EDITOR’S NOTE: Continuation of the Fairview newspaper history from last Sunday’s edition.

I.R. Alling purchased the Fairview News on March 10, 1928, from C.R. Hurly, and Hurly was quoted saying, “We have our hands full at Sidney with the Herald, and we were glad of the opportunity to relinquish this responsibility. We were highly gratified at the general enthusiasm here when it was reported that we might take the News off our hands and are more than gratified at the hearty welcome he has received in actually assuming change of the paper. This week his name appears at the top of the column as editor and publisher.” Previous to taking over the Fairview paper, Alling and a partner had published the Three Forks, Montana Herald.

In 1951, Earl Harden, formerly of the Miles City Daily Star, became associated with the Fairview News and assumed duties in the reporting and mechanical departments of the paper. Harden had considerable newspaper experience, particularly in the mechanics of newspaper production. He previously worked on the Pillips County News at Malta, the Miles City Star, the Silver State Post at Deer Lodge and the Montana Standard and Butte Daily Post at Butte. His first newspaper experience was acquired in South Dakota. Harden, his wife and three children purchased the Bob Ost home in south Fairview. Mrs. Harden was formerly Dorothy Deming, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Deming, Fairview.

In 1955, I.R. Alling, publisher of the Fairview News, was elected president of the Montana State Press Association at the final session of the three-day meeting at Miles City in August. He succeeded T.J. Scanlan, general manager of the Star Printing Co., Miles City. “Bob,” as he is known by friends of the Fairview community and throughout the state, pledged the Fairview News to community betterment over the years and tried to live up to the slogan quoted in his first editorial on March 15, 1928 when he said the News would be “Devoted to the interests of Lower Yellowstone Valley and its tributary alliances.” During the three-day convention, Montana publishers also voted to incorporate the Montana Advertising Service. This would promote and handle national advertising for Montana’s weekly newspapers.

Alling was introduced to the group Sunday morning by the outgoing president, Scanlan. Also attending the convention from Fairview along with Mr. Alling was his wife, Ruth, and Earl Harden. After serving as publisher of the Fairview News for nearly 30 years, I. R. Alling retired as publisher. In July 1957, Earl Harden purchased and assumed immediate management of the weekly newspaper and planned to continue to operate it aggressively and much similar to policies in recent years. Harden planned to continue to carry community news events with empasis on agriculture and other local developments. It would be a spokesman for community activities.

The retiring publisher planned to continue to live in Fairview for the time being. Insecure health was somewhat responsible for the disposition of the Fairview News. Staying on with the News was Jack Epperson, who had been with the news since 1936 and continued to assist the new publisher.

Jack Epperson was given the title of the oldest Montana-born citizen in this area. Jack was born Aug. 2, 1877, in what is now a Montana ghost town, the early day camp of comet Mine, located between Butte and Boulder. At the age of 77, he was still semi-employed by the Fairview News, in good spirits and determined not to cash in his chips. Yet Jack put in several spare hours binding files at the News and showing continued interest in his life-long work. After suffering from a heart attack, Jack retired from the tension of newspaper work and worked at the Hotel Albert as a night clerk. In 1897, Epperson headed for Great Falls where he began the trade of printing in the Leader and later for the Tribune.

“I well remember Fred Sevgine,” Epperson said, “a fine man, and he taught me a lot in those days. Fred was much older and had personally hand set the account of Custer’s massacre in 1874. I recall when O.S. Worden came to the Great Falls Leader as a young, energetic bookkeeper.”

Sometime later, Jack went to Belt and worked for the Times until 1905 when he moved to Ft. Benton and entered employment of the River Press. For 17 years he remained at this job. During those years he was married to Hannah Truso, and their two girls Gertrude and Ethel were born at Ft. Benton.

With a change of management on the River Press, Jack then moved around from the coast to North Dakota. Most papers he worked on were in Montana including Glasgow Review, old Kalispell Bee, Pioneer Press, Cutbank, Glasgow News, Terry Tribune, the Sweet Grass News and Big Timber Pioneer.

Epperson returned to Belt to take care of his parents. After they passed away, Jack came to the Fairview News in 1936. Since then local people know of his dependable work. “I have learned something new in nearly every paper on which I worked,” Epperson said. “Basic hand-setting was acquired at Great Falls. I have handset five sticks of eight-point in an hour, and on one shift at Ft. Benton I kicked out (on the old treadle press) five jobs for a total of 6,000 impressions. I have liked my work in this state, especially at the Fairview News, and that is why I have stayed here.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Information compiled from Courage Enough and the Fairview Times.