Things moved smoothly at the print shop for some time, but there came a sort of depression in business generally, and our managers decided to cut expenses by reducing, generally, the salaries of workers. There was no union organization in the office, and nothing to do but accept the cut or find new employment. The cutting started in the newspaper department and then was attempted in the job printing department. When the proposal was made to me to lower my wages, I immediately handed in my resignation, as did several other of the men.

It was with sincere regret that it became necessary to terminate our stay in Yankton, as we had greatly enjoyed our stay there. It was a beautiful little city, with many schools and churches, as well as social advantages - not large enough so you would not “know” your next door neighbor, but small enough to make your family and the neighbor family really “neighbors,” who gave you a friendly greeting when you met them on the streets or elsewhere.

Going back to Sioux City with no definite job in sight did not seem to worry us very much, as we had by that time quite a large acquaintance among the printing industry. We had barely landed there and found an abode to live in until I applied and received the place from which I had retired when we went to Yankton - on the Tribune.

There we met old friends who gave us a welcome hand and the assurance of any help they could extend. After several months at the Tribune, the promoter of the Commercial Printing Company, a comparatively new organization in Sioux City, offered the writer what seemed to be a more ideal position as foreman and inside manager of the company. They contemplated a general job printing business, combined with purebred cattle and livestock catalogue printing. The business opened with the promoter’s son in charge as outside business manager.

A few weeks experience demonstrated that the manager’s habits were not very stable and that he had little idea of real business methods. He neglected his duty of bringing the necessary work and looking after the financial affairs. He seemed to have other interests that kept him away from the business and finally disappeared wholly from the scene. Pay days would come with only a part of the funds on hand to pay help and other expenses (the writer advancing the necessary funds) and something had to be done.

The manager’s father, who had promoted the project, resided up in a South Dakota city, where he conducted a purebred cattle ranch. He was notified of conditions and came down to try to get the business straightened out. He failed to get his son back in the business so he set about to dispose of it. He made the writer a proposition to take over the business, which, after due consideration and modification, was consummated, and the writer became owner of the job printing department, leaving out the stock catalogue, material, library, etc. which was moved to the South Dakota home.

Assuming the proprietorship of the business, which had grown to considerable volume during our short time as manager, the office was doing a profitable and rapidly growing business. A printer friend, who was looking for an opening, offered to buy an interest in the business, was finally induced to take over the whole proposition, with the proviso that the writer should remain as foreman and inside manager.

We accepted the proposition, with the permission to spend a portion of the writer’s time on building and other things connected with a home building project at South Sioux City. This arrangement continued for some time, following which the writer again entered the Tribune and continued as compositor there until, after rebuilding, the Tribune installed type setting machines and the whole mechanical part of the business was changed over to fit the new method of composing the type for the paper.

The writer declined to take over and learn the machine which was offered him and changed over to the advertising and job side of the newspaper. He continued at this for some time but becoming tired of the grind, decided to try another country newspaper.