The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-11-22


wore than Fifty Years OF journalistic Lif
81 .'e rasscs csA"ay-Skctcho Of His Early Life
q Entrance into the Printing Business: For,
man at Lynchburg and Editor at Rich
"ond Various Newspaper yentures-Tb
q dispatch" Founded BY Cowardin 4 Da q
n ana the Enterprise n Success After rex
@ months-Destruction of the Office at In
" Evacuation and Revival OF the PAPER b
n 'ownrdin Eilyson-Mr. Cowardin's Las
a Illness; Death Yesterday Afternoon Flu
neral nj 10 O'Clock To-NIorrow from ~
e refers Observation-Disclosures OF Old Friends
. Mr. James a. Cowardin, the founder anC
aSenior editor Of the Dispatch, and for NOR,
8thah nall a century identified with Virgini;
'Iournalism, died yesterday afternoon at 40,
4at the residence OF his son, C.. OBJ. Cowar
8din, No. 3l9 east Franklin street. In DC
3'oDcr, 1879, he was stricken with paralvsi,
8and compelled to leave the chair which h,
34had tlled for twenty-nine years. From IN,
s3frst attack and from some subscment ono.
Xhe rallied, such was his strong constitution
Eand courageous spirit, and in the early part
&oi The past summer he was able to 20 to the
anOuntains and fulfill his cherished desire
3oi breathing once more the air Of his native
scounty OF Bath. While there he suffered
n stroke OF great severity. For davs he
Sltngered on the border between life and
5death, and though he once more rallied he
3was left with strength so wasted that il
$was with difficulty the tendcrest care could
abring him back to Richmond alive. After
Areaching here he never rose from his bed.
sMonday afternoon came the last attack.
sUnder it he sank till 4:2j O'Clock ycstcr-
Eday afternoon, when he peacefully breathed
shis last
The funeral will take place from st.
sPeter'S Cathedral Tomorrow morning at
Sl0 O'Clock.
Biographical Sketch.
James Andrew Cowardin, son OF John
sLewis and Polly Roads Cowardin then of
Hot Springs, Bath county, Va, was born
ON the 9th day of October, 1911, at said
Springs. His father was son OF Abraham
ICOwardin, who married Lewis, daughter
lOf Mrs. Lewis who owned the Warm
Springs in Bath ut one time, and OF the
numerous family Of LeWiscs Of Virginia oil
(which General Charles Lewis and Meri]
lWethcr Lewis, Of the Lewis and Clarke
(Rocky Mountains explorer, were mcm-
Ebcrs, The mother OF Mr.. CoWardn was AMI
instructor Of young ladies, and taught mi
lBath, Amherst, Amelia, Charlotte, and
lPittsyyania counties, and the city Of DAM
willie. She died in 1880 near Danyille, Va.
BEGINNING LIFE.
At the age of thirteen. after receiving
;such education H. his tender years would
admit, he went 10 learn the printing busi-,
mess with Major Clarke, who practiced lawI
Iand published the Rodn0kc Sentinel at;
'Danville. He went to Danyille in 1924
and in 1927 or 1928 removed to LynchbHrg.I
land in a short time became foreman Of thel
'JefcrSOnidn Republican, then published
by DR.. Cabell, which paper advocated the|
ELECTION OF Andrew Jackson for President
i'm 1925.
Mr.. Cowardin's advance in the business
Ihe had chosen must have been very rapid i
for il is known that in 1882, though thenI
but twenty-one, he was foreman Of thel
aforesaid paper, and had been for somei
time previous. Mr.. II. X. Cralc married u
daughter Of DR.. Cabcll, and soon becamc'
the editor OF the JcferSonian and afterI
the breach between Calhoun and Jacksonl
he followed the political fortune, OF Cal
houn. and induced Mr.. Cowardin TO re-
move with him TO Richmond.
REMOVAL TO RICHMOND.
Under these circumstances Mr.. Cowar-;
din left Lynchburg and came TO Richmond,
and here Mr.. Cralle began the publication!
of the VTginiQp or virginia Times, adj
yocating the Statc-rights doctrines Of hisl
great political chief IN opposition to the,
Views OF both Jackson and Clay.
Between Mr.. Crallc and Mr.. CowardnI
there was the Warmest affection. Mr.,
|Crallc was a man Of remarkable talents j
which made for him great influence. Iej
relied with amplcst confidence upon his,
manager, Mr.. COWardin, who had full con-l
|trol over the practical details OF the paper,
and also from time TO time contributed tOI
lis columns. while this paper had brill
liant career and was priced for the ability
|of lis editorials, it did not succeed aS y
business enterprise, as few papers could
|that breasted the popularity Of Andrew
jackson. and about 1888 or 1884 the publi-,
|cotion was suspended and Mr.. Crallc went,
Ito Washington to practice law.
WITH FATHER RITCHIE.
Mr.. Cowardin'S next busneS, engage
.ment WAS with Mr.. Thomas Ritchie, thcI
lrditor and publisher Of the Richmond
Eno,irer. who made him his chief clerk
land confidcd to him in great measure the
|core Of his business interests. There was
lno unison Of political sentiments, but Mr.
.pitchie's heart was won by the cheerful
Ind willing spilit, the active and obliglng
ldisnosition OF Young Cowardin. Letters
.that nosscd between them when they st00H
1;n the relation Of employer and cmploye,
land also after they had separated, show
Ihot Mr.. Ritchie set high value upon Mr.
character and attalnments, ana
l,vos sincerely dcsirouS OF seeing hlm ad-
svanced in life.
THE "TIMES AND COMPILER"
Mr. Cowardin retained his clerkship at
hhe Enquirer till about 1888, when ne
1.ncurcd an interest in the Times and Conc
: piler (he bought out the interest of John
IS. Gallaher), designing as far as he could
! control TO devote it more to commercial
land news matters than to politics, and TO
SIMPLY want which he knew existed ana
lwhbich he believed the community recog'
lnized. His partner III this enterprise was
mir William II. Davis, and after years oi
3tojl and trouble they made it fair sue
Ahout the time of entering upon the en-