HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 535 DeSoto to publish a paper called the DeSoto Fads. Just as in other cases it was discon- tinued after a time. In 1893 the Mitehim Publishing Company began to issue a paper which they called the Press. The editor was J. F. Mitehim, who was for a long time connected with news- paper enterprise in Southeast Missouri, edit- ing at various times a number of papers. The Press is still published and is edited by C. C. Mitehim, who became editor in 1906. It is a Democratic paper with a wide circulation and considerable influence. The only other paper now published at DeSoto is the Jefferson County Rcjnihlican, a Republican paper edited and published by W. E. Crow. The oldest and one of the most inflviential papers in Jefferson county is the Jefferson County Democrat at Hillsboro. It was estab- lished immediately after the war in 1865, and has been continuously published since that time. A family of newsp)aper men have been identified with this paper. The member of this family now in control is R. W. McMul- lin. Mr. McMullin has a wide acquaintance with Missouri history and has a valuable col- lection of historical material of various kinds. The Jefferson County "Record, also pub- lished at Hillsboro is the Republican rival of the Democrat. Its editor is John H. Reppy. Mr. Reppy is a practicing lawyer, but is a man of literary turn of mind, has a wide ac- quaintance with the history of the state and publishes a good paper. The Record is the successor of the New Era, which was estab- lished at Hillsboro in 1903 by the New Era Publishing Co. Festus, in Jefferson county, has two papers at the present. The Festus News is a Demo- cratic paper published by H. L. Marbary ; the Tri-City Independent is Republican in politics ?nd is published by W. P. Brent. For a number of years J. J. Wilson pub- lished a paper at Hillsboro, which he called the Jefferson County Crystal Mirror. It was a Republican paper and for a time received considerable support, but finally ceased to be issued. The first paper in Madison coimty was called the Espial. It was established in 1847 by James Lindsay, and was the first Free Soil paper in the state. Its publication ceased after a very short time. In 1885 the Fred- ericktowH Journal was established by W. H. Booth, but was discontinued in September, 1861, and no other paper was published in the town until after the close of the war. S. Henrj^ Smith established the Conservative in 1866, and sold the office to Charles E. BarroU two years later, who changed the name to the Bee. In a short time this paper was pur- chased by E. P. Caruthers, and in 1875 he combined it with the Plaindealer, which was established by William Gosner in 1874. J'rom 1876 to 1882 the paper was published by W. J. Collier. At a later date it passed into the control of 0. K. Clardy. The next paper established in Fredericktown was the Standard, the publication of which was be- gim in 1887 by E. D. Anthony. Among other papers which were published for a short time were the Jeffersonian, edited by H. M. Williams, the Farmer & Miner, by C. W. Dunifer, and the Clarion, by Perry D. Martin. A paper called the Advertiser was pub- lished at Mine LaMotte for a short time in 1877. The Fredericktown Democrat was estab- lished in 1893 by Geo. B. Pressgrove. It was later published by Pressgrove & Gale. About
