NEWSPAPERS
OF MADISON PARISH
From
The Madison Journal Centennial Issue August 14, 1975,
Section I pp. 1-7
(Slightly
modified and reformatted by Richard P. Sevier)
Richmond Compiler
Cotton Paper
Madison Journal, Times & Item
Early Content
Factionalism
Newspaper Rivalry
Journal Folds
Times Dies
Journal Revived
Rountree Takes Over
1927 Flood
Innovations
New Ownership
New Equipment Changes
Circulation Increases
Award Winner
In
what does a parish tell its story? Some people have the vague notion that
history books fall from heaven readymade, or that they emerge spontaneously
generated from a chaotic mass of "old records." On the contrary, the
events of 100 years ago are pieced together bit by bit from whatever diaries,
letters, account books and newspapers that have weathered the years.
Of
these, the newspapers portray life at its broadest extent, even when serving a
small community such as Madison Parish. Not so much for their newsgathering
capabilities as for their positions as public forums, the various parish
journals that have appeared over the years reveal what it was like to be a
Madisonian long before you grandfather could remember to tell you.
Throughout
the years, the daily life of the parish made up the "warp and woof"
of its weekly newspapers. And, with a little patient untangling, a bit of
history may be found there.
Madison
Parish has been without churches, schools, courthouses or jails, but it has
rarely lacked a newspaper.
Just
three years after the parish came into being as a political entity, John O.
Stewart founded the Richmond Compiler. Its birthday was July 6, 1841.
Seven issues later, the surviving file of the Compiler begins.
The
file, which has been passed down through the Bettis clan until it is now in the
possession of Mrs. Ed Eiland, continues weekly through July 12, 1844, except
for a five-month gap in 1843 when publication was suspended. John Q. Anderson
who read the file and wrote an article on it for the Louisiana Historical
Society, said Mrs. S.B. Bettis told him of a companion volume covering the next
four years which had existed in Monroe.
At
the time he wrote his article, mud and mold had completely destroyed the file
only a few years before. For some reason, no one had apparently thought to
microfilm it, so the file is now lost forever. At Dr. Anderson's suggestion,
Mrs. Bettis sent her file to the University of North Carolina Library to have
it microfilmed. Therefore, if the file is subsequently destroyed the tragedy
will not be as great.
For
the last 40 or 50 years, every issue of every newspaper in Louisiana has been
photographed and the microfilm placed on file in the LSU Library. With the
existence of these films and owing much to the advanced profession that
journalism has now become, future generations will be able to understand
today's complex world much better than we can describe the Richmond of 134
years ago.
In
one respect, though, the newspapers of yesteryear have a jump on today's Madison
Journal and its contemporaries. It can be seen by comparing the Compiler
file with the 1965 Journal file: the copies of the Compiler,
still as white as when they came off the press 134 years ago, are in far better
condition than the yellow, brittle Journals only 10 years old.
The
reason for this condition lies in the quality of the paper used. The Richmond
Compiler was printed on expensive paper made from cotton fiber, which lasts
almost indefinitely. Today’s newspapers use regular newsprint made from
pulpwood, which begins to self-destruct the moment it leaves the press. The
acidity of this type of paper gradually decomposes the cellulose fibers,
especially when exposed to sunlight.
Since
most people discard the paper a week or so after they receive it, its longevity
is not missed. The use of newsprint Instead of "cotton paper" enables
us to publish a newspaper which is not much more expensive than the Richmond
Compiler. (The subscription rates for the Compiler, which was
only four pages long, were $5 a year. The Journal, six or seven times
that length, charges only $6 a year.
You
may want to save this edition much longer than you would a regular issue. It
can be made to last 200 years longer by checking the acidic decomposition,
using the following recipe: dissolve a milk of magnesia tablet in a quart of
club soda and chill the solution overnight. Then pour it into a pan or tray
large enough to accommodate a flattened newspaper, soak the newspaper for an
hour and pat dry. Repeat at 50-year intervals.
What
would you find if you read a typical issue of the Richmond Compiler? Well,
you'd most likely get sore eyes. The print was made infinitesimally small to
cram as much as possible on the expensive paper. Each issue consisted of four
pages, with no headlines or illustrations.
There
was also very little news. The Compiler editors figured that in a
community as small as Richmond everyone knew the news almost the instant it
happened, so there was no reason to waste space by repeating it.
The
Compiler would run a long announcement of a scheduled event (such as a
horse race) of interest to the public, but rarely would it print a follow-up
story. A crevasse in the levee causing massive overflowing in the parish might
get an inch and a half of column space, at most.
However,
the Compiler did run long, detailed accounts of lynchings, murders and
other violent crimes, even if they occurred in faraway states. The people in
this sleepy southern parish had a strong emotional need for this type of
excitement. News of local crimes increased the interest in the ever-popular
court days.
Most
or all of an issue (depending on the energy and health of the editor) would
consist of articles from other newspapers. Late papers were the country
editor's livelihood, and he was always glad to get them. From them he could
glean speeches; essays on state and national issues, articles on the violent
incidents mentioned above, or perhaps even a passing mention of himself, his
newspaper or his parish. He was always fond of engaging in hot disputes with
the editors of other papers.
The
front page was usually reserved for poems, anecdotes, sentimental stories,
excerpts from books, and speeches. There would occasionally be a patent sermon
by one Dow, Jr. These sermons, had few religious overtones, and were rarely
based on scripture references. Readers sent in lines from Shakespeare, short
poems, even seemingly irrelevant slogans, and Dow, Jr. would construct a
moralistic tale from them. These essays were eloquent to the point of
absurdity.
