Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-11
OUR ANNIVERSARY.
The Leaf 80 and the Chronicle "a Years
Old and its Total Age 1o7 Years.

Old and it's Total Age 1o7 Years.
This is one of the days we cele-
brate. The first number of the
GAINESVILLE TOBACCO LEAF was is.
sued February IL, 1869, from the Sec
ond story of the McCauley building
on Franklin street now occupied by
Wood d Abbott. those were the
days of PETER, McMullen, Buck, Nc
Kinney and Freedmen's Bureau
gang, and everything was hot. Buck
published the Patriot, Republican
paper. The old Chronicle had been
Nestor over fifty years, and of
course the TOBACCO LEAF had strong
competition and there were many
predictions that it could not survive,
having no capital to start on, but its
first years business amounted to
over So, 900 leaving profit of 81 900.
This demonstrated what could be &C.
complished by enterprise. The paper
started with splendidly equipped
Office for the times, costing over 3d.
600, borrowed capital. 1t was the
first paper to introduce in this sec
ton the power press, and fine job
printing presses, and it was not long
before the well established, prosper
Gus old Chronicle was found hustling
to hold its own, and GAINESVILLE had
two very live papers. Very soon the
printers of the two Offices got into a
row, creating a lively sensation, but
the proprietors kept out of it and got
along amicably. The first efforts of
the TOBACCO LEAF were devoted to
building up the tobacco market. aid
it got up the big tobacco fairs for sew
eral years following. This was done
by calling meeting and organizing
the GAINESVILLE Board of Trade,
which is still in existence and active
when occasion demands. 1t next
commenced the agitation of the
Princeton railroad, and never let the
enterprise rest until the road was
built. The present Mineral road was
also included in the agitation. That
has been accomplished. 1t was the
first to suggest and agitate the Elk
ton road, which has been in operation
several years. 1t also got up the iron
wagon factory, which will do some
good to hear of once more, as the
wagon proved defective in its combi-
nation and a failure, and this is the
only mistake or failure of any note
in the many enterprises it has set on
foot and kept nnder continual agita.
ton, including the iron interests now
developing. The paper obtained
800 subscribers the first year, re-
markably large list for any country
weekly at the date, and it has con-
tinuod to grow in the confidence of
the people aud prosper to this day,
In 1879 it adopted the Semi Weekly
publication, or two distinct issues
per week, each issue carrying sepa.
rate advertising patronage to accom-
modate advertisers, giving its read
ers more and later news.
The present proprietors, Brandon
& Barksdale, bought the TOBACCO
LEAF Aug. 8, 1881, it having been
conducted up to that time, first by
M. V. Ingram, then by Ingram d
Doak, and Ingram q Stacker. The
present publishers purchased the
Chronicle March s, 1899, consolidat.
ing the names and the subscription
lists and continuing the publication OF
the Daily and Semi Weekly under
its 'present title, and its prosperity
has kept pace with its enterprise, and
it has the assurance that it is meet
ing the demand and finding favor
with the phople, from its continually
increasing subscription list and gen.
eIal patronage
We cannot enter into any detailed
history of the old Chronicle. We
have known it only since it came I'M
der the excellent and popularmanage-
ment of Messrs. Neblett q Grant, two
of Clarksville's most highly esteemed
citizens, though the paper was first
established under another name in
1SOS-84 years ago and has been bat
Ting for the good of GAINESVILLE and
the surrounding country ever since.
This makes the combined age of the
consolidated paper 1O7 years, and if
we continue to control it during the
next century, there is no telling what
it will be, nor how many subscribers
it will have both in this world and
on the other side.