The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-06-27
A PRINCELY ENTERTAINER.

The most successful meeting Of the
Florida Press Association In all Its
history is being held in Tampa. be-
ginning yesterday and closing tomor-
row. The attendance Is unusually
l arge and the proceedings are full OF
interest for the scribes.
The big event of the meeting was
the banquet rendered the visitors last
night by Editor Stovall of the Tampa
Tribune. This delightful affair was
held in the press room of the Tri-
bune. which was converted for the
occasion into a handsome and COM
rodious banquet hall.
OF the wealth of delectable viands;
of the spirit of kindness and frater-
nifty which pervaded the affair; OF
the brilliant speeches sparkling with
wit and wisdom, delivered by prom.
ilent men of Tampa and editors from
various portions of the State-we re-
frain from writing of these things
for, however delightful and enjoyable
TO the members of the profession con-
cerned, the general public has only
q passing interest in them. But 1t
is not out of place to pen line Of
appreciation for the host who fur
nished this princely entertainment,
for Mr.. Stovall's reputation rests not
upon his doing the handsome thing
by his confreres in journalism, but
in doing big things for his commun-
ity and the State he has attained an
em.inence where his personality Is OF
public interest, his newspaper being
bn institution of Statewide promi-
hence.
Starting from modest beginnings,
having conducted little sheets in the
villages of Lake Weir and Sumpter-
vile, and later in the then small
town of Barlow, he came to Tampa
about twenty-five years ago, his
equipment consisting at that time OF
an "apronfull of type" The history
Of Tampa from that date to this has
been as closely interviewer with, rs
Ii has been faithfully chronicled by,
the Tampa Tribune. Rapid and mar
Vicious as has been the growth of the
City, The Tribune Was always a little
ahead OF that OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
and yer aiding its further progress
And this is true not only of lamps
Tut Of the whole of South Florida
There is not a community II
pcninsular Florida, west of LAX,
Okeechobee, which does not ow,
some of its growth and prosperity t,
the Tampa Tribune. In nearly al
these communities it maintains cor
respondents whom it pays to furnish
matter booming and boosting the re
spective towns, thus actually payin!
Ter the privilege of publishing tn
most effective kind of advertising
these towns could purchase if the
were to engage in publicity cam
paign.
Like all successful men Mr. Stoval
has his critics, and the Tribune, lik
ell iirst-class newspapers, has it
knockers. But there is no denyin
the fact that the man and the insti
tuition have done much for the peo-
pie of Florida; that the man is abb
ard forceful, and that the news
paper ranks with the foremost OF tn
country.
That one man should take upo
himself the trouble and expense G
entertaining with such lavish hospi
tally sCme Gle hlndred and fit
visitors to his city, shows a disinteI
tsted whole-souled generosity tina
vii! not soon be forgotten by il
LeneGciaries. The citizens of lamp
eenerally-its Board of Trade, its 10
printers and the Tampa Times spec
ifcally-all joined in hospitality a
kindly as it was liberal; but on til
rcll of honor in this respect the nam
OF Stovall leads all the rest"