The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-19

and also one of the owners of the Mia
/ Paper Mill
THE DAILY ARGUS.
The first daily issued from this ofic
was July ID. 1854, as an evening paper
1t was the first daily in this city or With
hundred miles Of here. 1t was publishe,
as an evening paper to December IT. 1855
| when it was changed to a morning pane
| and published as morning paper to Nc
vember Is, 1861, when it was change,
back to an evening paper and has 5,
remained ever since.
During the ownership and Management
of Pershing & Connolly they, on the 1871
OF July 1859, suspended the daily and il
its place published tri-weekly, and wber
purchased from them in September 1885
L continued it as tri-weekly until Sept. |
1861, when resumed the publication OF E
daily, which has been continued ever
since.
The weekly has been published contipu
ousy from Oct. IS. 1851, to the presen,
time.
THE ARGUS has eyer been an indie
pendent Democratic paper. Published in
county having Wing and Republi
can majority, and in representative
senatorial, and congressional district also
OF Wing or Republican politics, it has moi
depended on or been favored with oficia
patronage, but has looked only to the leei-
innate patronage which comes from fur
nishlng reliable newspaper that has al.
ways spoken the honest opinions ofits edito, s
without fear or favor. 1t has seen two ot
the leading papers representing the major
lty party 1.-THE AdUertiser and the Reossteyl
with all the county patronage to sustain
| them, anguish and die for want of sum-
port and 1t has seen several other papers,
started TOR the purpose and with the OK.
pectation of breaking down THE ARGUS.
die from the same cause-whiIe it has
without official patronage or one dollar OF
outside aid from any source, pursued its
own independent course, and from its
legitimate patronage lived and built up a
business second to none here. My first
purchase, from Nichols, Of one. half of the
office, was for $500, but | could not nav
all down for that The remaining one
half bought for a still less sum. I had
not money enough to buy the white paper
for the fist issue and we'll remember OF
borrowing, Of VIM. Frizzell $3.50 and
sending up to Wheeloek's mill by Lynch
hack to buy the white paper for the first
Issue after 1 became sole owner. | re-
| turned him his money the next week. and
that Is the only money I ever borrowed.
| from that day to this. For some time I
performed the work Of about two or three
nen-acting as ROLLER boy," folding
papers, making up the mail, attending fo
the tires, the sweeping, and doing the
drudgery of the flee, besides keepine
my accounts, collecting bills and editing
the paper. 1t was only by the most care.
iul economy and patient Industry that 7
kept the concern from going under. as
other papers ha1 done When [ started the
daily, Consulted NJ one, and had No
subscribers It all l. was not even Known
that intended to start a daily until it an
peared On the streets. The first evening
carrier boys left c0py at nearly every
house IN .nwn,-ana it contained a notice
that oD the next evening the bows wa,1d
take the names Of such as wished it let
regularly. They brought ia 200 to 800
names, ana from that time the daily paper
has been issued regularly-now al
most % years 1t was thus that
the first daily paper 10 Rock Island or
vicinity was started and from the legiti-
mate business of the Office made
to pay its way. And since that day
the office, by attention to business, has
steadily increased IN value. 1t has never.
in the quarter Of a century [ have been
connected with it, failed to meet its obi
cations promptly. 1t has always paid a
hundred cents on the dollar, and paid
promptly when due, And it has always
paid all its employees every Saturday
night On the 9Th OF July 1873 it was
organized under the general incorporation
law OF this state, as CORPORATION. with
capital stock of So. 200, and it homes. nv
pursuing the same independent course,
to live long and prosper,