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Trouble
by Mary Morgan Ware
Trouble
Is a passing
Cloud, with a silver rim
And golden lining, to teach us
Patience.
Members Issue ‘Dailies’
The latest journalistic attempts of three of our local members, Bob Briggs, Felix Moitoret, and the editor, has been the publication of a daily paper each. Briggs put out the Weekly Lablah for seven weeks as well as the Daily Leblah whose duration was shorter although it appeared in two editions daily. In explanation of his unique titles he states, “In French the word week is feminine and is preceded by ‘la’, while the word for day is masculine and therefore the ‘le’.”
Felix’s publications, first The Evening Star and later simply The Star, lasted but three or four days each. Victor’s The Daily Globe appeared regularly for fifteen days, then after an absence of eleven, reappeared, to continue for another ten days before stopping altogether.
The Evening Star and The Daily Globe were the first to appear and were done with pencil and carbon paper. As this method necessitated altogether too much time and work, the remainder of the issues were put out with the aid of “Ditto,” a substance which works the same as a hectograph.
Contents of these journals included local news items, original puzzles, crossword puzzles, comic strips, serial stories, and many other special features.
Generally the size of the papers was one 5 by 8 page printed on both sides, but in Sunday or special editions they ranged from four to twelve pages. With the “Ditto,” it is only possible to print 30 or 40 copies, but as the subscription lists numbered from 5 to 10 only, the young editors were not hindered in that direction.
The opening of school called a halt to these ambitious amateur publications, as the publishers simply hadn’t enough time to devote to this hobby with so many other things going on.
My Son
by Dora Hepner Moitoret
Infinite mystery
Made reality –
Victor.
Infinite mystery
Still intriguing me –
Victor.
Amateur Items
Serving as editor and the two associate editors respectively of the Piedmont Highlander, prizewinning weekly publication of Piedmont High School, this term, are Virginia Winkelman, Donald Ellis, and Victor Moitoret, the three highest officers of the Oakland Amateur Press Club.
The press which prints all of the amateur papers that come from Oakland is turned by hand, the motor for it not having been attached as yet.
As noted in the September National Amateur, it is our desire to start an inter-city serial story, one chapter being written by a member from each of several cities. Anyone interested in this should write to the editor of this paper.
The mailing bureau, which up to this time has made a fine showing, was a little slow on the November mailing. At the time this paper went to press, November 12, this month’s bundle had not yet arrived.
Our local club, which is growing rapidly, now includes eleven members, nine of which have joined the N.A.P.A.
The Oakland Amateur Press Club is in the midst of a violent political campaign. Officers for next year have been nominated and election speeches were made at a special meeting. Three different parties have been organized and the balloting on December 2 promises to be very close.
See you in Oakland in ’35
Introducing The Victorian
by Victor A. Moitoret
Probably many who read this paper who consider themselves amateurs of long standing will wonder why it is that they have not received the “Number One” issue. The reason for this is that the first issue appeared in the spring of 1919, when the editor was but one month of age, under the control of the Sun group in Cleveland.
My father first learned of amateur journalism in 1908, and when 1920 rolled around, it found him president of the N.A.P.A. On his arrival in Ohio in 1915, on a trip across the country working for newspapers, he met my mother, who was then Dora M. Hepner and who had been president of the United Amateur Press Association. Coming into this world in 1919, I was regarded by my father as a prospective recruit and was in such an amateur journalistic atmosphere that when but one month old, I had already published, with the aid of both parents, my first amateur publication, The Victorian. Imagine my surprise when I discovered later that I had put out a paper before I knew my ABC’s!
After an intermission of fully fifteen years, The Victorian has come forth with its second issue. However, I sincerely promise that another decade and a half shall not elapse before you see this paper in print again.
The Victorian
An amateur paper published by
Victor A. Moitoret
Oakland, California