WELTON, ROSS H.

Submitted from Hooker County Tribune articles.

Entry F446 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Ross H. Welton was the son of Mr. and
Mrs. John H. Welton, born April 27, 1891 in
O'Neill, Nebraska and died at the Pioneer
Memorial Hospital at Mullen, Nebraska. The
family came to Mullen in 1900. They had
lived on a homestead over the range north of
Mullen a mile from Mrs. Liz Wolfenden
ranch.

The following article is taken in Part from
a June, 1969 Hooker County Tribune.

June 1, 1969
Friend Mr. Crosland:

`. . . I also want to extend congrats to Mr.
and Mrs. Crosland for giving Mullen and
Hooker County people the best newspaper
possible during their near ten years residence
here. Now, the number of years the late J.H.
Welton and I operated the Hooker County
Tribune date from the fall of 1901 to July 23,
1938 - 37 years. In 1891 I had been on the
loose only eight months so I couldn't have
been of much help to dear old Pa. I recall he
warned my brother Eddie and I to stay away
from the type cases, we did and again we
didn't, unbeknownst to Pa, but us boys
finally let Pa catch us setting type when he
returned to the office from being uptown one
day in about 1904. Our joke to Pa backfired
and we had a steady job as compositors from
that day into many years later. At least I did.
Pa took the Tribune off the hand of E.L.
Everett, who came to Mullen some months
previous as a carpenter from Hemingford,
Nebraska . . .

The Hooker County Tribune was an
extension of the Mullen Enquirer and the
Eagle, and was founded by Edgar Phillips,
who, after several years operation, wished the
paper off to Charlie Schilling. Edgar then
went up the street to a point midway between
the present Macke Store and Dr. Earl
Walker's dental office and proceeds to start
up another paper. Loyal and fair-play busi-
nessmen quickly caused the said Edgar to
dismiss the idea in full and he shortly left
town, leaving Mr. Schilling to battle on . . .
Mr. Schilling finally discovered he was
gathering more experience than profit from
his efforts, so he let the Tribune go into the
hand of carpenter Everett, who soon sensed
he was on the wrong boat and going in the
opposite direction. The fall of 1901, the year
that my father and his plenty of know how
came to town from the homestead and took
over the Tribune, which he operated for 27
years. After he passed to his reward Novem-
ber 25, 1928, I stayed 10 years longer, leaving
here August 23, 1938 . . . Pa didn't want me
to run away the third time (I had reasons),
so he got hold of the Mid-Republic Stockman
from the late Jim McMillan and I was put
down at Thedford Sunday night, August 8,
1908 to do my best. The name of the paper
was changed to the Thomas County Herald.
The idea for being there was to get in on the
publication fees when homesteaders adverti-
sed notice of intention to submit final proof
on their claim. Many of the fellows stayed
and prospered, just as many proved up, sold
and got out. This section of the state was
really at its best when the land entrants
started coming in from 1904 on 'til the last
vacant land was filed on, brought under
patent and taxes derived therefrom. The
plows really tore up the country, which
always was acknowledged to be exclusive
cattle country-and this is about all it is used
for this half a hundred years later. By the end
of March, 1910, I concluded the last of the
Thomas and Cherry county land notices had
been handled, so I packed my suitcase and got
as far as Mullen and spent the hot days
setting final proof notices. Many hundreds of
them did I set.

Seneca was a lively town, railroad suppor-
ted and was really bursting corset strings with
fun and frolic and plenty of lively people. I
guessed wrong when, in November 1910, I
stared the Thomas County Clipper and after
a couple of months it became plain the town
businessmen were not interested in the good
a newspaper could do a town, so I found a
buyer, he found a buyer and other temporary
owners found a buyer until finally the
equipment was worn down from changing
hands. Today, Thedford and Seneca are
without home publications, but in the state
there are many towns without them. So get
and stay with plenty of support and patron-
age behind your Mullen Tribune. It is well
worthy of your every effort. Ghost towns are
pitiful looking things because they no longer
are towns. Reasons: High prices, profiteering,
etc. But good luck to all our business men and
women and good wishes and good night.

Ross H. Welton

Mr. Welton was married to Marguerite
Osborn at O'Neill in February, 1930 and five
children were born to this union. He retired
in 1956 and returned to Mullen to make his
home till his death at the age of 84, in 1975.