Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1908-01-25
Clippings From a Hopkins
vile Paper of 81 Years
Ago Worth Reading.
COMPARISON OF PRICES.
Benton Wanted to Run for
President. Fugitive Slave
Law in Force.

Inc henLuchldn mas Hdu d lOOh az
probably the oldest paper extant
ever published in Hopkinsville. 1t is
''The Press" and bears the date of
October 8, 1850. 1t was published
twice week and John G. Noble was
the editor and proprietor. The pub
lication was 4-column folio, of
four pages. The columns were Is
inches in length. Paper in those
days was made of rags, and though
printed over 81 years ago the paper
was winter than a copy of the Cou-
rier-Journal which came under our
notice few days since, printed on
ly 13 years since. Paper used today
is made mostly of wood pulp.
1t is interesting to look over the
old sheet apd compare the condition
of things in 1850 with the year 1908.
The leading editorial, a column and
a-half in length, was headed" Roads. F"
The editor said he was glad to learn
that "the intelligent and wealthy
planters residing along the road
from Hopkinsville to Clarksville have
subscribed literally for the construc-
tion of a McAdamized road to the
latter place." and that $4,000 in
stock had already been subscribed.
I'm order to render the stock profit
able, the road should be extended
through Hopkinsville to the rich
coal and lumber region in the North
of Christian county"
That part of the road is just being
built today. Of course railroad,
if even thought of, was not consid-
cred a probability. Now an electric
road is often talked about but with
no probability of being built in the
immediate future. There was talk
then of building a plank road
through the territory spoken of,
but there was the same complaint
of a scarcity of lumber that positive
ly exists today.
There is sentence in the same ed
itorial which reads: plank roads,
except for connecting links between
remote sections, have many advan-
tages even over railroads y the
cost is about one-tenth that of
railroad"
Some people talk about our eli
mate being so different from what
it was in the long ago." "The Press"
had an article that started off in this
wise: "On Saturday night there
was a killing frost, which destroyed
all the standing tobacco it reach
ed. 80. Many persons have
lost from 10 to 20 acres, and some
have lost as many as 80 acres. We
have heard of one planter who lost
so acres, and another in Todd who
lost co."
An item of interest to boys was:
welsh & Delevan's circus was in
last week" Very good |
so far as it went, but 200 far off to
be enjoyed. AS circuses in those
days Travelled in wagons, the editor
may have intended to hint that the
circus might reach here by the next !
season.
Another item was: "A young la
dy died of poison last night-the
apothecary sent morphine for qui-
nine"
The two leading parties at the
time "The Press" was published
we're Wing and Democratic, though
there was another party called the
Locofoco. THE Press" was Demo-
cratic organ.
Quotations from the Nashville pro-
duce market gave the price,of cured
bacon as follows: Shoulders 3 Ca 4c;
clear sides AZ Ia Acc; hams 81 "a 7c;
corn 81 "a $2.25 per bbl; corn meal
70 a. 75c per bushel; st. Louis -four
$3.50 per bbl; Tennessee flour So. 90;