Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, April 15, 1914, Page 8

TWO WHO HAVE WORKED SOME (HIW THE TELEGRAM MRS, M. F. HETHERINGTON In all the processes of building up the business and reputation of | the Evenmg Telesram and Lake- | land News, the constant, unfail- ing and capable efforts of Mrs. Hetherington have played a part no less important than that of her husband. In every depart- ment her assistance has been in- valuable, and she has every de- tail of the business at her fingers’ ends, even to a thorough under- standing of how the mechanical processes should be performed. At times, when the proprietor Lias been absent tor weeks, she has carried on the business and managed every detail, from writ- ing the editorials to supervising the typographncal make-up of the various papers. She knows what to print, and what 1s more important still, what not to print. She has brought into the busi- ness not only rare newspaper talent but that enthusiasm to the M. F. HETHERINGTON institution and love for her work which is so essential to success, and which cannot be purchased, no matter what money consider- ation one might offer. To her untiring and efficient work 1s due, fully as much as to the proprietor’s efforts, whatever of success has been accomplished. In addition to her regular work, Mrs. Hetherington finds time to fill most acceptably the position of correspondent for the Tampa Tribune, also the Jack- sonville Times-Union, besides other newspaper work. Mrs. Hetherington is the daughter of the late Dr. J. L. DeRieux, Lakeland’s first resi- dent physician. She bears the distinction of being the second child born in this community— which does not make her ancient as this may sound. Lake- land having just celebrated thirticth birthday-. as its | A PICTURE THAT TELLS A STORY GANE UP FROM SMALL BEGINNING Today while hundreds of visit- ors are thronging the handsome new building and admiring the up-to-date plant of the Evening Telegram, it may not be amiss to briefly review the evolution of this enterprise, from a single stand of type and a little “negro power” press to its present pro- portions. This evolution, while considerable, is the result of only cicht years of tireless and well directed labor. In September, 1903, M. F. !Hetherington arrived in ILake- land to take charge of the Lake- land News office, which had been purchased by him (three-fourths on credit) while he was in Ken- tucky. Sickness and misfortune had reduced his resources almost to the last dollar; but with con- fidence in the future of Lakeland, ihe took hold of the little enter- prise with energy and enthus- liasm, refusing an offer of a sal- aried position which paid more than the gross receipts of the iLusiness at that time. He felt Ithat Lakeland was destined to grow, and that he could assist its growth with the newspaper, at the same time making his business grow with the town. The desire to be a builder and a hooster—to help in building up a splendid little city, and inci- dentally a creditable business— caused him to forego present ad- vantage for future prospects; and, as stated, he refused attrac- tive offers of a good living, with- {out risk or investment, to put his little all in the humble, one-man business of the Lakeland News. There wasn’t so much of Lake- land in those days, and there was mighty little of the Lake- land News. The paper was a little four-page weekly, with = circulation 500 of less than —— %*‘5’""5“? PPPRPREROR RS Lo 0 Las s 8 s 3 &3 efosfosfosoofordofogrdnge o B RS 52 e G o Boegecg e Bl B B g oo BredriSad time the hours of labor were ex: tended far into the night, and scmetimes the morning sun came streaming in the windows before| he ceased work long enough to ¢o home to breakfast, to return wt once and begin another day. There's a good deal of work about a newspaper, even a small cne, particularly when there is but one person to do it. And if one makes even a moderate suc- cess of anything in this life, one must may the price. The business grew steadily, and in 1907 a new press Lought and an addition was built to the one room in the Kentucky Building which up to that time housed the plant. Later this ad- dition was extended, making in- creased space of about 50x20 teet, and soon thereafter it be- was | Gl THE SOHETHN 40T TELEGRAN WORRERS It is doubtful if any newspaper husiness in the country of sim- ilar magnitude is conducted with few clerical, reportorial and | editorial workers as that of the Evening Telegram. All the lwork of editing the paper—writ- mg the articles, preparing the copy, ete.—reading the proofs, attending to correspondence, |1ookkeeping and collecting—all i« done by Mr. and Mrs, Hether- fmgton, Mr., Dixon and Miss Helen Hobbs—these four, no more. Each of these do the work that usually requires two or |more persons—and we are vain s came necessary to secure a suite! enough to believe it is done bet- PLANT AND “FORCE’ THE The picture presented above tells better than language the progress that has been made since it was taken in February, 1907. Then all the equipment of this printing plant consisted of | one stand of type, and a small hand press, which was operated by negro power to print the pa- per once a week. Qoseseceocdededdesdedodrsbecdedrdipiddodo b ds ool o Moo O BB P G PBb PP Db L A A A PEPPPERPPEEDPLPPPPE PRERRPPPPE Db (D) oo o o o oo ool o ool The force, as ! Building. ® Painting and For satisfactory Work in this line see Him copies, and a very meager adver- tising patronage. The “force” consisted of the editor and an aged printer, partially paralyzed, who could set a little straight type. Outside of the assistance rendered by this old gentleman, the editor set all the type, includ- ing the advertisements, made up the paper—i. e, put the type in proper position in the forms, and put the latter on the press. Then { e would go out and with much sdifficulty secure a negro to fur nish the motive power—accom- tpanied by odoriferous “steam”— o turn the press and print the edition. The editor folded the papers by hand, wrote the sub- seribers’ names on the margins, and carried the issue to the post- office. In spare times he did such job printing as the town re- 7(;uircd. | These were busy days, and as we look back on them, not un- happy ones, though there were times when it ran us very ciose little son; and Mr. R. A. Daniel, to raise the weekly I"‘l.