Thanks to all of the residents and readers for the emails, calls and visits regarding the Mystery of the Missing First Edition, the Citizen's efforts to locate a copy of its missing first edition from 1916. Extra thanks goes to the folks who have brought in physical copies of the Citizen, some dating back to the 1930s.
Still no first edition but keep looking, everyone.
We are, however, now in possession of a physical copy of the Citizen marking President John F. Kennedy's assassination as well as two copies of Life magazine marking Kennedy's death.
One of the most wonderful editions brought in so far was a special supplement called Built For The Future, published on Nov. 29, 1963, the week after the shocking murder of Kennedy.
Built For The Future celebrated The Citizen moving into its current location at 150 Brunswick St., into a building designed by local architect Trelle Morrow to house an expanding business and a brand-new offset printing press.
Although Colleen Sparrow remains the first female publisher in the Citizen's 100-year history, she is not the first woman to hold a leadership position at this newspaper. That honour goes to Charity Milner, more frequently identified as Mrs. W.B. Milner in the formal style of the day. W.B. (Binney) Milner was the Citizen's publisher but Charity Milner was the president of Citizen Publishers and Printers Ltd. (later known as Northwest Publications), the owner of the Citizen, as well as the Cariboo Observer in Quesnel, the Williams Lake Tribune, the Prince Rupert Daily News, the Lakes District News, the Terrace Herald and the Cowichan Leader in Duncan.
Their investment in the Citizen building and printing plant was $500,000 or about $4 million in 2015 dollars. Hundreds of residents turned up for an open house on Saturday, Nov. 23 to tour the facility. No doubt everyone was also still talking about the event that shocked the world the day before. In Monday's edition of the the Citizen, the coverage of the open house was pushed to the bottom of the front page, of course, since the top featured stories on Kennedy's body being taken to Arlington National Cemetery, more details on Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby, Oswald's killer.
Accompanying the story is a photo of Charity Milner with Prince George's mayor of the day, Garvin Dezell.
Her husband states in the story that he would not see a financial return on his investment in the Citizen during his lifetime but the residents of the Central Interior need a good newspaper. That sentiment remains true today.
It was Charity Milner, however, who wrote the most passionate words about the Citizen and its mission, in a letter to readers on the second page of Built For The Future.
The last four paragraphs of her letter deserve to be quoted in their entirety:
"We do not expect everyone to agree with us. In the past we have expressed strong opinions on matters of public concern with which many disagree, or do not yet agree, and we will continue to do so.
"It is not the business of a newspaper to pacify anyone. Its job is to bring out all the significant news, and tell the truth as it sees truth, no matter whose feelings may be ruffled.
"We will continue to proclaim what we believe is the truth with force and sincerity. We will fight improvidence, rascality, stupidity and sloth in the management of public business and formulation of public policy without fear or favor.
"This along with fair and accurate presentation of the news we regard as our prime responsibility."
Besides featuring the coolest use of the word "rascality" ever, it is the tone of her words, both fierce and firm, that are still heard loud and clear more than 50 years later.
Sadly, Charity Milner, like the Citizen's first edition, has disappeared in the sands of time. She gave Christmas greetings on the front page of the Citizen in 1964 and then lost a libel suit brought against the Citizen by another powerful woman in Prince George history, Carrie Jane Gray. The paper was fined $500 and it appears to be the last time Charity Milner's name appeared in this newspaper. When her husband died in 1975, six years after the Citizen was sold to Southam, a story appeared in the Citizen but no mention was made of his family.
If you know the rest of the story of Charity Milner, drop me a line at [email protected] or call me at 250-960-2759.
