He became the moving spirit in the establishment
of the newspaper, and the Chappell Rustler came into existence. It was printed on a job press and published without regard to regular sequence for a time. Mr. Brashears was an old soldier, and as has been recounted, though a layman, he preached in Chappell and the country for some years. He was a man of excellent character and just the man needed in the formative years of Chappell's development. Volume
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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA
I, No. 1, of the Rustler was published July 1, 1885, a four column folio, and the three advertisements it contained were : Hosea Hudson, physician and surgeon; John O'Neil, lands, he being the "pioneer real estate dealer;" and Ira Brashears, real estate and notary public. This was the notice of the first notary in Chappell.
The Chappell Register for the first several months of its existence was printed at Lodgepole, no files of these months are to be found. Volume I, No. 15, contains an "Introductory," indicating it was the beginning, there being no explanation of why the number was 15 instead of 1. Probably this was the initial number published at Chappell. It appeared September 29. 1887, with Morgan and Yenson as publishers. A year later it was published by Morgan & Company, which would indicate a change in the management. It is possible that the Rustler was its antecedent, and there had been fourteen numbers of that paper previously issued.
The fight over the location of the county seat waxed warm during the first part of 1889, the Register fighting valiantly for Chappell, and the Journal, appearing at Big Springs, published by Mr. O'Day, fighting for Big Springs. The Register accused Mr. O'Day of being an importation for hire and indulged in divers personalities which were common the first years that newspapers were established in western Nebraska.