The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-04-16
A PIONEER PRINTER.
A vErERAN arLANrA EDITOR.
Uncle Zion BridweIl, Famous for His
Veracity-His Wife, Home and His
Many Pets

Many Pets
! Atlanta Evening Journal
In quiet little home at the corner
of Pine and Luckie street, surrounded
by all sorts of pets, including pigeons,
chickens, birds and dogs, lives Uncle"
Zion Bridwell, the father of the print
ers OF the South and the oldest printer
In this part of the country.
Uncle" Zion, as he Is known to
every newspaper man In Atlanta has
seen newspapers spring up with the
prospects bright and fiourishing for
success only to be cut down In short
while like a tender blade of grass,
Then again he has seen newspapers
started ON very small capital and after
wards prove q great success from every
stondpoint and make large profits for
those having IL in charge. He has
himself started several papers, made
plenty OF money, squandered nearly Il
fortune during his career and has
today nothing to show for his years of
labors but his home on Pine street
where he has lived for the past forty
eight years.
was born on the fifteenth day of June,
1909, on the banks of theoEnoree river
at BridwelPs mills, near Greenville,
South Carolina. In 1928 he was taken
In charge by the commissioners of the
poor In that State and bound out for
period of years. The commissioners
claiming that he was only ten years
old when, in fact, he was about eigh-
teen. After serving the time for
which he was bound out, Mr.. Bridwell
made his way to Anderson, South Car
olina, where he entered the office Of
the Morning Watch," newspaper
then published in the place. His first
work was devil in the printing Office
of that paper, but he stuck to his work
and In the end learned the printers
trade.
After leaving the "Morning Watch"
Mr.. Bridwell went to Calhoun, South
Carolina, where accepted q place on
the Highland Sentinel" where he
worked for u while. He then took q
vacation for the period of a year. Then
Pendleton, South Carolina, called the
Pendleton Messenger" He was Of
fered four hundred and fifty dollars u
year to leave the Messenger and assume
control Of the Abbeville Banner"
which was at that time under The per-
sonal conduct Of Henry Allen, who had
bought it from " Uncle" Zion and his
brother who wasat that time engaged in
the printing business. Mr.. Bridwell did
nOtaccept the offer, which was consider
ed q good one in those days, but went to
Lawrenceville, South Carolina and
other portions OF the State where ne
followed the business for some time,
finally lacating at Columbia, where he
began work In book office and Job
printing establishment owned and op-
Grated by L. G. Morgan.
"Uncle" Zion then took another
rowing expedition. He told the foreman
of the shop, a man named Brittan, to
get him u place in the country as he
was tired OF city life. Mr.. Brittan
hooted at the idea Of his leaving. but
Uncle Zion was firm and determin-
ed to 60 at all cost. He was making
seven dollars day at the business he
was then in and tho foreman told him
that any position he might secure for
him would make him not more than
five dollars per week and his board.
"Unclc" Zion cared nothing about
what salary he received for his only
desire was to get out of town.
Britain, finally seeing that his help
err was determined to leave, secured
him position at Sumterville, South
Carolina, on a email paper called the
Banner" AT this place f" Uncle"
wealth. He saved his money and soon
had $51. He thought he was rich,
threw up his job again, and went to
Camden, South Carolina, where he
continued to work for five dollars
week and board on a small papor pub.
lished there. He accumulated 1850
with which he bought type, paying
cash for 1t. He then purchased a
printing press on o credit. He made his
way with his small newspaper plant
to Chesterville, where he Contemplate
II fnn ft,,rr
the people OF that section of the State.
Upon arriving at Chesterfield, Mr..
Bridwell found that the people there
were inclined to think that any man be.
ing presumptiOus enough to think OF
starting paper in that place surely
must be crazy. He was derided and all
kindsof sport made of him for entertain
ing such an idea. Finally through trials
and tribulations he brought to the SER
face tho Chesterville Observer"
with the type he had paid for and the
machine which he had purchased on
credit. The people at once flOcked
over and gave him perfect ovation.
Patronage of every kind was literally
bestowed and subscriptions poured in
from all portions Of the State. In ten
months publication of the paper he
had realized profit of $l0,777.27-
tremendous rise which was cut short
by the death Of his wife. The Obser-
YER, with all the plant, was soon at q
sacrifice, Uncle Zion realizing but
small amount from the sale.
Then 1t was that he turned toward
Atlanta, arrived here and entered up
on his career as printer in the State
OF Georgia. He and his brother went
into the newspaper business and began
to fight secession. They won a victory
temporarily In the election of Howell
Cobb over Mcdonald by fifty thousand
majority. 1t looked as II that was the
last of secession, but in 1860 he awoke
to find that the whole country had Sc
cesion cockades on.
All he could say was. "Go it, boys,
and have your fun" During tho war
he went to Louisville, KY, where he
worked on the Democrat, Courier and
Journal, the last two having since com
bined under the namo OF the Courier
Journal. "Uucle" ZION says that at
the time he was on the Journal that
Prentiss, who was considered the
greatest editor of the country at that
time, owned it. After leaving Louis
Vile he returned to Atlanta and here
he has been since that time.
After coming back to Atlanta,
Uncle" Zion and his brother aided
In the conduct Of the Atlanta Intelli-
gencer," which was great success.
DR.. Bonner, [. o. Mcdaniel, Weldon
Mitchell and gentleman named Rice
frat started the tntelligencer," but
they failed to make u success of IL and
were soon forced ont of business for
the lack OF funds. Uncle " Zion then
worked on Republican paper pub