Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-11
THE FOURTH ESTATE.
sketch Of James p. Harrison, OF The
Christian Index. Atlanta, Ga.

Inc press OF georgia, taken IN Its
/ separate parts, as the daily, the weekly,
! or the religious press, viii compare "a.
/ vorsbly with that of any Southern State.
Probably the greatest improvement has
been made in the religious press, which
now ranks among its editors such emf.
nent divines as Rev. DR.. Fl. H. Tucker.
the Rev. A. @. Haygood aud Rev (Gen)
G. A. Evans. No little of this marked
| improvement has been due to the enter
| prise and energy of James p. Harrison,
publisher of the Christian Indes aud
4 BdptlSt, and managing proprietor of the
Franklin Steam Printing House of AT.
lanta. Through his persistent efforts
ana nnal success the religious press of
Georgia has taken high position, both for
editorial ability and typographical excel
lence.
/ This gentleman was born in Randolph
county, Georgia, on the 26th of Septem-
| Der, 1874, but at the age of six years he
was carried to Milledgeville, which then
became the future home of the family.
His father, Hon. George w. Harrison,
was that year elected Secretary of State,
and held the Office during the adu.inis.
tration of Governor Towns. By the
death of his honored father, which oc-
cured in 1854, James found new fu.
ture opened before him. Inheriting his
fathers generosity of disposition and
energy of character, he early learned TO
be self-reliant, and to win the respect and
love OF those whose esteem and conf
| dence were worth securing. Both these
marked traits of character have clung to
blr. Harrison through all his changes
and had no little share in securing his
success in life
Not only did he inherit some of the
best traits of his fathers manly character,
but he had the early training and pi0us
instructions of noble Christian mother
In her widowhood she found sweet com.
fort in the love and devotion of her four
sons and two daughters all of whom
sought TO Tighten as best they could her
burdens of care and anxiety. At the
early age Of fifteen years James started
out in life, choosing the art preserva-
tive" for profession He became an
office, at Milledgeville, and later was EN-.
ployed in the Federal Union Office. both
on that newspaper and in the State Prin.
ter.s department. 1t has been well said
and often confirmed that the printing
office is the best school in which to OBJ
tain a substantial and practical English
education. Young Harrison so cOnsid
cred it, and in that position he laid the
broad and substantial foundation upon
which his subsequent successes have been
built. He worked and studied for the
present, but always with an eye to future
advancement, for which he also care
fully prepared himself
1t is not surprising, therefore, that he
should have been eminently successful
in his first newspaper undertaking, after
finishing his apprenticeship and master
ing a complete knowledge of his profes-
sion. He became proprietor of the
Monroe Ad0erttSer, at Forsyth. Ga, and
in few years brought it to the front
rank, taking three separate premiums
at State fairs for the superior excellence
of his publication, which became widely
known as the "Gold Medal" paper of
Georgia. Associated with him in the
editorial work was Mr.. Joel Chandler ,
Harris, then a brilliant young writer and
famous paragrapher, but since famous
as "Uncle Remus," delineator of negro
character, and poet of more than ordi-
nary merit. This gentleman left the
AdCertiser for higher position on the
Savannah MORNING NEWS.
During the year 1872 Mr.. Harrison be-
came interested in the public printing of
the State, with Col. J. III. Estill, OF Sa.
vannah, and Rev. J. w. Burke, of Ma
con, and twelve months later he went to
Atlanta, taking charge of the Franklin
Steam Printing House, and the publica
tion of the Christian IndeE and Bdp
ttst, as one of JOINT stock company
which had purchased the property. In
this wider,fi field of usefulness he lmme-
diately called into play his full store of
energy and capability, and to all its de-
partmeDts added enlarged facilities
for newspaper, book and job
printing, thus making the Frank
lin establishment the most ex-
tensive and best equipped printing
office in the State For four years he
has been State Printer, and during the
November session of the present Gen
eral Assembly, when the settlement of
his final accounts was under discussion,
the Hon. Edwin Martin, of Houston,
Chairman of the Printing Committee,
and himself newspaper publisher, paid
Mr.. Harrison very high compliment in
regard to his honesty as public official,
and the excellence and cheapness of his
work as Public Printer during a period
when there was large amount of extra
work, and much of it required to be
done with unusual haste.
Dir. Harrison, however, is best known
as the publisher of The Christian I,sder
and Baptist, religious journal of high
character and wide circulation. To this |
publication he has given his best ener
gies, and supplemented 1t with the |
Baptist Portrait Gallery" a mammoth |
picture. containing group of some |
three hundred and fifty Baptist minis |
ters, large illustrated volume of bio |
graphical sketches of Baptist preachers,
several question books, hymn books and |
other UNCONVENTIONAL works. In fact, |
he is constantly turning out some kind |
of publication in the interest of the |
Baptist faith. Georgia is a leading Bap.
tist State, and Mr.. Harrison has won Tor |
it extended fame by the typographical |
excellence and high literary character Of |
all bis publications
Outside of his printing establishment |
Mr.. Harrison has but one interest, and |
that is home made attractive by de- |
voted Christian wife and several lovely |
children. Although the Angel of Death |
has plucked two of his fairest flowers
his namesake and an infant daughter
his faith in God has comforted his sorely |
stricken heart, and made him appreciate |
more fully the dear ones that have been |
spared to him. In his family, no man
could be more devoted or more tender. |
and in all his intercourse with his fellow |
men his generous impulses and kindly |
feelings have had full play. Public pcsi- |
tiOns he has never sought, his sole object |
being to honor and elevate the profession
to which he belongs, and to make a
comfortable and happy home for his
loved ones, and fill with peaceful Joy the
declining years Of his most excellent and
beloved mother