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Show Springville Stung By Bee Publisher The Bee .is issued this week under somewhat extenuating circumstances, circumstanc-es, which accounts for its lateness as well as for the somewhat meagre review of the news happenings of the past week. W. E. Smith, who recently came to Springville and took over the local newspaper made a most creditable beginning and it was a great surprise sur-prise to the people here who had placed their confidence in him to learn Friday that he had left the city without any explanation to local lo-cal people to accept a position in California. It is the supposition that Mr. Smith became involved financially, and that he could not see his way clear to meet his obligations and launch out in the newspaper field in and advantages of this locality they will cooperate in every way possible to make their home town paper all that the publisher desires it to be Springville Bee. The above report of the escapades of Smith, former publisher of the South Sanpete Bee, is not, according to parties who are on the inside, published in full. It is alleged that Smith worked on the sywpathies of prominent men in Springville and gathered in several hundred dollars to finance his paper. It is also claimed that he made payment on the plant with a post-dated check which was returned marked "no funds." Not only this but it is claimed claim-ed that the "fly-by-night" bilked several sev-eral of the merchants out of grocery and sundry bills. tne way tnat ne desired to. This, coupled with the fact that he failed to meet his obligation to Mr. Don C. Johnson from whom he secured the subscription list of the Independent, Indepen-dent, is presumed to be te cause of his sudden departure. While definite arrangements for the future publication of The Bee have not been outlined, it is certain that Springville will have an up-to-the-minute newspaper.. This was made known Saturday when a number num-ber of experienced newspaper men of this county were here to arrange with Mr. Johnson for a continuation of the publication of the paper. This week's issue is being published pub-lished by the publishers of the Provo Post, who have a tentative arrangement arrange-ment with Mr. Johnson to issue the paper through this office. If this arrangement continues the people of Springville may be assured of a newspaper that will reflect credit on the city and the various enterprises within its borders. The present subscribers, too, will be given full value for the money they have paid on their subscription, notwithstanding the fact that to carry out his obligaion will involve quite an expense to the new publishers. publish-ers. The contest feature arranged by the former publisher will be investigated inves-tigated and in all probability carried out along the lines originally planned. plan-ned. If the people of Springville would have a representative paper and one that will be a factor in making known and ' developing the resources Many in Gunnison are familiar with the tactics used by Smith. He came to the valley and for a tilno served as chemist "at the sugar factory. fac-tory. Later he was promoted to superintendent and for some reason was demoted. He devised a scheme for starting the South Sanpete Bee in Gunnison. His first ' issue made its appcrance May 4th and his last was June 29th. During the reign of the paper Smith was "ace" with some. And these "soma" felt the sting of the Bee when it finally took flight, and incidentally taking all the honey or rather, money. ' The Gun-j Gun-j nison Valley News was no exception, but we are decidedly lucky, because the amount would not reach ten bucks. Many others, however, are holding the sack for larger amounts, if reports are true. Smith was intrusted in-trusted with funds for the Glee club. This went. The few subscribers who were taken are bemoaning the acts of Smith. The. .grocerymen, the merchant and others were . "stung." For the benefit, of the pubile who favor honest newspapers it must be said, ni defense of the profession, that the career of Smith will be strongly condemned by .the enire press of he state. His acts will not be countenanced and if justice wne meted out rightly the "fly-by-night" should be run down and brought back to make amends for the injustice injus-tice he has done to the parons of his papers and to the press of the state. The Bee at Springville will continue con-tinue to be published and Don C. Johnson, founder of the paper, will be at the head. |