Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08

This was in the fall Of 1898. AS
the presidential election was to be
held the next year, it was thought
advisable that the publication of the
paper should be postponed until that
contest was settled.
That Russell Eaton was a man OF
shrewdness and sound judgment and
that he appreciated true worth is
shown by his selection of a partner
Luther Severance, even in those
early years, had shown the noble
qualities of manhood and the mag
nificent ability of intellect that later
won him eminence and which make
his name today a tower of strength
in his adopted city and State. He
was born Oct ober 2S, 1897, In Mon
tague, Mass.
Although they had resolved to
postpone the publication of the paper
until the presidential question was
settled, Eaton e. Severance, never
theless, issued their prospectus dur
ing the winter Of 1894 and had 1t
extensively distributed through Ken
nebec county and other parts of the
State where a circulation might be
ANTICIPATED. They themselves re-
manned hard at work in Washington,
saving all they could by close econ
omy to gain means of purchasing
type, press and material needed In
the publication Of the paper. In
September, 1924. they left Washing
ton and went to the home of Mr.
Severance's parents in Cazenovia
N. Y, where they enjoyed a much
needed vacation for few weeks
From Cazenovia they went to New
York and Boston. purchasing print
ing material in both places.
The journal Established
Luther Severance arrived in Au-
gusta November 20, 1924, coming by
boat from Boston. Mr.. Eaton re-
manned in Boston to complete the
purchase of supplies, and a few
weeks later came by boat to Bath.
The river was now closed by ice. and
the young printer was in a dilemma,
At last he met a Mr.. Potter of Wales,
who was about to return home from
market with an unloaded team, and
he induced him to transport the
press and material by way of Wales
TO Augusta, where they arrived jan
uary 1, 1925. Mr.. Severance had
made the necessary arrangements,
and the office was established in the
Branch" store, a brick building at
the southeast corner Of Bridge and
Water Streets.
Eaton and Severance
The prospectus and the thorough
circulation of subscription lists had
resulted in $50 subscribers, and the
Young publishers felt that this was
a promising beginning. The price of
the paper was 500 per annum. 1t
had been at first proposed to call the
new paper the Augusta Journal, and
subscription lists under this name
had been passed around, but the
name Kennebec Journal was finally
decided upon, as was explained In
the second number, merely because
Kennebec was considered more
comprehensive name, and more de-
scriptive of what we ardently hope
the Journal will be: a paper of ex-
tended and useful circulation"
On January s, 1925, just week
after Mr.. Eaton Joined Mr.. Sever
ance in Augusta, and the little Tufts
hand press had been set up in the
Branch building. the first issue OF
the Kennebec Journal appeared, and
Augusta once more boosted OF q
newspaper, this time a paper that
was to endure 1t is recorded that
on this interesting occasion among
those present was Benjamin Davis,
a leading business man of Augusta
and for a quarter OF a century the
president of the Freemen's bank,
who. gave the pull and took the
first paper from the press" which
was carefully preserved half GEN.
fury as memento.
At the beginning, and for some
time after, all the work of the office,
editorial and business, mental and