Talk:Ripsaw (newspaper)

Extraneous information
The following section was removed from the article because its inclusion is completely bizarre. • Freechild   'sup?   12:11, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?
The old saw goes that if you printed everyone's name who lived in your community, you couldn't help but make a pile of money. Well, about seventy?five years age, there existed a  paper called The Duluth Rip?Saw which went even one better on that maxim. They printed the names of everyone who offended their moral principles. And boy, were they successful. The copies flew off the newsstands. Not nearly as many subscribers for the high minded folks didn’t want their mail men and paper boys to know that they were readers.

At that time, Duluth, and its sister city across the Bay, Superior, Wisconsin, were real boom towns, with all the problems associated with those types of communities. The immigrant lumberjacks, railroad men, and other working stiffs of the community had great physical and sexual thirsts and there were many entrepreneurs and public officials ready to see that those needs were met. At the same time, businessmen were always seeking to maximize their profits (and prices) and politicians were similarly seeking to maximize their incomes (and taxes).

But Prohibition was just taking effect and John L. Morrison, the publisher, editor and chief investigative reporter for the paper, felt it was his duty to inform the public as to what was going on in their community and so in the Spring of 1917 created the Rip?Saw.

The weekly paper, well edited and quite often written with great wit, at great length detailed the peccadillo's of the great and small. The activities of the then St. Louis County Auditor and the members of the County Board and Duluth and Superior Mayors and City Council drew many inches of detailed stories about their activities. The Police Chief of Duluth, who had received a huge Marmon (look that one up in your Funk & Wagnall's) automobile from mining interests to help him better carry out his official duties, turned a blind eye towards what was happening in his town and spent a great deal of time imbibing illegal drink at many of the area's "blind pigs", soft drink establishments which just might have stronger stuff hidden under the counter for special customers.

The female inhabitants of the First Street and St. Croix Avenue skid row hotels, are named by name and their activities are spelled out in detail rarely seen in papers today. These were the days when Superior had an official "Prostitution Roll."

In order to increase his circulation, no doubt, Morrison also covered the scandals of the Iron Range and of Northern Wisconsin, including the notorious towns of Hurley and Oliver, the latter located just across the border from the thirsty workers of the new Steel Plant at the extreme west end of Duluth.

But from the genealogist's point of view, the Rip?Saw made another contribution: a series of articles entitled "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?" which were written in 1918 and 1919. These are names of Duluthians who once worked in the city, but for some reason had left.

One nice feature of the list is that the names are not necessary just of "movers and shakers" of the community. Morrison, had been a reporter in the community for 30 years and knew a lot of people including police, printers, business people, teachers, city hall hangers on and the like.

Perhaps those of you who knew that your relatives at one time were in Duluth but you have lost track of them might find a clue in these columns. The actual column gives not only a location, but what that individual might have done in Duluth and was doing at the last time they had been heard from.

You may not like what you find, but a gander at the Rip?Saw, which is on microfilm at the Minnesota Historical Society and the Duluth Public Library might add a little spice to your Family History. Then again, if you check out the "Bill Bailey" columns, you might find out where that long lost relative got himself or herself off to. Here is a list of the names listed in those columns with the last known location where they were living. Remember, the actual entry will have at least a couple of informative sentences on them:

Charles T. Abbott	Cripple Creek, CO T.W. Abel		Milwaukee William R. Addison	Fargo Robert Bruce Allen	Seattle Seward D. Allen	Eugene, OR W.J. Allen		Lake Worth, FL G.E. Alstead		Minneapolis Mrs. Lena Ames	Talent, OR Ben Anderson		Los Angeles R.W. Anderson	San Francisco Worth B. Andrews	Hart, CA Harriet K. Avery	Kutztown, PA

