"The pen is mightier than the sword — we're told."

But what is either to a sharpened Faber?
Paste-pot and scissors have a mighty hold
And save a sight of heavy mental labor —
But if you want a power — sturdy, bold —
Archimedes' hand-spike, or Damocles' sabre —
Give us a Washington, a Taylor or a Hoe
And spondulicks enough to make the critter go."

To the Mormons is accorded the honor of establishing the first newspaper in Hall County. The beginning of the press followed much closer upon the first settlement than the be ginnings of even the organized churches and schools. In the spring of 1858 the Mormons had a number of farms operating on Wood River and in that little community the first newspaper in Hall or adjoining counties was established by them. It was named the Banner, was owned by one Peck and edited by Joe E. Johnson. It was published under several different names, during its Nebraska residence, among them being the Huntsman's Echo. In the spring of 1863 it was moved away with the Mormons and when taken to Salt Lake, was rechristened The Mountain Bugle. The Banner was the evangelist of this Mormon tribe, sending out their teachings and doctrines, so it was of little use to the colonies of German Christians, or even the Catholic community coming into that section of the country. For the larger fraction of a decade these German colonists were compelled to get their news from papers published at Chicago, or the faraway Fatherland.

In 1869 an enterprise was established at North Platte which eventually became the first permanent paper of Hall County, The Independent. This paper was established as the Platte Valley Independent, and issued on January 1, 1869 by Mrs. M. T. G. Eberhart and Seth P. Mobley. In their salutations they claimed for the new journal just what its name indicated.

As it was the only paper of the whole west ern and north and south central sections of the state, west of Fremont, its pages were filled with advertisement and the news columns quite replete. On June 11, of that year, a bitter attack on J. P. Marston was made.

This brought forth an action for libel, and threatened a sale of the Independent to Barton & Park on June 25, but the withdrawal of suit and the dismissal of Marston as foreman of the Union Pacific shops averted that course. Mr. Mobley remained at North Platte as editor for some time, and issued the paper as the Advertiser. In the meantime headquarters were removed to Grand Island, with Mrs. Eberhart as resident editor. On July 2, 1870, Mrs. Eberhart as editress issued the first number of the Platte Valley Independent at Grand Island. She was a virile writer and became generally known over the state. The tone of the new paper was decidedly Republican when political affairs were under discussion, and the news columns were well filled. This journal was the advertising medium for all of this section of the state, and gained a foothold which it has since maintained. Later Mr. Mobley became associated in the business and publication of the paper in Grand Island and the association ripened into closer relations, Mrs. Eberhart and Mr. Mobley being married on December 9, 1871.

Mr. Mobley had been editor of the Fort Kearny Herald in 1865, before he had under taken the enterprise that developed into the ledcpendent. Mrs. Mobley was born in Limerick City, Ireland, and came to the United States with her parents in 1849, attended St. Mary's convent at South Bend, Indiana, in 1852, after her father's death, taught school at Peoria, in 1864, removed to Omaha in 1867 and went to North Platte in 1869 where she taught school until she became connected with the new Independent. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mobley were very prominent in the Grange movement. Her Fourth of July addresses and lectures on statesmen and agriculture received some attention.