Cook’s early days in Spokane were somewhat
controversial. From 1878 to 1882, as
owner and editor of “The Spokan Times”
he appears to have been Spokane’s most ardent and vocal supporter, publicly
striving to represent the best interest of the community. Cook’s newspaper was the first one in Spokane
to receive national telegraph wires from the Associated Press, and the county
commissioners declared it Spokane County’s official newspaper. However, Cook’s opinions often provoked some
of the early Spokane community leaders.
During his final year with the Times,
he expressed negative opinions to the character and actions of some of these
leaders, arousing their outrage.
Cook published an inflammatory article about what he called
“The Ring” consisting of city leaders J. N. Glover, A.M. Cannon and J. J.
Browne quoting that they “…are blight
upon the place, standing between our city and the prosperity to which it is
entitled. They foster no experience but
such as pays them tribute.”
The article appears to have escalated the ongoing feud
between Cook and “The ring”. In response
to earlier published statements in the “Spokan
Times”, Glover, Cannon and Browne had started a second newspaper in Spokane
Falls, The Chronicle”, on June 29,
1881. A running feud was carried on
between the two newspapers.
More on this story will continue
later. Keep tuned in, folks.
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