Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-06-14

entered into obligations to fill out all
contracts ut his own expense. He had no
money, and no friends from whom to
borrow any; but he knew how to work
and went mt il. The business of the paper
had never been such as to warrant bellef
in others that it was capable of yielding
sufficient income to pay off the overhang-
ing obligations i'm the time stipulated.
Mr.. Grst realized that he had to make
extraordinary cXertions. He had long
since learned that factional politics-the
main object for which most of the pa
pcrs of the day were puhlished-was
rather too expensive luxury 10 ne
indulged in by man without polltlcal
ambition and with a family to support
He struck out on new lines. But few
papers i'm the South. either daily or
weekly, had ever venturcd into the
field of original literature. He began
to cultivate that field with boldness that
attracted widespread attention. Among
the numerous writers of State and nation
al reputation who were employed as
contributors, were Mrs. NJ. \. Dennison,
of Massachusetts Mrs. Mary Ewart and
Mrs. NJ. w. Stratton, John Witherspoon
Erwin, William NJ. Martin ruby, Paul
II. Hayne, James Wood Davidson, OF
South Carolina, John Esten Cook, of
Virginia, and others.
At the breaking out of the war, THE
ENQUIRER had subscribers in nearly
every county in the State, and almost
every State in the South, and was rapidly
becoming paper of general circulation.
The first two payments OF Sl,000 each
were made on the purchase price, accord
ing to contract, and that the third would
be forthcoming when due, there was no
longer any occasion for anxiety. But III
1860 and 1861 business prosperity came 10
an end Everything was Ovcrshadowed
by the political events of the hour. Con-
cerned for the safety of their constitutional
liberty, the people were no longer in n
frame of mind that would permit OF the
luyuries of literature. The demand OF the
day was only for news-Switt, reliable
newsstand shortly after Fort Sumter was
fired on, Mr.. Grist began the publication
of THE ENQUIRER as Il semi-weekly. 1t
soon developed, however, that on account
of insufficient mail facilities, semi
weekly could not long be maintained in
this section, and the idea was abandoned.
The continued publication of a reliable
paper just at this time was extremely
important. Mr.. l.. VI. Grst realized this
fact fully; but at the same time he became
convinced that so tar as he was concerned,
| his place was at the front. Accordingly,
on the 10th Of August, 1861, he turned
over the management of the paper to his
| father. Mr.. John +. Grist, and volunteered
| his services to the Contederacy for the
| war. From thence forward until the
close of the war, the paper continued
under the management OF Mr.. j. T..
Grist, and with the exception OF two
issues, which were omitted on account OF
inability to get the necessary paper, until
after the surrender of Lee, the paper
continued to appear as regularly rs II
| published in times of peace.
Upon his return from Confederate
service in April, 1865, Mr.. Grist found
| his business i'm chaotic condition. The
paper was still being published every
| week but there were no longer any mail
facilities, and it could not be circulated
among its subscribers. Under such
circumstances, further efforts were useless,
and in May, 1868, the publication OF the
paper was temporarily suspended. After
several months things began to get in
better shape, and in the August following,
publication was resumed; but it was not
until fully three years attCrward, that the
postal system was restored, even to that
degree of efficiency that obtained during
| the war.
|
Tn to the breaking out Of the war. the
ambition of Mr.. Grist was the building
up of great literary newspaper with
general circulation, and the realization OF
that ambition seemed close. But when
Mr.. CiriSt returned home after the war,
| he saw that conditions were changed. lie
had no means himself and there was
none available for him in the county.
The prosperous happy county III when
THE ENQUIRER of 1850 was ilourlshlng
to success, was now destitute. Many OF
the people who had learned to appreciate
and patronize all that was highest ana
| pureSt in literature were now no longer
able to afford such luXurieS. With them
| the great problem was as to how best to
| live and restore their shattered fortunes.
There was Il new and different mission
for THE ENQUIRER. 1t could no longer
aspire to a realization of its former ambi-
ton; but it could and did join in with the
people i'm their efforts to restore order out
of chaos. and bring about new prosperity
and happiness equal, if not superior, to
the old. In this mission it did not aspire
to lead; it did not follow. 1t merely
sought to assist, as far as possible in
concentrating in the same channel all
intelligent and proper effort that Of
cred to look to the upbuilding OF the
public good. 4 recital Of details would
take up too much space; but the facts are
easily within the recollection of many
| readers.
From 1866 to 1880, the career of THE
ESQr1RER was one of almost uninter-
ruptcd prosperity. highly satisfactory to
it's management and large majority OF
its patrons. In its course as newspaper,
it continued earnest and steadfast i'll the
line its proprietor had marked ont. FL
nancially it felt the stress Of hard times
as the people felt it, and it prospered as