The
second page consisted mostly of editorials and short bits of news. From our standpoint
the editorials were the best part of the newspaper. The insults and stinging
wit of many of these pieces would prompt angry letters and even libel suits
today. One of the best of these was a response to a correspondent of the New
Orleans Advertiser. The city reporter had called Madisonians a
"non-reading" people. (in other words, ignorant and illiterate), as
well as highly praising Judge Curry for his efforts at clearing the court
docket.
Editor
Downes of the Compiler responded in part: "At the time the author
writes, his honor ‘was up to his eyes in the docket of Concordia,' but the
'non-reading people' were not apprehensive, it seems, of his sinking, knowing
that light matter floats in fluids, and therefore did not dread an immersion of
his brain ... An accident occurred during the session of the Court in Madison
which gave rise to remarks the narration of which will serve to show the high
estimation some of the Madisonians have of his honor's talents.
"A
gentleman in going from court was thrown from his horse upon his head without
any serious injury, however, though the fall was a very dangerous, and severe
one. The gentleman, to whom it occurred in relating the circumstance, remarked
in conclusion, that if he had been so large a man as his honor it would have
broken his neck. One of the company replied - 'had It been his honor, there
would have been no danger of his breaking his neck for the softness of his head
would have yielded to the concussion.' We have not heard the remark
doubted."
Most
of the ads were placed on the last two pages, along with filler gathered from
other newspapers. The Compiler eventually was able to fill these pages
completely with advertising. These ads consisted mostly of professional notices
(ads for doctors, lawyers and dentists), lists of items sold at a local general
store, and public notices.
Sheriff
sales were very important to the Compiler. These sales had to be
announced in at least one parish newspaper and printed in both French and
English. In any one issue, sheriff’s sales would take up half or more of the
advertising space. These announcements were a vital source of income for a
newspaper.
The
importance of judicial advertisements also caused the fortunes of a newspaper
to rise or fall with the political parties it espoused. Opposition papers
frequently began as political sheets; if the candidates supported by one of
these papers won an election, the other paper frequently was forced to suspend
publication. Its portion of the judicial advertising patronage would be taken
from it and given to its opposition, and the losing newspaper couldn't survive
financially without it.
Despite
its profusion of ads, the Compiler found it difficult to meet its
expenses. Though it was growing rapidly, the parish did not have enough
inhabitants to adequately support a newspaper. The ones who did subscribe and
buy ads seemingly were very reluctant to pay, as evidenced by this complaint of
the Compiler editor in the Jan. 18, 1841 issue: "Our friends have
patronized us extensively, and if we could only get the money, we could get
along finely. We have bills to pay, we are anxious to pay them and to do this
must call upon such of our friends as are in arrears to "call at the
Captain's office," and settle! --settle!! --Verbum sap, eh?
John
Stewart ran into financial troubles soon after he founded the Compiler.
In December 1841, he sold a half interest to John Kercheval, newspaperman from
Port Gibson, Miss., who took over the major share of the editorial duties. The
editorial opinions of both Stewart and Kercheval corresponded with the beliefs
of the Whig-party, which was the dominant party in Madison Parish at that time.
Stewart
and Kercheval had a difference of opinion shortly after about the policy to be
adopted in the conduct of the paper. Being unable to reach a compromise,
Stewart sold the remainder of his interest in the paper to James M. Downes, a
local attorney and a Democrat.
Downes
was willing to let Kercheval have exclusive editorial power over the paper;
however, he thought that "the honor in that case, would be equivalent to
the services rendered (April 12, 1842) " and could not consent to further
compensation. Naturally Kercheval could not agree to this and sold his half of
the press to Downes. Kercheval joined the Concordia Intelligence,
a St. Joseph paper, as co-editor.
Downes
had very little time to run the Compiler, having to look after his legal
career and the many other activities such as horse racing, which occupied his
time. His reputation was such that the editor of the Vicksburg Whig
called Downes a "locofoco editor" who "considers the girls of
Madison Parish are like the Irishman's whiskey, meat, drink and clothes. (Feb.
29, 1843)."
Downes
wrote several, long editorials, which bristled with Latin phrases and legal jargon.
Many of his pieces were so long he had to begin them on the front page, and he
was immodest enough to print them twice. Yet real learning and a solid grasp of
local issues turned his editorials into far-reaching, valuable discussions of
parish problems and needs.
Downes
ran a blatantly partisan paper and openly insulted local officials in its
pages. It was he who wrote the scathing attack on Judge Curry (quoted above) -
all the more surprising for the knowledge that Downes would have to appear
before Judge Curry many times in a professional capacity.
John
O. Stewart revived the paper in November of that year. He was determined to
make it a success. He entered into partnership with E. Ferry, a Democrat, to
provide the paper with enough financial backing to ensure its permanency, and
to guarantee its neutrality. He also began publishing columns by
"Clitus," a Whig, and "Madison," a Democrat, in alternate
weeks.
Downes
ran into increasing opposition by people who thought the Compiler was
political. He also found it impossible to edit the paper properly and attend to
his professional duties too. Chastened and humbled, Downes suspended
publication on June 23, 1843. The Compiler had just completed its second
volume.
The
last issue in the Compiler file was published on July 12, 1844. Nothing
is known of the history of the Compiler after that date. For all we
know, the Richmond Compiler may have continued unbroken publication for
many years, finally going up in flames with the town of Richmond in 1863.
Madison Journal, Madison Times and Item
Indefensible
as it may seem, the fact is that little is known about the founding and early
years of The Madison Journal. After all, a newspaper's major premise is
to inform the public when issued and serve as a chronicle of history for future
generations.
And
though much of the early history of the Journal has been obliterated by
the elements - wind, fire and rain; and human developments such as war and
finance; nearby parish newspapers provide insight into the personality of the
paper and the mood of the people it served.
