Wiarus

The first edition of Wiarus is dated February 11, 1886, but at least one authoritative contemporary source gives Wiarus a starting date of 1885.^[3] The date of 1885 must certainly refer to the discussions culminating in the foundation of Wiarus. Led by the pastor, Reverend Jan Romuald Byzewski, Kashubian Poles from Winona's Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish pooled their resources to start a newspaper which would represent the interests of Winona's Kashubian Poles, at both the local and national levels. Two Winona Polish papers, Przyjaciel Ludu (transl. People's Friend) and Kurjer Winonski (transl. Winona Courier) had already failed.^[4] The Winona Daily Republican for February 18, 1886 states that officers of the Wiarus stock company were: Reverend Jan Byzewski, president; John B. Bambenek, vice-president; V.A. Lorbiecki, secretary; Frank Drazkowski, treasurer. The founders selected the title Wiarus to reflect the paper's values, as expressed below:

Our slogan is 'God Save Polonia.' Under this slogan we wish to unify our forces so as to be firm against our adversities, to preserve our holy faith in its purest form, to save our ethnic traditions, to educate our youth, and to secure for ourselves a respectable position in the United States in political and ethnic fields.

The first three issues of Wiarus were edited by Frank Drazkowski, the fourth through the tenth by Antoni Paryski (also called Parisso or Parek). Paryski is regarded by Winona historians to have been some kind of a Russian spy,^[5] but, in fact, later founded the influential Toledo-based newspaper Ameryka-Echo, which survived until 1971.^[6] Heated allegations such as this were typical of that day's Polish-language press, as editors competed for influence and subscribers among a Polish American community just beginning to recognize its own strength. The third and most famous editor of Wiarus, Hieronim Derdowski, was no stranger to controversy either. Better known (then and now) as an influential Kashubian and Polish poet, Derdowski emigrated to the United States in 1885 and had already worn out his welcome at two Detroit newspapers: the socialist Gazeta Narodowa and the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA)-supported Pielgrzym Polski.^[7] Evidently, he had not been the first choice of Wiarus's editorial board, even though he had expressed interest and his fellow-Kashubian Father Byzewski must have known about him at least by reputation.^[8] But with the eleventh issue of Wiarus, a new era began.

Given free rein by Wiarus's editorial board, Derdowski assumed his editorial duties with great relish. The editorial board sold Wiarus to Franciszek Gryglaszewski of Minneapolis, censor of the Polish National Alliance.^[9] On January 19, 1889, Derdowski bought the newspaper from Gryglaszewski for $3,000, becoming both editor and publisher.^[10] Practically nothing escaped Derdowski's attention. He took an interest in both local and national Polish affairs, including developments in what was once Poland. Although himself of Kashubian birth, he took great pride in the quality of his own Polish prose. He also gave himself credit for teaching the Kashubians of Winona "proper Polish," and for a while published a supplement called Kosciuszko for younger Polish American readers. As late as Spring 1892, Wiarus enjoyed the good esteem of the PRCUA, to judge from the Dziennik Chicagoski of March 3, 1892:^[11]

Unfortunately for Derdowski, he was not a very good businessman. His side ventures as a travel agent and printer did not bring much money, and circulation was therefore always a problem. His own personality gravitated toward the sensational, and if he could channel this into his family business, so much the better. This tactic, however, caused more insult than it did profit. That said, Wiarus performed a unique and important role in America's Polish-language press, not only representing the entire Polish community of the state of Minnesota, but serving as a clearing-house for communication between small Polish communities throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas.