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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 14, 2023     Shelton Mason County Journal
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September 14, 2023
 
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Dave Jamesand t n the summer of 11935, 25-year—old Dave James came to Shelton to edit the Shelton Independent, the “only Democratic newspaper on the West Coast — or maybe in the world.” This story is adapted from a sto- ry James wrote for a 1985 Shelton centen— nial supplement to the Shelton—Mason County Journal. A. J. Chitty had started the weekly Shelton. Independent in 1927, much to the annoyance of Grant Angle, who had been publishing the Shelton-Mason County Journal since 1886. According to James, “Chitty was a deeply—saturated Democrat and Angle stood slightly to the right of Herbert Hoover. Their editorial friction kept the home fires burning.” When President Franklin Roo- sevelt appointed Chitty as US. marshal in Tacoma, Grant Angle and his son, Eber, bought the strug- gling Independent. They reasoned that keeping the Independent alive would discourage stronger competi‘ tion from entering Shelton. When the Angles hired Dave James to be editor, “Eber told me I was to run the paper as profitably as possible, and keep it Democratic. The Angles let it be known that they owned both weeklies, but the Independent would hoe its own row and admire the New Deal.” In 1935, Shelton was an isolated community ofless than 3,000 resi- dents. James soon learned that many outsiders thought of it as Little Chi— cago. “Hal Lyman, state editor of the Tacoma News Tribune, wanted me to be his Shelton correspondent, be- cause he believed that Shelton was a pretty good town for strange mur— ders and maybe I could dig one up shortly.” A subscription to the paper cost $1 per year; single copies could be had for 5 cents. “People had little money and many a subscription was granted to farmers who came in with eggs or canned fruit.” Shelton had its share of interest- ing characters in 1935. Before nam— ing them, however, James cautioned that “newcomers to Shelton quickly learned to guard their tongues when talking about people. Blood relation- ships among Shelton’s older families covered the town like a spider web. Any indiscreet remark, no matter how innocently expressed, might rub raw as an unintended slur against a relative.” Walter Elliot, head of the We deliver “hast i Earring a121, fir-i;in Hatter, 951 W. KAMILGHE [ME IN SHELTIIN “37, HISTORY AT A GLANCE Lu mbermen’s Mer- cantile store, “ran the L-M like an overlord. The store’s slogan was ‘Everything from a Needle to a Loco— motive.’ Walt was a big man who knew the value of personal service. He taught his clerks to greet customers as if they were long-lost cous- ins. Lumbermen’s t full-page ads kept the Independent solvent, and whenever I wanted news about who had come to town, I went to see Walt Elliot.” Among James’ favorites were four women who had found their way into what was still very much a man’s world. “Postmistress Jessie Knight was a daughter of Mary M. Knight, an early superintendent ofMason County Schools. Susie Pauley as- sisted County Auditor Harry Deyette and knew everybody in the county. County Clerk Clair Engelsen was so pretty that admiring reporters would often return to her office four times a day under the pretense of forgetting things. Dora Fredson, of the pioneer Fredson family, was responsible for helping Shelton School Superinten— dent Enzo Loop fill the skulls of Shel- ton’s pupils with worldly knowledge.” Tony Fonzo’s tavern, Merv Getty’s cigar store, Mac’s Corner tavern, and Smith’s Cigar Store were favor- ite haunts of the loggers who “came to town sober on Saturdays and re- turned to camp Sunday night singing of home and mother.” Service club meetings were held in the Shelton Hotel, with Ed Faubert in command. Faubert’s father had thrown the front door key away when he opened the hotel for business 40 years earlier. Kiwanians sang their hearts out to the piano-pounding of Realtor Neil Zintheo. Visitors who wanted to see something big in Shel— ton were shown the enormous bath— tub that had been built especially for Alfred H. Anderson in an upper floor room of the hotel. Anderson, once a partner in the Simpson Logging Company, had stood 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed nearly 300 pounds. _ The Shelton that James came to know in 1935 “revolved around Rail- road Avenue. The Peninsular Rail— way, later known as the Simpson Line, was the lifeline between town and the camps. As their lokies pulled logs through town to the bay, engi- neers such as Frank Wandell, War- ren Earl, Frank Brown, and others would wave at friends the length of the avenue. When logging returned each spring after winter shutdowns, ’ziciiic, iiwwisn and We Counties uwnncmum he Shelton! Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 — Shelton—Mason County Journal Page 7 "dependent Dave James, date unknown. Photo courtesy of Mason County Historical Museum the town barbers, Realtors, grocers, and insurance agents would line the sidewalks to greet the trains and thank their Maker for the return of prosperity.” Since both local papers were published only on Thursday, undertaker Bill Witsiers made use of shop windows on Railroad Avenue to post funeral announcements. In June, 1936, Dave James left Shelton to work for the Tacoma News Tribune. In 1947, he returned to Shelton to handle media relations for the Simpson Logging Company. In 1960, the company transferred him to Seattle to serve as public re- lations director. He wrote two books for the Mason County Historical So— ciety: “Grisdale, Last oft/2e Logging Camps” and “Big Trees and Steam Lokies.” When he died in 1995, Jour— nal editor Charles Gay wrote a two— column obituary, which included the comment that "His wit, attention to detail and ability to turn a phrase were legend, and he loved to write about characters he had known.” The Mason County Historical Museum is fortunate to haVe several boxes of Dave James’ letters, research, per- sonal and professional correspon- dence, and photographs. (When Grant Angle retired and sold his newspapers in 1937', the Shelton Independent was consolidat- ed with the Journal.) I Jan Parker is a researcher for the Mason County Historical Mu- seum. She can be reached at parkerjfif hctc.com. Membership in the Mason County Historical Society is $25 per year. 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