Files
of a rival newspaper The Madison Times and the neighboring Carroll
Conservative in Lake Providence furnished facts about the Journal in
the 1840s up to 1912, when complete Journal files begin.
R.
H. Wiggins, a graduate student at Louisiana State University in 1934; serves as
one of the most informed sources about Madison Journal history. He chose for a
term paper that year, 'History of Journalism in Madison Parish’. Wiggins, a
professor emeritus of Journalism at LSU, was educated with the financial aid of
W. L. Rountree, late publisher of the Journal. Rountree met Wiggins at a Boy
Scout camp, took the 13-year old in and taught him the newspaper trade.
Wiggins
portrayed the story of journalism in Madison parish as a drama colored by the
muddy waters of floods, of flames of fires, the blackness resulting from yellow
fever, and factionalism that flared brightly only to sound the death of two
parish papers, including the Journal itself.
An
intact 1873 issue of the Madison Journal, the oldest copy held by the paper, is
evidence of the publication's century-old existence. However, not much is known
about the periodical prior to that time.
According
to "Louisiana Newspapers, 1794-1961,' edited by T. N. McMullan, and
published in 1965, the first issue of the Journal was printed April 18, 1845.
The editors were E. B. Towne and J. K. Marble. Earliest known
copies of the Journal are in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library of
Tulane University in New Orleans. These copies are dated July 20, 27 and August
17, 1849.
While
nothing is known of J. K. Marble, Ezra Blake Towne, along with his brother,
Edwin Towne, moved to Madison Parish from the state of Vermont. They purchased
Laclede and Wilderness plantations and settled there.
Ezra
Towne was elected Justice of the Peace or Magistrate for the town of Delta on
Jan. 21, 1848, nearly three years after he established the Journal at Delta.
Ezra
was urged by his brother to return with him to Vermont at the outbreak of the
Civil War, but he refused saying he had made his money in Delta and Madison
Parish and he intended to stay here. He became a colonel in the Confederate
Army.
Towne
married Matilda Ann Price, and they were the parents of three children, a
daughter, Maude and two sons, Wiley and George. Wiley's son, Ezra Bland Towne,
resided at Delta until his death recently. He was a member of the Madison
Parish School Board for a number of years. His son, E. B. Towne Jr., resides in
Tallulah where he owns and operates his own business.
While
the year is not known, the Journal ceased publication sometime around
the Civil War, probably when Colonel Towne joined the Confederate Army.
It
is known that he reestablished the Journal in July 1870. Proof of this
fact is the existence of the 1873 Journal issue, which is Vol. 4, No.
47, dated December 9. The 1873 copy was found in the Madison Parish Clerk of
Court's office in 1973. Prior to that, the oldest privately owned copy of the Journal
was dated Tuesday, Aug. 24, 1880, with an issue number of Vol. 11, No. 7,
further proof of the 1870 beginning.
This
paper is owned by Mrs. Rosalie Rountree, wife of the late publisher of the
Journal, William L. Rountree. At the time it was found, Wiggins wrote, it was
the earliest known copy before 1912, with the exception of four 1880 issues in
the Hill Memorial library at LSU.
Other
facts known about Towne are that on April 24, 1869, he was elected parish
judge. He was also one of the charter members of the Madison Parish Police
Jury, an office which at that time paid nothing to its members. As a matter of
fact, if a member failed to attend, the sheriff was ordered to arrest, bring in
the absent member, and fine him heavily.
Colonel
Towne was a printer in early life and it is believed that he served on the New
York Tribune under the famous newspaperman, Horace Greeley. In November
1883, Ezra Blake Towne died. But apparently before his death, he sold the paper
to H. C. White whose name appears in the 1880 issue as "proprietor."
Wiggins
wrote that, "Under the name of the front of the 1880 issue is the slogan,
"Equal and Exact Justice to All." That was its motto during those
trying days of reconstruction when the white people were attempting to overcome
the rule of the carpetbaggers. The front and back pages were 'patented’, which
means that a company in a large commercial center printed it and sent it to the
publisher who printed the inside pages with local news, editorials and what
little advertising he could get. The front page contained numerous reprints
from other publications. A poem, "Loved Too Late," was taken from
Harper's Weekly, a story entitled, "The Honor of the Lashleys," a
group of pungent paragraphs' from the Boston Advertiser, the Boston Journal
of Commerce, the Steubenville Herald, the Buffalo Courier, Whitehall Times,
Waterloo Observer, Boston Transcript, and other reprints were used."
Editorials
in the early years of the Journal were often long and of a political nature,
but a variety of other subjects were covered. Headlines for some of the
editorials in the 1880 issue were "A prosperous Outlook "The
President's Lawsuit," Forgeries of Wilcox", and "Cotton
Culture."
Several
columns were devoted to news from other cities. A 'sprightly letter from our
special correspondent of the Fourth Ward' signed You Know Who, wrote of
'Tallulah Talk.' Among the things the writer discussed was the weather.
"Interesting
advertisements were those in liquors and ‘100 Dollar Reward.'
John
Thomas, alias John the Baptist, tried and convicted of murder on June 25, 1880.
"The description followed and then: I will offer One Hundred Dollars for
the arrest and delivery to me of said Thomas. Elias S. Dennis, sheriff of
Delta."
Wiggins
pointed out that excerpts of this half-century old paper show the type of news
found in the papers of that day. "The stories on local news happenings
were more often badly written as compared to practices of modern journalism.
Human-interest accounts helped to liven up the front page which were on foreign
happenings.
"In
those days the best things about the papers were the editorials. In fact that
age of personal journalism was still to be found in the country field"
Wiggins wrote.
