The Belleville Telescope from Belleville, Kansas • Page 35

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 1989 THE BELLEVILLE TELESCOPE 120 YEARS OF HISTORY sectio! Telescope Is Oldest Business, Owned By Millers Since 1904 The Belleville Telescope, now in its 120th year of publication, is Republic County's oldest business. The pioneer newspaper of Republic county was started by James C. Humphrey on September 30, 1870 when there were only two buildings on the Belleville townsite. This early edition was issued regularly for sixteen months, when the publication was discontinued, the last issue being January 19, 1872. The reason for so doing, as briefly stated by Humphrey, was "to make room for a larger paper as he had not the capital to enlarge to such a size as the county demands." After a lapse of eighteen months he resumed its publication, the first issue being July 3, 1873, greatly enlarged and improved the paper as demanded by the growing town and county.

Humphrey remained as publisher until October 23, 1884, when E. B. Towle took his place until September 29, 1887, when it was sold to E. E. Brainerd who took possession on October 6, 1887.

On March 22 of the following year Brainerd formed a partnership with J. W. Shackelford which was dissolved on November 1, 1888, with Brainerd back at the helm. On September 1, 1889, Humphrey and Shackelford purchased the paper with Shackelford becoming editor until November 14, 1890, when he retired, leaving Humphrey sole owner again. In July of 19C)0, Humphrey lormed a partnership with his daughter, Adela, which continued until July 1, 1901, when they sold the paper to A.

J. Bayse. In 1904 The Telescope was purchased by A. Q. Miller, who came to Belleville from Victor, where he was part owner of the Victor Daily Record during the Colorado goldrush.

Prior to Colorado Miller had owned tlie Clifton News which he purchased in 1895 at age 21. He sold the News and bought the Riley Regent in 1897 before heading to Colorado in 1900. The journalism school at Kansas State University is now named the A. Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications after this colorful first generation of Millers to own The Telescope.

Incorporated into The Telescope dur- mg the next 5 years were the following newspapers: Belleville Freeman, Munden Progress, Munden Press, Narka News, Cuba Daylight, Hubbell Standard, Agenda Times, Norway News, Republic County Democrat, Republic City News, Republic County News, Cuba Tribune and Republic Advertiser. A. son, Carl P. Miller joined the )aper in 1919, and took over when A. Q.

eft for Salina in 1922. Carl left for California in 1925, and A. only daughter, Enola, edited the paper until the spring of 1926, when another son, A. Q. Miller, took over the helm.

When A. left for the west coast in 1936, a third son, Merle returned from K-State to become editor. He was joined by the youngest son, Luman, in 1938. From 1938 to 1955, Merle served as business and advertising manager while Luman was editor. Luman decided to move to Oregon in 1955 and sold his shares of stock in The Telescope to Merle, and Merle purchased A.

Q. stock in 1958 and became publisher, a position he has held since. In 1969 Telescope, Inc. was incorporated to own the paper as a third generation of Millers had joined the firm. Merle's sons, Mark cuid Monte.

Monte left the company in 1971. The family corporation later acquired interests in other area newspapers and other investments. Present officers and directors of Telescope, Inc. are Merle and Erma Miller and Mark and Diane Miller. The Telescope has always been an innovative company among Kansas newspapers installing one of the first perfecting presses (a press printing both sides of the paper in one pass) in the 1930s under the guidance of A.

jr. The Goss duplex served until 1969 when the present Harris offset press was installed. In 1910 a machine that "automatically set type" was installed. It was called a Junior Linotype. The Telescope was the first weekly newspaper in the state capable of printing in full color in a single operation.

Merle had installed one of the first offset presses for prmting small jobs in the mid-508 experimenting with this new technology. 1969 saw, in addition to the installation of the new press, the complete cliange of the company to entirely offset printing with some of the earliest computers for typesetting. This was also the year the company moved to its present location on US81 from the south side of the square. In the mid-SOs the company has been a leader in changing typesetting through the use of personal computers, the newest technology in the newspaper field. TELESCOPE IN 1906-The above picture was made of the ecliiorial writers of The Telescope when the newspaper was located in the txisement of what was then the First National Bank at the corner of 19th and Streets.

Pic tured left to right are H.C. Stttcher, Kate Stanfield and A.Q. Miller, sr. WEST SIDE BUILDINGS IN BELLEVILLE about 1880. The two buildings pictured at left are still in existence.

Note the board The building at left housed the Belleville Telescope, established the same year as the townsite company. Picture was made from the old court house belfry. The stone building behind later became part of the Elliott Hotel. THE J0URNAUST1C MILLERS-Publishing newspapers, has been pai of the Miller family heritage. The Telescope has been published by different tn m- bers of the A.Q.

Miller, family since 1904. This picture here shows J.T. iller, A.Q. Miller's father, setting type by hand for the Riley Regent in 1900, one of the earlier papers owned by A.Q. sr.

The family has published pjipers in Ccloi ado, Nebraska, Kansas, Califomla and Oregon, including several nationally ki lown publications. Carl P. Miller followed his father at Belleville, then A.Q. Mitlor, then Luman and Merie Miller, arxl now Mark and Monte, and (Christopher EARLY DAY UNOTYPE-The above picture made In The Telescope office about 1908 when It was located downstairs on the northwest corner of and 18th Streets, shows what was called a Junior Linotype, an earlier version of what was later called the Mergenthaier Linotype. These machines for the first time actually cast the type from which stories could be printed.

Prior to this time all news stories had to be hand set. Unlike later linotypes equipped with magazines this machine relied on a wire to run the mats into the assembly. Very few of these machines were ever built. PRINTING WITH TYPE-The above picture nfiade about shows Kenneth Logan. Harold Oliver, Lonnie Beneda and Martin Havel making up pages of The Telescope with lead type.

Each page when full of type weighed some 50 pounds, and on occasion when dropped the type would be lost out of the frame. This was called "pied and set composition work back by hours. Notice the piles of newspapers in the back of the picture. Apparently these were printed in a previous In 1969 The Telescope built the present new plant on US81 highway and the printing process changed to the new "cold type" process. LINOTYPE BRIGADE -The above picture shows Framcis Barrett.

R. W. Thomasson and Gary Moore all setting type on the coimpllcated Linotype machines. These machines using dies which dropped in place when an operator hit a key, set type by creating molds against whlchi lead was poured. It speeded up the old process of handsetting all type, but one computer today could outset all three of these machines.

tELESCOPE IN 1920 -The above picture shows the new Telescope office that was built at that time, following a fire on the south side of the square. Prtor to this The Telescope had been printed below what was then the National Bank. The picture above shows Enola Miller Perry at left and A.Q. Miller, is shown standing on the press platform. The press had to be fed 4-pages at a time, the sheets of newsprint then turned over and run back through.

This time they were run through what was called an Omaha folder where it was folded up and cut apart ready for delivery to subscribers. This was considered a very modern weekly newspaper plant at the time. TELESCOPE ONCE UNDER BANK-The above picture made around the turn of the century pictures the State Bank which was located on the south side of 18th street, next to the Powell's Opra House The faded sign on the building reads 'Telescope" and shows a spyglass..