The Barber County Index dates back to the year 1880, when it was
     established by M.L. and J.M. Sherpy, who later sold it - the plant and
     business - to E.W. Payne. Mr Payne was also President of the Medicine
     Valley Bank; and in the memorable bank robbery of April 30, 1884, he
     was shot while at his desk in the bank office.
       Payne's widow sold the Index to Mr. Musgrove who had been the editor.
     He then sold it to Leon E. Beals, who remained editor until resigning
     to become County Attorney. Beals sold it to the editor of the Kiowa
     Review, who hired Clate Herr and Charley Painter to edit and publish
     the paper.
       In the fall of 1898 Mr. Herr purchased the Index and entered into a
     partnership by selling Mr. Pinter half interrest. The Index was started
     as a seven column folio, but was finally enlarged to newspaper size. Miss
     Lillian V. Painter, Charlie's sister, became the typesetter. The Index was
     issued weekly and, a quote from its history, "became a welcome visitor in
     most of the homes, showing that the young owners were progressive and had
     won the esteem of the community.
       Uriah Clayton Herr was a native of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, and was
     born in November, 1873. In 1886 he came with his parents to Kansas, where
     he worked on a farm two miles west of Kiowa until April, 1894, when he
     came to Medicine Lodge to assume the editorial management of the Barber
     County Index. His father died two months after coming to Kansas so he and 
     his younger brother conducted his mother's farm until they reached the age
     to start out on their own.
       On January 14, 1897, Clate Herr was united in marriage with Miss Lillian
     V. Painter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David F. Painter, and they became the
     parents of three children: Opal Angeline, Rolland B., who died at the age
     of one year and five months, and Jewell Lillian.
       When Painter and Herr sold the Index in the early 1920's, Clate and Lil
     moved to Ely, Nevada, where Clate worked on the newspaper with an old
     Barber County friend, Nealy Chapin. Later when Clate retired, they moved
     to Palo Alto, California, where they lived on a small fruit ranch.
       Charles Painter came from Petersburg, Indiana. He was born on August 13,
     1869. He was 15 years old when he came to Kansas with his parents and
     family. They lived in Newton for two years, then the family came to Barber
     County in 1886, where they took a pre-emption claim of 160 acres in the
     western part of the county. Charley worked on the homestead for a few
     years, then came to Medicine Lodge where he learned the printers trade.
       In October, 1893, Charley Painter was united in marriage with Miss Clara
     B. Minnick. Their children were Harry, Mary, Howard, Eugene, Louise, and
     a child who died in infancy.
       Charley remained in Medicine Lodge until his death.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 356 
     Submitted by: Louise Painter Hall and Opal Herr Bailey