The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-03

| efal DAYS ago Judge w likes COIeHlhni
who owned the building next to the one
in use until last week, decided to tre-
Bile the rent. Captain O'Brien refused to
pay it, and in one night tore hole in
the wall on the second story and moved
press, paper and all.
O'Brien Gives History.
The history OF early publications is
best known by Captain OBrien. and
best understood in his own words.
ION October l, 1880, w. c. Garrett
purchased one-half interest in the Iron
Age, weekly publication, from Willis
Roberts August s, 1881, Frank V. Evans
purchased the half interest belonging to
Willis Roberts and the Iron Age was
continued as weekly publication by
Garrett & Evans until December g. 1881,
when they started a little five-column,
four-page paper measuring over all 12x1S
inches, and for the first time called the
Daily Age, which paper they continued
to print until September l, 1882, when
realizing that Birmingham deserved a
larger and better daily. they induced the
late Col. J. w. Sloss and G. W.
Hewett, Maj. Andrew Maria, DR.. II. M
Caldwell and myself to join them in the
publication of newspaper commensurate
with the rapidly growing condition of
Birmingham.
| The result of this combination was
the publication of six-column, eight
page paper with full New York Associ-
ated Press service. Later on the Daily
| Age absorbed the Weekly Observer, a.
small weekly paper started by Richard
Baugh and owned, when it was abb
sorbed by the Age, by Lawrence and
Robert Watkins. The latter gentlemen
transferred the good will and all prop
erty of the Observer to the Daily Age
and became interested in that paper.
1.-The Daily Age continued as the only
morning daily until 1887, when a strong
combination of capital purchased the
franchise of the New York Associated
Press ana started the publication of
the Daily Herald A suit was brought
by the Daily Age company to enjoin the
Herald company from using the press
reports, claiming that the Associated
Press franchise was the property of the
Daily Age. battle royal then COM
menced in earnest. The Daily Age leased
wire from Nashville and In that way
received its Geographic news service The
live, up-to-date publishers of the Daily
Herald Immediately purchased the United
Press franchise leased a wire to Mont
gomery and from that point was served
with an excellent press service.
This condition of affairs continued
until the courts decided that the publish
ers of the Herald were the rightful own
ers of the New York Associated Press
franchise for the Birmingham district
and that the Daily Age had been simp-
ly printing the press service by permits
sion of the New York Associated Press
dailies continued to fight each other I'M
til November, 1899, when Col. w. P. Pin
kard and myself purchased the Daily Age
property and stopped publication. BY
agreement the name was merged into
that of the Herald. and the first issue
of The Age-Herald was printed Novem-
Der Q, 1889.
THE paper was placed in the hands
of a receiver by the First National bank
V. Evans named receiver. On March
10, 1895, I purchased the property at
receivers sale l organized the Age-Her-
aid Publishing company and associated
with me T. II. Aldrich Immediately after
purchasing the property. During the
spring of 1895 Governor Johnston, Col.
Joseph H. Hodgson and their associates
had organized a company and started the
publication of morning daily known as
the State, which was printed by the
Evening News.
1.-THE publishers of the State were adj
yocating free silver and The Age-Herald
publishers were sound money advocates
and doing good service in that direction.
The publishers of the State being am
bitious- to control the morning field, be-
gan overtures during the month of Aug
ust, 1893, looking to the purchase of The
Age-Herald property which they sue
ceeded in securing on October of that
year. Then 1t was that the new pur-
chasers called the paper THE State-Her-
aid. published by the Age-Herald Pub
fishing company
"Mr. James Nunnally of Selma became
business manager and Messrs. Wilson
and Greer editors. Later on Mr.. Nun
nally returned to his old love. the Selma
Times. and Mr. Asa Rountree. in May,
1897. took charge as business manager.
In August, 1897, the paper was bought
by its present management
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