The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-27
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY q, 1904
our First Birthday,

SS ,rn dnv The Times Dispatch c'eleprHs'ies'
iIts first birthday. The twcnty-seve1n'th
iii dav ~ January, 1908. saw the first Issue OF
= -, y Tl,nes- Dispatch, which, unlike most
new publications, was Thoroughly WI
4 nnown in advance to the newspaper r 17tl'l
" ~ nublrc Of Richmond, Virginia, ana
Ahe Il South. For fifty-thre,e years tlhe
D,snatch had gone into the homes OF
Ia ncople. All during tho fierce dccaoeS
" ~ debate that preceded the gigantic trial
q by wager OF battle, from 6l TO ~, ne ne
* dispatch had been published 4 regularly
and when the war came 1t had already
VI rirn1ly established itself as an infEentia1l
journal, which position 1t stu fu y 'Ll''
strengthened by the defense Of Southern
rights during the dark days Of reconstruc-
n Mon. For the Dispatch had seen the
II soys and sorrows of its people and had
nv acknowledging struck its roots deeply
N into popular favor.
u, N From 1865 TO 1886 the Dispatch saw
b many rivals rise and fall, but in the
4 katter year The Times came into the
field, with the ayowed intention of CIV
ing utterance to the spirit of progress
that was then beginning to make itself
felt in the political life of Virginia.
j 4 The birthday Of The Times-Dlspatch
Is, II perhaps, as fitting an occasion as
could be chosen to call to mind the nota-
BILE fight for pure elections which was
made and led by The Times, and which
f5 resulted in so arousing public conscious
ness that tho recurrence Of such frauds
N as those which made Smlther's Precinct
historic became impossib., long before the
Convention was called.
Very early in its career The Times be-
came aware Of the fact that newspa-
II r.er needs up-to-date machinery just as
I much as any other manufacturing bust
ress and so in February, 1891, The Times
81 Installed the first perfecting press ever
used in Virginia and was thereby en-
d abled to print the first paper of more
than eight pages. This notable advance.
which gave The Times a sixteen-page
Sunday paper. was shortly followed by
8 the installation of Mergenthaler type
setting machines, in which The Times
again led Virginia, as we'll as being
among the pioneers of America in this
departure
A newspaper is not altogether, the
# Eatferer Of news; it is also the dissenl-
tnator Of news and to do this speedily
and efficiently, the most modern and
improved maskhery Is necessary In
accordance with this principle, The
Times Installed in 1901 the first color
press in Virginia, feature that was ar
Immediate and overwhelming success
f@ All this is genealogical, but 1t goes te
show that when The Times and The
dispatch consolidated and issued onf
ia per under their joint names, the pub
III lie knew what to expect They knew
" That The Times-Dispatch would have thu
B memories of The Dispatch, as we'll al
y those OF The Times. They knew ina
The Times-Dispatch would therefore
s5 stand for steadfast belief In Virginia
5f past, present and future, and b!
Kidding the progressive vigor Of III
y Times to the widespread affiliations AM
Tong memories OF The Dispatch, Richmon
and Virginia have gained paper tina
u Is actually "better than both" Ih'
J SS past year has shown by largely IN
creased circulation and advertising patro
s8g rage that Tho Times-Dspatch Is filln
q wider and more useful sphere tina
either OF its predecessors, and on tn:
nur birthday, we feel that We can Wit
nroprlety congratulate ourselves upo
The achievements OF our first year al
with confidence look forward TO tho'
that are to come.