‘{‘lf'“": an aged and partially paralyzed Amounting to some--§0.00! J;‘.\ printer, since deceased. All the!? day the writer would go to the business was transacted and all case and set type all day with- v el | out “copy’—setting up editorial Lie Dankey h s ame(' In one . .d local matter, and thus saving small room in the Kentucky the time it would have required "to write the articles. Many a " SEVEN YEARS (AGO shown in the picture, consisted of the editor and man-of-all-work, Mr. Hetherington; the latter’s The . Finishing on this Building DONE BY V. S. COBB () b & 5 : 3, Soet Bocedoetdy o Goedo oo e of rooms on the second floor to ter than in many instances where accommodate the job printing twice the number of people Lusiness. The constant trouble sweat over it. Miss Hobbs is with the business for several|the bookkeeper, and ntakes an years was lack of room and in- were particularly considered planning the present home of the plant. —_—0 WAL M. HETHERINGTON, Who will enter the Business De- partment of the paper, and is expected in time to succeed his father in the man- agement Young Mr. Hetherington will graduate from the Lakeland High School next month, with He is president of this year's grad- vating class; president of the Rho Sigma Literary Society; and is Editor-in-chief of The Crescent, the High School paper. He has given indicatons of mark- ed ability in both business and very satisfactory standing. iterary lines, and his friends pre- dict for him a successful career in journalistic work, P WS The chief reason for whatever ot usccess comes to this paper is its absolute fairness to every interest and to every individual. Regardless of any personal feeling, or of the attitude of any person or institution towards us, that person or institu- tion always gets a fair deal at our hands. The paper is conducted on lines of impartiality ang strict jus tice to all, keeping always para- mount the general good of the com- munity. And there is not a man in Lakeland or vicinity who, whether he admits it or not, does not know in his heart that these things are true. sufticient light, and these things! "exeellent office assistant, There being no picture extant of Uncle Joe Dixon, we are un- uble to present his likeness to our readers, but they have doubt- icss formed some conception of the manner of man he is from reading the brilliant paragraphs | which reflect his kindly personal- ity and sunny philosophy, Every newspaper man in Florida knows rial as soon as the best of us ) give our para- a Dixonesque turn, al- the results are not al- I we could wish. Mr. 1as done much to make ning Telegram one of the piously quoted of Florida ers, writing always from sane and temperate standpoint, and expressing himself in choice, scholarly English. There is but cne Uncle Joe, and the Telegram 1s proud that he is on its staff. o Joe Dixon edi reac aré am graphs though wavs a ixon the Eve {Mmost co newspa § 1t} anc itious to ~ 1i¢ | The job department of the !iukclnml News and Evening Iplegmm is in charge of Mr, G. J. Williams one of the most accomplished printers in the country. Mr. Williams has been with the institution for the |1m>t SIX vears, and has contrib- uted largely to its success not only by his ability, but by réason of the conscientious and pains- taking interest he has always taken in his work. He is ofié of the bulwarks on which the Telegram rests its prospects with confidence, for he has been rleitetll by time and never found wanting, The Telegram employs the be]st help it can secure, and the 1e ations between the I ploved and the more kindly and tLose existing he rloyers ) eople em- Institution are pleasant than tween most em- and employes. Most of the people working on the pap;r Ii'u\‘(‘ been 0 emploved for a long time, and they are 'snti\‘ficd \\'itfi their situations and loyal to the establishment, 5 —_— HTI}Q linotypes are operated by = L. Cullet and Ernest Coyle, o1 competent workmen. The f:mt named, whg is now with us for his third vear was for many Years an operator on the \.Iii- Waukee Journal, and he js one of the most rapid and accurate ma- o s s EapoiiiEateEEsiid EBIMRIRIRIbEL, Fleirical FIXIUre In this Building Installed by T. 1. CARDWEL Eelectrical Supplies and Elec- trical Work of all Kinds chine men in the country Yarbrough “makes up“'zh;, gram—i. e, places the g the forms, and arrange pages, and also assisgs a1 the advertisements, J Llood, who has been with { fice since he was a boy in trousers, makes up the tian |Advocate, and some { other papers issued o plant. Wm. Boyle and Keen are accomplishe men, and Ervin Wyatt js dependable job pressmg Whelpley assists in g the folding machine ang mailing department, [n{ ter young ladies are emply do a large part of the wof there are also other emply various capacities. Iy The contract for the of the Telegram building last September to Mars e Sanders, of this city, wh the lowest bid of severl mitted. Only local cont were censidered in letting contract, the owner of the ing believing in and prf the principle of patrong home industry, ‘and reiu consider the propositions side builders. The contract was ¢ by this firm in a mos tory manner, and those if ton to know declare material used thr the construction gu hrst-class in every pur solid foundation, and excellent make the Telegram | substantial and permanc vertisement for the cont TAMPA’S MAYOR SENDS GREE Tampa, Fla., April 13, Mr. M. F. Hethedington Lakeland, Fl Dear Sir: I have a copy of your tion to attend the forma ing of the new Telegram ing and the plant. ¢ that it will give me m ure to be present, if it ! ble, but in the event that not avail myself of this lege, I desire to extend my hearty congratulation best wishes for your ¢4 prosperity. I regard yoU of the real builders of Florida. Respectivlly: D. B. Mc Mayor of ] This paper is not (I Ing or growing. With the people of Lakeland I manifested towards it and which it will try © ©°F deserve, the proprietors ning still bigger and for the paper and for Lake creased telegraphic s Web Perfecting press of class, are some of the we are working to. FV business earns goes ba improvements, which Lakeland. Help us W ronage in our efforts while things for oursel'®® you.