USA > Illinois > Union County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 17
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 17
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 17
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HISTORY OF CAIRO.
honor was appeased, and the entente cordiale once more prevailed. Here the whole thing was like the rise and fall of the Roman empire, except there was more of them. Cairo reached the astounding population of 2,000 souls before an attempt was made to start a paper here- something that could not possibly happen now, as probably 300 is the extreme limit that the lynx-eyed printer of this age will allow to gather together without starting at least one paper, and often two. In the year 1841, just when Cairo was in the zenith of her first term of greatness and just before she fell from that height and past to her first nadir, that one Mc- Neer came here and brought a small press and started a paper. It was in the first flush times of Cairo, when Holbrook was the master and autocrat of all, when his company were spend- ing money by the millions, and were building everything and doing everything. McNeer was a stranger to affairs, and showed his utter want of judgment by not asking Holbrook if he might come. Indeed, worse than this, when he started his paper he had the audacity to criticize that great ruler, and he soon acknowl- edged his error by leaving town and taking his paper with him. The unholy monster monopoly had crushed him, and no other daring advent- urer followed, for the simple reason that in a few months the dynasty, the town, and every- thing pretty much about it had gone much worse bursted and crushed than had poor McNeer.
In June, 1848, Add Saunders established the Cairo Delta, neutral in politics, and although Cairo had only 142 souls, yet the breezy new- ness of such a thing soon gave him a circula- tion of 800 copies. But whether because he saw the storm coming or from what cause we do not know, he closed the concern in October, 1849, left Cairo, went to Evansville, and consolidated with the Evansville Journal.
And then another interregnum occurred in the newspaper world of Cairo. This continued
until April 10, 1851, when Frank Rawlings, of Emporium, or Mound City, started the Cairo Sun here. It was full of good enough Democ- racy, but was supposed to be really in the inter- ests of the Emporium City Company, if not actually started by it. This was a company started at Mound City for the purpose of break- ing down Cairo and building the great city at that point. It was this perhaps as much as anything else that caused the paper to die of starvation just one year to a day from the time of its starting. There are now pretty strong evidences that this was the true fact in the case, as, within the year of the paper's publication, Gen. Rawlings, the father of Frank, had come to Cairo, and in the name of some tax-titles or Sheriff's deeds or a combination of these and even other things, had tried to capture the entire town of Cairo, or a larger portion of it. An old settler here still remembers seeing the old General in solemn state carefully ride around the city, taking possession of his demesne. If there were other instances at all similar to this it makes it plausible that the good people of Cairo feared that " my son Frank " was really little else than a well-got-up spy.
Just here it should be noted that it was a singular fact that the Cairo & City Canal Company, or perhaps better to say Holbrook, in all his vast sehemes of grabbing after rail- roads, canals, wild cat banks and the greatest commercial city in the world and untold mill- ions of hard dollars from Europe, and what little else the balance of mankind had, should never have thought to start a paper in his own private interest. Was this the fatal spot in the heel where he was at last wounded unto death ? A personal organ in those days prob- ably had not been tried, but this is precisely the reason it ought to have suggested itself to Holbrook.
Cairo Times .- After another reign of silence from the news world, Len G. Faxon and W. A. Hacker started the Cairo Times. Hacker was
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HISTORY OF CAIRO.