Some
of the earliest Journal information available came from the Lake Providence,
July 14, 1877 issue of the Carroll Conservative. "Bradfield of the Madison
Journal is not satisfied with the watermelons, He wants peach cobblers
also. He will be asking for nectar grapes, pomegranates and several other good
things before the season is over. The Madison Journal has the veteran
Towne doing up its pencilings; he knows how, but the weather is too warm for
him. Wake up Ezra; let's hear from you.
The
Blue Grass Editor of the Madison Journal is gone to Missouri to get
watermelons."
According
to W. M. Murphy, attorney and author of the "Notes on the History of
Madison Parish," said "that gossip around town was that Towne had
served on the New 'York Tribune under Horace Greeley. "
Wiggins'
research uncovered the following information about the Journal and its
shaky foundation in the 1880's: It is not known how long The Madison Journal
continued to appear in Delta. In 1883 Tallulah became the third and last
capital of Madison Parish. In time it moved to Tallulah, which was at first
called New Richmond.
"Then
the age of factionalism appeared in journalism in the parish. It was a fight
between the newspapers (politically active persons) they set up as their
organs.
"Several
years Tallulah became ' the parish seat, on Saturday February 18, 1884, the Madison
Times appeared as a political sheet. All five volumes, the first issue
excepted, are in the possession of Mason Spencer of Tallulah, whose father at
one time edited The Madison Journal.
R.
C. Weightman was editor and proprietor during its existence. It supported
Governor S. D. McEnery and printed the following extract of his acceptance
speech in the second issue:
I
belong to no ring, except that which has encircled Itself around your coast and
kept away pestilence when it was making efforts to pass through the gateway of
commerce. I belong to no monopoly, except the exclusive exercise of state
government according to my own judgment, while I am solely responsible under
the laws for its benefits or its wrongs. I belong to no lottery except that
which had the great prize, which you are tendered from the hearts of the
people. -Gov. S. D. McEnery, on accepting the nomination.
According
to the Madison Times, the Journal was started mainly to further
the interests of certain politicians, and was a partisan political, organ as
evidenced by this editorial.
The
contest against Gov. McEnery is plainly not ended when such uncivilized plans
for his obliteration on are seriously proposed. It has been said that in all
great emergencies there are great men to be found equal to the occasion, and
there is an instance of the truth of the saying... Another of the political
editorials was entitled, "A Desperate Resort," and follows in part:
...
let no McEnery man be deluded by the plea that the State question is settled,
and only the local battle is to be fought. The State officers include the
legislature, and until they are elected the fight still goes bravely on. Don't
be induced to give a divided support. Let your adherence to the McEnery faction
be entire and thorough. Listen to no promises that involved the least weakening
of the McEnery strength. Stick together and the fight is won all along the
line.
Editorials
like these heightened tensions and provide insight into what was probably the
bitterest political battle the parish has ever known. And it wasn't until 1888
that the two factions ceased the verbal battle when the other two parish
publications, the Madison Times and The Item ceased publication.
Wiggins
pointed out in his thesis that what we now consider big news back then was
often taken lightly and not played up with big headlines.
"Thursday
night about 12 o’clock the levee on the Biggs place, four miles below Delta,
broke. The break is 400 feet wide and the water is through it 3 feet deep. Heed
the admonition of the Times and watch the levees".
In
the 1884 issue of the Times, the front and back pages were printed
locally. Four of the 14 columns of local printing contained advertisements with
plenty of white space between the display lines. Advertisements were small,
none of them being more than one column wide.
By
examining closely the last page of the second issue, the key of the patented
printing was located. It was 'St. I.n.u. No. 240’, meaning that It was printed
in St. Louis by the Newspaper Union and that particular number was 240, which
was a file the Union collected for the advertisements.
A
large number of patent medicine advertisements were carried on the last page.
Some were printed with cutoff rules as the practice is today and some were
found in the reading matter", Wiggins said. Sample advertisements were:
High tax, or low tax, there will always be enough money in the country for
sufferers with coughs and colds to buy a bottle of Coussens Honey or Tar for 50
cents. Speedy and permanent relief is experienced by those who use it for
coughs, colds and diseases of the throat and lungs. White’s Cream Verifuge, the
best worm killer.
During
the war, Dr. Loyd of Ohio, from exposure contracted consumption. He says: I
have no hesitation in saying that It was by the use of Allen’s Lung Balsam that
I am now alive and enjoying perfect health. Don’t experiment with new and
untried medicines. If you have a cold or cough, take at once Allen's Lung
Balsam.
Not
a drink, not sold in barrooms, but a reliable, nonalcoholic tonic, medicine,
useful at all times, and in all seasons is Brown's Bitters.
Wiggins
noted that advertisers often started their advertisements with facts that catch
the eye of the reader the cleverly, yet deceivingly, tied in sales message.
The
following are reprints from other papers that make references to journalism in
Madison Parish: We are in receipt of the first number of the Madison Times,
a new journalistic enterprise just started at Tallulah, LA, by R. C. Weightman,
Esq. Mr. Weightman makes no concealment of the objects of the enterprise, to
wit: "to make a living for himself and all over possible" wields a
graceful Faber and withal, is rather humorous. The Times is a neat seven-column
paper offered at $2 per year. If we had had the christening the Times we
should have it differently for there is too much similarity In name of its
contemporary, The Madison Journal. But the child is born and its head
red and it can’t be helped. "What’s in a name anyhow?" – Ouachita
Telegraph.
The
Madison Times is a new journalistic venture in our neighboring parish,
published at Tallulah, with R. C. Weightman as editor and proprietor. It is a
good sized, neatly printed paper, and Weightman is a good writer. It strikes us
that there are more papers than are supported as they should be, but there is
always room at the top of the ladder. – Richland Beacon.
Mr.
