'Abby' knew Worthington well

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WORTHINGTON — The surprising thing was that Pauline Phillips — Dear Abby — knew Worthington, and she knew the Worthington Daily Globe. Abby and her twin sister, Esther — Ann Landers — lived with their parents at Sioux City.

Three or four times each year, the Phillips family drove to the Twin Cities to visit friends and relatives. They drove north on Highway 60; their first stop was always Worthington. The father took a left on the old Gateway corner and then headed down Second Avenue to 10th Street for lunch or coffee. Often they went to the original Gobbler Cafe.

It was in the 1950s that Abby emerged as a national sensation. Her column came to be published in more than 1,400 newspapers. Jim Vance, who was publisher of the Daily Globe, wanted Abby in Worthington’s newspaper. The feature syndicate that represented Abby said, “No dice.” A Minneapolis newspaper had signed for and paid for exclusive rights with Dear Abby in Minnesota. Vance would not take this “no!” for an answer. He made direct contact — phone and mail — with Abby. When he told his story, Abby said, “We’ll see about this.”

Abby personally brought down the legal barriers. Within a short time, the Minneapolis Star and the Worthington Daily Globe published Abby’s daily column in Minnesota.

The sensational climax of the story came on a cold Sunday night in January — about 50 years ago. It was the night of the Worthington Chamber of Commerce annual banquet at the Coliseum Ballroom. Abby, enroute to Sioux City, arrived at Worthington Regional Airport in a private airplane. Vance was at the airport to give the famous lady a ride to the ballroom.

By the time Abby arrived, everyone was at their tables. Nearly all present caught Dear Abby as she swept through the front entrance in a dazzling mink coat. She announced that, from then on, Worthington readers would see her column every day. She handed a contract to Vance for signing.

And so it is in this 2013, Dear Abby’s appears still on the pages of the Daily Globe.

Tags: news, worthington, reminiscing