THE OLD NEWSPAPERS OF TYLER, Smith County, TX ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Jaunice York - njyork@flash.net 15 May 2001 ***************************************************************** THE OLD NEWSPAPERS OF TYLER. "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas CHAPTER XXXVI - Pages - 175-180 In 1854, Wm. Henry Parsons retired from the Telegraph and the owners sold the plant to c. L. Collins, who came from San Augustine. Collins was a practical printer and changed the name of the paper to the Tyler Reporter. H. V. Hamilton, the oldest journalist in Tyler, came with Collins from San Augustine and worked with him. He has been a regular newspaper man in Tyler since 1854 and is still occupying the position as editor and printer. Over 45 years in Tyler a journalist of prominence he has made a history that connects itself with Tyler as a village, town and city. He is the father of Van, Mar and Hanse Hamilton, all prominent in newspaper circles. Collins ran the Tyler Reporter for about 12 months and sold the plant to W. A. Hendricks, who ran the Reporter for about one year when the material was transferred to b. T. Selman and Jack Davis. W. A. Hendricks left soon after selling the plant and we have heard nothing of him. Hendricks was a foreigner, a good printer and a practical fellow. He was not much of a writer but understood the newspaper lineup and was a good manager. He possessed many good traits of character. Under the management of Selman and Davis, the Reporter prospered; strongly edited and wielded a big influence in East Texas politics. It was always democratic in politics and was the leading journal in this section of the state. Under this management, Stanley M. warner became editor. Warner was a New Yorker, and a forcible writer. He was a man of eduction and a lawyer of good ability. In 1861, he enlisted as a Confederate soldier and made a good one. warner left Tyler after the war and I have heard nothing from him. In 1860, Jas P. Douglas and H. V. Hamilton bought the plant and it was run in the name of W. F. Hamilton & Co. The Reporter, under this management sustained its reputation for ability, for Douglas was a forcible, up-to-date writer. J. P. Douglas and W. F. Hamilton went early in the army, and H. V. Hamilton kept the Reporter going during the war. These two gentlemen made splendid reputations; at the end of the war Douglas was major of the artillery, and Hamilton captain in the infantry service. They were young men of force and ability. This brings the Reporter up to the commencement of the war, a commanding journal for years to the exciting days of 1861, when the war excitement dethroned reason, and made this fair land a continued encampment. About 1856, Collins started another paper--the Intelligencer, I believe, that figured largely in the judicial election that year. Its life was short and failed in the accomplishment of its purposes. The elec as usual in Smith county, was one full of excitement and interest. Along in 1859 another paper was thrust upon an unexpected, but soon, an appreciated public. Its editorials touched up society in a clever way, and in its frequent personal mentions no taffy was used. The name of this little journal had a startling one--The Hornet--with an impressive motto: "Touch Me, and I'll Sting". Its editor-in-chief, like the "sub-rosa" of a timid correspondent, claimed to be Benjamin Rismuswigglewroggle, holding himself personally, individually and collectively responsible for its utterances and announced The Hornet a free lance for public favor. Irvin Cowsar and Matt Hays, two very small printer boys, were the publishers, and it was accordingly announced in bold letters. The boys were too small to tackle, hence, a continuous inquiry was made for the real writer, who had at least twenty good whippings laid up for him, causing frequent private interviews with the publishers, under all circumstances, to hold their peace, as things began to look somewhat serious. The boys stood to their word, refusing bribes, growing to manhood along the same lines--just to their manhood and honor as gentlemen. "The Hornet" was a critic of advance ideas and progressive thought, dealing in matters and things as they really were; facts only with no tinted coloring, until the by-word became very common. "What will the Hornet have to say about it?" It is unnecessary to say even at this day who the real editor was, because, a sting might last a long time. The Hornet had many contributors and the little paper stood a short life without a rival in its way. Wm. H. Smith and Geo. M. Johnson, in 1860, commenced the publication of the States Rights Sentinel, its nameating the policy of the paper. Wm. H. Smith was an educated young man of fine ability and pleasing address, proud of his native state, the commonwealth of Georgia, and Southern to the manner born. He was a fine, forcible writer, using an elegant fluency that soon attracted public attention. Being a graduate of the Georgia Military Institute, his military education and training, when the war broke out, sch young men were in demand. Early in the war he was elected Captain of a Smith county company and assigned to the 7th Texas Infantry. Had Billy smith lived, he would have made his mark in that struggle, but he was killed early in the war. At Raymond, or Baker['s Creek, Miss., in 1862, he fell gallantly for the principle he knew to be right, in defense of the South and her right to regulate her own institutions. It was a bright light and a gallant young spirit that went out on that fatal day. Geo. M. Johnson enlisted in the 15th Texas Infantry, was made a Lieutenant and became adjutant of his regiment. He came through the war safely, and is now a good citizen of Tyler, quietly enjoying the mellow autumn of life. The Sentinel sspended the first year of the war. Before the war the Tyler papers published many articles from local contributors of decided merit. Along in these years the sparkling poems of Miss Mollie E. Moore, (now Mrs. Mollie E. Moore Davis), attracted attention and in the coming years as the "Song Bird of Texas". W. F. Hamilton possessed poetical talent and wrote an occasional verse that pleased the Muses. He was a natural orator and gifted. Wm. Fletcher Logan was another bright gifted young man. He possessed talent and genius and was a bard of elegance and graceful beauty. But before the writer closes, he desires to give reasons why he never became a poet. Having two sweethearts, at a tender age--one having sparkling, piercing black eyes, the other blue melting eyes, made a love-sick swain wish he had never been born. It would be a good and gallant thing to dedicate a poem to these pretty girls and startle the village with a new found Bard. Impelled by the Muses the writer penned some verses--mailed them to the Reporter without disclosing the author's name. It fell into the hands of Jack Davis, who was on the bachelor line of life. Waiting for it to startle the town the next paper instead came a tart, crusty notice destroying the author's hopes. A severe criticism addressed to the "Unknown Bard", with a line of poetry that "went without saying". suggestions were made about plow handles and other things. This is why the writer never became a poet.