the heavy editor, while Faxon, with a dreadful long-pointed sharp stick, stirred up the animals. The paper was a weekly, and of the old bour- bon barefooted Democracy-the kind that would have cried out to its million readers, at the outbreak of the war (it never had 300, you know) to maintain an armed neutrality and save the nation from bloodshed and war. Hacker had good talents, but he was not a journalist ; he did not seek to be one. He was a politician and a lawyer, and he soon retired from the newspaper to his favorite pursuits. On the other hand, journalism was as natural to Faxon as water is to a duck, and there was but one thing that ever prevented him gain- ing the highest eminence in his profession, and that may best be designated as general insta- bility. " He was a fellow of infinite jest," and a sharp and vigorous pen, but as to using it he preferred to be with the boys. He made no professions to profundity of writing, but he was always sparkling and readable. He did not re- main a very long time in Cairo, but perhaps as long as he has remained anywhere since he be- came a Bohemian, and after leaving here he has drifted about the world and finally is now in Paducah, Ky., where he went in his regular trade, and after making himself the master bantam of that town, we believe he dropped his faber and is now seeking other and more promising schemes. But it is not worth while to bid him adieu yet from the profession, for almost any moment you may hear of him breaking out afresh in some new, strange and most unexpected journalistic way. But we have not concluded our account of Faxon in Cairo yet, which we will now proceed to do. He severed his connection with the Times early in the year 1855, being with the paper a little less than one year, and Ed Willett. the poet, journalist and erratic young man, took his place. And it was then Hacker & Willett who were steering the Times along the troubled waters of the journalistic sea. They continued
the publication until the following November, when the paper was merged with the Delta, and Hacker, so far as we know, retired forever from the vexations, the trials, the strains and glories of the editorial life. And as we will say no more of Hacker in this department, we will dis- miss the subject of his ability, style and excel- lence as a writer by quoting the remark of " Mose" Harrell, in a published account of the press of Cairo in 1864. In speaking of this very paper that we have just followed to its grave, he says: "This hebdomadal was Democratic in politics, every number betraying the impress of the engaging ponderosity of Hacker's pen," etc .- the " engaging ponderosi- ty", is rather neat, but of Mr. Hacker in his real place in life, we will have occasion to speak at more length when we come to the chapter on the bench and bar.
Cairo Delta .- On the 4th of July, 1855, Faxon started this paper. It had but little politics in it, but it wielded a free lance for every comer, and poked and prodded and put on a long-tailed coat and would tread majesti- cally around dragging this behind and begging some man to tread on it. It had only a short existence of four months, when Faxon, dis- covering what he lacked in Willett, and Willett discovering certain essential qualities him- self in Faxon, they wooed and wedded and joined their two papers together, and this happy union resulted in the
Times and Delta .- And so another paper was launched upon the journalistic sea, the first issue of which was in November. 1855. It flourished finely under its dual title, because it combined the materials of an almost certain success in its publishers. The publication con- tinued until 1859.
Cairo Egyptian .- Established in 1856, by Bond & McGinnis. This was Ben Bond. the youngest son of the first Governor of Illinois, who was one of the earliest men to see here in Cairo great future possibilities. His faith in
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the place perhaps induced Ben to come here and try the wheel of fortune in what turned out to be a rash venture. The paper was of course an uncompromising Democrat in poli- tics. It could hardly have been anything else with the name of any one of the numerous Bond boys to it. The paper soon passed to the control of S. S. Brooks, and its name changed to the
Cairo Gazette, and its publication con- tinued under this rather brilliant newspaper man for nearly two years. Brooks, when he closed out his paper interest here, went to Quincy, Ill., where he established the Her- ald, in which he made an extensive reputation, which reputation, our recollection is, was some- thing after the style of G. D. Prentice, that is, in Prentice's double meaning paragraphs. In 1858, Brooks sold out to John A. Hull and James Hull, and they continued the publica- tion until the month of August, 1859, when it was purchased by M. B. Harrell, who published the paper until the spring of 1864, when he sold it out to the Cairo News Company, a Re- publican concern, organized chiefly by the efforts of John H. Barton.
Cairo Journal-A German paper, the first of the kind attempted here, was issued in 1858. A weekly paper and the few Ger- mans there were here to patronize it valued it quite highly, yet it lingered in a state of great, destitution and died after a few months.
Cairo Zeitung .- Its name tells its nativity. This was a semi-weekly paper, issued from the office of the Gazette in 1859. It was an am- bitious little Dutchman, as is evidenced by the fact that it started in as semi-weekly. It fair- ly " donnered de wedder" the first few weeks of its existence, but it was all to no purpose, it sickened and died, aged four months, and its happy shade is now in the krout business in the happy hunting grounds set apart for dead Cairo papers.
