[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  TENNESSEE'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER SALUTED

                                 ______


                           HON. DON SUNDQUIST

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 2, 1994

  Mr. SUNDQUIST. Mr. Speaker, while this House stood in recess 
Tennessee's oldest newspaper, the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, marked 
its 185th anniversary. I rise to ask that my colleagues join me in 
extending the congratulations of this body to my friend, Gene Washer, 
the Leaf-Chronicle's publisher; and to my friend Bob Atkins of 
Multimedia, Inc., which owns the newspaper; and to all whose work has 
made the newspaper not only the oldest in Tennessee, but also one of 
the most honored.
  Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. The newspaper, 
founded in 1808 as the Clarksville Chronicle, has written on its pages 
the history of a community which has grown to be Tennessee's fifth-
largest city. One finds it all here--the great fires that struck the 
largely wooden buildings of the early downtown district, the great 
floods that inundated the city before TVA controlled the Cumberland 
River, the arrival during World War II of the military post that would 
grow to become Fort Campbell.
  The Leaf-Chronicle also gave its readers a window on the world, 
covering in detail the presidencies of the three Tennesseans who rose 
to the Nation's highest office and the heroism of ordinary citizens who 
took up arms for their country in conflicts around the world.
  The newspaper broadened its reach as it grew. In 1890, it merged with 
the Tobacco Leaf and extended its circulation area into nearby 
Kentucky. In this century, it has become a paper of regional reach and 
influence, and the flagship newspaper of the Multimedia group of the 
newspapers in Tennessee.
  The late Walter Lippman's description of a newspaper's role, I 
believe, aptly applies to Leaf-Chronicle and to the women and men who 
have made it--and who preserve it today--as a paper of record. Said 
Lippman:

       We make it our business to find out what is going on, under 
     the surface and beyond the horizon; to infer, to deduce, to 
     imagine and to guess what is going on inside--and what this 
     meant yesterday and what it could mean tomorrow. In this way 
     we do what every sovereign citizen is supposed to do for 
     himself. This is our job. It is no mean calling, and we have 
     the right to be proud of it and to be glad that is our work.

  That is the attitude I have always found present in those who publish 
and produce the Leaf-Chronicle. I am proud to join in saluting the 
185th anniversary of this fine newspaper, and I ask that the following 
article, detailing the Leaf-Chronicle's history, be reprinted in the 
Congressional Record.

        [From the Clarksville (TN) Leaf-Chronicle, Dec. 3, 1993]

      A Mirror of the World--The Leaf-Chronicle Dates Back to 1808

                           (By Jimmy Settle)

