Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Directory and HistoryChapter IVA Famous Meeting and Excursion1890The twenty-fifth annual session of the Association was held at Peoria, February18, 19 and 20, 1890. On Tuesday evening in Rouse's Hall, President Owen Scott ofthe Bloomington Bulletin called to order a membership larger than that at any previousopening meeting. Charles Clark, Mayor of Peoria, briefly welcomed the Association andthe President responded.The Honorable Edwin W. Stephens of the Herald, Columbia, Missouri, Presidentof the Missouri Press Association and third Vice President of the National EditorialAssociation, addressed the meeting briefly and the courtesies of the floor were extendedto him.The President's address and several other papers were devoted to the history ofjournalism and the Press Association in Illinois, in view of the anniversary character ofthe twenty-fifth annual meeting. The papers on this general topic were as follows:"Development of Job Work," by James L. Lee of the Chicago Album; by J. M. Davidsonof the Carthage Republican, on "Moral Progress in Journalism"; "Advancement ofLocal Journalism," by F. Y. Hedley of the Bunker Hill Gazette was read by J. J.Pennyof the Pinckneyville Democrat; George W. Harper of the Robinson Argus on thegeneral topic of "Twenty-Five Years of Journalism in Illinois."Letters were read from former members of the Association now residing in otherStates, who were unable to attend this anniversary meeting, to-wit: H. M. Kimball,St. Paul, Minnesota, formerly of the Carlinville Democrat; Fred L. Alles, Los Angeles,California, formerly of the Pontiac Sentinel; Cadet Taylor, Omaha, Nebraska, formerlyof the Wenona Index; W. L. Glessner, Americus, Georgia, formerly of the ClintonRegister, and from Boll and Clark, Red Oak, Iowa, both formerly of the Greenville Sun.The last mentioned letter contained an interesting excerpt on newspapers in Iowa:The bulk of home advertising is quite large in Iowa towns, as a rule.So, too, the circulation of the average Iowa county paper is quite large. Butthey are in the main pay-as-you-please subscribers, although a very fair average ofthem please to pay you at one time or another. The cash in advance system isgrowing in favor, and in time will be the rule rather than the exception.Country newspaper property sells for more money in Iowa, we believe, thanin Illinois. We have in mind one country paper, with a fairly good outfit, in acounty seat of some 4,000 population, a party paper of course, that sold for$12,000. And sales at $8,000, $6,000, or $5,000 are common. The Iowa countryprinting office is usually pretty well fitted out. It is comparatively rare now tofind a hand press in a county seat town. Most of the county seat papers havepower presses, and many have steam.President Owen Scott announced the committee on job printing specimens asJ. W. Clinton, Polo Press; L. A. McLean, Urbana Herald; W. L. Jones, Lebanon Journal.They were instructed to procure specimens of job printing from the members of theAssociation to be presented at the next meeting.