Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-24

WHILE eXdIlllIllllS oOllIC Oiu NoSo
ments not long ago in desk that was
formerly used by the late Capt. l.. M.
Grist. a member of The Enquirer stan
came across some written pages In the
handwriting Of that veteran printer and
publisher that contain some facts that
will prove Of some little interest to the
younger printers and publishers of this
generation, and probably also to the
historian as we'll. The pages were
written July 81, 1899, and although not
intended for publication in the form In
which they were found, their contents
are reproduced herewith, substantially
without change: "My father was
printer. When he caused me to enter
the printing office in May, 1910, 1t was
for the purpose of commencing the
publication of the Yorkville Compiler,
a prospectus for which had been issued
sometime previous. He had arranged
to use a press that had been brought to
Yorkville about 1922 for the purpose of
printing the lectures of Rev. VIM. e.
Davis, a learned and able Presbyterian
minister. The press was what was
known as a "Ramage," and was similar
in style to that used by Benjamin
Franklin, in his day. The forms OF
type were linked by what were techni-
cally known as balls" made of buck
skin bags, stuffed with wool. They
were provided with wooden handles
and the ink was distributed by rub
bing the balls together, and then pound
ing them down lightly on the type.
About a year after this we dispensed
with the balls and instead used roll
er, made by stretching piece OF WOOL
en- blanket over a cylinder and covering
it with buckskin. We first commenced
to use a composition roller In 1S49.
When I went to the case in 1S4O, the
only daily papers printed In the state
were in Charleston. They were The
Charleston Courier, The Charleston
Mercury, The Southern Patriot, and the
Charleston Evening Transcript. The
Evening Transcript was issued from
the office of The Southern Patriot. The
Courier and Mercury issued tri-week-
lies, making them up from the first and
fourth pages Of two daily issues and
sending them out on each alternate
day There was no caption across the
pages as at present. Besides the dali
lies there were in Charleston the fol-
lowing weeklies: Southern Baptist,
Catholic Missionary, Southern Christian
Advocate. In Columbia there were
three weeklies, as follows: South Car
Gilman, Southern Chronicle, Temper
ance Advocate. There were three
weekly papers in Edgefeld county, two
at Hamburg and one at Edgefield court
house. These were the Edgefield Ad-
vertiser, The Hamburg Journal and the
Hamburg Republican. The Edgefield
Advertiser was published by w. F.
Duriso. The other papers Of the state
were, The Mountaineer Of Greenville,
The Compiler Of Yorkville, The Journal
Of Camden, The Messenger OF Pendle-
ton and The Gazette Of Chesterfield.
To the best of my recollection there
were no other papers in the state.
There was none in Chester Winnsboro,
Newberry, Union, Spartanburg, Abbe-
vile. Anderson, Sumter, Orangeburg,
Barnwell, Colleton, Laurens, Horny or
Williamsburg. The Edgefeld Adver-
tiser and The Southern Christian Ad-
vocate are the only papers that have
been printed continuously under the
same name. l remember the early
numbers Of all the other papers in the
state not mentioned above. The Pton-
eer was the first paper published in
YOrkville and the date of the first is
sue was August 16, 1928. The first is
sue of The Yorkville Enquirer made its
appearance on January 4, 1855. This
was the first South Carolina newspaper
outside of Columbia and Charleston to
use machine. press and steam pow
er."