EDWARD A

Profile written and provided courtesy Nowell Briscoe ( [email protected] )

 

EDWARD A. CALDWELL

GRAND OLD MAN OF WORDS

1872 – 1952

 

        In today’s world, many folks have little, if anything good to say of the hard work and efforts put into the publishing of a daily or weekly newspaper.  Herbert Bayward Swope once wrote: The first duty of a newspaper is to be accurate; if it be accurate, it follows that it be fair.”  Falling on the heels of this comment came one from writer Arthur Christensen who said of newspapers: “News, news, news….that is what we want.  You cannot beat the news in a newspaper!”

        As I said in my tribute to Ernest Camp, Monroe was fortunate in having two newspapers of merit: The Walton News which had its beginnings dating back to 1880 and the Walton Tribune.  There is no question that two of the finest and most eloquent wordsmiths of the time were Edward A. Caldwell and Ernest Camp.

        After several unsuccessful attempts at starting a viable newspaper in the county, in 1880 The Walton News opened its doors in Monroe with B. S. Walker as editor.  In 1885 Monroe resident and later attorney general of Georgia, George M. Napier purchased the paper and Joseph Felker took over the daily operations.  About this time a newcomer arrived in Monroe from Augusta, young Edward A. Caldwell, long having an interest in the newspaper business and itching to get his hands wet with printer’s ink.

        Son of the late James Monroe and Rebecca Jane Maughn Caldwell, native South Carolinians who later moved to Augusta, Ed Caldwell arrived in Monroe at the perfect time, finding Mr. Felker with his hands full running the Walton News and wanting to start yet another paper.  With assistance from Mr. Felker, Ed Caldwell began “The Monroe Messenger”, the county’s first semi-weekly paper, on February 5, 1897.  This job began what was to be a long career in journalism lasting well over half a century. The cost of a year’s subscription to his paper was one silver dollar.  In 1899, The Walton News & The Monroe Messenger merged under the name, The Walton News & Messenger. Joseph Felker purchased The Walton News from Mr. Napier at the time of the merger and gave Ed Caldwell and his friend Clarence Hester, the responsibility of running the Messenger.  Sometime after the merger of the two papers, the name “Messenger” was dropped from the title and it was renamed The Walton News.

        In 1906 Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Hester purchased the “News” and erected a building on East Spring Street later occupied by the Georgia Continental Telephone Company as their offices and plant.  This building is now owned by the son of the late J. E. Briscoe, a Monroe attorney.  The Walton News was published continuously until its consolidation with the Walton Tribune in 1951.

        Bringing immense joy to his life on June 10, 1903, Mr. Caldwell married Miss Katie Trout of Pendergrass, Georgia which produced two children: daughter Evelyn (Ebo)Caldwell and son Hoke Caldwell, who died at age 14 in 1925.  Daughter Ebo worked for her father at the newspaper serving as the society editor along with writing columns on Monroe for a period of years.

        While retaining the title of “Editor” during his lifetime, Mr. Caldwell was also active in the Monroe Methodist Church and was licensed as a local preacher.  He went where ever he was needed to officiate at weddings and funerals, never asking for payment even when the journey was long and difficult; his friends and those in need always came first.  After the death of his son, Mr. Caldwell organized in Monroe the Young Men’s Christian League to provide a Christian organization for the young men of the community.

        Ed Caldwell was a charter member of the Monroe Kiwanis Club also having served as president. He held one of the longest continuous attendance records of note and never missed a meeting unless due to illness.

        Holding the editor’s chair at his paper for over fifty years, Mr. Caldwell knew practically everyone in Monroe and many folks out in the county from his role as a preacher.  He kept a small notebook in his shirt pocket and a stubby pencil to record events and conversations with his friends that found their way into the various columns and articles he wrote.  He was a tireless advocate for Monroe and the county giving his time and energies freely where ever he felt they were needed and appreciated. Being the wordsmith he was, when he was called upon to offer up a wedding prayer for a couple beginning their life together or a eulogy in hopes of getting a friend into Heaven, his daughter “Ebo” said laughingly of her father, “If Poppa can’t do it, then nobody can!”  Many folks kept copies of the obituaries he wrote for the Walton News because of his eloquence with words and phrases.

        A series of strokes ended the long word-filled life of Editor Ed Caldwell at age 79 on Monday, June 23, 1952.   His funeral was conducted on Tuesday, June 24th from the First Methodist Church to a capacity crowd.  The sanctuary could not hold all the floral offerings that were sent in tribute. A story circulated around town the day of the service that ministers George L. King and J. L. Drake were not really needed because Editor Caldwell had written out his own eulogy and only needed someone to read it. So certain he was of his words, he felt that with the right speaker, his chances of getting in those “Pearly Gates” was a sure thing.  I hope he was right!