The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-08-01
COL. CREWS TO PRESS ASSOCIATION.
"reminiscences of the Oldest Editor in the
State as Told al the Isle of Palms.

State as Told al the Isle of Palms.
Mr.. President and Members of the South
Carolina Press Associations.
AS a sort of modern Methuselab, or il
not such a prototype, at least one OF
the older, if not the Oldest member OF
your body, l have been requested Ia
give some personal "reminiscences of the
newspaper press of South Carolina since
my connection with it. This will cover
a period of nearly fifty-seven years,
though my first connection with the
press of the State was in a very hum
BILE capacity, that Of printers devil
and boy of ali work; and the printing
office was my alma mater.
am not unmindful of the fact that
such a theme as i have undertaken to
detail is not in keeping with the pro-
gressive spirit of the age, which points
forward, not backward; yet, some of us
at least who have already reached the
shades of life, feel a just, and l trust a
commendable pride in the dear old days
of the past, with its joys and it's sor-
rows, it's successes and reverses. Nor
do L feel altogether lonesome in my
gray temples" at s~eventy-four, as ]
think l discern before me, without mi
croscopic aid, some silver threads among
the once darker or perhaps redder hues.
(No insinuations as to lady members
presently
But as to my recollections regarding
the press of the State, Mr.. President, /
scarcely know where, when, or how to
begin. If | may be pardoned for an il
fusion personal to myself, will say that
my connection with the newspaper press
of South Carolina, in a proprietary and
editorial relation, began mere than
forty-three years ago, though connected
in other capacities for several years
prior to that time. OF the forty-three
years alluded to, however, four years
should be deduced, during which time |
served my State and country as a Con-
federate soldier.
In the year 1S49, which is as far back
as my recollection runs in this connec
ton, if memory serves me correctly
there was a weekly newspaper publish
ed in every county Chen District) north
and west of Columbia. In some of the
counties, south and east of that CITY, |
think there were none. In none of these
was there a machine or power press
the old Washington hand press being
the sole reliance, two hundred and
forty or fifty sheets Called a "token'O
per hour being its full average capacity,
and that number was regarded rather
swift press work. 1t is quite different
now, IN this age of steam and electric
power, when a Webb perfecting press
and Others have a capacity of from
thirty to forty thousand sheets per
hour.
Even the daily papers of Charleston
and Columbia We're printed by hand
power until some time in 1850, or 81,
when steam was first applied to a print
ing press in the former city, | think by
the Courier, then one of the leading
daily papers of the State, and perhaps
the Oldest.
The electric telegraph preceded the
application of steam to the printing
press in this State about three years, its
first introduction and use as a means of
transmitting intelligence to the press
was adopted by the Charleston dailies
some time in the latter part of lS47 or
early in 1913. This, of course, was be-
fore my connection with the State press,
but | have seen or heard the fact
stated.
But, even before the introduction of
the telegraph in Charleston and Column
bia, and its adoption by the press, there
was much industry and enterprise in
news gathering manifested, when the
method adopted to obtain it was more
expensive than at present, according to
space, as the following single instance
will evidence:
AT the breaking out of the Mexican
war, early in 1917, it required seven
days for the transmission of the regular
mail between New Orleans and New
York, and the telegraph line extended
then only as far South as Richmond,
Va. To obtain the earliest news from
the seat of wal in advance of the regu-
lar mail facilities, the management of
the Charleston Courier, in conjunction
with some New York journal, a "pony
express was established, and went at
once into operation between Montgom-
cry, Ala, a distance of one hundred
and fifty miles. 1t was between these
points that the regular mail was ont
stripped, it requiring the mail coach
thirty-six hours to travel the distance.
The pony express covered the distance
in twelve hours, o~vertaking the previ-
Gus days mail.
So by this enterprise the first intelli-
gence from the land of the Montezumas
was received and published in the City
of Charleston exclusively, presumably
in the Courier, tw~enty-four hours in
advance of the United States mail,
about the last of March, 1847.
The pony mail was limited in weight
to not less than three nor more than
4 E..4 -.-