The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-26
NEWSPAPERS AND NEWSPAPER
MEN IN ROCK ISLAND
COUNTY.
BY j. b. DANFoRTH, JB.
TIE COMMERCIAL-lS58.
BY J. b. DANFoRTH, JR.

THE COMMENTATORS
On the 7th of july 1858, G. ", Kirk
lend commenced the publication of morn
ing daily paper, and also a weekly paper,
called The Commercial In his first issue
he said 1.-The Commercial will be the firm,
jealous and consistent supporter of the
principles of the Republican party" The
printing was done at Raymonds Office, in
Gothic Block, the Sd story of the building
now occupied by Baker as jewelry store.
and by Quist as a tobacco store. 1t was
short-lived, being discontinued on the End
of February, 1859, for want of patronage.
The following is an extract from the issue
of that date:
With this number our connection with the Daily
and Weekly Commercial ceases, and we cannot say,
In pecunary point of view, that it Is much to our
regret, We have published the paper thus far at a
sacrifice and should have discontinued it long ago,
but for feeling OF pride so natural to newspaper
publishers and the hope OF The illustriOus Micawber
clingng to us that something would turn up to
make IL pay. = In conclusion, we would state
that the first number Of the Trt,Weskly Register.
under the auspices OF Mr.. T. j. Pickett, formerly Of
the Peoria Daily Republican, will appear Sat
urday morning next. &. W. KIRKLAND.
The paper, like those that lived and died
before it, failed to meet the wants of the
public, patronage dropped off, and it died,
Kirkland was born in Utica, n. Y, Dec
20, 1881, and learned the printers trade in
the Office of the Evangelist, at Oberlin,
Ohio. His first venture, on his own ac-
count, was in publishing paper at Medina
Ohio, called the Gazette. After q years
of fair success he sold out and came to
Peru, Illinois, where he engaged in the
same business, but not successfully. He
came to this city in June, 1858. After the
failure of his newspaper enterprise here he
remained in town, working at his trade,
until September, 1861, when he enlisted in
Capt, John B. Hawley's company, and he
staid until the close of the war, participa.
ting in the battles Of Forts Henry, Donel-
sou, Shiloh, and Corinth, besides numer-
Gus skirmishes, and on the 4th of De
cember, 1868, was promoted to a cap
.taincy in Company IA" of the Goth
U. S. G. l., in which he remained until
mustered out on the Goth of March, 1866.
He was recommended for the position of
major and lieutenant colonel during his SER
vice with the Goth, but, as he says: lowing
TO the Vaccinations of the war department
and the political intrigues of those valiant
citizen-warriors of the north, the vacancies
of ou- regiment were most uujustly aud
summariy filled by couple of imported
parlOr officers from the states, who should
have been taken by the nap of the necL
and kicked out on the first day of their ap
pearance in the regiment. But the officer:
choked down their Indignation at this out
rageous insult, and bore with these monde.
scripts until the end of the service"
After being mustered out Kirkland, it
company with other officers of his regi
ment, became convinced that there was
fortune in cotton raising, but it proved
disastrous failure Oue season wal
enough for him, and he babe adeiu to tn
Sunny South. On the lstof January, 1856
he returned to Chicago, and since then ha
experienced various vi,issitudes of fortune
stances. Since then, through the failure
Of almost everything in which he had a
investment, he has felt himself compelle
to 60 back to his old friends the stick an
the rule" But he still has a Wilkin
Mcawber eye towards the future.