R. C. Weightman, formerly of The Times Democrat’s staff but for some
years a resident of Madison Parish, has introduced a new paper to the Louisiana
public. It is issued at Tallulah, contains 4 pages of 7 columns each, and
evidences journalistic skill and ability in its management. The Madison
Times is the name of the new candidate for popular flavor. --The Times-Democrat
of New Orleans, La.
After
the Times got on its feet and became engaged in local politics, it and
the Journal were soon on a collision course in philosophy.
The
Journal was quoted in the Times as follows: "Nor do we
believe he (Judge Delony) is the choice of the Bar of this parish" – Madison
Journal
Then
the Times replied to the editorial: "Well hardly, The Bar of
Madison Parish is composed of seven resident lawyers in active practice. Out of
seven in the late division, three were for McEnery and four for Ogden. Of the
three McEnery men, one is a candidate for judgeship himself. There are thus
only two who by any possibility could be for Delony. The four Ogden men are
necessarily opposed to him. Of the four Ogden men one is a candidate for Judge,
and one a candidate for the Legislature. They will have to be on a ticket
opposed to the one, which will be Judge Delony, provided he secured the
nomination, and so the charge of the Bar of this parish is simply trifling with
the intelligence of the people of Madison, and treating them as though they did
not have the sense of a ten-year-old child. Such a charge is too ridiculous for
further comment. Who is the choice of the Madison Bar? Trot him out."
And
the Journal continued the dispute:
"Until
now we have made no reply to the political effusions of our new neighbor the Madison
Times, from the fact that It starts out in its first issue stirring up
issues that are passed, and in which it is hoped the people feel no further
interest and in which we believe the majority of them desire be dropped and
forgotten." -- Madison Journal.
Apparently
the Journal was contending that factional feeling should not be cultivated
while that was the very thing on which the Times was existing since it,
was a factional sheet.
"With
the election over, the Times' candidates won and the Madison Journal
was suffering badly from loss of political patronage such as the parish
printing and official notices that went to the Times along with its victory.
"In time the financial condition of the Madison Journal was such
that it had to discontinue publication," Wiggins wrote.
The
Times reported the temporary death of the Journal this way:
"With
the Issue of June 14, 1894, the Madison Journal suspended publication.
It was one of the oldest papers in the state, having been established more than
forty years ago. It was clearly impossible for two papers to exist in this
parish without charity. There is, as a matter of fact, no more than a bare
living for one. Knowing this editor of the Times endeavored to buy the Journal
before the Times was started, but the Journal was not for
sale."
The
Times then started, and the struggle began. It is not necessary to go
into the struggle, it was told plainly enough during the campaign, anyone who
could not understand it then, is beyond understanding anything.
The
Times is not disposed to blow trumpets ever the affair. While of glad
that it was the Journal instead of the Times that was forced to retire,
beyond that there is no feeling but sympathy and this occasion is taken to say
that the personal relations of the proprietors of the two papers have not been
disturbed either during the campaign or since.
After
the Times eliminated the Journal as a competitor and become heavy
with advertisements, a measure of financial success, another newspaper appeared
on the scene and the bickering began at once between the two new rivals. The
newcomer as called the Item, its complete name is unknown, and there are
no known issues held for scrutiny.
The
Item appeared on the scene in November 1886, the same year P. W. Hickey,
who later was a partner of J. B. Snyder on the Journal after it was later
revived, took over as publisher of the Times. Weightman remained as editor
of the Times.
The
Times referred to the Item, in this editorial entitled - Facts.
"In
newspapering, facts are considered adjuncts to the make up of a newspaper. The
Item does not appear to realize this. It stated that one of the ring
bosses came from a distance and had an attack on the Item, and added:
this we know to be a fact. This has been disproved, and as a fact the article
inspired, as alleged by the ring boss, was written before the ring boss came to
Tallulah, and consequently before it could have been inspired by that boss
anyhow."
"In
the last issue of the Item, it says: "We have more than ten times
the number of advertisements that the Times had when it had running the
same length of time." This statement Is made in No. 7 Vol. 1 of the Item,
which Issue contained exactly19 advertisements. Vol. 1, No. 7 of the Times,
contained 16 advertisements and three or four legal advertisements. Comment is
unnecessary."
The
Morehouse Sentinel commented on the intense rivalry between the two
newspapers with the following observation: "Brother Weightman of the Madison
Times wants to get Bro. James of the Item by the ears. We think he
can get a good hold."
And
the Times added to the statement the following sentence: "Yes! The
material for a good hold is there."
The
Times, also wrote about the Item: "The Item asserts
that the best people in the parish would not subscribe for the Times.
Just who the best people are is a little cloudy, but there is one thing dead
sure, and that is that no man who blows his nose on his napkin can set the
pattern for the Times crowd."
But
as fate would have it, the Times who had become strong enough to run the
Journal out of business for its wise selection of political candidates
(those who won) was eventually put out to pasture by the same means.
"In
the race for re-election as sheriff of the parish, Captain Holmes lost and
McClellan, who was of the opposition and supported by the Item.
McClellan won by seven votes. The way the voting took place in the Democratic
primary was by the voters meeting in a mass gathering in Tallulah where the
votes would be cast in accordance with the official list. When the Times
candidates lost it lamented in an issue, 'It was simply astonishing to witness
the gullibility of a great many of the people of Madison, during the recent
campaign,' Wiggins reported.
And
as the Journal had been forced out of business due to the loss of
political office, likewise, the Times felt it mandatory to cease
publication with the loss of public printing to the Item. So on July 21,
1888, the Times had occasion to write its own obituary, but not without
speaking its mind on its losing position and defending itself to the death:
This issue closed the career of the Madison Times. It ought to be
possible for a good paper to keep right on here in Madison whether the men it
supported won or not, but the factional bitterness is so great in this parish,
and so much that is impossible is demanded of a paper, that It cannot keep
friends, unless It suits everyone, which is impossible.
