The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-21
Mr.. cl0ueA tells Y
Of LAKElAAO's =
FIRST NEWSPAPER

Mr.. c. D. Clonshh, wno Is one
of LaKeland's earliest citizens,
writes the following interesting ar
ticle relative to the early life OF the
Lakeland News, back in the sos:
progress is a great word. II
has a meaning that amounts to
something substantial. In TINS
connection. being reminded OF the
kilograms splendid equipment l
recall that a little more than
Twenty-Five years ago the hrst
newspaper of Lakeland saw the
light of the world. 1t was Saturday.
June 10, 1883, when the inhapi-
tants were reminded that real
newspaper had been born in Lake
End, not one of those patent inslde'
or outside. via Atlanta, propose
tons, but an all home-print.
The town then boasted of about
three or four hundred people, ma
iority of whom were carpenters ana
other workmen who dune here for
the purpose of applying the saw anu
hammer in building numerous
shacks and small cottages, while &C.
casionally a two story frame store
building came in for some rotice'
Vol. 1, No. / of the Lakeland News
D. w. D. Boulley publisher and l..
NJ, Ballard editor was the wording
of the upper portion Of the front
page, while a repetition of the came
sentence graced the cecond or edl-
torial page It was o four PAGE al
fair. six columns, but the old press
which probably interested General
Lee or General Grant in the sixties
in printing the latest war news
served to "get out the issue, y
which was always like a passenger
train in Florida in the winter sea-
son. "late.' Press day was Tour
times a week. and the writer was
the devil" in the Office upon whose
shoulders fell large portion OF the
typesetting, as the publisher Kept
himself busy trying to keep out OF
work.
A printing Office in those days
was a strict SCHOOL, especially TO q
boy who was used to roaming the
streets and rambling in the woods.
II was there that we learned to re-
frain from whistling while on duty
and when we had occasion to spit
en- the floor were always reminded
to keep in mind that We must NIT
the crack" TIE outfit OF type con-
sisted of about "a, dozen cases or
fonts of old worn out black face let
ters which served to "set up the
few ads that were carried, while
two cases of long primer and one
cases Of BREWER had to serve Its
purpose four times each week, fol
when one page was printed we mao
70 "wash" and distribute in order
to get ready for the next page. This
also necessitated folding the paper
twics and there was more work for
two individuals in that old musty
office which stood at the southeast
corner of Pine street and Florida
avenue that three ordinary men
should do. When we could not find
any news we had to "clip' and the
clipping process cut big figure
There was no society, and the larger
norton of news to be found was
a fight around one of the bar-rooms
that hal their run in Lakeland in
those days. It was q frontier town
and every man had to act tough
whether 1t suited him or no.
thought knew I'll about the neXs-
paper business after l he'd beef IN
the office for awhile, and longed for
the time to come when some big city
daily would want my services at a
large salary. but that time never ar
rived. and the salary Of IS per
month and an opportunity Of plac-
ing my feet under the boarding.
house table three times a day
served as a reminder that some time