Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-02-08

kttsl Langu1ge Il spoken
Mr. chIids a. /. Newspaper Pusls-h~r.
During his early zFeer A. q publisher
of books Mr.. Chiiis never lost sight Of
his favcrits object the control of a
great daily newspaper. The time eame
when he could CRAFTY this ambition
The Public Ledger. which was founded
in ISIS AZ a paper. mp TO the beginning
Of the civil war had been a very profit
able ventura for its proprietors. bat had
fallen on evil days The war. by
doubling the cost OF material and
labor, had rendered it impossible 10 con
tinuc il at the Origi raj Price exeeps
at n loss Moreover. oue Of the three
original proprietcrS W. dead, another
was absorbed in the management of
another enterprise. and the third was
Indifferent. The paper was being pub
lished at a weekly loss of sa9eo. Tn
der these circumstances Mr.. ChiIdS
against the strong advice Of his friends,
bought the Ledger for a sum a little
exceeding the amou ut Of its annual
loss
- The success OF the Public Ledger
The purchase was completed Decem-
Der .. 1854. a week later the new pre-
prietor doubled the price of the paper
and advanced the advertising rates u
the compromising point At frs. the
shock to the establishment was
severe Both Subscribers and adver-
tiSerS fell Of. but in a few DAYS
tse tale turned At the end of .
month he made a concession which re-
stored the paper to more than its for
msr asceudeney BY reducing the price
from two cents a day TO ten cents per
week Trifing as this change NAV
seem at first IL was very important in
determining the future Of the paper.
The bulk OF the population Of PhiIadet-
Phi1 is composed Of highly respectable
families whose means are limited and
To whom economy i n thing of con-
science. necessity and lifelong habit.
The Ledger not only reached its for
mer standard Of circulation and adver-
Using patronage. but went FAR beyond
it and became one II the most profitable
newspapers in the country.
The B~a~vs4-n-- Of Nr. Child.
For a long time Mr.. Chiids gave his
uuremitting personal attention to th..
management Of the Ledger in all its
departments. but of recent years nc
left the main responsibility for its con
duct to otlier hands and devoted his
time To his friends and his numer.
Gus schemes Of benevoIencc. Few
men, either living or dead have sueh
a record of philanthropy as Mr.. Chiids.
whether considered from the actual
amount Of money given away or the
wise and judiciois Manned in which
the beucvvlence has been dispensed.
The printer has always been an espe-
eial object OK Mr. Chiids b~eueGeent
interest. an interest which was
warmly recipros.atesL His latest gif;
To the craft WIS a sum IF money Ia
connection with a like amount from
th. late ANTHONY J. nrexeI, ais iii,
long friend. which formed the nucleus
ct the fund with which was ereeted.t the
Printers home It Colorado Springs,
Cod
A mere liSs Of the philanthropy.
gifts Of Mr. Childs would -
eapv a very considerable space.
Among the notable oneS ma
b. mentioned the stained-glass win.
dow which he placed IN WestmiEstsr
abbey in eonImemoration OF the poets
William Cowpsr and George Herbert;
the ever the hitherto un.
marked grave Of Leigh Hunt in Ken,
sal Green. the gift Of u plot Of ground
for a ~eeIneter- for printers in Phiia,
| daTnhFn arI sE.s -ru~e-.,sT,r~ - 81.