Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-03-05
Sketch of the New Passenger Agent
of the c. & o. Road.


of the c. & o. Road.
The above is correct likeness of
Mr.. w. A. Wilgus, who has for a
number of years been one of the best
known and most successful of the
younger business men of Hopkinsvillr,
and as he has retired from businessin
this city and entered upon the duties
of new line Of work that will take
him from home much of the time,
it is not inappropriate that a
brief sketch of his life be given at
this time in the columns of the pa
per with which ho was so long con-
nected.
William A. Wilgus was born at
Cadiz, Trigg county, Ky, April u,
1859, and is now nearing his Both
birthday. lie began life as a
poor boy, without either money
or influential friends. Hia cdu-
cation was obtained in the schools
of his native town, and at the
age of fifteen years he entered the of
flee of the Trigg County Democrat,
then operated by the late Judge j II.
Wilkerson, and began to learn the
art of printing. Three years later
he left home and pursued his calling
In the office of the Hopkinsville Dem
ocrat, then weekly paper conduct
ed in this city by Col. j. NJ. Dodd.
Whatever he undertook to do he did
we'll, and it was not long before the
young man became the Indispensable
employe and chief reliance OF the pa
per. For two years he went ahead
working and saving his money.
His habits were Cf the best.
Moral, industrious and thor
oughly honest, and inspired by a
laudable ambition to make his mark
in life, he applied himself with ener-
gy and sssiduity TO his work
until he had become thoroughly ac-
quainted with all the details of the
printing business TO be learned in a
small city.
In the latter months of 1878 the
Democrat became losing property
and the owner wishing to retire from
business leased his printing plant TO
a firm of which Mr.. Wilgus was the
head and new paper called the
South KENTUCKIAN was started, Jan
10, 1879. Later in the same year the
present writer bought an interest
in the business and the firm of Mesch-
am Il Wilgus, which existed for nine
years, began the difficult task of
establishing new paper in field
already occupied. That this under
taking was finally crowned with sue
cess was due in great measure TO
The assiduous application, careful
business management and well
grounded knowledge Of the subject
Of this sketch. Step by step the new
paper fought its way to the front
any financial backing what
ever except its own earnings. After
being printed on leased material for
year Or two, the office was purchased,
then renewed, then enlarged, ane in
1888 the SoUTH KENTUCKIAS was is
sued as a emi-weekly, appearing as
the pioneer of its class of journalism
in Western Kentucky and the first
paper to publish more than one issue
4 week in Hopkinsville. During the
asst six years the KENTUCKIAN has
made reputation of which 1t is bv
no means ashamed and Mr.. Wilgus'
name has been inseparably connect d
with whatever success it has achieved
At the beginning of the year 1888 he
became sole proprietor of the KEN
rUcKIAN and for eleven months was
at the head of both the editorial and
business departments. Three months
ago he transferred the paper to the
present owner, his former partner,
and has begun seareer in the rail
road business which it is safe to pre-
dict will be one of credit and success
He was recently chosen by the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad TO sue
coed Mr.. w. j. Berg as southern
passenger agent and left last week
10 assume the duties of his
position. The place is one of much
but is both cougeniaI
md lucrative. lie will be OH the
Dad most of the time and his terrific
y covers the entire south and a good
portion of the west.
During business career d. ttNf
cara, Mr.. Wilgus made many friends
n Hopkinsville and no young man in
he city stands higher than he in the
stimation of the public.
In the summer of 1883 he was mar.
led to Miss Sallie Cook, daughter
DR.. L. II. Cook, a prominent and
ighly respected citizen.
He is at present one of the vice
residents of the Hopkinsville Com
lercial Club, in the organization of
hitch he took very active interest
lie is also secretary of the Democratic
Committee of Christian