Egyptian Obelisk .- In 1861, William Hunter
and a few other infatuated souls, concluded Cairo was ripe to be Christianized by a great daily Republican paper, to let in some light upon Egyptian darkness. As this was a free country-all except Cairo, which was intensely Democratic-no one interfered with their gi- gantic project, and upon a fixed hour it was launched upon an astounded world. Its rug- ged course of life lasted through just two issues, when its little slippers were put away, with the consoling remark, "whom the gods love die young."
Cairo Daily News-A Republican paper, es- tablished in 1863, by a joint-stock company, the head of which company, the writer's rec- ollection is, was John W. Trover. This was quite a pretentious, and in many respects, a paper that was a credit to Cairo. It was prob- ably the first paper in the town that ever took the Associated Press dispatches. It had a general and local editor, and published con- siderable river and financial news. But its specialty was the army and navy and " loyalty," with a strong penchant for watching the trait- ors, or which was then the same thing, the Democrats. It piped its own loyalty, and the arrant treason of every one who differed from it. Its first editor was Dan Munn, known far and wide as a brother of Ben's. Dan was an offshoot of the remarkable establishment that flourished here as a part of the great war times, known as the house of Munn, Pope & Munn. To Dan's credit be it said he never was a journalist. His forte lay in other direc- tions, and in a very short time he retired and was succeeded as editor by Jobn A. Hull, whose industry soon showed that there was a marked change in the department. Hull never was brilliant, because he did not have much faith in that kind of editing, and to this day we believe that if anything could have made the News a success, it was the steady-going, even-tempered mode of editing pursued by Mr. Hull.
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HISTORY OF CAIRO.
Before the paper was a year old, it became apparent that Trover was rapidly tiring of footing the deficiency bills, and the News com- pany notified the boys in the office, or at least action to that effect was had, and the usual process of rats deserting the ship was again enacted in the world's history.
At one time Birney Marshall and James O. Durff ran it until the first week's bill for the Associated Press dispatches came in, when they declared the great house temporarily closed. Still others were induced to put in enough money, and when it had good luck it would run a week, and then again twenty-four hours would wind it up. But finally, in 1865, at a little over the age of two years, and filled with more changes and vicissitudes than any similar thing that ever existed, it breathed its last. It had been dead so long before it acknowl- edged it that it is doubtful if it ever had any funeral. Marshall and Durff both died a few years ago in Memphis.
Cairo Democrat-By Thomas Lewis, a daily and weekly Democratic paper. The office was removed from Springfield, Ill., to this place, and the publication of a nine-column daily paper commenced on the 3d day of August, 1863.
This was about the first effort to establish a real metropolitan daily paper, giving all, even the great amount of war news then prevalent in the country. It was brought here at great expense, run with a full force of editors, re- porters and printers, and was published under great disadvantages. Cairo was literally a fort of the Union Army, the town full of soldiers and under martial law ; provost guards were the police of the town, and a military man was not only Mayor and Governor, but supreme auto- crat, whose will was law even unto death, and there were only a few of them who doubted his own ability, not only to discharge his military office, but to edit at least all the Democratic papers published within the United States.
The result was there was sometimes that kind of meddling that was exceedingly unpleasant to publishers. Orders would come some- times daily, either from the Provost Marshal's office, or from headquarters, giving directions how to run the paper, what to publish and what not to publish. Practically, you were paying the heavy expenses of a printing office, and some one else was editing it-such edit- ing as it was. At times an order would come -a standing order, mark you-to submit all matter intended for the paper to inspection, before it could be printed.
The writer hereof remembers an amusing in- cident of those strange times. He had written and published a short, silly story about a man who kept a pea-nut stand on the street, and how he first " knocked down" the profits, and finally the capital and clandestinely closed his establishment and crawled under the sidewalk, just beneath where his store had been, and left his creditors to whistle. Then went on with a lot of stuff about how all the first detectives in the world were put upon the fugitive's tracks, chartering steamers, railroads, telegraphs, etc., and how they peered around and peeked into the North pole in the pursuit, and how lie lay snoring under the sidewalk all the time.
It is hard to imagine anything more silly to be put into print, but there may have been some excuse at that day, from the fact that some man had just defaulted in New York for a large amount, and supposing he would flee to the uttermost parts of the earth the detec- tives acted accordingly. Whereas, in fact, he only moved to a new boarding house, and rested there content. It seems he could not be found because he had not fled.
