HENRY J. CALNAN

The Weekly Kansas Chief, published at Troy, is owned and edited by H. J. Calnan. Mr. Calnan was born at Stoneham, Mass., in 1857, the same year the Chief was born in Kansas. Mr. Calnan moved with his parents to Moulton, Iowa, when a boy, and served four years as an apprentice in the office of the Moulton Independent. After becoming a printer he worked in different offices. He engaged in railroading, serving as a fireman on the Burlington route, was promoted to the position of locomotive engineer, and in this capacity worked for several of the railroad systems in the West. His last railroading was in Mexico, where he ran an engine on the Mexican National out of San Luis Potosi. Upon his return to this country he took up the printing business again, and owned and edited several newspapers. He bought the Chief from Mrs. Miller, widow of the famous pioneer editor, Sol Miller, twelve years ago. The politics of the Chief have always been straight Republican. It is the oldest paper in the state. Other papers were started before it was founded, but they were later merged with other papers or discontinued. Doniphan county, in the early days, was a veritable newspaper graveyard. Many papers were started during the territorial days. Every boom town had a boom newspaper. Many of the towns were later abandoned, and all the newspapers expired with the exception of the Chief. Mr. Miller found it hard at times to keep his paper going, but he was a game old warrior and stayed on in spite of hard times and opposition, and lived to see his newspaper enjoying permanent prosperity and a wide reputation.

Mr. Calnan's family consists of his wife and one son, Charles. Charles is now attending high school, and when he graduates from that institution will attend the Kansas University at Lawrence. His father hopes that his son will succeed to the management of the Chief, and is educating him in a manner to fit him for the position.

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