       Tennesee's oldest newspaper--today called the Leaf-
     Chronicle--has mirrored the most significant events in 
     Clarksville, Tenn., the United States and the world 
     throughout the greater part of this country's history.
       The founding of the Clarksville Chronicle around 1808 is 
     credited to George Crutcher and William Kendall.
       Crutcher is thought to have been the son of Anthony 
     Crutcher, who had been the city clerk of Clarksville in 1795. 
     Little is known concerning the operation of the paper in its 
     earliest years.
       Francis Richardson was the owner and publisher in 1828.
       During part of the period that Richardson operated his 
     paper it was edited by Judge W.W. Overton.
       No issues of the Chronicle under the management of 
     Richardson have been found, but several issues of the paper 
     under the management of E.P. McGinty are available in the 
     period from March 28, 1839, to Aug. 13, 1840.
       Between 1840 and 1857 the title of the newspaper was 
     changed from the Clarksville Chronicle to The Weekly 
     Clarksville Chronicle.
       Early in 1857 J.A. Grant bought from R.W. Thomas the entire 
     facilities of The Weekly Clarksville Chronicle. Then, on Oct. 
     1, 1857, J.S. Neblett bought a half-interest from J.A. Grant.
       When a newspaper transferred to new ownership, new 
     management generally considered it necessary to make a 
     statement to the reading public regarding the policies of the 
     paper.
       Policies were often expressed in the form of slogans which 
     would appear in the newspaper for long periods of time.
       The oldest statement found in the Clarksville newspapers 
     between 1808 to 1857 was in the oldest available issue of The 
     Weekly Chronicle, dated Feb. 18, 1818. The statement was 
     published on the occasion of the transfer of the newspaper's 
     ownership from Wells and Peebles to the individual ownership 
     of Burrel H. Peebles.
       It read, ``The business in the future will be carried on by 
     Burrel H. Peebles who will continue the newspaper and job 
     printing with neatness and accuracy.''
       The available issues of the Clarksville Chronicle contained 
     no specific statements or objectives, however, all of the 
     issues from March 28, 1839, to Aug. 13, 1840, bore a slogan. 
     Composed in Latin, it read, ``Nimium Altereande Veritas 
     Amittitur,'' which translated, meant, ``By arguing too much, 
     truth is lost.''
       Early Clarksville newspapers were printed on paper made 
     from linen or cotton cloth rags.
       The standard page size of the newspapers from 1818 to 1820 
     was 14 inches wide and 22 inches long with five columns to 
     each page. (By the 1950s, The Leaf-Chronicle pages were 17 
     inches wide and 23 inches long with nine columns to each 
     page).
       From 1808 to 1857, the standard number of pages in the 
     newspaper was four.
       Major sources of income for the paper in the early years 
     were circulation subscriptions; printing and publishing for 
     federal, state and local governments; advertising; paid 
     political announcements; and special personal announcements.
       The editorial writing in the Clarksville paper and 
     selection of material from other newspapers was often in 
     accordance with a firmly established editorial policy.
       From 1818 to 1820 the paper showed little partisan 
     political policy. Then, it changed.
       The Clarksville Chronicle of 1839-1840 was outspoken in its 
     support of the Whig Party. It had grown up in opposition to 
     Andrew Jackson and was strong in some sections of Tennessee.
       There were few changes in the editorial staff from 1858 to 
     1877. R.W. Thomas was political editor until the Chronicle 
     suspended operations in February 1862 amid Union occupation 
     of Fort Donelson and Clarksville during the Civil War.
       When the paper resumed operations in 1865, J.S. Neblett and 
     J.A. Grant acted as publishers and editors until Thomas 
     resumed the position of senior editor in September 1865.
       Dr. Daniel F. Wright became senior editor of the chronicle 
     in May 1876. He was a native of England and had come to the 
     United States in 1838. He had been a surgeon in the 
     Confederate Army during the Civil War, and had previously 
     edited a medical journal.
       From 1858 to 1877, the Clarksville Chronicle went through 
     significant changes in format and general presentation of the 
     news. Many of the changes were caused by the great social and 
     economic upheaval before, during and following the Civil War. 
     As the economic situation changed, the Chronicle modified its 
     operations to meet the new conditions, making it a durable 
     newspaper.
       During most of the period the newspaper was continued as a 
     regular four-page weekly journal.
       News and advertising became difficult to procure in the 
     early years of the Civil War. The scarcity of newsprint and 
     other materials, and labor, forced the suspension of 
     operations in February 1862.
       In the last issue before that occurred, the paper made an 
     effort to report the events transpiring at Fort Henry and 
     Fort Donelson.
       This final policy statement was published: ``Let every man 
     be calm, firm, fearless and leave panics to cowards. Our 
     cause is just, our trust is in God, and we will prevail!''