Fred M. Baker		St. Joseph, MO Fred Barber		Kalispel, MT Ed. Barnes		Portland, OR E.L. Barrett		Hibbing A.M. Barsness		New York Carroll Bartram	Minneapolis William J. "Billy" Bates       	Caspar, WY Kenneth C. Beaton	Seattle Frank G. Beaupre	Minneapolis Ellsworth Benham	Portland, OR L. N. Benjamin	Montreal Fred Beuneman	Los Angeles W.G. Bonham		Bridgeton, NJ Frank E. Bowers	Ellenburg, WA Fred J. Bowman	Oakland, CA Charles Boynton	Portland, OR E.R. Brace		Nampa, ID George Bradford	Virginia, MN Isiah H. Bradford	Medford, OR A.W. Bradley		Denver Samuel Stewart Bradley	New York City Judge T.M. Brady	St. Paul Henry Breen		Hibbing Edward J. Bricker	Minneapolis Phil. Gordon Brown	St. Louis Orlando G. Bryce	Eau Claire, WI David Buchanan	New York City Frank L. Buell		Spokane Percy Burbank		Santiago, CHILE J.N. Bureau		Three Rivers, QUE Thomas Burke	P.O.W., Germany M.S. Burrows		Detroit James Butchart	Hibbing Mrs. William Butchart (Josephine) Seattle George Butters	Minneapolis

J.C. Callahan		Minneapolis J.H. Cameron		Ennisfail, Alberta J.B. Campbell		Spokane L.D. Campbell		Portland, OR Ed Caplis		Missoula, MT John Caplis		Crookston, MN Joseph E. Capron	Olympia, WA Walter N. Case	Cloquet Charles Cash		Portland, OR A. S. Chase		Los Angeles Mrs. George F. Chester	Montana Fielder B. Chew	Washington, DC Fred J. Chipman	New York City Worrell Clarkson	St. Paul Charles T. Clement	Los Angeles Robert L. Cochrane	Nesson, ND Thomas F. Cole	Greenwich, CT C.M. Corcoran	Des Moines Dave Corcoran	St. Paul Richard A. Costello	Graceville, MN Frank Cox		Charleston, WV Cyrus T. Crandall	New York State Charles Culver		Seattle Fred Culver		Lewiston, ID

Fred Davis		Elko, NV George F. Davis	Minneapolis Thomas Jones Davis	New Market, NH Nicholas Decker	Tacoma, WA John Dempster	Los Angeles Charles H. DeVault	St. Paul Thomas H. Dinham	Seattle James E. Donovan	Hibbing Charles Douglas	Sierra Madre, CA P.E. Dowling		St. Paul E.J. Duffies		Washington, DC Dan Duggan		Crosby, MN Titus Duncan		Los Angeles Willis Drummond	St. Paul Mrs. Ella M. Durage	Los Angeles Al E. Dyer		Hibbing, MN

S.W. Eckman		Denver John C. Eden		Seattle Fred Ehling		Washington, DC William D. Evans	New York City

Fred Farmer		Omaha Thomas Feigh		Chicago Harvey Fetter		Seattle Charley Fexton	Minneapolis George V. Fifer	Portland, OR John Finan		Pass Christian, MS George A. Flack	Cleveland David R. Forgan	Chicago Charles F. Frantz	Ashland, WI Mrs. Mary M. Frantz	St. Paul M.C. French		Okmulgee, OK Adolph Freimuth	St. Paul W.B. Fuller		New York

William Gallie		Winnipeg Ben Gaylord		Joplin, MO Col. James B. Geggie	Minneapolis W. Clarence Getty	San Diego William Getty		Chula Vista, CA Benjamin Gillett	Interlacken, FL Jim Ginder		Minneapolis Dr. W.G. Goffe	San Francisco Harry E. Gooch	Lincoln, NE W.D. Gordon		Minneapolis William L. Gorrie	Minneapolis Louis Goldnamer	Elizabethtown, KY C. Powell Grady	Washington, DC Frank Green		Cripple Creek, CO Frank Greene		Seattle Mrs. Charles T. Greenfield	Auburn, CA

Norman Haagerson	St. Paul Carl Hagberg		Portland, OR Charles R. Haines	Pasadena, CA James T. Hale		St. Paul M.O. Hall		St. Louis S. T. Hamilton		Minneapolis Thomas A. Hammond  Port Henry, NY Herman E. Hansen	Stettler, ALBERTA Charles Hartman	Portland, OR Emil Hartman		Heidelberg, GER Phil Hasselblad	Bakersfield, CA Leonard Hauck	Oakland, CA Tom Hayden		Seattle William J. Hayes	Minneapolis T.H. Helinski		Chicago H.C. Helm		Lewiston, ID N.C. Hendricks	Portland, OR J.C. Hessian		Aitkin, MN O.A. Hoffman		Dickinson, ND Paddy Hogan		Minneapolis Ed. Holdgren		Portland, OR A.H. Holgate		Pasadena, CA John C. Hollenbeck	New York City Theodore Hollister	Minneapolis John Home		Milwaukee Roy Hoople		Minneapolis J.L. Hopkins		Brooklyn L.J. Hopkins		Wanetka, IL E.P. Houghton	Hibbing Ben F. Howard	Iceland, MAN Andy Hunter		Buffalo, NY Sidney J. Huntley	St. Paul W.P. Hurlbut		New York

