those
make their identity known and
have a message which in the editor’s
opinion is worthy of publication or a
proper subject for it.
And now hoping for a long and
mutually pleasant and profitable busi
ness career in Frostburg, and thank
ing one and all of my patrons for help
already extended, I am 'very sincerely
your servant,
Peter L. Eivengood.
Don’t Be a Sponger. Subscribe for
The Spirit instead of borrowing your
neighbor’s copy. tf.
Be a Booster, not a knocker. Sub
scribe for your home paper. tf, |
THE FROSTBURG SPIRIT, FROSTBURG, MD
i The First National Bank \
i - V
FROSTBURG, MD. T
Capital and Surplus - - - - $125,000.00
Assets (over) ------ $1,350,000.00
4 INTEREST PAID ON SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Y
4 Y
i Depository of the United States \
Depository of the State of Maryland \
Vf ' Officers Directors W
- - President R- Henderson Duncan Sinclair (fa
A m dp att , . . Timothy Griffith Daniel Annan \
W OLIN BEALL Cash,er Roberdeau Annan jL
yf WE INVITE YOU TO BECOME A DEPOSITOR
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