The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-03
MISS CLAY AT PRESS MEETING.

tion. express their intelligent. logical
opinion on affairs of State as write up
social function, with sparkling
touches of original wit and humor.
The presiding genuises Of the Mont
gomery and Birmingham dailies would
adorn the pages OF any metropolitan
paper. The weeklies of the State are
kept socially alive by the women at
the helm, and The Bcssemer's chief at
traction is the sweet. refined woman
who gracefully yields her pencil and
influence in it's social realm. No, all
the great female editors are not dead
yet; in fact, there seems to be sort
of apostolic succession or endless chain
of them that increases in the number
of apostles or links every year. The
Democrats editors are very much alive
and both of us boast of longer life line
in our palms, With no further boast,
let me tell you a little of our personal
experience which, as pioneer political
women editors will not be NAL apropos.
l began my newspaper career as a
typesetter and devil in the fall of 1882.
and when my father was stricken with
paralysis in November. 1850. took edi-
torial charge, too inexperienced and eX-
cited by duty and stern necessity to
realize the responsibility and work in
volved in the undertaking. Only two
issues of the paper failed to appear af-
ter he was first stricken, and. since
then, we have never missed a single is
sue; and only one not strictly on time,
when we held the paper over until
Thursday ia order to insert a SO legal
advertisement sent from Montgomery
There have naturally been ups and
downs in our journalistic career, as
with brother editors, but never time
when we could not laugh the downs
away up after a little while, Susanna
began to set type under my instruc-
lions on December 10. 1885, and for
nearly nineteen years we have worked
side by side. watching over each 9th Al
1t-If 70 inc n
spiration of love. We started in with
the same old Washington press in use
fifty or sixty years, the very same high.
old-fashioned cases in use for the same
length of time: the same old CompOs-
ing stone and mailing table The Ala
bama editors have been good to us and
we feel deep. tender gratitude for
their words of encouragement. In fact
editors, we love you. collectively
and long for the arms of Briareus to
embrace You. From Maine to Califor-
mia. from Canada to the Gulf the cd
tors of metropolitan and country news
papers have thrown bouquets at our
modest efforts. The Detroit Free Press
contained pretty notice written by
Robert Barr the novelist. who became
my staunCh friend and pleasant cor
respondent after my visit with the Ma
tional Editorial Association to Detroit
in 1890 This notice was accompanied
by a picture of your humble servant
which was at least not OBJECTIONABLE
| ugly. The article was copied with eN-
aggerdted add"nda or condensed with
more exaggerated virtues until The
New York Times had the one-half col
umn ground down to three expressive
| lines, thusly;
Miss Virginia c. Clay of Huntsville
| Ala, edits The Democrat and support!
paralyzed father and five small broth
ers and sisters.
This motto. was copied in papers o
| Canada and in papers over the Union
| nnnias n In Fne Nd hn1 Nrt1 '