Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-07
PRINTER AND LAWYER.
A Pleasant Chat with Gentleman WI
Set Type on the First Issue of Il
ssHOrnfnn News -

a Pleasant Chat with a Gentleman who
Set Type on the First Issue of the
informing News
The MORNING NEWS last week noticed
the arrival in our city of Hon. E. NJ. era
ham, of Manatee. Fla. Mr. Graham is a
lawyer of prominence in South Florida,
and was, until i'll health compelled his
retirement. Judge of Bradford County
Court. He for many years represented
his district in the Florida Senate, ana To-
dav is looked upon as one of the leadlng
public men Of his State. In early life udge
Graham was a printer and was lnltlated
into the mysteries of the s'art preserYa-
tive Of all arts" in Savannah. In CONVEX
satjOn Yesterday with representative OF
the MORNING NEWS, the Judge stated
that he was for a short period an appren-
tice in the office of the Acorn. little daily
published by the late j. B. Cubbedge.
When that paper suspended Mr.. Cubbedge
was engaged to print the MORNING NEWS,
and he remembers well the new bright
in January, 1850. The MORNING News
was then published by Mr.. John NJ.
Cooper, now deceased, and the
late veteran editor of the News,
Col. Thompson was its editor. In fact he
did all the work. The Judge said he re-
members Col. 7. staying up every night
until the paper was ready to be printed.
He would often come in just as the print
ers were about leaving work to put in an
article. Those who were associated with
the late senior editor of the NEWS in later
years well remember his penchant for
late news. The later the hour the better
he loved to work. The MORNING News
OF those days, in the sos, was published
in the rooms now occupied by Hon. Thos.
NJ. Norwood, Ill Bay street, upstairs,
next west to the premises so long known
as the MORNING NEWS Office and bearing
the same number (111). Mr.. Henry }.
Middleton, now foreman of the NEWS
composing room, was an apprentice in
the office at the same time as Judge
Graham.
Judge Graham says about the time the
MORNING NEWS was started the city was
lit with gas for the first time. The first
gas lamp lighted was one on the north
west corner of Bryan and Whitaker street
{ in front of the store now occupied by
Rieser Il Stern. At this corner was the
great iewelry house of that day, kept by
Mr.. Eastman. The streets were filled
with people to witness the testing OF
the new and wonderful light. Thacitv
had been lighted previously byBOil
fwhale-Oil) lamps, placed at long inter-
walls. which served only to make darkness
visible. At this time nearly all the bust
ness of the city that was not carried on
on Bay street concentrated between Bull
and Barnard from Bryan to Congress
streets.
Savannah was then a city of about
| 10000 inhabitants. Judge Graham says
J wherever he has been his interest in the
| home of his boyhOOd has never abated,
and the MORNING News has ever been
| his political guide. In his home far away
/ in South Florida, Ihis wife has carefully
| preserved files of the paper and has them
/ extending back to years previous to the
/ late war.
! 1t is a pleasure to welcome in the office
a gentleman who was present at the. birth
| OF the MORNING News, over thirty-fOuT
years ago. May he live to read 1t long
after it has seen the, close of the nine
| teenth century.