The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-11-26
Newspaper History.

EDIIOk DULLEIlN-l see III a IT,
cent issue of your paper short
sketch of newspaper history by my
old-time friend, F. NJ. Hooper.
BY your permission, l will try
and correct Francis to some extent,
Francis was the first hand l ever
hired. / was only a boy myself,
but hired him to help me run a
saw and grist mill at ten cents per
day, and am proud to say that he
worked as faithfully at ten cents
per day as he ever afterwards work
ed at one dollar per day. His Older
brother, Samuel, hired him to me
more to keep him out of mischief
than for any other purpose.
To return to the newspaper bus
mess: If there ever was a paper
published in Bolivar called the
News, it was several years before
my time. The first paper ever pub
lished in Bolivar that / have any
recollection of was the Sentinel
edited by Judge K. w. King ant
published by Samuel Colburn
The New Era was the next paper
published by w. IL. Conely q Co
Mr.. Hargrove was associate editor
The New Era only lived one year
The next paper was the Bolivar
Telegraph, edited by w. II. Con
ely and w. g. Collier. A shor
while after it was launched, Mr.
Conely was nominated by the Wing
of Hardeman for representative
His opponent was Col. Edwin Polk
Up to this time, all the papers pub
lished in Bolivar were neutral il
politics. The Telegraph came gu
a fuil-fedged democratic paper, bu
it soon went to the wall for want O
support. A short while after it
demise, the Bolivar Herald wa
started by Messrs. J, S. b. Brooks
and John Kicks. The Herald wal
small, fve-column sheet. 1t me
with success, and in the second yea
of its existence was enlarged. Mr.
Kicks sold out his interest after thu
first year to a Mr.. White. During
the Herald's second or third year
the prospectus of the West Tennes
see Democrat appeared, with JohI
]. Nicely and w. c. Collier at thu
helm. Collier soon sold out. Hi
mind became impaired and he wa
sent to an asylum, where he dice
shortly afterwards. In the thirC
year of the Herald's existence, J. S
B. Brooks died, and his son, VIM
S. Brooks, and p. 3. Grist contin
tinued it's publication for a shor
while, when they sold out to G. G
Adams, who afterwards sold to tn,
West Tennessee Democrat. JOIN
J. Nicely successfully conducted thu
Democrat for several years. I'll,
sold out to Phillips Brothers anC
made the race for County Cour
Clerk against Rufus P. Nicely, bu
was defeated by a small majority
One of the Phillips Brothers lef
the country, and the other sold the
plant to a printer, by the name Of
Rodgers, who had worked for then
SO long without pay that he was
forced to take the press to save him
self. Rodgers changed the name Of
the paper to the Southerner. The
war soon came on and Rodgers was
lost sight of-perhaps he entered
the army. During the war, while
the Federal army was in control OF
Bolivar, some of the "boys in blue
took possession of the Southerner's
outfit and published small paper.
If my memory serves me correctly
it was called the Southern Union.
1t was short-lived. The next paper
published was the BOLIVAR BULLE-
TIN, whose history Is familiar.
have been a reader of all of the
above papers, from start to finish,
with the exception of the Sentinel.
l hope when Francis Hooper sees
this he will bring to mind many
things that happened at the old mill
in by-gone days.
Yours truly,
w. G. NUCKoLLs.
Buffalo Springs, Tex, Nov. 81, '97