542 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Valle Harrold, and lie published it from 1880 to 1884. Henry Shaw then carried on the paper imtil 1886, when it was transferred to Joseph Flynn. Flyun soon disposed of his interest in the paper and it passed into the hands of Henry J. Janis, a member of the old pioneer French family of that name. It is now ably conducted by Jules J. Janis. Fairplaij is a Democratic paper and is weU established in the esteem of the people of Ste. Genevieve and wields an influence there. In 1882 Joseph A. Ernst began the publica- tion of the Ste. Genevieve Herald. It was published in both English and German and has continued to the present under the con- trol of IIr. Ernst. It is a popular and influ- ential journal, and is independent in political affiliations. St. jMarys has had a number of papers pub- lished at various times. Among these were The Times and The Progress, published for a time between 1902 and 1906. At the present The Review is the only paper published there. It is independent in politics and is edited by C. R. Bartels. It was established in 1906. The first newspaper in Benton, Scott county, was the Benton Record, established by George M. Moore in July, 1879. The editor was Louis Diehl. He was succeeded by Jefferson Shelton. and he by S. Henrj' Smith. Smith purchased The Express, a paper which had been established by T. S. Adams, and combined the two under the name of the Express Recorel. He sold the papers in August, 1886, to J. F. Mitchim. The Dispatch was the first newspaper pub- lished in Commerce, and it was established in 1867 by Wm. Ballentine and H. P. Lynch. The paper was continued, going through a number of changes of ownership, until the coimty seat was moved to Benton. In IMarch, 1885, a paper called the Scott County Agri- cultural Wlictl was begun with Rev. S. A. Mason as editor. Publication was continued for only a short time. The first newspaper in Sikeston was called The Star, and was established by J. F. ilitchim in January. 1884. He was succeeded as editor by W. S. Mitchim. In 1893 Heckam & McClintoek began the publication of a religious paper at Sikeston. It was called the Methodist Advocate, but was discontinued after a short time. In 1894 The Democrat began to be issued at Sikeston. It was a Democratic sheet and was published by E. R. Larey. The Budget was established by Guy Cooksey in 1898. At present there are two Sikeston papers. The Herald is Democratic and is published by Jolm B. Huffman. The Standard was established in 1911 by Naeter Brothers of Cape Girardeau. It is in- dependent in politics and is devoted largely to local news and to the building up of the interests in Scott countj'. The Chaffee Signal was established at Oran, Missouri, April 15, 1910, as the Oran Leader. It was moved to Chaffee on August 26 of the same year and its name changed to Chaffee Signed. The editor and proprietor is C. E. Mattocks and the paper is Democratic in politics. One of the veteran editors of Southeast Missouri is Phil A. Hafner, editor of the Scott County Kicker at Benton, Missouri. This is a Socialist paper published by the Workers Printing Company. Mr. Hafner was at one time in his life a conductor on the street rail- way in St. Louis, and while engaged in this business became impressed with the idea that he would like to own and edit a newspaper. The idea grew upon him and he went so far as to select a name for his proposed news-
