A Public Necessity

In the chatty fashion of country weeklies everywhere, the Capac, Mich. Journal (circ. 750) noted last week that "Herbert Gottschalk is some improved," "Miss Vera Reynolds is spending a few days with Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Sharrad," and "Robert McCoy is driving a new Chevrolet." Along with this gossip about the placid life of the prosperous little farm community (pop. 1,200), was one item of more than ordinary interest: "Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Hunter have planned to hold open house for Noble Hunter, Sunday afternoon ... at their home, 209 Aldrich Avenue. Mr. Hunter will be 93 years of age Saturday."

When the big day came, Capac turned out to do honor to Noble Hunter, founder, editor & publisher of the Journal and Capac's first citizen. On their way for coffee & cake at the Hunter home, Capac's second citizens traveled over good roads and passed a $125,000 high school, the results of Hunter's editorial campaigning.

It was back in July 1887, just after the school term had ended, that young (30) School Superintendent Hunter resigned his teaching job for what he deemed a more important task. He brought out the first issue of the Journal, a single sheet printed on both sides, because "we are certain that a newspaper is a public necessity . . .[We] intend to make this our business, not our pastime." Last week, Noble Hunter was working as hard as ever at his business.

Day before his birthday, slim, stooped Editor Hunter plodded through six inches of snow in search of news. His red-rimmed eyes shone brightly through his glasses, grey hair poked out from under a battered fedora, and he needed a shave. Spotting a friend, Hunter, who is deaf, gave a high-pitched shout: "Any news, Bill?" Then Hunter handed him a scratch pad and a pencil. While Bill jotted down the news, Hunter read over his shoulder, now & then shouting fresh questions until he had pumped his informant dry.

When the news is all in each week, Hunter's 52-year-old son Noble Allen sets it on a modern linotype. Editor Hunter himself handsets the ads, dummies the four-page paper, operates the ancient flatbed press. Though the Journal is a six-day-a-week job, Noble Hunter has no plans for quitting. Says he: "One doesn't walk out until the job is finished."

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