An Indiana town may lie asleep a long time, but there always comes a day
when it wakes up; and Plattville had wakened in August when the "Herald"
became a daily and Eph Watts struck oil. It was then that history began to
be made. The "Herald" printed News, and the paper was sold every morning
at stands in all the towns in that section of the State. Its circulation
tripled. Parker talked of new presses; two men were added to his staff,
and a reporter was brought from Rouen to join Mr. Fisbee. The "Herald"
boomed the oil-field; people swarmed into town; the hotel was crowded;
strangers became no sensation whatever. A capitalist bought the whole
north side of the Square to erect new stores, and the Carlow Bank began
the construction of a new bank building of Bedford stone on Main Street.
Then it was whispered, next affirmed, that the "Herald" had succeeded in
another of its enterprises, and Main Street was to be asphalted. That was
the end of the "old days" of Plattville.
There was a man who had laid the foundation upon which the new Plattville
was to be built; he who, through the quiet labor of years, had stamped his
spirit upon the people, as their own was stamped upon him; but he lay sick
in his friend's house and did not care. One day Meredith found him propped
up in bed, reading a letter--reading it listlessly, and with a dull eye.
"PLATTVILLE, September 1st.
"Dear Mr. Harkless: Yours of the 30th received. Every one here is very
glad to know that your health is so far improved as to admit of your
writing; and it is our strongest hope that you will soon be completely
recovered.
"New subscriptions are coming in at a slightly advanced rate since my last
letter; you will see they are distributed over several counties, when you
examine the books on your return; and I am glad to state that with our
arrangement for Gainesville the 'Herald' is now selling every morning at a
prominent store in all the towns within the radius we determined on. Our
plan of offering the daily with no advance on the price of the former
tri-weekly issue proves a success. I now propose making the issue a quarto
every day (at the same price) instead of once a week. I think our
experience warrants the experiment. It is my belief that our present
circulation will be increased forty per cent. Please advise me if you
approve. Of course this would mean a further increase of our working
force, and we should have to bring another man from Rouen--possibly two
more--but I think we need not fear such enlargements.