The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-05
HAS READ THE ADVERTISER:i
 FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS
Mrs. Sarah E. Hastings Leads in Oldest Subscriber COnteSt---She and Nine Others Get the
 Paper for Life. aas a's. & s7

Half century and more of continuous subscription to and continuous reading of newspaper is remarkable record. It is record which pays a high tribute to the newspaper coupled with a compli- ment to the reader. This remarkable record has been accomplished by Mrs. Sarah E. Hastings of Montgomery who makes affidavit that she has been sub scriber to and consequently reader of The Advertiser fifty four years. +*
 As reward for proving this remarka- ble record, Mrs.. Hastings will receive the newspaper free throughout the re- mainins years of her honorable life. She won the "Old Subscriber Contest of The Advertiser. wlicht closed with the dying of the year 1901.
 The contest developed the fact that there are hundreds of citizens of Ala bama who have been reading The Adver tiser almost continuously thirty and forty years Iahd reports of twenty y-tive years of teoItinuous patronage became common eayly after the contest was in- stitutec. r.
 As an e$sdepce of the fealty of its patrons ahd. the interest manifested in the contest the management announces that the ':Did Subscriber Contest" will be an annual feature of the paper. On Thanksgiving Day of each year here-' after a contest will open for the ten oldest subscribers tv the paper. From that tune unui Jangury lst succeeding the management will endeavor to ascer- ian Hdu nf oldest subsci ibeAs anu they Will be awarded life subscriptions under the same rules that governed the contest which nt4~ .at closed
 The Advertiser is the only newspape- that has ever before adopted the scheme to pension its oldest subscribers once year by furnishing the paper free to ten of them. for the femainuer of their lives.
 The Advertiser was established almost with the founding of Montgomery and the management believes that it has kept pace With the progress of the Capital City ot Alabama. It has passed through the varying vicissitudes of years, Dut the anesiance of these old subscribers tesu- fes to It's success. Its editorial policy has been De mocratic and ii has never swervedf from what 1t conceived to be it duty .dn the frank and fearless discus sion of public men and public measures.
 By their continuous patronage of the paper these old subscribers. patriotic citizens 2of Alabama, have acknowledged it's devdtion To duty, Its prog"essiveness in supplying the news aIrd .,s absolute independence in the advanc, i,l, tt of what 1t has conceived to be for lhe common veal. Notwithstanding thI" have been periods when The Advei ,iser has bee. severely cIitizised fer lts independent honesty if has ever hewed to the ltne in the support of Dem ocratic principles and time, the iniiexible vindicator of truth and honesty, has testified to the correctless of it's position.
 Alab3tni has never had a newspaper whose principles were more clearly vim dicatedS than have those for which The Advertiser stood. Alabama has never had smore successful newspaper This success is due in no small degree to these old subscribers and the management of The Advertiser indulges in the hope that they may be reading this newspaper many more years.