       Financial difficulties within the newspaper compounded 
     until by 1861, it announced that it had operated at a 
     financial loss. During part of that period, the newspaper 
     even accepted flour, meal, bacon, firewood or vegetables as 
     payment for subscriptions or advertising.
       When the paper resumed operations in 1865 it was published 
     on smaller pages which were 22 inches long and 17 inches 
     wide. After a few months it was increased to a standard pre-
     war four-page size and dimensions, having been a two-page 
     paper for a time.
       Among the Clarksville Chronicle's competing newspapers by 
     1869 was the Tobacco Leaf. It was edited and published by 
     M.V. Ingram and H.M. Doak.
       As the name indicated, the Tobacco Leaf considered itself 
     to be the true representative of the tobacco business in 
     Clarksville and Montgomery County. Thus was created one of 
     the most heated newspaper rivalries in Clarksville's history.
       After its stint of supporting the Whig Party, the 
     Clarksville Chronicle had for a time thrown its support 
     behind the American or Know Nothing Party, which never became 
     a strong national organization.
       The Chronicle supported conservative political policies 
     throughout the eventful period of 1858-1877.
       After resuming operations in 1865, the Chronicle strongly 
     supported policies of the defeated South and criticized 
     Washington, D.C. The newspaper pursued its policy despite the 
     fact that Southern states were still under Union military 
     occupation.
       As a result of an editorial published Sept. 8, 1865, which 
     was fiery and critical of the Union armies, Neblett and Grant 
     were arrested and taken to Murfreesboro for a hearing before 
     military authorities. At that time the Chronicle was ordered 
     to suspend all publication, but the suspension was 
     immediately lifted.
       The newspaper's criticism during the Reconstruction Period 
     slackened. Neblett and Grant were ordered by Union forces in 
     Middle Tennessee to use more discretion in the Chronicle's 
     editorial content.
       Even before the Civil War came to Tennessee the Clarksville 
     Chronicle operated as a reporter of war news.
       It was serious in what it believed to be its duty to inform 
     its readers on the progress in the War Between the States, 
     but it was not content to stop there. The newspaper also 
     assumed that it had the responsibility of motivating its 
     readers to come to the aid of the Southern cause. It even 
     tried, through its Kentucky circulation, to convince the 
     people in the neighboring state that they should secede and 
     join the Confederacy.
       Following the Civil War, a series of management changes 
     came at the Clarksville Chronicle.
       Grant was the first to give up as a partner in the 
     ownership.; He sold his half interest to W.P. Titus in 1878. 
     Titus and Neblett were designated as publishers and D.F. 
     Wright was retained as senior editor.
       In 1885, Neblett sold out to Titus due to failing health.
       D.F. Wright had become senior editor of the newspaper in 
     1876, and continued there until 1877. He resigned in 1881 to 
     resume his medical practice in Clarksville.
       By 1883, R.H. Yancey had become editor for a brief period, 
     followed in 1886 by Frank N. Duffy, W.J. Broadus in 1887, and 
     later that same year, T.O. Hall.
       One of the most significant developments in the newspaper's 
     history in the late 1800s came when the Clarksville Chronicle 
     merged with the Clarksville Tobacco Leaf.
       By 1881, M.V. Ingram and Clay Stacker, owners of the 
     Tobacco Leaf, sold out to W.O. Brandon and W.W. Barksdale.
       In 1878, one of the greatest fires in Clarksville's history 
     occurred. A third of the town was burned including the 
     Tobacco Leaf's facilities.
       The Clarksville Chronicle shared its presses with the 
     Tobacco Leaf during that period.
       On March 6, 1890, Brandon and Barksdale of the Tobacco Leaf 
     purchased the Clarksville Chronicle. The new newspaper was 
     called the Clarksville Tobacco Leaf Chronicle. The bulk of 
     the Chronicle's circulation had been south of the Cumberland 
     River, while the Tobacco Leaf was read north of the river and 
     in Kentucky.
       The newly formed newspaper was edited by Barksdale and 
     Ingram was assistant editor.
       The newspaper formed by the merger remained in continuous 
     operation with few title and ownership changes through much 
     of the 20th century, and was the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle 
     until the late 1970s when it became The Leaf-Chronicle, 
     recognizing its broader regional circulation.
       The Tobacco Leaf had operated as a weekly newspaper for 
     many years, until 1883, when it was increased to a semi-
     weekly publication which it continued as until the merger.
       In January 1886, the Clarksville Chronicle began publishing 
     a daily paper called the Evening Chronicle along with its 
     Clarksville Weekly Chronicle.
       News coverage and content began to increase in the late 
     1800s. In addition to local, regional, national and 
     international news, sports news increased along with farm 
     news, weather, society and personal news and newspaper 
     comics.
       After the two papers merged in 1890 the publication 
     schedule included the Evening Tobacco Lead-Chronicle which 
