T. A. MCNEAL

T. A. McNEAL responded as follows when requested to furnish a biographical sketch for this history of Kansas newspapers: "Born on a farm in Marion county, Ohio, of reasonably but not excessively poor and very honest parents. Worked on farm until I was a young man, not because I enjoyed it, but because there was n't any good way, so far as I could see, to get out of it. Got some education at Ohio Central College, now deceased; also Oberlin, and at Hillsdale, Mich. Came to Kansas in 1879. Went into the newspaper business as part owner of the Medicine Lodge Cresset. Lived in Medicine Lodge fifteen years. Might have stayed longer if I had not been practically busted. Got out first number of Kansas Breeze on Friday, April 13, 1894, which shows that I am not superstitious. The paper soon achieved rather a wide circulation for an infant. It seemed to be going almost everywhere except to hell, and I had hard work to keep it from going there. Sold paper to Arthur Capper in fall of 1895, after having run it one and a half years, part of the time associated with the late Frank Montgomery. Mr. Capper combined Breeze with North Topeka Mail. I have been editor of combined publication ever since.

"My official career has been made up of four years member of the legislature, six years state printer, and one year mayor of Medicine Lodge."

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