The
Times supported what its editor believed to be the best men for the
general good of the parish. That opinion is unchanged. Had the men, who started
in to support the candidates advocated by the Times, have done so with
the earnestness and "stick to it" that they should have exhibited,
there would be a different story to tell. The failure was not due to the lack
of good cause, but the weak, vacillating unresponsive support of those of whom
at least, steady and unwavering support should have been expected. That faction
will never have such another champion as the Times, and they richly
deserve that they should not. They will have to tussle along in the future as
best they may.
"The
Times is perfectly satisfied with its position, and has nothing to be
ashamed of. It has always been ready and anxious to fight the fight of Madison
Parish but the people of this parish have let that fact go for nothing, as
against antagonizing of some false political ideas. Some of the best friends of
the parish have been defrauded of their just rewards and treated with
contumely, but the party they have served so long and so well. A new convert is
better than an old and tried friend every time, and always will be, except when
the old friend is badly needed. The cause of Mr. Thurman is pertinent. He was
ignored until his help was needed and then he suddenly became Immensely
popular. But the battle's over and the Times is among the vanquished,
and all that remains is to say "good-bye" to former friends, many of
whom are now bitter enemies, but such enemies are something to be proud of.
Good bye, Gentlemen, may you all get your just dues."
The
late Jeff B. Snyder, former district attorney of the Sixth Judicial District,
provided invaluable information about the rebirth of the Madison Journal
to Wiggins. Snyder said he wrote an editorial to contribute to the Item.
The owner was out of town, and its Editor, Sam H. James, said he couldn't allow
the editorial to be printed without the owner's permission. And during the
conversation, James said that if Snyder owned the newspaper it wouldn't be a
problem. Consequently, Snyder entered into the newspaper business with P. W.
Hickey, a printer, former publisher of the Times, and their publication
resumed the name, The Madison Journal.
So
for the second time the Madison Journal ceased publication for a lengthy
period and was revived each time. Volume 1, No. 37 was dated April 13, 1889, so
it can be said that it was reestablished in August 1888.
Wiggins
wrote: "George Spencer became editor around 1900 and continued as editor
until 1913. Spencer did not publish a paper during the yellow fever in 1905,
but went north.
Floods
and fevers were two of the things that played an important part in the history
of the parish. Important to the extent that they left their marks but they were
not constructive ones. Tragic tolls of lives were taken during the epidemics in
1866, 1874, 1878 and 1905. It was not until the visitation in 1905 that the
world realized that it was the mosquito that carried the germs. Madison
contains many low places in its vast swamplands that served as a breeding place
for mosquitoes.
The
populace thought that the germs were in the air. So with papers that could be
found, holes in the walls were filled and fumigation processes took place. So
desperate was the attempt of the residents to fight the disease that the files
of the Madison Journal were destroyed by the battle. It was a useless
fight in the manner that it was carried on. Conditions became so serious during
those epidemics that no doubt the paper suspended publication several times.
Josiah
Scott, editor and publisher of the Tensas Gazette in St. Joseph,
purchased the Journal in 1912. George Spencer remained as editor and
Percy Rountree, son of J. L. Rountree, editor of the Concordia Sentinel
came to manage the operation of the Journal.
One
year Iater, William L. Rountree, also one of J. L. Rountree's sons, came to Tallulah
to manage the Journal and his brother, Percy, returned home to work on
the Concordia Sentinel. William's arrival at the Journal In 1913 was the
beginning of his control of this publication that lasted more than 50 years.
Young Rountree had received formal education at Louisiana State University in
mechanical engineering, but had obtained invaluable experience as a newsman in
the shop of his fathers' newspaper.
Since
the Journal had not had a uniform volume number in 1912, Rountree
initiated a "New Series," beginning with Volume 1, No. 1 which was
continued to: Vol. 57 when Rountree died in 1968. Wiggins said, "A
typesetting machine was added to existing newspaper equipment to update the
Journal’s printing capabilities in 1917."
On
April 8, 1918, Rountree was married to Rosalie Baird of Natchez, Mississippi.
Since her marriage to the editor Mrs. Rountree has served as society editor.
(She remained in that capacity until Rountree’s death in 1968). Three months
after his marriage, he was drafted, into the United States Army, previously on
trying he had been rejected because of his eyesight. At Camp Hancock in Georgia
he served as physical instructor. After six months in the service he was
discharged, returning to his newspaper duties. During his absence the paper was
run by printers, his wife having gone to Augusta, Ga., where she was in the
circulation department of the Chronicle.
In
1919 members of the Arkansas Press Association stopped in Tallulah while on a
visit to the Military Park In Vicksburg. They visited the plant of the Journal,
commenting that the Washington hand press and the modern typesetting machine
were an unusual combination. The hand press was replaced with a cylinder press
in 1921.
A
unique event in the history of the Journal is that of the flood in the spring
of 1927. The levee broke on May 3, but the Journal like the entire town
was prepared. Two weeks before the workers, including this writer, had placed the
machinery four feet off the floor of the building and the entire equipment, job
presses excepted, had been placed on heavy timbers in preparation for the
flood. The only reason for leaving the presses on the floor was that there
would be no job work if the town was inundated.
Unlike
other papers whom plants were flooded, the Journal was issued each week of the
six that the Mississippi River was fifty miles wide north of the town,
stretching over a large area in North Louisiana and into the State of Mississippi,
which was suffering also from floods.
Only
three persons took part in the printing of the paper while the majority of the
population had departed. The publisher remained, the writer who learned how to
operate the linotype machine since there was plenty of time to set the little
news that there was, and Miss Hazel Powell who aided in getting out the mail.
