093_HR0321
LRB093 11786 KEF 15795 r
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
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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.