The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-04-09

ago, to day-my brother and myself walked
from Mugginsvile" to Shreveport, to be-
gin our apprenticeship in the Caddo Gazette
printing office. "Mugginsvile," by the
way, was aoouttwo miles west of the bust
ness center of Shreveport, and lives only
in tradition, like some of the lost, cities of
the old world. It's underlined limits were
anywhere from the head of Texas Street to
the 1.-TWO Mile House." Why it was named
"Mugginsville,' | never knew, positively.
Its origin is as much in doubt as the source
of the pointed arch in architecture.
On that April morning, so long ago, we
were brought to the Gazette office by our
uncle, Henry Douglas Downs, who had
arranged for our apprenticeship-to work
for our ''board and clothes" He had been
printer, in his youthful days, at Jackson,
Miss, and knew of the benefits that such
trade would give, if rightly followed And,
we are grateful to him for thus putting US
on the right road.
But, came near missing it: The pro-
pretor, Col. H. J. G. Battle, thought that
was too small to be useful, and sent me
back. was very much discouraged, at
my first failure, and without trial.
However, the foreman, Mr.. William
Wyndham, requested my brother to bring
John in next Monday; and | will take
charge of him."
With gladdened heart, | "came back
and for three years, we worked for ''board
and clothes"
About that time the Gazette office was in
the second story of a frame building east OF
Market Street on the north side of Texas
Street, now known as the Hippodrome
building. 4
Col. Henry ]. G. Battle was editor and
proprietor of the Gazette; Fountain P
Austin. associate editor; William Wynd-
ham, foreman, and Richard Stanley Carnes,
compositor. We were the 'sdevils," as
apprentices were called in those days.
One of our duties was to deliver the pa
per to subscribers every Saturday morn
ing. My route was on the north side of
Texas Street, and northward to the limits
even to Jones' saw mill on the bayou
Brothers route was the other, and larger
half of the town. The town had popula-
ton of about $500, and the Gazette had
about 25O subscribers in the town at So
year, each.
The Gazette was neutral in politics, and
prominent Democrats had induced Dr.
Matthew Estes to start Democratic news
paper. DR.. Estes, the editor of the Shreve-
port Democrat, also lived in Mugginsville.
Enoch Mason was assistant editor; William
DeBow, foreman; Charles Cornell and
James W. Lee, compositors, and William
Singletary, apprentice. The office was
in the second room, up stairs, in frame
building on the site recently known as
The Corners" The Democrat later,
moved further up Texas Street, and sus-
pended publication in 1856.
n,
and wrote book in defence of slavery
The Wings had an organ in the Shreve-
port South Western, estababIished in 1852,
by l.. billiard & Company. 1t was pub
lished by L. billiard and three sons-Louis.
Thomas and William. William Kinney
was compositor; General Hopkins
was roller boy, and Thomas A. Steele was
an apprentice.
The Billiards came from New Orleans
The Office was in small one story frame
building situated on the southwest corner
of Texas and Edwards Streets.
The early journals of Shreveport have
passed out of existence-their titles re-
membered by but few; and, all those who
were connected with these newspapers have
also passed away-except a very few
perhaps only my brother and myself.
OF the young men of those days can
only recall, Judge A. D. Land, Hon. Albert
H. Leonard and Fred A. Leonard, and thew
also lived in Mugginsville; also Judge
Alex Boarman and David Heine.
Sixty years ago when we moved from
Mugginsvile to Shreveport (and we did
not have much to move) Texas Street was
the main channel of trade, and Texas and
Market Street was the center The public
market stood in the center of Mark ct Street.
between the Matthew Watson building ire
Gently known as "The Corners) and the
site lately known as the Phoenix Hotel
building, which was then vacant from
Market Street to about where the Carter
Allen Jewelry store is now situated. The
market was largely attended every
morning. Housewives came to do the
marketing, their negroes carrying baskets
for the provisions. 1t was also the center
of gravity for good coffee. Aunt Betseyn
Oliver and 'sAunt Frances Roach (:sfree
women of color'') each had a coffee stand.
Every morning, on the way to the Gazette.
we stopped for cup of that good, strong
coffee.
This landmark disappeared many years
ago.
just north, and west of the market was
the law ofnce OF Landrum & Williamson and
the shoe shop of H. Linman. From the.
corner where now stands Hotel Youree to
the southeast corner of Travis and Edwards
Streets was vacant, and in this large space
small circnses and other one-tent shows
exhibited. One OF these was legerdemain