     was issued daily except Sundays, and the semi-weekly Tobacco 
     Leaf-Chronicle, which was issued Tuesdays and Fridays.
       The period from 1914-1931 included a big war and the 
     beginning of the Great Depression, all covered by the 
     Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.
       Barksdale died in 1922 as editor and publisher. His wife 
     continued the operation of the newspaper until 1924.
       At that time, Edgar M. Foster bought the newspaper, after 
     having been associated with The Nashville Banner for 30 
     years. Just two years later, however, Foster, who was the son 
     of former U.S. Sen. E. H. Foster died.
       Then, his son, Stratton Foster became owner and president. 
     Frank Goodlett of Clarksbville became vice president and 
     general manager in 1927 and Foster returned to Nashville to 
     become advertising manager of the Nashville Tennessean while 
     still owning the Leaf-Chronicle Co.
       In 1924, the Leaf-Chronicle began publishing a special 
     Sunday edition, replacing its Saturday edition with it. The 
     Sunday newspaper included a magazine and a comics section, 
     and sometimes contained 40 pages. It wasn't until 1982 that 
     the Saturday edition reappeared.
       The next major management change came in 1940, when the 
     Leaf-Chronicle purchased the Clarksville Daily Star, which 
     was published until 1941.
       Goodlett resigned and returned to the insurance real estate 
     business.
       James E. Charlet was brought in to become vice president 
     and general manager, while Stanley Gower became executive 
     editor of both newspapers and Stratton continued as owner and 
     president.
       The political and editorial policy of The Leaf-Chronicle 
     had been Democratic since 1865. It supported the policies of 
     Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman.
       Also, the paper backed Democratic nominees during the 1948 
     and 1952 elections.
       World War II and the development of Camp Campbell (now Fort 
     Campbell) were just a cou0le of the major news events covered 
     in the local newspaper during the first half of the 20th 
     century.
       From 1932 to 1958, some of the business decisions of The 
     Leaf-Chronicle were unique in Tennessee newspaper history.
       A group of community weekly newspapers in Middle Tennessee, 
     owned and operated by The Leaf-Chronicle, was developed.
       Today that group still exists, and includes The News 
     Examiner in Gallatin, The Ashland City Times, The Robertson 
     County Times, The Dickson Herald, The Stewart-Houston Times, 
     The Nashville Record and the Hendersonville Star-News--all in 
     the fold of Middle Tennessee Publishing Co.
       Charlet ran the paper until 1978 when he relinquished 
     management to his son, Jim Jr.
       Charlet Jr. stepped down in September 1979, and Bob 
     Atkins--today publisher and chief executive officer of Middle 
     Tennessee Publishing Co and publisher of The News-Examiner--
     was general manager of The Leaf-Chronicle and ran the 
     newspaper in the interim.
       Luther Thigpen, who had been executive editor of The 
     Asheville, N.C., Citizen Times, became publisher in January 
     1980 and remained until January 1991.
       F. Gene Washer became the newspaper's 17th publisher at 
     that time, and remains at the helm today. He started his 
     newspaper career as a cub reporter in Clarksville in 1963, 
     working his way up to editor before moving to the business 
     side of the newspaper.
       Dee W. Boaz, who joined the newspaper in March 1983, a 
     month before it converted from an afternoon daily to a 
     morning publication, is editor. She had been editor of The 
     News Examiner.
       In 1974, The Leaf-Chronicle was purchased by Multimedia 
     Inc. of Greenville, S.C.
       Multimedia is a diversified media communications company 
     with four operating divisions. It publishes 11 daily and 49 
     nondaily newspapers, owns and operates five television and 
     eight radio stations and a video production company, operates 
     more than 100 cable television franchises in five states and 
     produces and syndicates quality television programming, 
     including Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jerry Springer 
     and Rush Limbaugh.
       According to Washer, the most significant change in the 
     paper from 1963 to today has been in the way it is produced.
       The Leaf-Chronicle helped pioneer the offset printing 
     process during that period, after having used the hot metal 
     production process whereby each letter in print was formed in 
     lead.
       Today, the newspaper is produced entirely by electronic 
     technology. Production software for the new method was 
     introduced at The Leaf-Chronicle and is now distributed 
     nationwide. The paper was also a test site for Microtek two 
     years ago. Color photography, charts and graphics have also 
     become an integral component of newspaper design.
       The company continues to modernize and employs an average 
     of 115 people in Clarksville.
       (Excerpts for this story were taken from earlier research 
     on The Leaf-Chronicle's history, done in 1957 by Dr. Lewis 
     Paul Hyatt of George Peabody College for Teachers.
       Also contributing was Leaf-Chronicle Publisher F. Gene 
     Washer.)

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