The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-14
MR.. SMITH, TOO, HAS
GONE TO THE WALL.
FATHER OF THE LATEk "CHENRY
TREE" IDEA ASSIGNS
His Touching neutrality-suspicious. TO His
W. BIB 'porfrClinR Press. The Az
sign o Issues Notice to tho
CreditOrB.


FAINT industry, "The Amos Owen
Cherry Tree company" the skepti-
cal have boen predicting the failure
Of "the father of them all"-the
Smith newspaper concern of Monti.
cello, Fla, which is tho first Of the
"get rich quick" schemes to be
started. The napkin ring concerns
and other ebortive infringements on
the Smith copyright have boen fail
ing and now comes tho announcement
that Smith has made al assignment
For several weeks he has been slow
i'll making remittances, and now his
agents are being informed that they
are apt to come out losers in this
matter. Smiths va;edictory is very
affecting, has n touching" ring about
it, He is, or WAS, the publisher Of
the Weekly Constitution and the
Monthly Reporter, notoriously "sor-
ry" papers, but they have brought
him over 10000 subscribers through
his system of giving employmet to
do writing a home. Some of these
agents in Columbia are sadly in need
of the money which they put into the
business and would almost be willing
to sacrifice their claims for pay for
work done if they could get back the
money advanced.
The last of Smiths venture is SUM
med up in the following statement
which he issued under date of Jan.
uary 4:
TO the Public:
Leaving the University of Georgia
in 1890. l moved to Monticello and
in few years afterwards haven't
the exact day before me, but seven or
eight years ago. l took charge Of
the Monticello Weekly Constitution,
and have continuously edited and
published that paper to the present
time.
When I took charge of that paper
it had less than one thousand sub
scribers, and by continuous hard
work have increased it's circulation to
10000 or more: was rapidly build
ing up a large job printing busin ess
and had a prospect of doing about
$4,000 worth of advertising per
annum.
In October, 1901, 1 bought and
moved to Monticello the best news
paper press-a Webb perfecting-in
Florida, with the exception of one in
Jacksonville. I also purchased other
costly and valuable machinery with
which to operate the plant, and have
nearly completed new building, all
at heavy expense.
Monticello being small place it
was necessary that large per cent.
of our business iu the way Of sub
scribers, job printing and Advertising,
come from distance. To get this
business it was necessary to have re-
presentatives in the territory from
which we expected patronage.
The business was gradually in.
creasing and promised we'll up to q
few months ago. At that time I
encou ntered some opposition, but
by continues and persistent effort
managed to withstand it for awhile.
This opposition came from parties or
newspapers who we're and trc not
personally acquainted with me and
who had no correct conception of my
work, from parties whose main hope
of keeping their own heads up, de.
pends on pulling down the heads OF
others. Their unfriendly criticisma
consisted Of statements and publ.
cations That were wholly untrue, and
without the slightest foundation. In
fact, statements that were conceived
in malace, made in jealousy, and cir
culated with a desire and hope to in.
jure
AS above stated, was able to with
stand. this opposition for time, but
to do so l was compelled to toll day
and night, which under the strain
have had to 60, has seriously I'M
paired my health. I am now unabl,
to give the business the energy ant
attention necessary for it's successful
continuation under the dificultie
briefly mentioned.
Had it not been for this opposi