The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-15
HALE A CENTURY ROUNDED OUT


its own name appeared at the top of the
page. If it were deemed wise or desira-
ble TO claim the years lived by papers alb
sorbed by it-which is often done in cal
culating a journals age-the Morning
News might insist that it came in near
the beginning Of the century, with the
first issue of the Savannah Republican, in
the year of our Lord 1902. Indeed it might
go stiH further back, to the old Republi-
cans predecessor. the Georgia Gazette
and fix It's natal day in the year 1863. The
Georgia Gazette, it should be stated, was
one of the eight colonial newspapers con-
| temporary with Benjamin Franklin's
! Pennsylvania Gazette, which it somewhat
resembled in Typography and general fea-
lures. And it is not difficult to trace the
descent from the old Georgia Gazette of
those earlier days to the Morning News
of the present day.
| However, since the Morning News Is eel
ebratng its own semi-centennlal anniver-
sary. and not that of its forbears, let it
suffice to say that its history began with
the issue of Jan. Is, 1850
The first publication Office of the pa
per was upstairs in the building now
known as No. 10 Bay street, east, and
occupied by Messrs. d. r. Thomas & Son.
The office at that time consisted of two
small rooms. In these rooms Mr.. J. b.
! Cubbedge had a modest printing office.
with the material of which, reinforced
with some additions in type, the
Morning News was first printed. The
publisher of the new candidate for pub
lie favor was Mr.. John NJ. Cooper and
the editor was Col. William r.
Thompson, both of whom are
now dead Col Thompson had
already achieved a national reputation as
the author of Maj. Jones Courtship"
and other humorous works. which had
first appeared in weekly newspaper pub
lished at Madison, Ga. Al the time he &C
copied the editorship of the Morning News
he was editing literary and news peri
odical in Baltimore. called the Western
Continent"
The Morning News remained in its lin
tied quarters at its birthplace only a year,
when the premises next door were Sc
cured for it. The building is now No. p
| Bay street, east. A commodious three
story building was erected in the rear of
the offices for the accommodation of the
newspapers composing, editorial, press
and engine rooms. This building was des-
| tined to be the home of the Morning News
for twenty-six years, and it's old number,
iii Bay street." became a household
phrase in Savannah.
In 1850, when the Morning News made
| its first appearance, there were two other
daily morning papers in the city, the Sa-
| vannah Republican and the Daily Geor-
| gian, besides two afternoon papers, the
| Evening Journal and the Evening Mirror.
| The Republican was the organ of the
| Wing party and the Georgian of the DEM
| ocratc party. Savannah, at that time
had a population of 1900 souls. and was
| just beginning to forge to the front as a
commercial city The two morning papers
being warm partisans, it was thought that
there was an opening for an independent
news and commercial Journal 10 be con-
Quoted somewhat on the plan of the New
York Sun, the Baltimore Sun. and some
few other low-priced newspapers of the
| more northern section that paid more at
tention to the occurrences of the day than
to partisan politics.
From 1850 to 1855 Mr.. Cooper was the
proprietor of the Morning News. though
| for short periods there were other parties,
among them Mr.. ]. b. Cubbedse, asso-
ciated with him as publishers. From 1855
to 1858 Col. Thompson was both proprie-
tor and editor, the late Z. .. Withing-
ton being his partner and associate edi-
tor during a part of that time In 1853
| Tptas
vergers became the preprietors of the es-
| adjustment The latter part of that
year Mr.. Blois bought the interest of his
partner and became sole owner. Later on
Mr. j. NJ. Cooper again became interested
in the Morning News, and in 1865 Coz.
Aaron Wilbur purchased controlling in
terest in the paper. The gentlemen nam
ed were owners when the city was sur
rendered to Gen. Sherman
1t is a tradition of the office that the
nominal interest of Col Wilbur was act
ually that of Gov. Joseph e. Brown, the
war Governor of Georgia, who bought the
controlling interest of the paper in order
to dictate its policy. The Morning
News had been a strong supporter of the
policy of President Davis, which is said
TO have been opposed by Gov. Brown. The
veteran editor of the paper, Col. Thomp-
son, was superseded by the late ]. Hen
ley Smith Esq, who took charge of the
political department.
Soon after these changes Savannah was
occupied by Sherman's army, and its
newspapers passed into alien hands John
f. Hayes. who came with the Federal
army. was given carte blanche by the
military authorities in matters of journal
ism, and he moved all of the ma terial be-
longing to the Morning News, save boil
ers, engines and press, to the office of the
Savannah Republican where he proceeded
to issue the National Republican Shortly
thereafter Mr.. Sam w. Mason, who had
been publishing a small paper at Hilton
| Enld- s c which WIS the hnannnn rtor-.