Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 5 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 8

An important factor in the development and growth of the enterprising community of Selma, Cal., is the semi-weekly, eight-page newspaper, known as The Selma Irrigator, owned and edited by J. J. Vanderburgh.

The first edition of the Irrigator appeared in 1886, when the paper was founded by W. T. Lyon, who later became associated with W. L. Chappell, and under the firm name of Chappell & Lyon the Irrigator continued to be published for several years, in both daily and weekly editions.

In 1892, J. J. Vanderburgh, who at that time was a public school teacher, purchased the interest of W. L. Chappell, and subsequently engaged in the publishing of the Irrigator under the firm name of Lyon & Vanderburgh from 1892 to 1897, when Mr. Vanderburgh became the sole owner of the business. The business soon began to expand under the efficient management of Mr. Vanderburgh, and in course of time he sold the little old frame building, which had been the home of the Irrigator for a number of years, and purchased a block consisting of twelve lots, across the street, and on a portion of this property he built, in 1906, the present new and commodious Irrigator Building, a two-story-and-basement brick block, 30 x 60 feet in size. The first floor contains a large office and editorial room, a large room for the accommodation of the job-printing department, which contains three electrically operated up-to-date presses, and one large newspaper press and Omaha folder. The linotype machine used by the Irrigator was shipped through the Panama Canal, and is one of the first two machines of its kind to pass through the canal. It is very complete, having three magazines and nine faces of type, and is regarded as one of the best linotyping machines on the Pacific Coast. The stereotyping room is situated away from the building to lessen the fire hazard. The basement of the Irrigator Building is used as a dining hall and banquet room, having accommodations for one hundred twenty persons, and this room has often been the scene of many enjoyable banquets. A public hall is located in the second story of the building and is used as lodge rooms for various fraternal organizations, also as the church home of the Christian Science Society, of Selma. The Irrigator Building is a great credit to the up-to-date city of Selma, "The Home of the Peach," and will be a standing monument to the enterprise and business sagacity of its builder and owner, J. J. Vanderburgh.

The Selma Irrigator has been a potent factor in the development of this prosperous community and has justly earned for itself an important place in the front rank of journals of its size in Central California. It pursues a constructive policy in regard to all that makes for the good of the community, educationally, religiously, commercially, and agriculturally; while it is always the uncompromising foe of evil, whether it presents itself boldly, or in some veiled and alluring form. Mr. Vanderburgh is ably assisted in the editorial department by his talented wife.