Arthur Inman		Coleraine, MN Mrs. B.B. (May) Inman	Portland, OR S.D. Ives		Portland, OR

Hugo Jacoby		Fairmont, MN A.C. Jamison		Spokane Dr. Jerns		Chicago Arnold Joerns		Chicago "Nickel" Johnson	Forest Lake, MN Victor Johnson	New York City R.B. Keenan		Los Angeles E.E. Kelso		Portland, OR Frederick R. Kennedy	New York City A.C. Kienly		Kansas City W.C. Kilgore		St. Paul A. King		Hibbing, MN N.C. Kingsbury	New York Primus Kreitter	Ironton, MN Ed. F. Krelwitz	Aitkin, MN Theodore Krumsieg	Milwaulkee, W

Madame LaFerte	Detroit J.S. Lane		Spokane John H. Langton	New York City George H. Larke	New York City Thomas H. Larke	Seattle George P. Laybourne	 San Diego G.R. Lee		Osakis, MN Fred Lewis		Los Angeles Charles L. Lewis	Kingman, AZ Mark W. Lewis	Washington, DC J.H. Logie		Pasadena, CA John Loman		Philadelphia William E. Lucas	Chicago E.J. Luther		Grand Rapids, MN Thomas "Tige" Lyons	  Butte, MT

George MacKenzie	Grand Rapids, MI C.P. Maginnis		Portland, OR Jack Magnan		Seattle John A. Magnuson	Deming, NM Beriah Magoffin, Sr.	McAllister, OK George J. Mallory	Minneapolis George Mance		S. Pasadena, CA Alexander Marshall	Sapulpa, OK Ed. Martin		New York City Mrs. C.H. Martz	Thief River Falls W.J. Martz		Seattle Fred Mason		Niagara Falls A.R. McDonald	Seattle R.B. McLean		Superior Mary M'Lean		Seattle Mich. McMahon	Virginia, MN S.G. M'Conaughy	Brooklyn, NY Clinton P. M'Cormick  Seattle Chester M'Cusick	Bemidji Donald M'Leod	Philadelphia Dennis M'Namara	Fargo Lyle Meader		Minneapolis Louise Meining	New York City Richard Meining	Ocean Park, CA Andrus R. Merritt	Minneapolis Franklin W. Merritt	Minneapolis Fred H. Merritt	Enid, OK Ray Merritt		Imperial, CA J. Edward Meyers	Minneapolis Horace Michaud	Calgary, Alberta Mary M'Fadden	New York William Mies		Spokane Frank R. Millar	Indianapolis Ambrose M. Miller	New York City Andreas Miller		New York City H.S. "Sam" Mills	St. Paul D.D. M'Innis		Minneapolis Harold E. Mitchell	Milwaukee A.J. M'lennan		Crosby, MN William P. M'Millan	Chicago Johnny M'Nabb	St. Paul S.H. Moer		New York City Edwin Moers		Kingston, ONT. W.A. Montague	Kansas City Minnie P. Moore	St. Ignace, MI Belle Morrison	Kansas City Duane D. Morrison	Helena, MT Finley Morrison	Portland, OR W.P. Mosher		Minneapolis John Murphy		Grand Marais, MN S.C. Murphy		Grand Marais

O.A. Nafe		Minneapolis Porter J. Neff		Medford, OR Walter Nelson		Sioux City, IA Carl Neuman		Minneapolis lBruce Nimmo		San Diego W.J. North		Forest Lake, MN Joe Nylander		Seattle

