Page 90 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

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JEFFERSON COUNTY.

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iPress Eagle, Pine Bluff, is a native of that city, and ever increasing circulation, and the profib

and was born on November 1, 1859. His palwnts , thereof have made him independent of his news-
removed from Virginia to Arkansas in 1852, and for paper business. Mr. Mumay, by jndicions in-
some years prior and subseqnent to the Civil War, vestmeute in this rapidly developing city has awu.

/the father. Judge John C. Morray, was judge of mulated about $86,000 worth of prodnative r e d

the Eleventh judicial circuit, and one of the lead- estate, and is probably in better financial wndition

Iing lawyers of the State. The eldest brother of thanany other newspaper manin the State. I n per-

Mr. Murray was a West Point cadet and Confeder. I sonal appearance he is above the medium height and

/ate soldier, who was killed at the battle of Atlanta, well proportioned, and his countenance indicates

Us. I n the closing year of the Civil War, two the quiet determination and strength of character

days prior to his death, Col. Edward Murray had I that overcnme the disadvantages of poverty and

r m i v e d a commission as brigadier-general and was lack of education, and made him one of the repre-

the yonngest officerof that rank in the Confederate sentative citizens of the metropolis of Southeast

IIservice, being only twenty-two years old when Arkansas.

killed. Judge Murray dying in 1868, his son Archibald Niven, a prominent planter and er-
Arthur was thrown upon his own resources at a county clerk of Jefferson Couuty,was born in Anson

Ivery early age, and wasdeprived of evenacommon County, N. C., in December, 1829, and is a sou of

rho01 education. For several yearn he snpportd Duncan and Flora (McDougal.1)Niven, both nativw

1his widowed mother by peddling fruit upon the of Highland Scotland, and married in that country.

strrt., and when twelve y a old e n h d the old Thaparenta left Swtland and sailed for America in
press office (tbat paper then being edited by Col. ' 1819,locating in Anabn County, N.C., on their arri-

Wyatt Thomas) as "devil" or officeboy. Young I val in this conntry. The father commeneed farm-

Murray mastered all departments of the printer's ing and made this place his permanent home until
art, and within eight yenrs from the time he tirat his denth in 1863. The mother died previously, in
entered the office, was a part owner and sole editor : 1866. They were the parents of seven children,

Iof the paper, which had in the meantime beencon- of whom four are yet living, Archibald being the

nected with the Eagle. Later on he purchased his : youngest. He was reared and iustrueted to the
partner's interest, and since 1883 Mr. Murray, I duties of farm life in his youth, and when looking

Ihas published and edited The Press Eagle u r n - I out for an occupation of his own, naturally turned

ist ten and with unusnal success. Hi8 journalistic to what he was moat adapted for, and has followed
career has been somewhat eventful, as he is a fear- that calling with success all his life. He was
less wfiter. and has a faculty of attackiiglocal and deed to the legislatore of North Carolina, and

political abuses in so vigorous a manner as to make I served two terms while residing in Anson County,

him many enemies among the c o m p t classes. and also held other civil offices, and for a few

He has often been attaoked upon the street for : years engaged in merchandising at tbat place. I n

foiling the disreputable schemes of some designing 1869 he came to Arkansas and settled in Jefferson

(mountebank or politician, but in each encounter of County, locating at Pine Bluff for a short period.

this kind he has preserved his honor and his life, He then moved to his present farm in Niven
though he has been callednpon t o exchangeleaden Township, that place being set out in 1879, and
missiles at short range luore than once. I n South. being named in Mr. Niven'a honor. He resided
east Arkansas it is now accepted as a fact that here for ten years and then moved to Pine Bluff,

Ieditor Murray is responsible for every expression of his present home. I n 1878 Mr. Niven was eleated

Ihis paper, and tbat while doing injustice to no one, county olerk, and held that office for six years,

he cannot he swerved from his convictions of right leaving his position to tbe sincerest regrets of the

- /and duty, or bemade to withdraw from any p i t i o n people he had served so well in that time. Mr.
he u u m e s aa a journalist. His paper bas a large Niven haw b a n dee.emvedly succeeahl iu his farm-

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