The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-14

printing and more went into the hole.
In 1892, having in the previous year
bought out Mr.. Browder, / sold my
interest in the State Chronicle to Mr.
Thomas r. Jernigan. In doing so
assumed every debt due by the COM
pany, except such as the creditors ar
ranged to carry, and personally paid
every dollar of Indebtedness l had in
Cured. My dream of establishing
great daily at Raleigh had passed. The
profits on the State printing contract
had been lost, and [ was completely
at sea as to my future. and thought
seriously Of abandoning my editorial
career and enter another calling. But
the printers ink would not come off
wash in whatever soap i would. L
found myself impelIed to return to
journalism though, no door seemed
open TO me. However the call to the
stay out of harness. and when the
bugle sounded for the campaign of
1892 and the contest promised to be
close and doubtful. | enlisted for the
war and in August, 1902, / es-
tablisheI a weekly paper in Raleigh,
called The North Carolinian. 1t had
a large circulation during the cam
paign of 1892 and is still published.
But as an independent weekly it never
paid and so in March. 1898, l asked
my friend Hoke Smith for a position
in the Interior Department. He gave
me a better place than I asked and
part of my salary went to paying tho
expenses of The North Carolinian.
which was maintained az true Demo-
cratic North Carolina newspaper.
In July, 1894, The News and Obser-
veT was offered for sale by a receiver.
1t was purchased at auction by my
f,in dc I inn, \ t1l oh
to organize a company to publish 1t.
I addressed letters to 100 well known
North Carolinians asking each of them
to take one 500 sha~e of stock.
Eighty-nine responded favorably and
that $4,000 in money furnished most
of the money necessary the first few
years to meet the expenses above the
receipts. The company bought the
State Chronicle from Governor Holt.
paying him $1,000 in stock for the
same. and bought the North Caro-
linian from me, paying $4,000 in stock
for it. i still held my position in the
Interior Department and thought at
first I could do better 20 remain in
Washington and send daily let
ters by mail and wire from
that place. 1t soon became appar-
ent that / must resign and give my per-
sonal attention and my whole time TO
resign was a serious question with
me. The paper was losing money and
the outlook in Raleigh did not seem
bright. The paper was being issued
by Christian, Merritt and Arendell in
as good shape as l could hope to edit
it.. TO give up q certain salary Of
$3.50, paid in crisp new bank bills
twice a month for the uncertain in
come from a daily paper that was
losing money every day was not an in
viting prospect. About the time | had
decided to resign and put my for
tune ito the touch and win or lose 1t
all. 1 met my friend "Bill'' Russ, then
mayor of Raleigh, on the street. He
said:
Joe, l understand you are think
ing of resigning a good job at Wash
ington and coming back to try to make
Il living running a newspaper III Raj
eigh,'
Russ had in his callow youth been
bookkeeper or cashier on the Raleigh
News when it took all the talent
possessed by both George Jordan and
Russ to stand off, the printers on
Saturday night, and he knew whereof
he spoke when he said. 'try to make Il
liyin@ running ii newspaper in Raj