his own job-printing office. In a short time, his foreman, Wm. Macfarlane, and one of his boys, Jno. W. Fergusson, came in and handed him the first number of The Southern Literary Messenger, which the stitcher and binder had brought in late the evening before; and Thos. W. White examined, with pride and hope, the work which his enterprise and perseverance had inaugurated.
Of it he announced himself only as printer and proprietor, but spoke of engaging an editor. It was to be published twice a month at $5.00 a year, but its continuance was to depend upon its success. Each number was to contain 32 royal octavo pages, which were divided by a black line into two equal columns. On the first page, a brief "publisher's notice" introduces letters of commendation and encouragement from Washington Irving, J. K. Paulding, J. Fenimore Cooper, J. P. Kennedy, John Quincy Adams and Peter A. Browne, of whom Mr. Paulding and Mr. Browne were contributors to the first volume. Then comes an appparent contribution, entitled "Southern Literature," and signed H. This is really the initiatory editorial and was written by Mr. James E. Heath, who faithfully and disinterestedly performed the part of editor for nine numbers of the first volume and continued to be Mr. White's friend and adviser.
Mr. James E. Heath was a native of Virginia,
