Dixie Roots: The New England Newspaper League

Frank Grader is "Advance Man"

This week, Francis H. Grader took me on an unexpected 10-week ride in a palatial train car!

In 1899, eleven prominent New England newspapers joined forces to tour the South and write about their findings. Their goal was to “show the advancement and unbounded resources and material progress of the South … to show its exact condition … to present accurate information concerning industrial conditions in the South from the merchant’s and the investor’s point of view.” After the tour, the group was to publish a 24-page Special Industrial Edition revealing their findings. C.F. King, the general manager of the league, said the edition would be “unprecedented and without parallel in the history of journalism.” Oy.

To match their lofty goals, the group traveled in style! Most of the articles began by mentioning the Wagner palace car they roughed-it in. The car boasted chandeliers, lush carpeting and came with a French chef, waiter, and porter. Then there was the royal treatment each city doled out upon their arrival. Most were determined to make the best possible impression; city commerce groups formed committees to arrange each moment of the league’s visit, which not only showed off their mines and factories but also their best restaurants and hotels. During a one-hour stop in Charlotte, the palace car was boarded by a “party of typical Southern belles” who presented Mr. King with a bouquet of violets.

Unlike many genealogical searches, the New England Newspaper League netted hundreds of 1899 newspaper articles. What it did not net, was their promised 24-page special edition report. Additionally, while I can follow much of their trip on the map, I’m unsure if Frank Grader took the same trip. As the “advance man,” Frank’s job was to visit each city ahead of the journalists to set things up. As such, it’s unknown if he was ever a passenger on the fancy Wagner car. I’m also unclear as to how Frank found himself in this position. He was born in Memphis, so his connection to the South is clear – but as a druggist, he isn’t a clear choice to work with the newspapers. Unfortunately, since the 1890 census was almost entirely lost in a fire in 1921, I can’t verify his profession leading up to 1899.