Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-15

debates were attributed to the Senate
Of Lilliput; the editor took what sur
reptitious notes he found possible and
trusted to his memory for the rest.
DR.. Johnson contributed an eloquence,
style and grammar which the speakers
were no doubt often far from possess
ing in their spoken words.
In this period, when the character
and fortunes of the British press were
unsettled to a degree, the first number
of the Morning Post appeared in 1772.
1t was probably the successor of one
of the many Advertisers, and it's origi-
nal title was the Morning Post and
Advertiser. With the exception of one
day, when the editor was indisposed, it
has been since then as regular as the
morning sun and has outlived every
one of it's contemporaries. 1t consist
ed originally of four pages, measuring
twenty inches by fourteen, but soon
expanded to eight pages. In 1775 the
editor was the Rev. Henry Bate, who
appears to have been a man of varied
gifts and strenuous character. He was
the son Of a clergyman and had him
self been rector of parish in Essex
until, attracted by the gayeties Of the
metropolis" he transferred his ener-
gies to London and journalism. In 1880
he quarrelled with the Post and found
ed another paper, fighting three duels
in the process, 1t Is asserted. Next Mr..
Bate, now Dudley in virtue Of the con-
ditions attached to a bequest of prop
erty, bought the reversion of another
living in Essex, having possibly wear
led Of the gay life Of the city, and here
he spent large sums on improvements
in the church and the parish; but when
the incumbent died the bishop refused
to induct him, and he was obliged to
continue his secular occupations. For
tunately for him he was in high favor
with the regent and became chancellor
Of the diocese Of Ferns, with a valuable
rectory attached, and later on a baro-
net. In 1916, in the course of riots
near Ely, he took the field as a county
magistrate with body of yeomanry
and militia and behaved with such GAL
lantry and effect that he was publicly
thanked and presented with a piece Of
plate. He was also an author and
produced numerous works including an
essay on the poor laws and a comic
opera. His extraordinary career end
ed in 1924
During the Journals life the best
known men of letters can be traced in
it's columns, from Coleridge to Kipling,
from Southey to Alfred Austin. Apart
from taxes the cost of publishing ps-
per a century ago was infinitesimal.
Salaries were few and low, the
entire staff was not numerous. The
Morning Post claims the honor Of hav-
ing had the first regular war cores
pondent, in the sense of Archibald
Forbes and Sir w. H. Russell. men who
were actually in the midst Of the fight
ing instead Of viewing the scene from
point miles away. At one time the
Prince Regent was part proprietor Of
the paper after the acting editor had
taken a strong line against him on the
regency question and he wished
friendly editor installed. Thackeray
had a good deal to say about the Post,
and Mr.. Lucas declares that readers OF
his published letters are justified in
holding the opinion that he was a good
deal @ snob and that there is moth
ing incredible in the story, although
It is probably an invention, that the
author of VANITY Fair" was angry at
finding that his name never appeared
in the lists Of parties chronicled in the
Morning Post. One evening he stop
ped in an entrance hall and said to the
recorder Of names. II am Mr.. Thack-
eray." The official was said to have
qualified for his appointment by pre-
vious service in fashionable circles
upon a humble footing and to have be-
lieved. rightly or wrongly, that Thack-
cray had turned him to account Il
know you are" was his answer; "and
am Charles James Yellowplush." The
Times, which grew out OF the Daily
Universal Register and began life in
1888, was first printed by steam in 1914,
but our author does not mention the
date for the Post. Headlines are not
new inventions, as any one who has
seen the original newspapers announc-
ing the victory Of Trafalgar and Nell
sons death will know. The street
"harkers" are an ancient nuisance.
When Bellingham murdered Mr.. Per-
ceval in 1912 the papers made great
play with his name. AS soon as the
excitement began to subside the street
shouters cried: Third edition! Third
edition!-Courier. Courier!-Belling-
ham! Bellingham!-Late news! Late
news," This brought a renewed rush
of buyers, who eagerly opened the pa
per to read: 1--WE stop the press to
announce that the sanguinary villain
Bellingham refuses to be shaved"
These sketches and anecdotes illus
trating the status and methods Of the
press in the first half of the last CEN
tury bringing us into touch with the
general conditions when the connection
between the Morning Post and the
Borthwick family came about. The
position in brief was this: A Mr..
Crompton. a Lancashire paper manu-
facturer, had a mortgage of $4,000 on
the paper. Mr.. Michele, who then had
charge of it, vainly endeavored to
meet his payment and after two years
of urgent appeals to various persons
for help was obliged to give up the
battle Thus the paper passed into
the hands of Mr.. Crompton, who ap-
pointed Peter Borthwick to be his edi-
tor and so initiated the association
which remains to this day.-New York