The Gentleman from Indiana - Page 181/212

An Indiana town may lie asleep a long time, but there always comes a day

when it wakes up; and Plattville had wakened in August when the "Herald"

became a daily and Eph Watts struck oil. It was then that history began to

be made. The "Herald" printed News, and the paper was sold every morning

at stands in all the towns in that section of the State. Its circulation

tripled. Parker talked of new presses; two men were added to his staff,

and a reporter was brought from Rouen to join Mr. Fisbee. The "Herald"

boomed the oil-field; people swarmed into town; the hotel was crowded;

strangers became no sensation whatever. A capitalist bought the whole

north side of the Square to erect new stores, and the Carlow Bank began

the construction of a new bank building of Bedford stone on Main Street.

Then it was whispered, next affirmed, that the "Herald" had succeeded in

another of its enterprises, and Main Street was to be asphalted. That was

the end of the "old days" of Plattville.

There was a man who had laid the foundation upon which the new Plattville

was to be built; he who, through the quiet labor of years, had stamped his

spirit upon the people, as their own was stamped upon him; but he lay sick

in his friend's house and did not care. One day Meredith found him propped

up in bed, reading a letter--reading it listlessly, and with a dull eye.

"PLATTVILLE, September 1st.

"Dear Mr. Harkless: Yours of the 30th received. Every one here is very

glad to know that your health is so far improved as to admit of your

writing; and it is our strongest hope that you will soon be completely

recovered.

"New subscriptions are coming in at a slightly advanced rate since my last

letter; you will see they are distributed over several counties, when you

examine the books on your return; and I am glad to state that with our

arrangement for Gainesville the 'Herald' is now selling every morning at a

prominent store in all the towns within the radius we determined on. Our

plan of offering the daily with no advance on the price of the former

tri-weekly issue proves a success. I now propose making the issue a quarto

every day (at the same price) instead of once a week. I think our

experience warrants the experiment. It is my belief that our present

circulation will be increased forty per cent. Please advise me if you

approve. Of course this would mean a further increase of our working

force, and we should have to bring another man from Rouen--possibly two

more--but I think we need not fear such enlargements.