M.J. O'Brien		Chicago Martin Olmem		Los Angeles J.R. Osmun		Jerome, ID

Ed. Page		Oklahoma Walter Palmer		Pasadena, CA John Panton		Bellingham, WA Herbert H. Parkhouse	St. Paul Henry R. Patterson	Barnum, MN Henry B. Pauli		New York City E.W.A. Peake		Portland, OR David Grant Penny	Spokane Curt K. Persons	San Diego Charles Peterson	Spokane Cal Pew		Minneapolis John A. Pierce		Fargo, ND Elbert L. Preston	Minneapolis George W. Preston	Omaha C.C. Prindle		Minneapolis Edward W. Prophet	Philadelphia George H. Prudden	St. Paul Florence Rackle Currie   Wedler  Cleveland Victor Rakowsky	Joplin, MO William Randall	Cleveland Scott Rex		Grand Forks, ND James Richardson	Minneapolis Dr. Adam W. Ringland  McAllister, OK A.M. Robertson	Mine Center, ONT Louis Rouchleau	Minneapolis Louis Roos		Milwaukee Bob Ross		Philadelphia Sam H. Rothermal	Portland, ORj Ben Rude		Albany, NY John Rustgard		Sitka, AK James Ryan		Sault Ste. Marie Robert Porter St. John  Brooklyn

J.H. Schulenberg	St. Paul Fred A. Scoville	Los Angeles George H. Shackel	Minneapolis Joseph H. Sharp	Lander, WY E.P. Shurick		Twin Cities, MN Joseph H. Sharp	Lander, WY U..S.G. Sharp		Ft. Benton, MT Reuben D. Silliman	Orange, NJ A.G. Simonds		Los Angeles Area Charles M. Simpson	New York Henry L. Sissler	Seattle John J. Skuse		Spokane Chan Smith		Monrovia, CA Ed. Smith		Los Angeles Mark Smith		Havana, CUBA P.A. Smith		Marquette, MI Rod Smith		Minneapolis George Spangler	White Bear, MN William Spencer	America, OK Nicholas Spicer	Kankakee, IL John Spicer		St. Paul (deceased Joel J. Squires		New York James Staples		Los Angeles James Stetson		Deerwood, MN W.J. Stevenson	Minneapolis Harry Stewart		Los Angeles Mose Stewart		Los Angeles William Stewart	Virginia, MN L.B. Stinchfield	Crandon, WI Col. W.H.H. Stowell	Amherst, MA orNY "Bob" Strong		Minneapolis Peter Sturf		Mobile, AL

A.J. "Andy" Taylor	San Diego A.T. Thoits		Grand Rapids, MI Kirby Thomas		New York City Charles H. Thornton	Winnipeg Albert Lee Thurman	Washington, D.C. Frank P. Tims		Palisade, MN Harry Totman		Denver O.G. Traphagen	San Francisco W.R. Triggs		Watsonville, CA Henry Truelson	Zenith, ND

C. Uncapher		Minneapolis Major J.H. Upham	San Francisco

William "Billy" Vail	Cedar Lake, MN George Vincent	Anncortes, WA R.C. Vincent		Seattle H.E. Voight		Detroit

A.J. Wasgatt		Virginia, MN Frank G. Walker (Rachel St. Clair)  Los Angeles Walter A. Washburne	  Chicago James T. Watson	Mason City, IA? John Watt		Manganese, MN Gus Weinberg		Minneapolis John R. Weston	Hemet, CA Duane Wheeler	Minneapolis John J. Wheeler	Kirkland, WA Martyn Wheeler	Washington, DC John K. Wightman	Newark, NJ Clifford Wilkinson	Minneapolis Ray Wirtz		Detroit Conrad Wolfe		Hibbing, MN John Wolvin		Port Arthur, ONT

Frank L. Young	Salerno, FL O.L. Young		CANADA

This Article first appeared in an issue of the Minnesota Genealogist, Journal of the Minnesota Genealogical Society

submitted by : Ray Marshall 721?7593

(First Draft of the above Article):

Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?

"Literally thousands have resided and done business in Duluth since the City was born, only to leave for other cities and climes. Some of them are living and some are dead.  Many of those who have gone away are most fondly remembered by many who remain.  But all knowledge of the exiles has been lost.  The editor of the Rip?saw always has believed that a special effort should be made by every citizen, no matter in what walk of life, to induce our "Bill Baileys" to 'come home'."

