The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-12-06
When Griggs Was Wiregrass Editor.
From the Pearson Tribune.

The Georgia Forester was the name OF a
newspaper launched at Alapaha in the early
seventies by Mr.. Frank Y. Evans, and was
the first newspaper published in Berrlen Cour,
tv, The outfit was an old Washington hand
press, a quantity of we'll worn body type and
a meagre supply of display type. NotWith-
standing this Frank, being an industrious,
practical printer succeeded in bringing out
very neat six-column folio.
At the time Alapaha was a young and
aspiring little town; The brunswick an9
Western railway had completed its track and
was running its trains to that point. 1t was
Possessed Of several wide awake merchants,
Iamong whom was Mr. w. S. Walker. SO that
the Forester was we'll patronized by these mer-
chants which, added to the legal printing OF
Berren county, proved sufficient income 10
the office to make it selt-supporting.
But Frank Evans was an ambitious young
man and he decided that Alapaha was too
small place, with too short vision, tor HIM
to make much of success OF his lite. he dis
posed of his printing plant to Mr.. W. ).
Walker and went to birmingham, then a
struggling Alabama town. He was still living
Ia few years ago.
Mr.. Walker induced his kinsman, James M.
Griggs, a Young school teacher, to assume the
editorial and business management Mr..
Griggs soon discovered that the grind was
Itoo monotonous for his ambition and, after
la short stay, he HE'D himself away to Florida
Palatka when the writer became acquainted
with him. He gave up the school at Paatka-
after he had discovered he had lost out IN
la love affair, his enamorlta preterrng VIM;
IT, Vinegar, the cashier OF the FIRST Natlonal
Bank. The young lady in question was Miss
Hart whose father was a man OF wealth and
owned a large orange grove at HART FONT,
/ lust across ST. Johns river from Palatka-and
went to Dawson, Ga. His after career as
LAWYER and statesman, member OF congress,
! is we'll known.
Mr.. VIM. w. Lastnger, young practi-
Itioner of law and turpentine operator OF Alap-
aha, acquired the newspaper outht and chang
ed the name, | think to the Alapaha News,
land conducted it very successfully Tor while.
Having met with some financial reverses Mr.
Lastinger decided to move to Texas. In lex
| as he amassed a competency.
| The paper then came into the possession OF
| Elder NJ F. Morgan, a Baptist minister He,
with the aid son, L. ID. Morgan, now OF
Americus ran it on red-hot schedule Tor a
while but finally abandoned it. He lett the
! office perfect wreck.
At some stage of these years Columbus
wv. Fulwood, the present Triton attorney
tried his hand at running country neWSpa-
Iper. He soon left Alapaha for awhile, went
Ito Triton and helped run Tits saw mill. lie
lis now one of the fathers OF Triton
Andrew H. Turner caught the newspaper
fever, and with his oldest son, Egbert, took
turn at the wheel. They soon gave up and
| Alapaha was without newspaper tor many
wears and until James W. Hanlon began the
publication of the Alapaha Star 1t soon
| twinkled out the people got tired OF support
| ing it, and Hanlon left to join A. ?. Perham
| in the publication of the Quitman Free Press
Alapaha was again without a newspaper tor
number of years until Hanlon brothers, sons
of James w. Hanlon began the publication
of The Georgia Cracker They soon quit and
the outfit was sold to Leander w. Herrin. He
failed to make it go and moved the plant to
| Wildwood. The old press is now used to print
the Wilacoochee Times.
OF these men w. S. Walker, J. NJ. Griggs
wv. w. Lastinger A. H. Turner, J. w. Han
lon and NJ. F. Morgan have passed to their
reward