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Show C&iiuiiiuuty Calendar B1 Wednesday, October 8, 2008 o y J 1 i f Lj ' . ; sr ' Y-M In 1908 the Vernal Express was By Tabatha Deans Express Reporter "...I shall use my eyes and ears and let you all know what is going on from one end of the county to the other." Those were some of the first words printed in the Vernal Express, Ex-press, nearly 120 years ago, by Kate Jean Boan, original founder of the paper originally called the Uintah Papoose. Boan started the paper using a $300 press she purchased through the mail, and the determination deter-mination to inform and entertain people of the Uintah Basin. The inaugural edition, Jan. 2, 1891, included articles about the goings-on of local residents, poetry from Boan herself, and stories gathered from news sources in surrounding cities, such as a reprint from The Salt Lake Tribune, "What do women marry for?" The small paper changed hands just one year after its inception, when James Barker bought the Uintah Papoose, and, according to loeal history, changed the name to the Vernal Express, because he didn't like the reference of Papoose. The paper was sold eight times within the first 35 years of its inception, with each new owner committed to maintaining the integrity and responsibility of informing the masses. The Vernal Express office always maintained a presence in the heart of the community, residing re-siding in several buildings along Main Street, including stints above the Alwilda Hotel, and the Ashley Valley Co-Op. In the mid-19308, mid-19308, under the ownership of Bill Wallis, the paper finally had a home to call its own, in a new building built on 54 N. Vernal Ave. The Express has resided on Vernal Avenue for nearly 75 years, but today it moves once more - into a bigger, better home. While the evolution of the newspaper business brings with it easier prindng, instant communication and the ability to gather news from faraway places in the blink of an eye, it leaves behind an era full of character, hard physical labor, and a rich history of how newspapers have been made. Gone are the days of Linotypes, Li-notypes, hellboxes, imposing stones, the printer's devil and type lice. A language unique to the printing industry, slang words were crude, but accurate. No more do men, and women, exert extreme physical effort melting lead for galleys of type needed for each page, or carry -1 S , fc k . . - ss w fe W Va. l -i f ' - J JZ r? Handset type was organized in a California type drawer. Upper case, or capital letters, were on the right. Lower case letters, spaces and numbers were all located on the left side of the drawer. Because the type was used for direct printing all the letters were organized in a backward and upside-down manner. The trickier letters to differentiate among were b, d, q, and p. Each office is independently owned and operated. A portion 'of rr do l'y "f every sale is, jt re" donated to the " 18UWest 1 ChilHmAMiMrfo 1 i7 Vernal, Hwy. 40, Ste F Network. i 435 - Outstanding Agents. Outstanding Results . Of type ears at : llg- mil f : ir .'uk-jS -i ir y' -v located above the Alwilda Hotel, ing heavy chases to the flatbed presses. Gone are the days of heating lead to allow it to be poured out over thick paper mats of ads, copy and photos for the newspaper. newspa-per. As are the times when hand set type was re-entered into the type drawer and the metal slugs of stories are melted down each week and cast into "pigs" to be reused in the typesetting miracle known as the Lino-type. Gone are the days of Just-a-writers that deciphered paper tape punched with holes representing the letters of the alphabet and printed out typed columns of justified stories. Gone are the darkrooms where photos were made through a series of exposures and bumps to bring out the highlights. high-lights. Gone, too, are the days of developing large sheets of film with developer and then fix running run-ning down your arm as the gray scale is held up to the red light and viewed to make sure the film was developed to the correct blackness. No more are the days of trad- -ing wool for subscriptions, which the Express did through the depression, de-pression, or running obituaries on the front page that read "Mr and Mrs. Johnson succumb to the Grim Reaper." Today's news is based on fact, rather than hearsay, hear-say, unlike some stories run in days of old, like this one printed in the Express in 1896: "There is a scheme on foot among some of Vernal's leading citizens to form an electric light company and put in a plant soon." Although many things have changed, some have remained the same throughout newspaper history. Early papers, like papers of today, were supported by advertisers, and many of the ads appear the same today as they did 100 years ago. Pharmaceuti it-" 'onwmmwmw ' ' '1.1.11 il ii Mr This is a page that includes metal slugs of lines made in the Linotype Lino-type machine. The photos were cast in metal in a way the grays of the photo could be printed. " V V 1 L, i : 'i :3 hi - JL,' JM idf ii L fc-J i.. l t..f-"k LVJ Utah j Jan Sharp 781 - 2500 j 828-4000 I J N lice and newsmen : the! Vernal Express IlLIIM IH1 lllMT- I j 1.1 I 3 i I -J' L. V ; "I i ; - 3 -JjiAiiiRMm . . T I ?, - ' : 4 it i it s 3 h-tui I i' 1 . J it 4 I Li v5 I - I It I . i II It VI l - t , and the Ashley Valley Co-Op buildings. Main Street was still dirt. cals, or elixirs, were a mainstay in early papers, advertising a cure for anything that ails you, including Dr. G.W. Shore's "magic cure for seminal weakness, weak-ness, premature old age, and all other private diseases." An 1896 ad announced the opening of The Keeley Institute, in Salt Lake City, "for the treatment treat-ment of the liquor and opium habits." Attorneys-at-law filled many pages of newspaper in the early 1900s, much like they do now. Ads of old listed no phone numbers, since there were no phones. Sometimes they listed an address, but often times referred to well-known, nearby neighbors, such as "next to the co-op," or "office in the Pope building." While those in the newspaper business remember the days of old fondly, they also embrace the new age of technology, which allows them to receive news alerts immediately, research Photos in the- letterpress era were run through a process that put dots in such a way that a larger dot would make up the blacker part of the photo and a much smaller dot was introduced into the white parts. These were cast into metal that was mounted on a block of wood. mi M i i- Vi Vjf v . W ... ., t V V i 4 " 4 . P" I t , 1 , , , ted ;: i : ' Town houses close to new college! 