For this the writer was jerked up and asked to explain it all. He frankly confessed that it was wholly meaningless-confessed upon his sacred honor it was not a cipher dispatch to the Southern Confederacy, and was ready to swear with up-lifted hand, that he thought if
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HISTORY OF CAIRO.
Jeff Davis ever was compelled to read it, or by any chance should read it, that it would kill him in five minutes.
This happy explanation closed the doors of the threatening bastile, with the happy victim on the outside and not inside.
We cannot here enumerate all the annoyances that it was possible to and that actually were thrown in the way of the publication of the Democrat, but they were many, vexations and sorely trying. But just here we wish distinct- ly to remark that it was not a universal prac- tice with the military to act such silly roles. The commanding officer was often changed, and it may be said, on behalf of the majority of them, that they were intelligent and clever gentlemen, and from all such there was no more annoyance than from any private gentle- man. Indeed many of them were of that cult- ured and agreeable kind that all the society people of Cairo much enjoyed their stay among them. But when the meddlers did come, their folly was only the more illy borne by the con- trast that the others made.
Mr. Lewis is entitled to all the credit that can come of persistence in the face of such obstacles as we have named. Of course, there were many others, but so there are under any circumstances in starting an enterprise of this kind.
The paper had a warm support throughout all Southern Illinois, and a partial support from both Kentucky and Missouri, but in these two last-mentioned places there were so few mail facilities, and there were guerrillas frequently in those localities, that the circulation of the paper was in that direction infinitesimal. Without giving figures, it is probably a fact that the daily and weekly Democrat, within a year of the commencement of publication, had, combined, the largest circulation of any paper published in Cairo.
The first editor was H. C. Bradsby, assisted in the local department by C. C. Phillipps, and
John W. McKee. Mr. Bradsby continued in his position about one year, and having accepted a position of correspondent of the Missouri Re- publican and afterward the Chicago Times. re- tired, and was succeeded by J. Birney Mar- shall, of Kentucky. Mr. Marshall continued for some months as editor, and, retiring, was suc- ceeded by Joel G. Morgan, who came here for that purpose, from Jonesboro, Ill., and after a short time Mr. Morgan retired and was replaced by John H. Oberly.
The paper lived along until 1878, when it passed into the hands of a joint-stock company and joined and consolidated with the Cairo Times. The new concern retained the name of Cairo Democrat, H. L. Goodall. General Superintendent, and John H. Oberly, editor.
It was the hope of its friends that this ar- rangement would relieve both papers of all em- barrassments and make one strong, self-sus- taining paper. It was ably and expensively operated under the new arrangement, and cer- tainly a common, strong effort was made to make a paper that would draw to itself a good support. But after the first month, its very ex- istence was precarious, and after fifteen months of heroic struggles it was sold by the Sheriff, and John H. Oberly became the pur- chaser, and thus ended the long struggle for existence by a daily paper in Cairo, the long- est made by any of the hosts that have come, flourished their brief hour and expired.
The War Eagle-Was a soldier's paper pub- lislıcd at Columbus, Ky., by H. L. Goodall, who moved the entire concern to Cairo in 1864, and made a vigorous, spicy little Republican paper of it. It was so sue- cessful and was attracting so wide an influence, that parties here induced Mr. Goodall to en- large his sphere of action, which he did by pur- chasing a fine outfit for a large office, moving into new and spacious quarters (from the Eagle's roost in the barracks). And the en- larged new paper was the
8
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HISTORY OF CAIRO.
Cairo Times-A daily Republican paper, commenced in the latter part of 1866. The Eagle was a little unpretentious weekly, but the Phoenix that rose from its ashes, was a large, handsome, well-constructed daily. The paper was well patronized, but we very much doubt if Mr. Goodall ever saw the day, after the first six months, that he was glad of the change. The Times had none of the Eagle's scream. Maj. Caffrey was its general editor- a man of considerable ability, a strong Repub- lican and good fellow. He remained with Mr. Goodall until politics had ceased to be a feat- ure, when he sought other pastures. At latest accounts he was in Kansas City, Kan., pub- lishing a weekly Republican paper.
