The
people who started newspapers on the frontier weren’t a lot different from others
who of that time and place. They were an independent and outspoken lot, generally
not afraid to “settle the matter in cowhide” as one editor put it.
The
most creative writing in the paper could usually be found in the column inches
devoted to besmirching the name of the rival editor. Here’s a good example from
the Eastland Review of May 17, 1878: “Boil down two or three curs and pour them
in a mold the shape of a monkey. Take out as soon as cold, and you will have an
animal similar in smell, form and substance to the editor of the Comanche Chief.”
Someone
saying such a thing today would probably be drafted to run somebody’s political
campaign. Some of the early feuds, in fact, were based on such partisanship. Sam
Houston put his own “folksy touch” to Thomas “Ramrod” Johnson’s editorials
which were devoted to vigorously defending Houston
from attacks by other editors.
Two
of the best and best-known newspaper editors in early day Texas
were Edgar Rye and George Robson, two men of similar temperament
but different opinions. They waged a war of words for years, though the issue
that sparked the feud is not clear and may never have been. That was the case
with most of the newspaper feuds of the day. In a lot of cases, the feud was simply
a matter of entertainment, which was a scarce commodity on the frontier.
The
dueling editors might initially cross swords – or pens, as the case may be – over
taxes, morality, religion or philosophy but the whole point of extending the feud
was to make the attacks as vile and personal as possible as soon as possible and
carry on the feud for as long as possible.
Other feuds were much more serious
and the dueling editors actually meant the vile and vicious items they published
about each other. Rye and Robson were apparently among those journalistic jousters
who really didn’t like each other very much. It’s too bad because both men brought
a lot to the rough-and-tumble world of frontier journalism in Texas.
Rye,
in addition to being an editor, was an attorney and Justice of the Peace. He also
painted signs, supervised construction crews and ran a soap factory. To illustrate
his stories he carved woodcuts with his pocket knife. Robson, nearly always called
Captain Robson, was one of the most influential newspaper editors in 19th Century.
Though he never owned any cows himself, he had a strong impact on the cattle industry
through his interest and support, which was of the unwavering variety.
Historian W.C. Holden described the timbre of the feud between Rye and Robson:
“Time and again Robson would relate something mean and despicable that Rye had
said about him or his newspaper, stoutly contending that in spite of all his foe
could say about him that he, Robson, would not be drawn into the controversy,
and then proceed forthwith to lambast Rye with all the fervor he could muster.”
Robson, a good friend of James C. Loving and other pioneer Texas cattlemen,
helped organize the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. He was
probably the first editor to use woodcuts to help ranchers find lost cows and
horses. The woodcuts had the cattleman’s brand and mark on them and down below
that the name of the cattleman, the location of his ranch, and post office address.
The frontier newspapers were free presses for the editors but not for others.
Local news was mostly paid for or it wasn’t considered news. When he wasn’t attacking
Rye, Robson saved some of his creative barbs for the “deadbeats” who expected
something to appear in the paper free of charge.
“Mold every mule the
government ever owned into one mule and make him all cheek, but it would be nothing
compared to the amount of brass cheek this bummer exhibits,” Robson wrote. “We
work for money. If you want the use of the columns of this paper, come down with
the dust.”
On this matter, the dueling frontier editors were in general
but near universal agreement.
© Clay
Coppedge January
3, 2013 Column
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