| Show THE UTAH NEWSPAPER HALL OF FAME which had begun with the now-legendary October 29 1929 stock market crash would go even deeper and that his opti mism like that of his friends and neighbors would turn gradually to pessimism Those were difficult times in all walks of life Itto the everlasting credit of the two Mountford sons that even though they brought little business experience and only latent and undeveloped editorial ability into the Chronicle plant they succeeded financially while many others failed Their first issue of the paper produced on September 1931 contained notword of explanation -and they continued in that same vein for the following eleven years Community betterment projects often consideredmeasuring stick of todaynewspapers weremoot point in that bleak era Interest focussed on survival more than on progress The Chronicle wasleader in reopening Payson only bank after its doors closed in 1932 -but that was hardly the material for which Community Service plaques are awarded And like most weeklies of that day the paper strived to reflect an upbeat attitude designed to bolster the morale of citizens nearly defeated by their economic reversals Together Dick and Deacon builtreputation for honesty and reliability that one Payson businessman expressed this way You can depend absolutely on what they tell you and will not be disappointed The date was January 30 1942 and the occasion the sale of the paper to Elisha Warner patriarch ofpublishing family in neighboring Spanish Fork The 52day interval until he and Dick purchased the Wasatch Wave of Heber City represented one of only two breaks in the continuity of Frank42-year publishing career It was also the only time in his life when his devotion to newspapering wavered Free from the responsibilities of meeting week after week publication dates the brothers proclaimed they were going to seek other challenges Instead the printerink in their veins surfaced again and they bought the Wave Charles Broadbent had been its editor for 32 years John Wallis the publisher for the past two years and seven months jested he only 587 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
