Joseph Kubler Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1723-1724 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOSEPH KUBLER is a native of the province of Alsace, Germany, 
where his birth occurred on August 23, 1854. He attended the schools of 
that country until his seventeenth year, after the Franco-Prussian war, 
when he left home and came to the United States, landing in New Orleans, 
thence after a short time went to Jackson, Mississippi, where he 
remained about two years, during which he was variously employed. From 
the latter place he went to St. Louis, Missouri, later to Kansas City, 
thence to Omaha, Nebraska, and finally, in 1873, made his way as far 
west as Denver, Colorado. 

	Shortly after reaching his objective point, he entered a newspaper 
office, to serve an apprenticeship at the printing business. It was 
while thus engaged that the Black Hills country was opened, and in the 
spring of 1876 he engaged with Mervick & Laughlin, who took a newspaper 
outfit to Custer City, to work in their office. Reaching their 
destination, these gentlemen while waiting for part of the material and 
stock of paper, issued a circular announcing to the people that their 
publication would appear in due time, but before the supplies arrived 
the gold excitement at Deadwood broke out, the effect of which was to 
cause a rush from Custer City, until the latter place was almost 
depopulated. Moving their plant to Deadwood, Messrs. Merrick & Laughlin, 
assisted by Mr. Kubler, issued, on June 8th of the above year, the first 
number of the Black Hills Pioneer, a sprightly, well-edited local sheet, 
devoted to the mining and other interests of the town and surrounding 
country, and which under the original management was regularly issued 
for some years thereafter. Mr. Kubler severed his connection with the 
paper and returning to Custer City, purchased, in partnership with A. D. 
Clark, a newspaper plant, that had been brought to the place some time 
previously, and on September 4th of the same year the first number of 
the Custer Chronicle was issued under the new management. After 
publishing the paper jointly for a period of five years, Mr. Kubler 
purchased his partner's share, since which time he has been sole 
proprietor, the Chronicle under his able editorial and business 
management growing steadily in public favor the meanwhile, until it is 
now not only one of the oldest newspapers in the Black Hills, but also 
one of the most successful, as well as one of the ablest and most 
influential local sheets in the state. Mr. Kubler has a well-equipped 
office, supplied with all the latest and most approved machinery and 
appliances, and the Chronicle is not only well edited, but is neat in 
its mechanical makeup and a model of typographical art, ranking in every 
respect with larger and much more pretentious metropolitan papers. 
Strongly Republican in politics and a zealous partisan, Mr. Kubler has 
never sought office or public position of any kind, believing that he 
can better promote the interests of his party through the medium of his 
paper than in any other way. He has attended many of the county, 
district and state conventions since locating in Custer City, and has 
wielded a strong influence in these bodies, being recognized as a safe 
and judicious counsellor. In May, 1900, he was appointed postmaster of 
Custer City, and was reappointed in May, 1904, and has since discharged 
the duties of the position in a creditable and business-like manner. 

	Mr. Kubler is a thirty-second-degree Scottish-rite Mason also 
belongs to the Mystic Shrine, and for a number of years has been a 
member of the blue lodge at Custer City, having served several terms as 
master of the same, besides holding various official positions in the 
other branches of the order with which he is identified; he also holds 
membership with the Pythian brotherhood, being one of the active workers 
in the lodge, which meets in the city of his residence. Mr. Kubler is 
one of the most enterprising men in the Black Hills, has always stood 
for progress and improvement and, although of foreign birth, he is 
intensely American in his inclination and tendencies, being a loyal 
supporter of the government under which he has achieved such marked 
prestige and success. 

	Mr. Kubler, in July, 1883, was united in marriage with Miss Louisa 
Katsch, of Germany, but at the date noted a resident of Custer City, the 
following children being the fruit of the union: Joseph W., William L., 
Carl H., Eva, Frank, Grace and Louisa.