The state journal., 1884-07-12

Colored Journalists of the Quaker
City-Personal Notes and Can
didates for Off1ce-Opening
Of the Quay Club House.
PHILADELPHIA, July 8.

This week | shall devote some of
my space to the colored journalists Of
this city, and will try and give good
account of them. Among the first in
the field we may mention DR.. Tanner,
the editor of the Christian Recorder.
The Doctor has been connected with
the Recorder for over fourteen years,
and it is through his exertions that
that paper is recognized as the lead
ing church journal in the country
He is an able and attractive writer,
and his articles receive attention from
all parts of the country. Daniel
Adger is the next who coIhes to my
mind. His first efforts were made in
that school for our young colored
men, the Christian Recorder. After
contributing to the columns of that
paper for long time, his writings
attracted the attention Of the editor
of Taggert's Sunday Times, and he
was engaged to write for the Times,
which he did successfully for several
years, and only gave it up when he
received an appointment in the post
Office, which engaged his time and
prevented his continuing his Journal
istic work. H. Price Williams next
draws attention, his first work being
on the Press, which he held for a
long time, when he started a column
in the Sunday Mercury, devoted to
the interests Of the colored race, and
by his pluck and perseverance alone,
he succeeded in making the Mercury
the leading paper for the colored
people of this city, and the Mercury
has prestige in this city that is hard
TO be shaken. After being connected
with the Mercury for over four years,
Mr.. Williams gave up that paper and
published paper devoted to the col
ored race, called the Gazette, which
after hard struggle, had to succumb
to the inevitable, owing to the apathy
of those who should have supported
it. A short time since, Mr.. Williams,
in conjunction with S. o. Williams,
started another paper called the Pilot,
which is progressing finely, Another
prominent newspaper man is Alex.
W. Davis, who has had o varied ex.
perienco in journalistic work. His
first work was as correspondent for
the Sunday Mirror while at Atlantic
City. After returning to the city he
published q small sheet called the
Spectator, which lived but a short
time. About two years later, during
the campaign, he again issued the
Spectator in an enlarged form, which
after serving its purpose as cam
paign sheet, died a natural death.
Mr. Davis has charge of "Items on
the Wing" in the Sunday Mercury,
which he conducts in an able manner.
He is also engaged as reporter on the
Times, one of the leading papers of
the city. Christopher J. Perry,
another of our journalists, made his
debut in the Day, an afternoon paper,
but after short period he gave it up
and assumed charge of ''Flashes and
Sparks" in the Sunday Mirror, and
has succeeded in increasing the cir
culation of the Mirror among the
colored citizens, second only to the
Mercury. Samuel o. Williams is
we'll known as the person having
charge of "Items on the Wing" in
the Mercury, after H, Price Williams
had given it up. Mr.. Williams sue
ceeded in having the column retain
its popularity among our citizens by
his brilliant and spicy writing. After
a years work, Mr.. Williams gave the
column up, and is at present engaged
in conjunction with Fl. Price Will
liams in publishing the Pilot. Chas.
A. Minnie first began his work in
this city as Philadelphia correspond
ent for the Neao York Globe. After
a lengthy service for that journal, Mr..
Minnie severed his connection, and
with D. w. Gardiner started the In
dependent, newsy paper that is
commanding great amount of at
tention from our citizens. Randolph
G. Lewis is one of our true journal
lists Of there are any, as he devotes
all of his time to newspaper work,
and is recognized as the smartest and
most able writer of any. Mr.. Lewis
first began as puzzle editor of the
Christian Recorder, and while con-
nected with that journal wrote and
had published a continued story, which
for time was the sensation of the
day. After severing his connection
with the Recorder he became the
Philadelphia correspondent of The
National Era, of Washington, D.
c., and the Trenton Sentinel, oi