WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

March 17, 1893

 

CALLED DOWN

Jack Can’t “Walk on Water” but he can

Belittle the town by Lying.

 

            The REPUBLICAN had on its magnifying glasses when it stated that 24,000 bushels of potatoes were marketed last week Wednesday. Reputable dealers say that 7,000 bushel was nearer the mark, and that would mean over 200 loads. - Waupaca Post March 9.

            Name them Jack or stand convicted as a “modern” journalist who would hurt the town by belittling and ridiculing every good word a contemporary might say to show to the outside world what an immense potato or business center Waupaca is.  The REPUBICAN might have erred slightly but reputable dealers have the figures to show that there have been days when over 25,000 have been marketed.  The REPUBLICAN did not say “Wednesday”.  The item was inserted Friday morning March 3d, on publication day.  Here is the item:

            “Yesterday was a big potato day.  Every feed barn was filled with teams, besides there was not a hitching post but had a team tied to it.  It is estimated that over 24,000 bushels of potatoes were marketed.”

            We based our calculation on the number of sleighs heavily loaded standing at the different feed barns and those waiting to unload.  One farmer said he had on 75 bushels, another 60 bushels and lots of them estimated they had 45 to 55 bushels.  We then calculated a fair estimate of what came in before noon and what would come in after dinner.

            Now the reputable potato dealers of Waupaca and they include A.M. Penny, Lea & Olson, Frank Baldwin, Waupaca Starch and Potato Company, Fagerholt & Hanson, Peterson Bros. and Ed Bailey as well as our reputable business men are proud to see a paper extol the fame of our fair city, its resources and business, and they feel it but justice that the Post’s misstatements be corrected.

            The REPUBLICAN scribe feeling some wounded pride at the sting inflicted by the Post “adder” took a stroll among the potato merchants on Tuesday, they all politely received the local-itemizer and gave him access to their scale books, but as they all wish to guard with jealous care their names in comparison on a certain day’s receipts, they ask as a favor that we not publish the names in connection with the figures. For instance, Alex Hansen, weigher for Frank Baldwin said: “There has been days when we have taken in over one hundred loads and

 

(section missing)

 

 

 

At hotels  10  “  “   “      500

           10 “ put in cellar                         500

          401                                                                       20,050

            Grand total four hundred and one loads and twenty thousand and fifty bushels Thursday March 2d, 1893 and don’t forget it.

            Jack must have been thinking of his paper on “modern journalism” or his “walk-on-water-story” when he dipped his pen in wormwood to make the REPUBLICAN’s figures appear incorrect and ridiculous.

            It is a painful duty for us to call our contemporary an untruthful journalist or other blankety-blank names.  We will not ask or expect him to apologize for questioning our veracity as editor of this REPUBLICAN sheet, only $1.50 per year, cash or cord wood in advance, but it is due to the business men and “reputable potato dealers” of Waupaca that he correct his misstatements.