3 bedroom, 1 12 bath. Fully landscaped. All outside maintenance and yardwork taken care of! MLS 713923 $179,900 . t ii and report stories more quickly and accurately, and print news instantaneously on the Internet. Much will be left behind at 54 N. Vernal Ave., including an old printing press that was too heavy to move so was buried in concrete under the floor where it stood, and the outdated "fire grenades" that still hang on its battered walls. Old Printer Terms Hellbox: a metal garbage container for used lead. When lead was thrown into the "hellbox," it made a loud sound that scared the printer and often caused him to "jump out of his seat." The Printer's Devil: a printer's apprentice. Type lice: A practical joke among printers was to have new reporters, or employees, look closely for type lice. When the person leaned down to look for the little varmints, the printer would snap the separated "slugs" (lines of lead) together, causing ink or water to be sprayed on the unsuspecting victim. Slug: aline of lead Turtle: small, heavy metal tables mounted on wheels. They could be pushed around without the printers having to lift and move the heavy made-up pages. Crap: short "filler" items used to fill the space at the end of a story. L ' ".5 . This old Cuban cigar box of Linotype mats was found under a staircase at 54 North Vernal Ave. The mats, when fitted side by side, allowed for hot lead to be introduced to the back and make a line of type with a raised surface that could be inked ready for il Ii: IDO II f; ID Bill Wallace stands in front of the new Vernal Express offices when the paper moved to 54 North Vernal Ave. in the during the Great Depression. A lot of news gathering took place at this building. Ifljiii ulfflffll Many floor plans to choose from! 4 bedroom, 3 12 bath. Formal dining room, fireplace, Tiled entry. Come and see our available homes, or order your own dream home! 3 z: LJ 1 L J L: But when the doors of the paper's new home open, at 60 E. 100 N., this week, the most important elements of the century-plus old paper will move with it including the computers, scanners, cameras, and most importantly, the employees and their dedication and determination determi-nation to inform, educate and entertain residents of Vernal. Beautiful executive home. bedroom, 2 12 bath Hardwood flooring throughout. Tiled entry. Stainless steel appliances and window coverings stay. MLSH825987 $259,000 t' 1 J iff!"? October Golden Age Center Dances, 155 S. 100 West Vernal. Every Friday night, 8 to 10 p.m. Kays Band, all are welcome. TOPb club meets in Vernal City Offices, 447 E. Main Street, Thursdays 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tot and Mom Story Time, 10:30, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Uintah County Library, 155 East Main, 789-0091. Joy Club, ages 4 grade 6, Grace Baptist Church, 3816 South 2500 East, Vernal, Thursday 6 to 7:30 p.m. Epilepsy support group meets Uintah County Library, second Tues. of the month at 7 p.m. Call Kari (435) 790-8589. . 13th Annual Juried 'Shootout' Photography Art Show at the Wester Heritage Museum, Oct. 6 through 31. October 1,8, 15 & 22 Gold Cross Ambulance Training, 7p.m. every Wed. Pay per, class. Contact basinprepared gmail.com for locations. October 1-27 Bluebell Corn Maze opens at Monsen Farms. Call Mark Monsen (435) 454-3732 or www. cornfieldmaze.com. October 11 Basic Training for Adult leaders in Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Varsity and Venturing, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Vernal Junior High, 350 W. 100 N., Vernal. Quilting at the Library, 1 to 5 p.m., the Uintah County Library, 155 East Main, 789-0091. Elks Hoop Shoot, Vernal Community Center, 500 S. Vernal Ave., starts at 10 a.m. Free. Contact Dyle Webster 789-2444 for more information. October 16 Dr Hansen, Price audiologist, Roos. Senior Center presentation,"50 E. 200 S., Roosevelt 10 a.m. to Noon. Call Active Re-Entry Re-Entry 790-2966. SEPSEOP Trade Day schools closed October 17 Fall Break schools closed. The Great Pumpkin Festival in Jensen Community Park, 5 to 8 p.m.. Over 500 pumpkins carved and painted to delight and haunt. Call 435-789-5512. October 18 Family to Family Children with disabilities: Movie Time at the Uintah County Library, 3 p.m., 155 East Main, 789-0091. Diamond Mountain Rustlers 2nd Annual Cancer "Shoot-Out" at Buckskin Hills. Call Jolene 722-0953 or visit www. diamondmountainrustlers. com October 19 Jeffrey Kran, speaker on the The Feasts of Israel, First Baptist Church, 2100 W. Hwy 40, Vernal at 5 p.m. Call 789-1347 for information. October 22 Pink Ladies Volunteers, ARMC Book Fair & Unique Gifts, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the hospital radiology waiting room. Hosting an event? Post it for free on our community calendar at -1 Home with lots of acreage! 45 acres with this 2 bedroom, 1 bath home. Includes water shares, pivot, wheel lines, and farm equipment. If seclusion is what you want, this property has it! SSSO.OOO |