Poor health drives Bert Smith to buy newspaper

 In Opinion

Last month we found the Smith family, Bert and May, rejoicing over the birth of their first child, David Angus, “the most wonderful thing that had ever happened.” Bert, writing his own biography, continues:

The First World War armistice happened two weeks after David’s birth. Fortunately we escaped the flu bug and generally things were good. The old farm paid off in 1918-19 but then the depression started and to make matters worse my health was miserable. I had to live on a restricted diet. My trouble was a Duodenal Ulcer, but it took 12 years before the doctors diagnosed the trouble. I also had chronic appendix trouble, and in March 1921 I went to the Collingwood Hospital under Dr. McFaul and had my appendix removed. The surgeon also removed my tonsils at the same time. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone else. The doctor said he felt sure I was then to have good health but he was all wrong. The old internal pains returned and I just couldn’t keep up with the necessary farm work.

The doctor and several friends advised me to quit the farm and go into some other line of work. Frankly, I was quite perturbed. I had no training for anything else. I went to my mother and she said, “You are now 35 years old, and if you feel unable to farm, the sooner you pick some other vocation the better.”

It was about December 1, 1923 that I went into The Creemore Star office to pay up my subscription

Mrs. Carlton and her son were running the business. Mr. Carlton had died two years before. I found her in bad humour. Straight away she said, “I wish you or someone else would buy me out.” She said, “Give me $8,000 and it’s yours.” I didn’t let on but frankly I was interested. The next day I called on the Anglican minister because I knew he had been a printer. I told him about my health and finances and asked for his opinion. He told me The Creemore Star was down at the heel. In fact he said it was a mess. But he considered there were great possibilities. Then to get another publisher’s viewpoint I got on the train and visited the Alliston editor because I had heard he had come to The Creemore Star office to do some repair job. Like the preacher he said the Star was at low ebb, but there were good possibilities under good management. He valued it at $7000 for machinery and building. I, of course, talked it over with my family and within a week I went in and made an offer of $7000 – two thousand cash and balance in abeyance until one year later to be arranged. She accepted.

I made an estimate of my assets and hoping to sell the farm considered it was worth $7,000. I went to the bank and found the manager cooperative. He would loan me $2,000. Signed, sealed and delivered I was the owner of The Creemore Star. The $2,000 loan from the bank was the down payment. I took over January 10th, 1924. My knowledge of the business was nil, except that I felt confident that I could write. It was in favour that the business was at low ebb. I kept the two boys already there, Ken Carlton and “Stiff.”

My hope was to hold an auction sale in March, and also sell the farm. For two months I went up and down daily on the good old train. May and the children stayed on the farm until late in March. I should mention that a depression was on. My sale went over and I was able to pay off the bank. But not a single prospect wanted to buy the farm. I finally leased it. We were able to rent a house in Creemore.

I pepped up the Star and added several new subscribers but after three or four months I realized things were in a rut. I was advised that the two boys on the staff were inefficient and that I should fire them. I took Ken into my confidence and when I outlined my plans he got mad and walked out never to return. In the meantime Mrs. Carlton was boasting that she would soon have the business again as well as the $2,000 deposit.

In September I hired Frank Patterson. He said for me to run the front office, do the writing, etc. and let him handle the mechanical and without interference. I agreed and things then progressed very well. I was able to get a mortgage on the building and machinery for $5,000 and in December paid Mrs. Carlton off in full, much to her disappointment.

The business picked up and I bought my first car. After getting the car I visited other editors at Alliston, Barrie, Dundalk, etc… and humbly asked for advice. They all advised me to join the weekly press association and attend meetings.

In the meantime my printer was very unsatisfactory. He knew the business from A to Z and his advice was usually right. I guess I was stupid but it never dawned on me that he was an alcoholic, and for his first 10 months with me I didn’t even know he would take a drink.

But things went along. Bert and Mrs. Smith took a vacation and went to the newspaper convention in Winnipeg. In the late 1920s Frank Patterson became a confirmed alcoholic. I took on Russell More as an apprentice. Then one day my main man Patterson went away and never came back.

My health broke down, due to an ulcer, which had never been diagnosed. The ulcer hemorrhaged and I was more dead than alive. I was taken by ambulance to Collingwood Hospital for an emergency operation. When I now recall what I came through I just wondered how I survived. Fortunately the operation was successful and for many years I had fairly good health. I had been on a restricted diet for years but after the operation I was able to eat anything.

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