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This copy of The Atlantic Weekly Telegraph Vol. 2, No. 43 is very likely the only one in existence. The microfilm of the Atlantic paper at the Atlantic Public Library does not go back this far, and the Coordinator was told that everything that the library, Cass Co. Genealogy Society and newspaper office have is on the microfilm.

For that reason this entire issue has been scanned and the images are shown below. As time permits the various ads and articles will be transcribed, so names can be found by the search engine, but in the interim visitors can at least enjoy what has to be one of the earliest copies of the Atlantic paper to have survived.
Chris Petersen, son of Peter Christensen and Matte Rasmussen. carefully preserved this single issue of The Atlantic Weekly Telegraph in a small tin box of treasured family photos and letters from relatives in Denmark.

Chris immigrated to Atlantic in May 1869 to work for the Rock Island railroad. His betrothed, Mary Pedersen, followed him to America a year later and they were married in Atlantic in November 1870. Mary died in Atlantic on Nov. 26, 1872, the week before the above issue of The Atlantic Weekly Telegraph was printed.

Found near the bottom of page 4 above is the story of "James Peterson and Mary Christenson". It tells their story, including the sad news that Mary died the previous week.

At this point it can't be proven that the story on page 4 was actually about Chris Petersen's wife Mary, although the 1870 census does list "Mary Petersen", a 22 year old domestic servant, living in the Mortimer Darnell household, as indicated in the story. But Chris obviously saved this paper with other treasured momentos for a reason. If there was another immigrant from Denmark named Mary who died in Atlantic during the last week of November 1872, then her nearly identical story must have resonated enough with Chris for him to preserve it.

From the collection of Carl and Christine (Andersen) Petersen. Carl was the son of Chris Petersen and his second wife, Elsie Marie Pedersen (a sister of Mary). Contributed by Cheryl Siebrass, March, 2012.