Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1917 — Raper Celebrates 50th Anniversary. [ARTICLE]

Raper Celebrates 50th Anniversary.

Winamac Republican. This edition of the paper is the Republican’s “birthday party”—our fiftieth birthday. Fifty years ago. in April, 1867, a company was formeci to publish the Republican. The printing office was established in a small building on the ground now occupied by Grabner’s bakery. Stephen Bruce was one of the original owners and John Farrill moved tp Winamac from Logansport to become its first editor and the printer. No cpoies of the papers of that first year are in our files, but suflice it to say, a considerable change in appearance of the printing office and paper have resulted in the fifty years’ growth. The paper in those days was printed on an old Washington hand press, a few hundred an hour. Today the office is equipped with a large two-revolution cylinder press that utrns out the printed papers at the rate, of about 1,500 an hour. In place of the old system of folding the papers by hand, another modern machine folds the papers ready for the postoffice as fast as they are printed. Both the printing press and folding machine are harnessed to a five horsepower electric motor. The business of the paper and job printing plant keeps five persons iusy the year round, and the records show a substantial increase in business each year. The Republican has made constant effort t oadvance in service and equipment with the progress of the county, and our increasing business and the liberal patronage of the people of Pulaski county is a great source of satisfaction to us.

The Republican force takes much pride in bending every effort in the job printing department as well as the paper, to realize the office slogan of “Republican Quality Printing.” The job printing department has increased its equipment each year, until it now has hundreds of pounds of up-to-date job type, rule and similar equipment for producing “quality work.” Its workers are bxperienced in type arrangement for good job pririting and in the making of a workmanlike product of the two job presses or the cylinder press. The department has established a scientific system of job records for the accurate and honest determining of prices for its job printing, consistent with good work. We hope this souvenir edition of the paper will arouse the same delight for our readers in the progress of Pulaski county and Winamac, that it has inspired in us as we have recounted the mile-stones of advancement and behold ourselves in a county and city of healthy prosperity. Republican editors since 1867: John Ferrill, John W. Ryan, F. S. Remington, Jacob efser, W. B. Jenkins, Bert Atchison, Newton Brothers, Carl W. Riddick and Foster W. Riddick.