Milford chronicle., 1950-02-10
FORTY YEARS IS A LONG, LONG TIME


FORTY YEARS is A LONG, LONG TIME
In the February 18th, 1910 issue of the
Milford Chronicle there appeared among the
Personal Items the following: "Owing to
the poor health Of his father G.. Marshall
Townsend has given up his college duties at
Delaware College and taken a position in
this Office. We remember we'll having writ
ten that short item. AS we look back over the
past forty years we wonder just what could
have been our thoughts, our hopes or our
fears as we took over a small newspaper and
an even smaller job printing department.
We had been called home from college on
February 18th, Lincoln's Birthday Immed-
lately upon our arrival home we had been
informed by Col. Theodore TOwnsend's phys
ician that at the best he had only a few
months to live, and told in no uncertain terms
that we must take over the business fully
and completely. We were then nearing our
tWenty-firSt birthday. With much fear and
uncertainty we "toOk over" and started our
newspaper career. that evening. Fortunately
for us, the prediction of quick death for Col.
Townsend was wrong. He lived many years
to advise us and aid us in making decisions.
But he never forgot to remind us that the
final decision was ours, and ours alone
Forty years have passed since that try
ing day in 1910. They were years during
which we suffered hardship, plant destruc-
tion by fire, depression years, too; but we
also enjoyed pleasure, steady growth and
national recognition among the newspaper
fraternity for publishing a weekly newspa-
per outstanding as a public servant. While
long span Of time, the years have flown
rapidly. Mostly they have been happy and
pleasant ones. We have been fortunate in
that we have been able to draw to our organ
lzatlon capable and aggressive men and wO-
men who have stayed to make a place for
themSelveS within our group. Shortly be-
fore 1910 the Milford Chronicle had occu-
pied the original portion of our present
building. The equipment was meagre. AS
we recall, there was an old Cottrell news
paper press, a small folder, three out-of-date
job presses, small hand paper cutter, foot
powered stitcher, and a very small hand
punch. There was no Linotype equipment.
They came later. A small gasoline engine
furnished the necessary power.
In comparison with the 1910 print shop
the modern Chronicle plant fully equipped
with the most modern printing equipment, is
mammoth. A visit to today's Chronicle bus
mess and editorial offices, composing rooms,
press rooms and bindery clearly shows the
extent to which we have grown. The pres
ent equipment is the most modern that money
can buy. We are continually adding to the
plant facilities in order that you, our read
ers and customers, may enjoy the best to be
had In rural weekly newspaper and mod
ern printing plant.
Let's return to 1910. The first issue over
which we had complete supervision carried
total of thirty-twO classified ads Today
the average is over three hundred each issue.
The Chronicle of 1910 was eight pages, six
columns to the page, in size. A total of twelve
correspondents supplied the news from other
towns. Other than the first page, the read
ing matter was about fifty per cent "bOiler
plate"-in other words syndicated Out-Of-
date news supplied by out-of-State supply
houses. Compared with the present day
Chronicle, which last year averaged over
twenty-Six pages each issue, the 1910 paper
was a sorry affair. Today a staff of over
fifty correspondents supply the news regu-
laFly to the Chronicle. We present State.
County and Local news as it happens. The
national cOveFage is taken care of by special
columns and 'The World This Week." an
Associated Press feature published by no
other Delaware newspaper. We are mem
bers of the Associated Press and are affili-
ated with the Greater Weeklies group of
weekly newspapers which organization
carefully screens every applicant before Civ
ing membership. We have received National
recognition time after time, and have earned
numerous honors for newspaper excellence
Our large circulation places us among the
top leaders of the nations weekly news
papers. -
We are happy and proud that with this
issue of the Milford Chronicle we complete
forty years of newspaper management. Dur
ing this time we have built for Milford, Kent
and Sussex Counties and the State of Della
ware weekly Newspaper which each year
ranks among the top fifteen weeklies in this
great United States. The rating on this
select group of fifteen is so close that il
would be foodhardy for any one of the pub
fishers to claim top honors. We have learn.
ed through trial and error, through mistake