The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-02-13

capital letters And most of this item
were the last words of the culprit on the
gallows.
When the "swift running packet" st.
Charles, broke the record by make the
trip from New Orleans to Shreveport in
three days and three hours there was
+" spread,'' the report being quarter of
column. When the "floating palace"
Princess broke the worlds record by max
ing the trip from New Orleans to Natchez,
800 miles. in seventeen and half hours,
the South Western made a half column
report, though the race had no local i'm
portance, as it mainly affected Mississippi
terest to all river men.
The "Red River Raft" and the ''Vicks-
burg, Shreveport Railroad" were always
subjects for local reports and editorials.
The raft was almost a solid bridge of logs
extending many miles in length in upper
Red River. Government snag-boats have
long since eaten out both the logs and the
appropriations. The railroad was then in
the air, and at the beginning of the War
Between the States extended only from
Vicksburg to Monroe. A report that a Sc
cret survey at night of the river near the
present site Of the Cotton Belt bridge had
been made was the cause of no little alarm
and much indignation in Shreveport, and
the supposed action was severely censured
in an editorial in the Gazette, which was
the cause of an invitation to personal COM
bat being sent to the writer Of the editorial.
Explanations being made by the railroad
official that it was not his intention to leave
Shreveport out in the cold resulted in a
satisfactory and peaceful adjustment Of
the matter. So the recent traffic bridge
controversy was not the first to agitate the
public mind in Shreveport.
The theatrical department usually oc-
cupied fifteen Or twenty lines. There were
criticisms of Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello,
Ingomar, Fazio, and the tear producer,
Camille, which sometimes ended with /" the
artists knew their lines PERFECTLY or 1--WE
have never seen Camille played better.''
The 'personal' column was unknown,
and ladies names were not mentioned even
in the report of charity bazaar or a grand
ball. The names of brides maids we're
omitted. The notices usually ended with a
few lines Of poetry and sometimes an ac-
acknowledgements of the "printer's fee,' -
which consisted of a huge cake and bot
tie of champagne.
On February %, 1858, little sheet nam
ed the Caddo Gazette, Junior, made its
appearance. TWAS issued from the Caddo
Gazette office by w. H. and J. NJ. Sean
land, boys employed in the office. 1t had
four pages, page being about the size of
a sheet of foolscap paper. 1t had two
page under the heading was Young
A OF &ho af ~ nd; -
column the pharaphrase pledged to nc
party's arbitrary sway, we follow fun
wherever it leads the way" This was re-
inforced by an engraving of a screeching
American eagle. The little sheet had nc
policy, and was not polite. 1t hit almost
every head that came up, and some that
were under cover. The youthful editors
made 6 feature of illustrating the lead
ing topics of the day with the aid of jack
knife and pieces of wood. Prophet Brig
ham Young was depicted in full retreat
before Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston's army
and the Indian Chief, Billy Bow-Legs, was
outlined as viewing the ''Promised Land y
in lieu of other lands stolen from him by
our very humane Government. There
were reports of imaginary "indignatior
meetings." in which the follies of the day
and hypocracies were shown up. About
this time the town was again "wet Every
wet, and gambling game called Ronde
had been introduced. 1t is game of ode
and even played with diminutive ivory
balls, the game-keeper taking five pei
cent of the winnings. The Junior pitched
into this "sure thing" game, showing tt
the blinded patrons that in the course O
an evening all players would be broke ane
the game-keeper would retain all thu
money. The ''sure thing'' was roasted ir
prose and verse. Finally, when public
opinion forced the complacent authorities
to close the games, the Junior printed al
obituary notice of the death of Rondo, ,
with the cut of a hearse at the top ane
that of tombstone at the bottom. Ad
vertising cuts were used for the illustration
of local items, and sometimes items wer.
specially written to ''ft'' the cuts, as il
done by "feature'' writer's of the presen
day. The last issue of the Junior appeared
August Is, 1858.
February II, 1859, another paper ap
peared in the field, though it had been de-
monstrated several times that three news
papers were too many in town of les
than 1000. But the protector, J. M. Scan
land, thought he saw anew field and start
ed the Commercial News, a six column
folio. The Wing, or American party, wa
about passing away, and the Know Moth
ings were coming to the front. The Com
mercial News was to fill this field. It per
haps filled it too much. The News ais,
had motto, which was Let independence
Il be our boast ever mindful what II cost