This series of articles was written in 1918 and 1919. These are names of Duluthians who once worked in the city, but for some reason had left. Remember, at that time, the city was still a boom town, its population having increased from 30,000 to 100,000 in 30 years.

One nice feature of the list is that the names are not necessary of only "movers and shakers" of the community. The publisher of the Rip?Saw, John L. Morrison, had been a reporter in the community for those 30 years and new a lot of people including cops, printers, city hall hangers on and the like.

Perhaps those of you who knew that your relatives at one time were in Duluth but you have lost track of them might find a clue in these columns. The actual column gives not only a location, but what that individual might have done in Duluth and was doing at the last time they had been heard from.

Incidentally, the Rip?Saw makes for a lively and delightful read. The publisher vigorously opposed public corruption, drunkeness and prostitution and took his politics very seriously. And he had the ability to write with uncommon wit. Names are named. You may not like it, but a gander at the Rip?Saw, which is on microfilm at the Minnesota Historical Society and the Duluth Public Library might add a little spice to your Family History.

????????????????????????????????

[Sidebar written by the Editor of the Minnesota Genealogist, who must have done some research into Morrison in school.]

John L. Morrison, born and educated in Iowa, served as a school teacher principal, construction worker, and country newspaper reporter before he started his first "Rip?Saw" in Nebraska. Having sold that, he worked for a time as a daily newspaper reporter in Omaha and Kansas City before coming to Duluth 1893 where he took a job as a labor reporter for the Duluth Herald. He later assumed the role of City Hall editor on the Duluth News Tribune. Fired, he worked on a campaign for a successful mayoral candidate of the city and then founded a small paper called the Hustler, sold that to Mrs. Sabrie G. Akin, publisher and editor of the Labor World (therein lies another story), taught night school, worked as a publicist and realtor and prospector for companies selling mining properties. Placer gold mining in California broke him and he returned to Duluth to create the Rip?Saw in 1917 as a means of "recreation and diversion."

The Rip?Saw was popular, its issues nearly always sold out. But Morrison ran risks and was arrested several times by irate public officials before his final arrest in 1924 for accusing a Judge of having a venereal disease and thus being unfit to deal with juveniles. This charge and others resulted in the Minnesota Legislature enacting a "gag" law aimed at papers like the Rip?Saw, of which there were many in those days.

In 1926, the Mayor of Minneapolis, who was running for Governor had a gag order issued to stop publication of the Rip?Saw which had been attacking him. The successful appeal of this charge resulted in the United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Near v. Minnesota, which is the first and most important Freedom of the Press decision by the Court. Morrison never lived to see his victory for he had died of a blood clot on the brain just a few days after the gag order. The paper had lived almost ten years (only a few years of which survive).

Ray Marshall, Minneapolis ray.marshall@gmail.com --- DeWitt & Crete, Nebraska 1890's City Hall Editor of Duluth Herald

There were further issues of which no copies are available. Morrison died on May 18, 1926.

???????????. Copyright Ray Marshall 1999 Ray.marshall@gmail.com

Requested move 5 February 2022

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion. 

The result of the move request was: Moved. WP:SNOW move as uncontroversial and highly unlikely to fail. (non-admin closure) ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 15:55, 6 February 2022 (UTC)

Ripsaw → Ripsaw (newspaper) – No primary topic. Ripsaw (vehicle), Ripsaw (Alton Towers), Ripsaw music and rip saw all get more |Ripsaw_(vehicle)|Ripsaw_(Alton_Towers)|Rip_saw|Ripsaw_music page views. "Ripsaw" should be replaced with a disambiguation page. The Ripsaw might also be acceptable. Schierbecker (talk) 23:15, 5 February 2022 (UTC) The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
 * Support. There is no primary topic. Rreagan007 (talk) 01:15, 6 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Support per nomination and Rreagan007 and also support creation of a Ripsaw disambiguation page that would list Ripsaw (vehicle), Ripsaw (Alton Towers), Ripsaw music and rip saw along with the newspaper. —Roman Spinner (talk • contribs) 05:39, 6 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Strong support others have more views and long-term significance.  Crouch, Swale  ( talk ) 09:50, 6 February 2022 (UTC)