Surnames: Perkins, Tifft, Crothers, Small

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) September 7, 1950

Perkins, Merton N. (1950)

OLD-TIME PRINTER VISITS OLD HAUNTS IN NEILLSVILLE

Merton N. Perkins, of 1226 W. Lawn Ave. Racine, was in Neillsville last Thursday, talking with old friends and revisiting old scenes. With him was his daughter, Caroline M. Perkins, who is a teacher in Racine. She and her brother Layton were youngsters in Neillsville in the early years of the present century. Layton is now running a small manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Mr. Perkins first came to Neillsville in 1894. He worked for J. H. Tifft, the newspaper office being located in the rear of what is now the Zimmerman Store. The paper was then called the Republican and Press. The Tifft family dissolved partnership in 1898 and Mr. Perkins went with Mr. Tifft to Eau Claire, working for him there. Then he returned to Neillsville and worked for Mrs. Tifft.

In 1899 he went to Wonewoc with another person and bought a newspaper. He there demonstrated that it is possible not to make money with a newspaper. Following that disaster he worked on the Madison Democrat and then came back to Neillsville in 1903 or 1904. Here he worked for George E. Crothers for 12 years.

Mr. Perkins is now in retirement. Following his visit here, he and his daughter went to Merrillan to see Mrs. Thomas Small, the sister of Mrs. Perkins who died some 14 years ago.