My apology to the lists. I've tried twice to send pt 2 to the 5 Aug 1926 news, and it never shows up. Four pages of text is the most Rootsweb seems to be able to handle in an email, so I will have to break this down into pts 2 & 3 and hope it comes through this time. Sorry. Kathy Bowlin The following are selected articles from a Newspaper titled, "The Higbee News" which was issued out of the town of Higbee, in Randolph County, Missouri from the years 1888 through 1953. The editors and owners were a wonderful man by the name of W. H. Welch and his son H. Scott Welch. This paper covered the Higbee area and also a great deal of the northeastern part of Howard county. It is because of my tremendous admiration for this father and son, that I am transcribing this paper and putting it in a more readable format, so that this work may again be brought to light, to entertain, and teach a whole new generation of the descendants of the inhabitants and neighbors of a little town called "Higbee." The copyright notice at the end of this transcript is there for the sole purpose of keeping this work free to the public, and to ensure that it is not harvested by a fee-based corporate genealogy site, or published in any format for profit. If you decide to use the information from this transcription, PLEASE LIST ME AS THE SOURCE, rather than the paper. My transcription is another generation removed from the microfilm, and would thus be a third generation copy of the original paper. I wouldn't want my own possible errors in transcription, blamed on the editors of the paper. For proper documentation, a researcher should obtain a photocopy of the microfilm for their own permanent records, and use my transcript as a guide or index. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan through the State Historical Society of Missouri, and a copy is also on file at the Moberly Public Library, generously donated by the Higbee Historical Society. When the Higbee Historical Society disbanded, their material was donated to the Randolph County Historical Society and is still available there. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 5 Aug 1926, Vol 40 No. 14, pg. 3 Col 1,2&3--THIS WEEK IN MISSOURI--Compiled by The State Historical Society of Missouri. Floyd Shoemaker, Secretary, Columbia, Mo.--Missouri is proud of the fact that the first English newspaper established west of the Mississippi river was within her borders. this was the Missouri Gazette founded in St. Louis in 1808. Some of the early newspapers existed only a year or two and changed hands during even that brief time. In view of these facts the history of the Palmyra Spectator is exceptional. It has been in existence since August 3, 1839; and, what is more extraordinary, has been under continuous management. It is widely known as "the oldest family newspaper in Missouri." Jacob Sosey, the founder of the paper, was born July 5, 1808, in Franklin county, Pa. After learning the printer's trade he served on the Adam County Sentinel, Gettysburg, Pa.; and then on the staff of the Staunton Spectator, Staunton, Va. In 1838, upon the invitation of citizens of Marion county, Missouri, he came to Marion county with the intention of establishing a newspaper at Palmyra, the county seat. After investigating the situation he decided that there was not sufficient demand for a paper in that locality. He then decided to buy a farm near Independence, Mo. But the citizens of Marion county were insistent and he returned to Palmyra, establishing the Missouri Whig and General Advertiser on August 3, 1839. It was a small paper with a long name. In a few years the name was shortened to The Missouri Whig. The columns were filled with accounts of the events in the East, happenings in St. Louis, numerous political articles, and "filler" consisting of stories and jokes. With the exception of one brief account of a death and marriage announcement the first issue of the paper contained no local news. The advertising consisted of the usual notices of that day--offerings of slaves, time tables of Mississippi and Missouri river boats, a few professional cards, and notices by local merchants. Owing to the scarcity of newspapers in that locality, many people in nearby counties sent their advertisements to Palmyra's newspaper. As it's name indicated, the Missouri Whig was Whig in politics. Palmyra was located in the center of one of the largest slave counties in the state and many of its citizens, as in Boone county, were adherents of the Whig party. Mr. Sosey was an ardent supporter of the party as long as any portion of it remained in existence. then he became strongly Democratic. It is interesting to note that during the trying period of the Civil War when many newspapers suspended publication, The Missouri Whig, with the exception of a few weeks, did not miss a publication. This is the more unusual when we recall that Marion county was the scene of much military activity and political controversy during the war, and that Mr. Sosey, although a Northerner by birth, was known to be a strong Southern sympathizer, and had two sons serving in the Confederate army. It was in Marion county that the unfortunate tragedy known as the "Palymra Massacre" took place, an event which is best described in the words of Lord Bacon: "War hath a multitude of cruelties and iniquities in its train, not easily to be told." Due to his ability and prudence Mr. Sosey was able to keep a neutral course and to weather the storms of war when many newspapers were foundering. Since the founding of the paper on August 3, 1839, up until the present time, the paper has been under the continuous management of the Sosey family. Jacob Sosey, the founder, was the manager of the paper from the date of its establishment until the time of his death in 1888. He was also editor of the paper during that time with the exception of a brief period from 1859 to 1863 when his son, Harper R. Sosey, was editor. Upon the son's death in 1863, the father resumed entire charge of the paper naming it The Palmyra Spectator. Mr. Sosey gained a distinction which few editors in the United States have had--he participated actively in twelve presidential elections. At the time of his death, having attained the age of 80 years, he was the oldest newspaper man in the state of Missouri. He belonged, with Col. W. B. Rogers, Col. J. West Goodwin and others, to that worthy class of men who choose "to wear out rather than rust out." In 1884, Frank H. Sosey, a son by a second marriage, became a member of the firm. On the father's death in 1888, the firm became Sosey Brothers, consisting of Frank H. and John M. Sosey, who are the present owners of the paper. Frank H., the senior member, is an active worker in politics. He was elected to the 43rd General Assembly, and was re-elected to the 44th, 45th and 46th Assemblies. While serving in this capacity he aided in sponsoring the good road movement in Missouri by introducing a constitutional amendment relative to the matter. During the years 1914-1922 he was United States appraiser at St. Louis. he is known in literary circles through his authorship of "Robert Devoy," a true story of the Palmyra massacre. Even during these years of political activity Mr. Sosey remained editor of the Spectator, writing his editorials regularly. The younger member of the firm, John M. Sosey, attends to the business management and mechanical end of the publication, thus making the partnership an ideal one. Through the efforts of the brothers the plant has been enlarged and made thoroughly modern. "The racks for handset type have been replaced by linotype machines. The old hand press is superseded by a heavy Babcock Optimus and large paper cutters take the place of an old shoe knife." All the machinery is run by electricity instead of "_____power." The paper has always been issued as a weekly but has grown from a six column, four page paper to a paper of six columns, twelve to twenty pages. Since Jacob Sosey realized that "the palest ink is better than the most retentive memory" complete files of the newspaper have been preserved. They may now be found in a fire-proof vault in the Palmyra court house. The paper in the old issues was made of pure rag and shows little sign of age at the present time. So neatly and carefully was the paper always prepared that, could Jacob Sosey now compare its early issues with a modern newspaper, he would still feel pride in his workmanship as a printer and his ability and integrity as a journalist. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright notice: All transcriptions in this email are copyrighted by their creator. They may not be reproduced on another site or on any printed or recorded media, CD, etc. without specific written permission from Kathy Bowlin. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which it is presented, transcriptions, notes & comments, etc. is. It is however, quite permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use only. Permission is granted to public libraries, and genealogical and historical societies to print and bind for the use of their patrons. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, comments welcome.