The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1918-01-30

Commonwealth, this morning at 9;3
o'clock delivered the address printe
herewith before the first annual Ses
sion of the Iri-State Press Associa
ton in the Convention Hall of tn
Gayoso Hotel on making The Sinai
City Daily Pay"
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of tn,
Tri-State Press Association:
1t is an honor which prize yer,
highly to have been named by tht
gentlemen in charge of arranging tn,
program for this, the first annual con
vention of representative and patrio
tic newspaper editors and publisher.
of the great states of Mississippi
Tennessee and Arkansas to deliver az
address on the important subject Of
Making The Small City Daily Pay
but it is a task which ! reluctant
ly made up my mind to undertake
And in doing SO, wish to ask at the
outset that each of you pardon the
interjection Of all personal references
] shall ind it necessary to make, or
"reminiscences which may become in.
termingled with my feeble effort to
entertain you during the few minutes
that | shall take Of your valuable
time while in session in the majactic
Bluff City.
For thirty-seyen years | have bee
engaged actively in the printing bus
iness--haying served in every capa
city from Office devil to editor-in-chie
and publisher of The Daily Common
wealth, now universally known as
"Mississippis Liyest Little Big News
paper" published every afternoon ex
cept Sunday in Greenwood, the biggest
ten-thousand population city on thr
top side OF the universe.
Served on COmmercial-Appeal.
In 1890 I was connected with the
Appeal-Avaianchg--at the time whel.
the first Linotype machines were in
stalled by that paper in Memphis
and in fac, among the first Mergen
thalers installed in the South. Capt
W. A. Collier was president of the
Appeal-Ayalanche Company; the b1iI
liant and versatile Gus G. Matthew
was tor-ln-chIei, and the forcefu
and able NJ. W. Connolly was the cap
able managing editor. The office wa
in the building occupied by Bry's dry
goods store on Man street, which wa
erected for the paper and known the1
as the Appeal Building. 1t was whi-e
there had the distinction of gettin
my first real experience Of being act.
ually in charge Of big daily papel
being placed in charge of the ed
torial department for three days dur
ing the reunion Of "the blue and tht
gray veterans white Editor Matt
hews was absent attending meeting
Of the Typotheta in New York, Al
ter getting through those strenuou,
three days and nights, | have alway.
felt that was equal to almost any
emergency.
Since that time the growth of Mem
phis has been marvellous. She is cos
mopohtan in her citizenship; her com
mercial Importance is superb; AM
with tne pulling power of such {
splendid organization as she has in
her peerless Chamber Of Commerce
Memphis viii soon be the recognize
leader of ali Southern cities. And
why shouldn't Memphis be the big
gest, best and most progressive city
in the South She is largely mads
up of former MissisSippians-and
Mississippians are in fact the salt OF
the earth-hence the rapid strides
she made along all lines have not beer
at ali surprising to me. My parents
lived in Memphis tor several months
after the Civil War; and the fact Of
the business is that | came very neal
being native born Memphian-anc
would have been had they not moyeC
to Mississippi as soon as they did!
But let me get back to my subject
Of Making The, Small City Daily
Pay"