Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-12-30
ABOUT LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS
Conservative Was First Paper
Published Here After
The War.
MANY CHANGES IN NAMES.
Ups and Downs, Failures and
Successes For Fifty
Years.
MANY CHANGES IN NAMES.

OchhCWhChC oDOub oOV years dBO
the poet wrote there's nothing in a
name, a rose by any other name
would smell as sweet" but some
how the world hardly believes it.
Even the biographers have never
been able to agree as to how the inn
mortal dramatist's and poets name
should be spelled, and change after
change has been made.
The whirligig Of time has wrought
many changes in Hopkinsville, and
the newspapers of the city have ex-
perienced to a considerable degree
these mutations.
In 1865 the "Hopkinsville Conserv-
alive" was established by Dodd &
Van Bussum, two practical printers
from Henderson, the former being
the editor. The newcomers had the
substantial support of the politicians
and the paper was born with sill
yer spoon in its mouth" Hon. B.
c. Ritter, the most influential man
in the city and county, easily rode
over all opposition in the Congress
sional district and was elected to
Congress, all the time feeding the
Conservative" until it was able to
provide for Itself.
The Conservative stuck to its name
until 1876, when it was changed to
THE Democrat, the original name
being entirely out of date and not
atall appropriate to the political con-
ditions of the day. 1.-THE Demo-
craft was published by Dodd & Wal
lis for one year when the latter
retired and Col. Dodd continued its
publication for about two years, when
he sold the paper and plant to Will
gus & Townes.
The first thing the new owners
did was to change the name of the
publication to 1.-THE South Kentuck-
ian." The paper u n d e r its new
name increased the subscription list
and advertising patronage very ma
terially, but journalistic work not
being to Mr.. Townes' taste, after
running some months, the paper
again changed hands, Meacham &
Wilgus becoming the owners. The
former assuming editorial control
and the latter taking charge of the
business department. "The South
Kentuckian," soon made long strides
in the way of prosperity and in
fuence; fighting for the triumph of
the Democratic party over the cor
rupt Republican county organiza-
ton, it caused the political pot to |
boil with a fervency hitherto un-
known and unifying the Democracy
to an extent that had never been
dreamed of.
Meacham & Wilgus continued to
run the paper until 1887, when Mr..
Meacham took the California fever,
and another change of ownership
took place, Mr.. Meacham selling his
interest to Mr. Wilgus and removing
with his family to San Diego. CAL,
where he filled aposition on the staff
of the Daily San Diegan for about
one year.
After Mr.. Meacham left The South
Kentuckian. John o. Rust, previous
" editor of The New Era. took ed
itorial charge of the paper, but net
long thereafter. having made up his
mind to study for the ministry, he
severed his connection and entered
The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary at Louisville.
Mr.. Rust was succeeded by A. M.
who remained on the paper
until another change in ownership,
which occurred December 4th, 1883.
Mr.. Meacham returned from Cali
'ornia and had about made up his