County Papers Kept Early And Present History Alive
Many people who have come to read the Chronicle have thought of it as
Jefferson County's oldest and only newspaper, but records show that
journalists were recording the history of our county as early as
1830.
"THE RODNEY GAZETTE" was started as a political
publication and supported the philosophy of John Adams and Henry
Clay, who were leaders of the Whig party. They opposed the group
known as the "Jackson Men," who were supporters of President Andrew
Jackson.
Printing in those days was a tedious affair which
required long hours of setting type by hand, inking the finished
plates, and then proofing the product on a screw-turned pressed. In
1859, the Jefferson County Weekly Journal published an editorial
which gives us a glimpse of these early printers’ lives. That is
also reflected in the modern technical age of printing a newspaper.
It reads as follows: “The Life of a Printer.” “Printers, it is said,
die at an early age.” This doubtless caused by the noxious effluvia
rising from the types, want of exercise, constant employment, and
the late hours to which their work is prolonged.
There is no
other class of human beings whose privileges are so few, whose labor
is so continuous, whose wages are so inadequate as printers. If a
"Typo" be a man of family, he is debarred of the privileges of
enjoying their society at all times, because his hours of labor are
almost endless, and his moments of leisure so few that they must be
spent to recruit his exhausted energies, and prepare him for the
renewal of his toils. Poor fellow! He knows nothing of sociability,
and is shut out from the world as a convict in a prison cell. Truly
he is in the world, but knows not of it. Toil--toil—toil, by night
and by day, is his fate, until premature old age ends his existence.
For the advancement of science, morality, and virtue, the chords of
his heart are severed-- he goes down to the grave uncared for and
unknown, though his existence has been sacrificed for the benefit of
his race.
"When we hear mechanics cry out against oppression,
and demanding certain hours for labor and for rest, we cannot but
reflect upon this situation of our own craft; how every moment of
their lives is forced into service to earn a bare subsistence, how
uncomplainingly they devote themselves to the food of that public,
who wear them as a loose garment to be donned when convenient, and
doffed when no longer needed.
"Printers are universally poor
men, and for two reasons. The first is they rarely ever receive a
fair compensation for their services, and the second is that inured
to continued suffering privation and toil, their purse strings are
ever untied at the bidding of charity, and the hard-earned 'dimes'
are freely distributed for the relief of their fellowmen, Thus it is
that they live poor, die poor, and if a suitable reward does not
await them after death, and indeed must by the beginning, the
existence and the end, of a poor 'typos' PRINTER.”
In 1839
the paper now named the "RODNEY STANDARD" was moved to Fayette, and
its name was changed to "THE SOUTHERN WATCHTOWER." W. B. Tebo was
the editor and remained at the post until 1845 when H. M. Youngblood
took over. The Watchtower had the responsibility of keeping up with
the legal notices, police warrants and minutes published by the
County Board of Supervisors. In this way they were able to
communicate to the people the political happenings of the day.
In 1858 the Watchtower merged with "THE JEFFERSON JOURNAL." Few
copies are said to exist of this publication, and the only
information available is from records kept in the county courthouse.
In 1866 the forerunner of the "FAYETTE CHRONICLE" was published
and William Marschalk was then listed as its editor. Subscription to
the Chronicle was listed at $4.00 a year during the first year in
operation.
In 1869 the Chronicle was sold to two gentlemen
named Paddock and Culley. In addition to the Chronicle they started
a venture called "THE NEW SOUTH" but it lasted for only a year.
Ownership then changed hands to a Mrs. H. S. Whitney in 1894 and
she continued to operate the paper until the Schober Printery bought
it in 1902. A young gentlemen known as B.C. Knapp became the general
manager and it was Mr. Knapp who eventually is credited with Schober
in printing the 1904 Exposition Edition.
The records go on to
show from 1905 until 1908 Geo. V. D. Schober operated the paper. In
1908, B.C. Knapp, "Mr. Bennie" took the paper over to own and
operate The Fayette Chronicle until the year 1952. During some of
these years he was assisted by his son Edwin Knapp.
After Mr.
Knapp death in 1952, the paper was bought in September 1952 by I.
Hunt Howell. Mr. Howell sold the paper in May 1955 to L. M. McKnight
and Mr. Howell returned to Batesville, Mississippi as Editor of the
weekly newspaper there, The Panolian.
On June 5, 1958, Mr.
and Mrs. Jimmie Walker, purchased the paper and operated it until
1978 with Mrs. Walker as Editor and Mr. Walker as Publisher.