It is not clear what the urgency was to collect such a large amount (then) in such a short amount of time. What could the reasons have been? We make a guess.

It was the time approximately that J.E. Millard was getting rid of the “Lanark Banner” to a Stephenson County buyer and leaving to take up a county office. A clause in Howlett’s selling the Banner to Millard had directed that Howlett could not publish another newspaper in Lanark within a year of the sale date. But he had returned to issue the “Carroll county Gazette” against orders for some reason. Millard had an injunction put on him for doing so. Howlett had then turned over the paper to John Adair in whose name it was printed for about six months to circumvent the clause. Had Millard pressed litigation and gotten a monetary settlement? Everyone knew the situation.

Or, with Adair leaving the “partnership” to take over the “Mt. Carroll Mirror” did he need cash in the return of the Gazette to Howlett? It is more likely that no money had ever exchanged hands in that deal ... They’d have just split profit and expense.

This collection of Howlett material has been on-going for perhaps thirty years, scarce, scattered and casually. Not many sources were available, nor did we always scan the brittle, yellowing files carefully. We could have looked more closely at columns of courthouse entries or the everyday news, but didn’t. So it’s an unanswerable question so far. We just don’t know the need for that $5,000.00.

We do see, however, that because of that money shortage, the Gazette “removed” from its prestigious address in the “Post Office Block,” second story, “four doors east” as he directs; the four doors being the door to his upstairs rooms, east across the alley past Z.T. Kinckade’s (his nemesis), D.W. Dame’s house to his own at the corner of Locust and Argyle.

 

An April 29th entry in the 1871 Gazette listed the numbers of subscriptions currently. Carroll County, 616; Stephenson County, 263; Other cities and states, 417 to equal 1,296. Not too shabby a number for a small town office that was also printing 3-4-5 other newspapers in the area plus job work of all kinds and etc. Remember, presses then were mostly hand cranked!

The Shannon office of Howlett’s was passed to Jethro Mastin in 1870 which by 1875 was a partnership, Mastin and Sanford. However the Shannon paper was printed in Lanark at first. The advertising sheet that had been printed by Gazette shops for Savanna evolved into the Savanna Weekly Times” with J.W. Mastin, publisher, but the printing was at first done at Shannon though news was assembled at Savanna! Equipment was moved to Savanna in about 1875 when in September the “Times” was printed there.

Like a merry-go-round, keeping up with the changes is a whirl. As you can see, both offices had been very busy. At the time of Millard’s closing the “Banner,” much chaos might have ensued but Howlett remarks in the Gazette, “This commences the 8th volume of the paper since Lanark has become our home (1871 minus 7 years of printing is 1864!). He went on to comment on a few of the changes over that time—”Trees have been and are being planted and in many places assume the appearance of a forest.” (He suggests more evergreens.) “With the energy exhibited by our citizens there is no doubt that the Chicago and Iowa Railroad will locate here. We commence our 8th year with brighter prospects than any previous year.”

Howlett, as editor of the town newspaper, took part in most of the meetings to promote a railroad company coming directly out from Chicago. So far the lake-side trains were from Milwaukee/Racine, etc., so inconvenient exchanges had to be made to go east/west through Lanark/Carroll County. Some years passed before the Chicago line arrived.

The “brighter prospects” of April, 1871 had dimmed by June and July when the business was pleading for money and was moving its offices “four doors east,” their residence presumably.

He advertised for sale at the time, “Four tables, 3’6”x8” well made, substantial, turned legs. Can be had cheap if called for soon. Four lamps and chandelier all used but a short time.” Those second story rooms had been used but a short few months before this “remove.” They are shown in the June 29th, 2011 issue of PDQ Me in The Prairie Advocate. A prime location ... Now in the residence!!! This move also occurred at the time there was change in the look of the Gazette. Why? The font of type changed, the make-up. In the March, 1871 issue he’d announced that the look and style of the paper would resume its style and shape and from 24 columns to 36, seemingly a positive note. The change from Shannon, new processing at Lanark? Don’t know.

That summer Adair from the Mirror paid a call at the Howlett residence where family and employees all were having dinner. He wrote a facetious article about the flying arms at the table in passing the corn, vinegar, salt and butter. In the telling, there seemed no dark cloud except that there was a drought and the wells were dry. And he disliked the location of the new windmill and water tank tower for efficiency-sake. The station would be there well into the twentieth century until motorized fire trucks came on and the “City Hall” was built on West Carroll. Despite Adair’s anti-vote the windmill, etc., it remained there at that corner until the water system came in 1880’s.

That summer, too, 1871, when money was presumably dear, John Howlett resigned his “other” job of assistant Revenue Assessor, surely a steadily paying job. But maybe too demanding a chore, time-wise. It included two entire counties, Carroll and Stephenson. The “Mirror” announced the news and saying of Howlett, his former partner, “Fair, faithful and fearless ... With unusual ability.” Major Adam Nase would assume the duties in his stead.

If the troubles of 1871 had been ironed out we’re not certain but unfortunately 1872 had trouble on the agenda also. In the spring of 1872 the “Gazette” files and the “Banner” files were completely destroyed by fire. Nothing remains of those first years in the telling of the history of our town. Just a few scattered items are extant.

There were at least three dates given for the date of the fire but March 29th seems the most likely because an issue dated April 6th said in part, “Apologies are arduous to us just now—” He went on to describe some of the problems they were facing and that one of their staff had quit to go elsewhere leaving but two.

No printers were available in the area, nor suitable equipment close by. On the 13th he continued, “Paper is of the worst manufacture. We hope things will be right in a week or two. Sickness is something we don’t want to wrestle with right now. We wonder who’ll be next.” He ended the item with this, “If you can’t stand the above, how do you suppose we work through?”

But all was not hopeless. Within hours, “Leading businessmen” hustled to form a stock company, offering stock to people to support the purchase of new equipment and pay an editor, etc. There was no trouble with the selling and money came in rapidly. Yes, the Gazette was resurrected within days and the paper again was printed.

Giles Van Vechten, the banker, was the CEO with E. Harnish, the lumber dealer, the secretary/treasurer. Howlett the editor. The regard with which the community held him is evident by that support.

The “Freeport Bulletin” reported, “The fire that destroyed the “Carroll County Gazette” extended to Shannon, then leapt ten miles to Dr. Snyder’s” (Stephenson County). The “Polo Press” gave this, “The Gazette reached us in half sheet the next week after their fire.” All were pulling for Editor Howlett.

So where was the NEW office of the Gazette? You guessed it, the National Bank Block AGAIN. Second Story. Back in the impressive brick block now becoming known as the “National Bank,” not necessarily the “Post Office Block” as was so familiar to all.

That corner had been the post office since 1861, the beginning of Lanark, when Tom Newcomer built up the common wood ‘clabbard’ for a dry goods store with the post office back by the stacks of woolens and calicos. It was a landmark as the bank would become.

The doom and gloom of those months of 1872 were deep and dark but, unfortunately, there were some dark clouds coming over the horizon with 1873.

NEXT WEEK—More of the dramatic “novel” surrounding our first newspapers.