Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-13
THE TEXAS EDITORS.
"Reminiscences Of tho Jnnketings OF the
Jolly Journalists.
The Dallas Meeting and the Excursion to
the Interstate Drill.

| A'SIiNt Muy L. NC iSSohe htcSt-
ing of 100 members of the Texas press
at Dallas was an event Of no slight i'm
portance in its influence on Texas af-
fairs. The Texas Press association was
formed at Houston in 1851, this being
its fourth annual meeting. 1t started
with small quota of newspaper men,
and now numbers among It's member
ship two-thirds of the newspaper fra
ternlty in the state-about $50. While
the nominal objects of the association
ars entirely social, yet there is prin-
cipal underlying theme, which crops
out more and more rs 1t grows older.
Organized, the press of Texas Is the
most powerful agency in the state.
Three hundred pencils showed with
the harmony of well-drilled soldiery
form an army before which all de-
lenses are defenseless, and all weapons
futile. Already in
THE ACTIVE POLITICS
of the state this power Is beginning to
tell. Few people are aware of the fact
that the movement which placed the
present executive in the gubernatorial
chair was inaugurated at meeting of
VIC BlrsS usSOCldtlOus w hlie
the boys were travelling west
ward toward the glorious eli.
mate of California, the gubernatorial
while away the monotony of barren,
habitless prairies. After thorough
social discussion of the matter n ballot
was taken, which showed Ireland far
in the lead. Straightway his name
was hoisted from the masthead of a
score of papers, and the result was he
went in without opposition. In many
other instances this influence has.been
felt, and thus an organization, con-
ceived alone in the desire to give mem
tai recreation to brains tired
by the ceaseless, steady strains
OF editorial llabor, has
almost unconsciouslS, aud certainly
unintentionally, widened its area to
cover the domain of social aud politi-
cal questions where if it cares it may
prove an all potent factor. AS the ia
cetious and talented editor of the
Times, Mr.. w. G. Sterrett, remarked:
"if any man thinks he can down the
press of Texas just let him try it.n
THE PERSONNEL
OF the association is good. President
fandell remarked with pardonable
pride, in his annual address to the as
sociation: 81 have seen almost every
press association in the South, and I
can say with good conscience that
we have the finest body of men of the
whole lot.n Such men as Yandell
Bonar, Cranfill, Foster, CASTOR
Huckabee, Hill, Halbert, Norton,
Pilgrim, Scurlock, Sterrett, Gift,
ORD, Elliott, Abbey, Hall, |
Geager, Lillard, Gilbert. Davis
and dozens of others of equal merit
would occupy the top round of the
ladder in any profession which they
might choose to follow. No higher
tribute could be paid to the men
which comprise this association than |
simple reference to the papers which
they edit, which average many de. |
grees above the press of any country
In the world. With a scant popula- |
ton compared with that OF older
states, ana in very few |
years they have built up the admira-
BILE
SYSTEM OF JOURNALISM,
both daily and weekly. The former
challenges the admiration of all news
paper men and equals, if not excels.
any in the South; the latter is, with.
out exception, the best in the world.
Nowhere are such excellent weekly
puoiications found among the country
press as In Texas. To this more than
any other medium the state is in
debted for its rapid progress. Every
press Is an immigration agent,
every newspaper standing
invitation, which finds its way ali over
the land. AT the bottom of every en-.
terprise, the godfather of every stem of
progress, is the newspaper. So con-
spicuously are the present generation
OF journalists in Texas touched with
this spirit of enterprise that if thew
should survive intact another half
score OF years, through their efforts
alone the state would become the most
populous, wealthy and prosperous of
all the states in the Union.
Inc casual observer dropping in at n
meeting of the press association il
struck with the youthfulness of its
members. There are, PERTAINS. not ten
men over forty years of age. scarcely
twenty between that and thirty-fiye
while the gerproportion are In their
twenties, the membership ranging
down "a low as eighteen years of age.
! Boards among them are rarity. and
even the tiniest of mustaches are
conspicuous. Gray hairs are scarcely
visible, and when seen are generally the
marks OF excessive work rather than az.
IRENE age. 1t was left for the nerve
and vigor of youth, and the last starter
IN the race to come in under the wire
OF the journalistic track ahead of ali
competition.
or the business transacted Mt tba
meeting at Dallas, all has been told in
the Geographic. columns of THE GA
Wednesday evening at 0 o'clock the
Jolly crowd of journalists boarded
the Central for the inter.
state drill nj Houston. On account
OF crowded travel on all the railroads
special sleeper could not be secured
anu the boys were limited to a speciai
coach. This served, however. to in.
crease rather than diminish the eener-
az enjoyment, as 1t gave full play to
Sterfetts inimitable anecdote and wit.
DAVIS elooquence, Craniilps songs
nenderson's resolutions and a hun,
ureu other sources Of amusement
ohly those veterans who went
on the California excursion
ever witnessed such froiic
everybody joined in the good old
canp,meeting songs except Sterrett
VINO declared his voice could never he
tuned up for singing. Such chorns 30
were never heard outside the camp
,neeLings OF long ago, which live oniv
IN tue memories of patriarchal survjv.
H n seemed as IL the lungs of the