Digital Library

Original run: 1883 – 1945

Founded by Rev. William Wallace Farris (co-founder of the Union Academy High School) as a non-partisan, semi-religious paper; publisher and editor until 1886.

 

R. Lynn Minton joined The Talk in 1886 (graduate of Blackburn College, and once Acting President of the Southern Illinois Press Association), shifting the paper toward a secular view, and remaining politically neutral; proprietor and editor until his early death at the age of 29 on January 11th, 1896.

 

Edgar A. Davie, business manager at the time of Minton’s death, became owner and editor of The Talk for the next 49 years until his own death on Oct. 26, 1945.

 

Davie, like Minton, was a prominent member of Southern Illinois Press Association, elected as Acting President in 1901, and later one of 3 commissioners overseeing its reorganization in 1907. 

 

He frequently represented country newspapers, joining the press events held at the University of Illinois, such as the Better Community and Press Conference held at Illinois University in 1912, and the first annual Illinois Country Press event of 1916.

 

Quotes from his article “On Maintaining Subscribers,” published in the Dec 7th 1899 issue of Newspaperdom:

 

On the subject of advertising, “I am a firm believer in advertising, and I cover the local field thoroughly… I do not allow a fair, a big picnic or any other large gathering to pass without having reminded those present that: ‘If you read the Talk, you get the news; if you don’t, you don’t.'”

 

He attributes much of his success to maintaining a large number of correspondents both locally and in other counties, often furnishing stamps and stationary.  “Thus every nook and corner of this and adjoining counties is represented each week… A man living in a small-school neighborhood desires to know the happenings in his locality just as much as a city gentleman wants to know what has occurred in town.”

 

On the merits of hard work, he wrote: “I would advise my fellow publishers to first satisfy themselves by sending out the very best newspaper that can be produced for the price of subscription… No competitor will be able to do more than that, and few will be energetic enough to do as much.”

 

He was known for his common sense, even in what may seem to be small matters.  In one instance, recorded in The United States publisher, 1927 vol 5, a school principal sent in students’ grades to be publicized.  Davie refused to publish the names of students with low grades, knowing that many came from rural communities, having to work at home every waking hour outside of school.  He also pointed out that some of our greatest men and women were low graders.  “He argues that it is folly to think that printing the names of pupils making low grades spurs them to attain higher grades.  It shames them and their parents and accomplishes no good.”

 

After the death of Edgar A. Davie, The Talk was acquired by H. Clay Reppert, publisher of The Gazette-Democrat, which served the local Anna-Jonesboro community.  After the merge, the combined papers would become “The Gazette-Democrat and the Anna Talk.”