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Nicole Push at Jun 23, 2020 11:31 AM

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PROGRESS OF THE WORLD AND WORLD-HERALD

THE story of the Omaha Herald from 1863 to 1888 has been graphically and modestly told by Dr. Miller. That story is an important chapter in the history of Omaha and in the development of the west. The old Herald was for years recognized as a leading factor in the progress not only of the city but of the whole trans Missouri region. Its reputation as a newspaper and as a champion of the west extended far beyond its natural field of circulation. Day by day Dr Miller told the story of western growth and western possibilities in arteries which were widely quoted in the papers of other states as were also his political contributions. If thus happened at an early date that the Herald and its editor attained a national reputation and contributed greatly to the attention that was attracted to Omaha.

The beginning of the World was in August, 1885. In that month in association with a few other men, I undertook to establish an evening paper in this city, which was then already well supplied with newspapers. Dr. Miller was still editing the Herald, which was recognized as the democratic newspaper of the state. The Republican was conducted by Mr. Yost and Mr. Fred Nye as an old-line party organ. The Bee, both morning and evening, edited then as now by Mr. Rosewater, was run as an independent republican paper and was probably in its most prosperous period. There were, therefore, three morning papers and one evening paper when the Evening World was born August 21, 1885, to become the fifth daily paper in Omaha.

I shall not undertake to detail the struggles that followed. Associated with me at that time were W. V. Rooker, who has [?] returned to Indiana and entered upon the practice of law: Mr. W. F. Gurley, who established himself in the same profession in Omaha, and Mr. Frank J. Burkley, now well known as a job printer of this city. The Evening World signalized its advent into the newspaper held of Omaha by the adoption of a number of metropolitan newspaper methods and soon earned the reputation of being a bright, newsy and enterprising local paper. In politics it maintained an independent position for some years, but in the presidential election of 1888 it gives ts support to Grover Cleveland, and still further fixed its position as a democratic paper in 1889 by the acquisition of the Herald. Until this tune in the Evening World had been largely a local publication, but by the acquisition of the Morning Herald a decided change was effected.

The consolidated paper became known as the World-Herald, published morning and evening, as well as Sunday, and, instead of being a local paper, its sprung at once into the much wider field of Nebraska journalism. The conservative old democratic Herald and the radical Evening World made a combination of democracy and radicalism, which to my mind, is a natural union. In the political events of the next few years the World Herald had a large share. It had much to do with electing James E. Boyd governor; defeating prohibition; [?] railroad legislation, bringing about the victorious union of democrats and populists under the name of fusion, electing Bryan to congress for two terms, and in contributing to his nomination for the residence. During this period the paper passed through the serious business [vicissitudes?]. The small commercial venture of the Evening World had rapidly swollen into a great commercial enterprise intensified very materially by the very rapid growth of the city and the state. When, therefore, there came upon Omaha the depression which culminated in the bank panic of 1893 and the crop failure of 1894 the business situation became such that I found it necessary to abandon editorial work and give my attention to business management.

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PROGRESS OF THE WORLD AND WORLD-HERALD

THE story of the Omaha Herald from 1863 to 1888 has been graphically and modestly told by Dr. Miller. That story is an important chapter in the history of Omaha and in the development of the west. The old Herald was for years recognized as a leading factor in the progress not only of the city but of the whole trans Missouri region. Its reputation as a newspaper and as a champion of the west extended far beyond its natural field of circulation. Day by day Dr Miller told the story of western growth and western possibilities in arteries which were widely quoted in the papers of other states as were also his political contributions. If thus happened at an early date that the Herald and its editor attained a national reputation and contributed greatly to the attention that was attracted to Omaha.

The beginning of the World was in August, 1885. In that month in association with a few other men, I undertook to establish an evening paper in this city, which was then already well supplied with newspapers. Dr. Miller was still editing the Herald, which was recognized as the democratic newspaper of the state. The Republican was conducted by Mr. Yost and Mr. Fred Nye as an old-line party organ. The Bee, both morning and evening, edited then as now by Mr. Rosewater, was run as an independent republican paper and was probably in its most prosperous period. There were, therefore, three morning papers and one evening paper when the Evening World was born August 21, 1885, to become the fifth daily paper in Omaha