The Superior Express -

While talking with a subscriber on Monday, it was suggested I should write more about my life and the business my family operated on a hill overlooking Superior. I thanked her for the suggestion but noted it has been nearly 50 years since I lived on Blauvelt’s Hill and my father sold the business in 1971. I lived there at least part of the time during my first 26 years. I have lived in the same house in Superior since April 1, 1972, and have worked at this newspaper since May of 1970. In the 50 years I’ve been writing this column, I have shared lots of stories about the hill. Some I have probably told multiple times.

What is common place and not worth notice in some situations can be the cause for excitement in other situations.

There was a time when the rolls of paper used to print this newspaper were lowered into the basement and stored there until needed. Then they were lifted to the pressroom on the mainfloor. Paper was moved each week from basement storage to the pressroom each week. The last rolls of newsprint were lifted out of the basement about 50 years ago. It was such a common occurrence that no one took a picture. I remember it happening and that the paper was shipped to Fairbury. My help wasn’t needed and I didn’t observe the process.

After moving the paper out, I had a hand in creating a darkroom in the north section of the basement. The basement made a good place for a darkrom. Without windows, it was easy to control the light and there was little temperature variation. Newspaper darkrooms were often small and cramped, but ours was spacious. We had two enlargers and on heavy picture weeks, like the one following the Superior Centennial celebration, two of us worked in the basement printing pictures.

For a deep sink, the darkroom utilized a bath tub built for a camper. I built a shallow fiberglassed sink which could be filled with water to help control the temperature of the chemicals used in the development process.

It seemed that each year in the 1970s the newspaper utilized more photographic processes. In 1976, a second darkroom was added on the main floor. That area was enlarged in 1989. There were a few years when a person worked nearly full-time in the darkrooms.

Then digital photography arrived and darkroom declined. We moved out the enlargers and located our first vinyl cutter and vacuum table in the basement darkroom.

The rest of the basement saw other uses. Three folder machines were lowered into the basement and for several years that is where we folded our commercial printing jobs.

As our use of letterpress printing declined, we moved our cabinets of handset lead type to the basement and our Ludlow line casting machines and associated cabinets of brass mats. The lead and associated letterpress equipment weighs thousands of pounds. As a high school student, Gordon Wheeler helped moved some of the type to the basement. Do you suppose that experience influenced his choice of a radio broadcasting career over print journalism?

A small offset press was even lowered into the basement.

Our first photocopier, a monestrous beast that copied onto pink thermal paper was located in the basement.

In recent years, the basement has been used primarily for storage. That is where our picture and negative files are located and it is our office supply stock room.

Friday we decided to move a metal storage cabinet that had once been used for courthouse book storage. Each of the shelves have rollers to make it easier to move the heavy books in and out. The cabinet is similar in size and weight to a refrigerator. My plan is to use it for storing back newspaper issues. It has space to sort and hold this year’s 53 issues and more.

When I suggested the move, co-workers thought I had lost touch with reality. Nobody wanted to help take it down the stairs.

I assured them it wouldn’t be such a hard job if we used the elevator. At least one asked, “Where are you getting an elevator?”

As we began the process, I realized pictures were being taken. Three dustpans full of dirt and cobwebs were gathered off the platform that serves as the elevator car. Obviously it had been a long time since anyone had cleaned that area. Other than the editor and his wife, none of the newspaper workers had ever seen the elevator used.

Three hours after we started, the cabinet was in the basement and an offset press that has been cannibalized for parts was upstairs and awaiting a trip to the metal salvage yard. It came out a lot easier than it went down for this time we had reduced its size and weight.

The elevator is not perfect. If we were installing it again, I have in mind some modifications that might yield a better elevator, but this week it sure beat the alternative.

It could be better but it works, and since it may not be used for another 25 years or more, I plan on leaving it like it is.

With a little huffing, puffing and groaning on our part, the elevator allowed us to move several hundred pounds of stuff Friday without anyone over doing it or getting hurt. What more can we ask for?