Employees
of, the printing plant worked about two days getting out the publication. They
arrived at the plant in boats, which were usually run inside of the door and
tied to the platform on which the machine was resting. From there planks were
laid to the type cases, the makeup stones, the cylinder press which had been,
elevated from its concrete base and leveled with considerable accuracy so that
the bed of the press would not cause undue pull on the motors. The power plant
had a habit of cutting the electricity off in the afternoon since there was
little used because of the scarcity of people. But special arrangements were
made on Thursday for the paper had to go to press, flood or no flood. The paper
stock was stored near the ceiling. Motor boats passing would send waves through
the windows and doors, at first causing the workers to become slightly dizzy
while passing over the network of planks several feet above the muddy waters of
the Mississippi River.
Because
of the unique feat, the Associated Press carried a dispatch about the Journal
being published with 'water three feet deep in the building' and letters
were received from many parts of the country (especially the North) by those
who read the short story. No other paper is known to have continued publication
with water in the plant.
Several
weeks before the levee gave way, a new machine had arrived to replace the first
one installed. But the publisher was afraid that the break would come while the
machine was being taken down and the other being put up, thus leaving him
without either machine in operation. As it turned out, the new machine was
stored in a warehouse and remained there until September when it was set up.
During
the prosperous years of 1928 and 1929, the Journal frequently printed eight
pages an issue, and for special editions it had 16 pages. Occasionally it
prints six pages today, but usually only contains four pages. Unlike the early
copies it carries three advertisements of local firms on the front page. Two
years ago, the largest of the three front-page ads was that of a Vicksburg
concern. But also unlike the early issues it is today entirely home print and
contains local news stories on the front and back pages.
The
Society page is perhaps the most complete part of the publication. It covers
Tallulah and the towns within the parish. Andrews and Mound notes are printed
on the society page.
Several
years ago the Journal publisher had a brick building erected for the
plant. The floor of the mechanical department is five feet off the ground,
which will enable the plant to operate during the next flood, should there be
one without experiencing any of the difficulties of the past. The editorial and
business office is in the front of the building and is not elevated. The cellar
was created because of the highness of the mechanical department is used for
storage.
The
equipment is thoroughly modern, the cylinder press excepted, and compares
favorably with that of other state weeklies. The plant has a large choice of
typefaces and sizes, has four makeup stones, a metal saw, casting bos, paper
cutter, small bindery equipment, linotype, cylinder press, job presses, and
space for keeping the paper stock. The job department is large enough to supply
most of the needs of the parish.
"The
Journal took an active part in the village getting a good price for the
power plant which, was sold to Louisiana Power & Light Co. The money was
used in constructing a sewage system which it did not have until1928. It has
stood for clean state government and is conservative in its views. It supported
Riley J. Wilson for governor in1928 and Guion in 1932, and has opposed Huey P.
Long. In local politics, it takes no part," Wiggins wrote in his 1934 term
paper.
Regarding
changes made sit the Journal while Rountree was editor, 1934 seems to
have been the most innovative, year.
The
first issue of 1934 included parish news on the front page, a space that had
traditionally been reserved for state and national news. Then on June 29, 1934,
without fanfare or mention of a new policy, the Journal discontinued the
practice of running advertisements on the front page. For years, it had been
customary for the Journal to advertise in this manner and the July 6, 1934
issue was the first Journal issue void of Advertisers on page one.
Dale's
Store, Kaufman's Inc., and J. Abroms were businesses with front page
advertisements in the June 29 issue, and were featured on page three the
following week. So obviously the change didn't discourage the firms from
advertising. Two are still business today.
Rountree's
55 years as editor publisher ended with death on April 21. 1968. His daughter,
Geneva Williams, then ran the Journal for six weeks until it changed ownership.
NEW
OWNERSHIP
New
owners were Carroll R. Regan, who would serve as editor, and Mrs. Carolyn S.
Yerger, lifelong Tallulah resident, who would be the society editor.
Regan,
a native of Magnolia, Miss., had a degree in journalism from LSU, graduating in
1959. He married the former Carol Adams of Tallulah and they had lived here for
seven years. He was with General Adjustment Bureau, Inc. serving as manager of
the Tallulah and later Vicksburg branch offices.
While
at LSU, he served as advertising manager of the Daily Reveille, the LSU
newspaper. His faculty advisor in that capacity, coincidentally, was R. H.
Wiggins. Following graduation, Regan spent two years in the U. S. Navy, during
which he edited several service newspapers and a magazine.
Mrs.
Yerger, known as "Callie" to her friends, is the daughter of Mrs.
Henry C Sevier, Sr. and the late Mr. Sevier, a prominent Tallulah attorney and
former state representative. She was a graduate of Virginia Intermont College
in Bristol, Va., and also attended the LSU School of Journalism.
In
1941 she married Rufus T. Yerger, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George S.
Yerger, Sr. of Mound. Mrs. Yerger had had a long association with the Journal
since childhood, being close friends with the two daughters of the Rountrees,
Geneva and Georgia Rose.
Through
the years, she continued to assist Mrs. Rosalie Rountree, the society editor,
with society notes for the Journal.
When
the new owners bought the Journal on June 4, 1968, there were seven employees.
Four are still with the paper, including Clyde ,Miller, Joseph Bosley, Culie
Kinsey and William Purdy.
The
first issue published by Regan and Mrs. Verger was dated Friday, June 7, 1968.
It was 10 pages and the total press run was 1700 copies. It was printed, as it
had been for years, on a hand-fed, two-page cylinder letterpress. The press, a
"Lee" printed one side of the hand-fed sheets, which were then turned
and printed on the reverse side.
