093_HR0321

 
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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  The  members   of   the   Illinois   House   of
 3    Representatives wish to commemorate the owners and publishers
 4    of  The  Argus  Newspaper as it closes its doors after nearly
 5    140 years of continuing publication in service to the  people
 6    of Robinson; and

 7        WHEREAS,  On  December  10, 1863, G. W. Harper issued the
 8    first publication  of  the  Argus;  before  the  election  in
 9    November of that year, The Argus had become a strong advocate
10    of  the  re-election of President Lincoln, having the largest
11    circulation of any country paper in this section of the State
12    and being quoted for its pronounced fearless character; and

13        WHEREAS, At one time, The Argus  reached  readers  in  47
14    states  and  Canada  along with Robinson and Crawford County;
15    and

16        WHEREAS, G. W. Harper laid a solid foundation  which  was
17    continued  by  three  more generations of his family, his son
18    Paul B. Harper, Victor and Agnes Manning Smith (Paul's foster
19    daughter),  and  then  Carol  and   Sam   Scarpone   (Agnes's
20    daughter); and

21        WHEREAS,  Some  time  before 1902, The Argus was equipped
22    with a Campbell  cylinder  press,  two  job  presses,  and  a
23    Fairbanks-Morse  gasoline  engine  which  furnished the motor
24    power for their  operation;  the  office  was  supplied  with
25    cutting  machines  and  all  the  latest  styles  of type and
26    conveniences for first-class printing; and

27        WHEREAS, When The Argus first went  into  publication  it
28    was  only  half  the size as it is now, with a hand press and
29    barely enough  type  to  get  out  the  paper,  and  its  job
30    department  was only equal to the demands for ordinary poster
31    printing; but the paper and the job department have kept pace
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11786 KEF 15795 r
 1    with the growth of the  town  and  county,  as  well  as  the
 2    demands of the time; therefore, be it

 3        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
 4    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
 5    we  commemorate  the  owners  and  publishers  of  The  Argus
 6    newspaper  for  over  140  years of publication and dedicated
 7    service to the people of Robinson; and be it further

 8        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
 9    presented to Carol and Sam Scarpone.