The
Spurious Nib
Special Edition
Volume 800
The Spurious Nib is celebrating its 120th anniversary
issue by recounting golden moments now available electronically thanks in no
part to S. B. s’ archivist, Dusty “Nibs” Japes. Old Nibs is amazing both in his
width and breadth in his ability to think up things no one else has for years
on end.
Mr. Japes recently discovered some here-to-fore unknown
facts about this little publication. For instance: Restaurateur and former
printer, Bunkie Fuzzbutton was an apprentice here in the 1890s before striking
out on his own. Furthermore, Fuzzbutton’s grandfather was Maximus Tornblatt started
a journal, The Harried Hessian, after emigrating from Germany in the mid-1800s.
Tornblatt’s genius was his innovative roving news wagon which roamed the upper
Midwest gathering and disseminating things Tornblatt found interesting. Before
his death in 1883 Tornblatt expanded his fortune buying up several small papers
(The Wayne Whig, The Ashwaubenon Commoner, The Round Prairie Witness and the
Dewit Register). In 1884 Tornblatt sold his papers to Mortimer S. Mitone.
Mitone consolidated the roving news into Spurious Nib in 1885. As part of the
buyout the new owner agreed to hire some of Tornblatt’s family which is how the
paper eventually ended up with a Fuzzbutton.
Fuzzbutton was pressed into service as a printer’s devil
eventually surpassing the best typesetter in the shop. Alas, one can only
speculate what would have happen to the Spurious Nib had Bunkie stayed at the
presses and rose through the ranks of the Spurious Nib. Perhaps the paper would
have again been under the great auspices of the founding family.
The Fates pushed Fuzzbutton into crepes and Fortune smiled
upon Mortimer S. Mitone who was enamored with the business of publication.
The Spurious Nib trusts you will enjoy historic excerpts
each week.