The Union-A Republican weekly, started in 1866, by H. L. Goodall, as a side-show, per- haps, to his great and flourishing daily. The editor of this inoffensive political organ was Mr. Hutchinson. It was soon sold to J. H. Barton and its publication discontinued.
The Sunday Leader-A literary paper, started in 1866, by Ed S. Trover, issued every Sunday morning. There were many marks of real merit about this periodical. The sole writer for it was its editor, but he was well known in the city from his position of local on the News, where he had made his mark as a promising boy.
City Item-A little five-column weekly local paper, was started into existence in the early part of 1866, by Bradsby & Field (Bourne). It was independent in politics and pretty much everything else. It was only intended to cir- culate in Cairo.
This paper was the suggestion of John Field, who had for a long time been foreman in the Democrat office, and, leaving that place, he went to Bradsby with his scheme ; that he would do all the work, Bradsby to do the writing ; to rent a case in one of the printing offices and hire the press work done. It was to be all original matter, set solid, and to con-
tain no "ad" more than ten lines long, and no display advertisements. It was no serious effort at a paper, and by common consent, the whole community looked upon it as a joke, and. that really was about all there was of it, and it was perhaps lucky for the criminal that this was so. It lived something over a year and then quit.
Olive Branch-By Mrs. Mary Hutchinson, a family paper, with an olive wreath about its brow. It lived about one year. It commenced and died in 1867.
Cairo Times .- Revived in 1868, by H. L. Goodall. A strong daily and weekly Repub- lican paper. Its regular publication continued until the early part of 1871, when Mr. Goodall evidently tired of the newspaper busi- ness in Cairo, wound up his concern, sold out all Cairo interests and went to Chicago.
Cairo Daily Bulletin-A Democratic paper started by John H. Oberly, in November, 1868. J. H. Oberly, chief editor, M. B. Harrell, as- sociate. The paper started under most favor- able and promising circumstances, but just as its promise seemed fairest, the office and con- tents burned to the ground, and to add to its calamities there was no insurance on the con- cern. This fire occurred in December, 1868, when the establishment was only a little more than a month old. An entire new outfit was immediately procured and the publication re- sumed, and is to this day still a daily morning paper.
The reader can hardly imagine what a joy and relief it is to at last come to one in the long line that is alive, prosperous and happy. The long preceding list is so much like a call- ing the roll of the dead, that the change from the funeral to the festival is inexpressibly pleasant.
Mr. Oberly and Harrell continued to push the paper successfully for some years. Its job department had grown to large proportions and eventually promised to support well the
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HISTORY OF CAIRO.
newspaper part of the establishment, but in 1878, matters began to grow perplexed and embarrassments began to beset the institution. Among other calamities, the yellow fever had visited the town and all business was pros- trate.
About this time the arrangements were made to lease the office to Mr. Burnett, the present proprietor. This took effect July, 1878, and it is probable the absolute stoppage of the paper was thus avoided. Mr. Burnett con- tinued as lessee until January 1, 1881, when by purchase he became the absolute and sole owner, in which position he has not only been able to make the paper self-sustaining, but has so carefully attended to matters that it is rapid- ly becoming a first-class paying property.
Mr. Burnett has worked his way from "in charge of the circulation," in March, 1868, to that of sole owner and proprietor. For two years he was book-keeper, and was then made general manager. This position he held until 1867, when he left the office and took employ- ment in the Illinois Central Railroad office, in this city, where he remained about eighteen months. He then returned to the office of the Bulletin as lessee. The first year's earnings of the institution were slightly in excess of ex- penses, even after deducting considerable necessary additional materials ; the second year was not so good, but by this time Mr. Burnett had so systematized matters that it has been easy sailing in placid waters since. It is located on the levee in the proprietor's own building, and the constant additions and im- provements being added will soon make it one of the leading solid institutions of the kind in the country.
The first few years after Mr. Burnett took control of the Bulletin, it was edited by M. B. Harrell, and. when the latter went to Chicago, the editorial work was done by Mr. Ernst Theilecke, who was connected with the office for a long time. Mr. Theilecke is now in Lock-
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