HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY, KANSAS
by Frank S. Sullivan
Copyright, 1916

NEWSPAPERS
Pages 66-71

Meade County is the rock that has wrecked the hopes and shattered the dreams of many newspapermen. In the early days almost every boom town "sported" but did not "support" a newspaper. The result was that these papers were published with more or less regularity as long as the editor could get credit for white paper and printer's ink, and then died a natural death. I use the expression "natural death" advisedly, because it is but natural that these early-day newspapers, under the economic conditions that then existed, should come to an untimely end.
The first paper published in Meade County was The Pearlette Call, by Bennett & Lowery, the first edition appearing April 15th, 1879, and the last bearing date May 8th, 1880.

In May, 1885, C. K. Sourbeer issued the first number of The Spring Lake Hornet, which continued to appear monthly until the summer of 1889.

In June, 1885, E. E. Henley commenced publishing The Fowler Graphic, and continued until 1891.

The Carthage Times was published from June, 1885, to January, 1886.

In July, 1885, Cannon Bros, issued the first number of The Meade Center Press. In December of the same year this paper was sold to Mechler Bros., and the name changed to The Press Democrat. In March, 1886, Mechler Bros, sold to H. Wiltz Brown, and in 1890 Brown unloaded on Sam Lawrence, who published the paper under the name of The Meade Democrat until 1894, when he sold to C. G. Allen, and publication was suspended in 1895.

In the spring of 1887 T. J. Palmer (referred to affectionately by his friends and derisively by his enemies, as "Toe-jam") issued The Meade Republican, which existed until 1894.

In the summer of 1887 H. L. Bishop published The Mertilla Times, but the times were too hard and this paper lived but a few months.
In 1887 Lon Whorton issued the first number of The Meade Center Telegram, and the last number was issued the following year.

The West Plains Guardian was published from 1887 to 1889.

The Fowler Advocate was published for about a year, commencing in 1887.

The Meade County Globe was established in July, 1885, by J. Malcolm Johnson. In August, 1886, this paper was purchased by Frank Fuhr, and by him published for twenty-seven years. Mr. Fuhr witnessed the rise and fall of practically all of the newspaper ventures, and it is chiefly from him that the information in this chapter is obtained. In November, 1913, Mr. Fuhr sold the Globe to W. S. Martin, who has since been its publisher.

In 1900 John Wehrle established The Meade County News, and continued to publish it until in 1909, when it was sold to The Meade Publishing Company, a corporation organized by the business men of Meade. John Innis was placed in charge as business manager and E. D. Smith as editor. After a few months Smith retired, and was succeeded by John Miller, who edited the News for about a year. Miller was succeeded as editor by Agnes Wehrle, who conducted the paper a while for the corporation, and in July, 1912, Miss Wehrle purchased the plant, and the corporation went out of existence.

In 1906 I. J. Stanton established The Fowler Gazette, and published it until 1914, when he sold out to W. R. Bond, who, after a brief experience, sold to Perry Bros., who changed the name of the paper to The Fowler News.

Maurice McDonald established The Plains Journal in 1907. After about a year he sold to E. B. McConnell. Mr. McConnell published it for three or four years and then sold to F. W. Calvert, the present owner and editor.

In addition to the regular newspapers there is published during the school year The Tattler, published by the Meade High School students, and The High School Life, published by students of the Fowler High School.

It is not recorded that the publisher of any Meade County newspaper acquired great wealth by his enterprise. But that is neither a reflection on, nor a criticism of, Meade County. For the most part these papers were established in the early days, the "boom" days, the promising days, and the newspaperman, like the merchant, the banker and others, simply followed the light that failed.