The Morning News

Thirty-Eight Years Old.

To-day is the thirty-eighth anniversary of the publication of the first issue of the Savannah Morning News. The intention was to issue the first edition on the first day of the year 1850, but the preparations were not completed by that time, and a delay of two weeks occurred.

John M. Cooper was the proprietor, Col. W. T. Thompson the editor, and John B. Cubbedge the publisher of the paper. All of them are dead. The paper began its career in the second story of the buildings now known as 109 and 111 Bay street. The room that was occupied as a composing room, is now Congressman Norwood's law office. Subsequently the paper was published at 111, now 109, Bay street, and there it remained until 1875. In that year it was moved to its present location.

The career of the Morning News has been somewhat checkered. Although now resting upon a solid foundation, and having been for a long time in a very prosperous condition, its earlier years were marked by some pretty severe struggles for existence, but severe as these struggles were the paper, in comparison with nearly all other Southern newspapers of that period, was quite successful. In the first fourteen years of its history, there were several comparatively unimportant changes in its proprietorship, but Mr. Cooper continued to hold the controlling interest in it until 1864, when his connection with it ceased. It proved to be a very poor investment for the new proprietors, who were forced to abandon it when the city was occupied by Gen. Sherman.

Another paper was established by S. W. Mason & Co. under the title of the News and Herald. It was published in the office of the Morning News and with part of its material. It was issued under that name until 1868, when it became the Morning News, the present proprietor of the Morning News making the change. He had purchased an interest in the paper in 1867, and in a year acquired the entire property by purchasing the interest of his partner, Mr. Mason.

Since 1868 no expense has been spared to place the Morning News among the leading newspapers of the country. It has been devoted to building up the South, and especially that part of it which is tributary to Savannah. It has always been prompt in adopting improvements calculated to make it more acceptable to its patrons and to increase its value to them. In its mechanical appliances it has never failed to lead its Southern contemporaries. It was among the first of them to use the power press and a steam engine. Later it was the pioneer in introducing the addressing machine used in mailing papers, and also the folding machine. It was the first paper in the South to adopt the method of publishing from stereotyped plates. The Morning News printing house is now the largest establishment of the kind south of the Ohio river. There are a few larger establishments in the North, but they are found only in the great cities. While reaching the highest degree of efficiency in its mechanical department the Morning News has not neglected its news columns. It has maintained its reputation for satisfying the demand for the latest and most reliable intelligence about all matters of importance.

The Morning News has seen Savannah grow from a little seaport to a large and prosperous city. As it is now one of the leading newspapers of the country so Savannah is one of the leading commercial cities of the world, and there is satisfaction in the thought that the paper has contributed as much to the city's prosperity as the city has to the paper's success.

The Morning News has done its full share toward bringing business for itself, as well as for others, to Savannah. For several years its representatives have solicited in distant cities business for its different departments, in which many of Savannah's citizens earn a support, and while it has done this, it has largely increased the trade of the city by making known in localities where other cities were better known, Savannah's advantages.

Savannah and the Morning News enter upon this year with bright prospects. The past of Savannah can be pointed to with pride and her future can be contemplated with pleasure. With harmony among her people, and an earnest desire on their part to advance her interests, there is no reason why this should not be the most prosperous year in her history. The Morning News proposes to do its full share, and more, toward making 1888 a notable one in the city's history. Let every citizen be influenced by the same purpose.

The Morning News and Savannah.

In the 38 years of its existence the Morning News has had its "ups and downs," but for a good many years it has had nearly all "ups." It is not egotistical to affirm that the Morning News is one of the institutions of Savannah, and has done its full share toward making the city what it is, and that it expects to have a great deal to do with what it is to be.

It is not only a newspaper, the reputation of which is a credit to the city, but it is an immense manufacturing establishment supporting, including those who are dependent upon its employes, 400 people. Outside of the railroads and cotton factories no other establishment in the State probably has so many persons dependent upon it. It is such establishments as it is that build up cities. They furnish employment to wage-earners, who distribute their money through all the branches of retail business, and make it possible for others to earn a living.

The present year has opened well with the Morning News, and it hopes that it will be a more successful one than any previous year of its existence. It proposes to use every endeavor to increase its business, and it asks its friends to do all they can to help it make the year 1888 the best of its thirty-nine years. Whatever helps the Morning News helps Savannah, and whatever helps Savannah is pretty certain to help the Morning News.