The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-02-02

: time had been treasurer Of Jefferson
county.
4 Democrat Moved to Keosauqua.
As stated above, the Democrat was
started at Bonaparte. and was pub
lished there until Dec. l, 1876, when II
was moved 10 keosauqua. We have 8
copy of the first paper before US. II
brings up a flood OF incidents that
were pleasant then, but which are al
most inexpresslbly sad now. or all
our advertiser, and OF all those en-
gagged in buZlness of any kind In
Bonaparte 1T that time, two persons
only are among the living. and they
are Charlas H. Coolidge and j. NJ.
Cox, the latter than station agent at
Bonaparte, but now living at Peiia.
And of all the persons mentioned in
that first number of the paper only
four are ROW living. They are besides
| Messrs. Coolidge and Cox, DR.. Boyer
| of Bonaparte, and J. S. Shepherd of
! Mt. Ayr, the latter now a type setter
] in the Mt. Ayr Journal office at the
age of 81.
| OF all the business men in keosau-
| qua when the Democrat was moved
! here in December, 1876, all but six
! B. Bleakmore, Francis Johnston, j. F.
Daughrity. L. c. Fosnot, VIM. Harrison
and Capt Geo. A Henry. OF all the
coanty officers and of all the profes
sional men here-attorneys, physi-
cians, ministers, all except Judge
Robert Sloan have passed away.
A Book of the Dead.
We also have before us the sub
scription book of the first year of
the publication of the Democrat. II
is literally a book of the dead. The
paper was started with 1000 sub
scribers, and of that number all have
passed TO their rest except twenty
one. These are DR.. Boyer and Jacob
Eich (who have taken the paper ever
sincel, c. P. Young, Jonathan Cresap.
Jas. A. Fowler, Ernest Lydolph and
J. ". Fitzgerald, then all of Bona
parte; J. B. Bleakmore and W. NJ.
Harrison of Keosauqua; Captain
James Elerick, T. c. Jackson, Mary
4. Doud, Jas. Matthias, w. H. Harry
man. and Jonathan Denning of Douds
and Portland; n. Stump of Selma;
John Harness of Mt, Sterling; John
Brown of kilbourne; Benz. McLel-
land Of Utica, and J. e. Holland of
Milton
Democrats Office Force.
We cannot close this article with
out mention of the office FORCE when
the Democrat first came into being
ceased, among them Mr.. Holcombe.
our partner, who was talented man
and one of the most entertainin ing
DR.. ". A. George, who was after.
wards editor of the Keokuk Coustitu.
ton. John Sterling published the
Corydon Democrat for many years
and is a retired and weIl-to-io resi-
dent OF that place. S. NJ Leach is
banker at Adei, and was last year
president Of the State Bankers asso-
citation J. W. Sherman was after
wards publisher OF the Osceola Demo-
crat and treasurer OF Clarke county
two terms. John Jenner, the fore
man, later went to Keokuk, and was
one Of the best and most widely
known printers in this section Of the
country.
Other Democratic Papers.
We do not claim and it would not
be true that the Democrat is the only
successful democratic paper ever
published in the county. a number
OF its predecessors were excellent rs
long as they were published. We
have simply remained on the job
longer than the others. Since the
DemCcE at was founded twenty papers
have been started in the county, Of
which only four remain-the Milton
Herald, Pennington News-Republican
Bonaparte Record, and Stockport
News
That we have made many mistakes
no one is more fully aware than are
we, and many policies Of the paper
would be different if we were to live
-he fifty years over. But the editor
who is also publisher and manager,
and also giving a considerable part
IF his thought to the very practical
york OF making both ends meet, has
lot much time left in which to in
lulge in lofty idealism, although we
would not under-value idealism which
8 one OF the noblest faculties OF the
human mind.