The
pages were then again hand-fed into a folding machine, and the four pages
two-front, two back formed a section. Should the issue have a number of pages
not divisible by four, a single sheet was printed and inserted in a four-page
section. All sections were then inserted ("stuffed") inside each
other, with the front section being the last printed and forming the
"cover."
It
was a slow process on less than modern equipment, but was typical of most small
weekly newspapers of the day. Type was set on two vintage Intertype machines
and cast in hot printer's lead, one line at a time. The method is known as
"letterpress" printing, and is as old as newspapers themselves.
In
September, the new owners added the first of many pieces of equipment to
improve the paper. It was a "Ludlow" typecasting machine, one that
most letterpress newspapers considered invaluable in setting type large
display type for ads and headlines.
On
Sept. 17, 1968, the Journal was changed from a Friday publication date to
Thursday, primarily to give advertisers another day for "weekend
specials." To do this, the Journal set back deadlines one day and began
printing on Wednesday, usually up into the night.
In
October the columns were narrowed from 1 picas (printer's measure) to 11, thus
reducing the sheet size by one inch.
In
April, 1969 the "New Series" begun by Rountree was dropped and
"96th Year" was put in its place. This move was made because the
Journal was known at the time to have existed as early as 1870 (although
suspended for four years in the 1880's). While the new series had meaning to
Rountree, the long history of the Journal was felt by the present owners to be
more meaningful.
By
the first anniversary under new ownership, the paper was printing over 2,000
copies and the May 29, 1969 issue was three sections and 18 pages.
One
of the biggest changes in the history of the paper was made on June 26, 1969.
That date marked the first issue of the Journal printed by the
"offset" method instead of by letterpress. Offset printing is a
photographic process of transferring an image to a negative, then to a thin,
light aluminum plate. On an offset press, the image areas (type and pictures)
of the plate are inked, then transferred to a rubber cylinder which actually
prints the newsprint.
The paper was printed at the
Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, which had converted to offset a couple of
years earlier. In October, 1969 the Journal installed its own press, an ATF
News King web offset press with an eight-page capacity. The pages are printed
and folded inside each other at a speed of 15,000 per hour. Use of color in the
paper became not only possible, it was now relatively easy.
By October, 1969, the
Journal had increased its circulation to 2300 and the Christmas edition in December had 28 pages.
At
the Louisiana Press Association (LPA) convention in New Orleans in the spring
of 1970, the Journal won an honorable mention in the newspaper contests for
best editorial. It was only the beginning of many awards the paper would
receive in the years to come.
The
second anniversary issue of June 4, 1970 was up to 20 pages, and circulation
the paper reached 2500 before the year was. over. In October, a major change
was made in the newspaper's format when the front page was changed from eight
columns to the more modern and readable six-column makeup. It was one of the
first papers in the state to make this change, quite common today.
The
change paid off when the Journal won the first place award for Best Front Page
in competition with the state's large weeklies, it was learned at the LPA's
annual convention in New Orleans, in May, 1971. Journal Editor Carroll Regan
was elected to the LPA's board of directors at the convention.
On June 3, the third
anniversary under new ownership, the paper was 22 pages, determined primarily
by new advertisers pleased with the Journal's spiraling circulation. By
October, the Journal counted 2850 families among its readers.
An
important piece of equipment was added to the newspaper in September. 1971.
Manufactured by an offset newspaper equipment pioneer, Compugraphic
Corporation, the "CG 7200" phototypesetter could produce small or
large display type for ads and headlines on a photo-paper made by Kodak. The
type is set on a machine with a typewriter keyboard, as fast as the operator
can type. A newer, faster model of the same machine was added at the Journal in
1975
The
Journal received an award for "Best Spot News" coverage in April,
1972, and the June 1 issue that year the new owners' fourth had 24 pages. The
paper was averaging over 20 pages a week, and circulation climbed over 3.000
before the year was over. The Christmas edition that year was the largest in
the paper's history: six sections with 44 pages.
The
Journal walked away from the 1973 LPA convention with five press awards in the
categories of general excellence, front page spot news, women's news and a
special award given for the first time. The latter was given by the Louisiana
Association of Planning and Development Districts, and the Journal won first
place for "outstanding publication and promotion of economic development
activities." The paper was cited for its important role in procuring two
new industries locating in Madison Parish during the past year.
A
"back-to-school" issue on May 31, 1973 marked the fifth year under
the new owners, and it contained four sections with 32 pages. By October the
circulation was over 3,500.
In November another
Compugraphic machine was installed at the Journal. It was a model
"2961TL", a tape-fed computer which automatically justifies columns
of news type and prints them on photo-paper, ready to trim and use. Prior to
that, the paper was using a slower "strike-on" type machine it had
had since going offset.
Press
awards kept coming the Journal's way in 1974, when the paper brought home
plaques for general excellence, best front page, best editorial page and best
women's news from the annual convention in April.
Regan
was elected secretary of the association's board at the session.
The paper was averaging
about 24 pages per week and 3550 copies were being distributed by the end of
the year. The Christmas edition on Dec. 19, 1974 had beefy sections with 56
pages, another record-breaking issue.
The
Journal's front page and editorial page were judged best in the state in 1974
competition, awards that were presented at the 1975 convention in New Orleans
in April. Another general excellence award went to the paper, making the sixth
consecutive year the Journal has won recognition among its peers. Regan was
elected second vice president of the association.
Circulation
of the Journal at present is 3,650, but a record 5,000 copies of the Centennial
Edition have been printed. Containing nearly 100 pages, the special edition is
by far the largest ever printed.
In
addition to its own pages the Journal prints the Madison Parish Farm Bureau
News once a month. It also prints the Banner-Democrat of Lake Providence and
the Delhi Dispatch every week.
© 1999
Richard P. Sevier (dicksevier@gmail.com)