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282:, Alva M. Holbrook. He asked her to become literary editor of the newspaper. She accepted the job and in May 1872 married Holbrook, who was divorced and thirty-four years her senior. The marriage was unhappy. In a letter to her first lover she confided that Holbrook "never did, and never will" love her. A month after their marriage, Holbrook's first wife returned from New York and attacked her with a pistol and a bottle of rum. This was followed by a messy and protracted court battle.
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209:, Hancock, Mississippi, USA, on March 11, 1843 (as confirmed by several documents, including the 1850 census and the birth records of her sons). She was the third child of a prosperous family of five, with a busy father and a sickly mother. She is listed on the 1850 U.S. Census as living in Beat 2 of
321:
The visual appearance of the paper evolved. Advertising was moved out of column space and into boxes, which first appeared in June 1882. Before 1885 the paper rarely ran illustrations. By 1887 the pages were full of chalk plate drawings. The rakish and sophisticated
Weather Frog appeared in cartoons
285:
Holbrook died in bankruptcy in 1876 owing $ 80,000, a very large amount of money in those days. He left the newspaper to his young widow, which she continued to run. This was a courageous decision for a woman at that time. She had fallen in love with the business manager of the paper, a married man
317:
on March 16, 1879, the "Society Bee", was controversial. One reader wrote that it was "shabby", "shoddy" and "shameful" to mention the name of any lady in a newspaper. But by 1890 the column had become the largest section in the Sunday edition and was widely imitated.
325:
Under Rivers, the paper fought corruption, gave strong opinions on public works on the
Mississippi, supported railroad construction, advocated political changes and took other principled stands. But the paper reflected the views of its readers. It was hostile to the
388:
Rivers' early rhyming verse was mainly pastoral, with some poetry touching on love and heartbreak and, in retrospect, was not exceptional although it revealed a keen perception of nature. However, Dr. W.H. Holcomb, a scholarly critic at the time wrote of her book
49:
489:
Her more important work, however, was in journalism. Through vivid and entertaining prose she gave thoughtful and intelligent commentary on many of the issues of the day. Despite a lack of confidence in her abilities, she was a remarkable and discerning writer.
301:
that greatly increased circulation, making the paper one of the leading journals in the South. Among other changes, she added stories on women, sports reporting, children's pages, poetry, and literary stories. She also started a gossip column and hired
322:
from 13 January 1894, and the first political cartoon after her death on April 18, 1896. She changed the paper into a family newspaper, and, between 1880 and 1890, the circulation more than tripled while the paper grew in size and influence.
330:, publishing editorials in the 1890s in favor of disenfranchising negroes on the basis that they were "unfit to vote, ignorant, shiftless, depraved and criminal-minded", and would be controlled by a "ring" of white politicians. The
359:
A lover of animals, Rivers wrote editorials criticizing dog fighting and the beating of horses and mules. She was a driving force in launching the New
Orleans Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1888.
297:
George
Nicholson was a talented businessman who bought a 25% interest in the Daily Picayune and managed to pay down the debt and increase advertising revenue. Rivers introduced many innovations to
1033:
310:
as the newspaper's first salaried woman reporter. Under a pseudonym, Field wrote the popular "Catherine Cole's Letter" column and also contributed to a second column, "Women's World and Work".
179:; March 11, 1843 – February 15, 1896) was an American journalist and poet, and the first female editor of a major American newspaper. After being the literary editor of the New Orleans
380:
Her husband caught influenza (grippe) and died in New
Orleans on Feb. 4, 1896. Rivers died of the same disease eleven days later, on February 15, 1896, leaving two teenage children.
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257:
After the war, she began submitting her work to newspapers and magazines under the pseudonym "Pearl Rivers". Her poems were published in the New
Orleans literary sheet,
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1018:
1003:
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Rivers became the owner and publisher in 1876, after her elderly husband died. In 1880, she took over as managing editor, where she continued until her death in 1896.
275:
published her poem "A Little Bunch of Roses", the first of her work known to have been published in that paper. After 1867 all her work was published in this paper.
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197:. She did not let traditional norms hold her back from doing what she wished. Most of her newspaper work was pursued against the wishes of her family and society.
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A woman of the century: Fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading
American women in all walks of life
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863:
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243:(1861–1865) she may have fallen in love with a soldier, since such a romance was described in a group of poems she wrote in 1866 for the
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in 1884, and became the first honorary member of the New York Women's Press Club. In March 1886, the editor of the New York magazine
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228:. Her uncle Leonard Kimball managed a plantation, a store, and a toll bridge there. She was sent to the Amite Female Seminary in
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356:. Two weeks later, the editor apologized for assuming Rivers was a man and ranking her with the "inferior sex".
206:
73:
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Rivers' first romance was with a young man she had met while at the seminary, but this was suppressed by the
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in 1893 and 1894, have more depth, giving a powerful sense of the bitterness and jealousy of her heroines.
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93:
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that "She stands by this volume ahead of any other
Southern poet, and no female writer in America, from
225:
17:
983:
978:
229:
144:
48:
232:, graduating in 1859, where she earned (or gave herself) the title of the "wildest girl in school".
786:(Summer 1989). "A Woman for Women: Eliza Nicholson, Publisher of the New Orleans Daily Picayune".
783:
286:
named George
Nicholson. A year after Nicholson's first wife died, he married Rivers in June 1878.
893:
818:
Gilley, B. H. "A Woman for Women: Eliza
Nicholson, Publisher of the New Orleans Daily Picayune."
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551:
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874:
859:
836:
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245:
954:
831:
Patricia Brady (2009). "Eliza Jane Nicholson". In Janet Allured and Judith F. Gentry (ed.).
224:
When she was nine years old, she moved to her aunt Jane's house in the vicinity of today's
884:
Lamar W. Bridges (Summer 1989). "Eliza Jane Nicholson and the Daily Picayune, 1876–1896".
648:
394:
353:
307:
685:
278:
During one of Rivers' visits to her grandfather in New Orleans, she met the co-owner of
443:, she introduced the "gossip-loving bee," who gave its name to the Society Bee column:
314:
181:
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One Hundred Great Years - The Story of the Times Picayune from Its Founding to 1940
959:
852:
477:
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194:
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236:
641:"Louisiana Leaders: Notable Women in History: Eliza Nicholson (Pearl Rivers)"
164:
897:
823:
799:
886:
Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association
850:
Claire Price-Groff (1998). "Eliza Jane Poitevent Holbrook Nicholson".
733:
The betrayal of the Negro, from Rutherford B. Hayes to Woodrow Wilson
905:
John N. Ingham (1983). "Eliza Jane Poitevent Holbrook Nicholson".
673:
Catharine Cole's Louisiana: The Travel Writings of Martha R. Field
367:
215:
577:
Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins
873:
Don Wicks (2007-05-21). "Pearl Rivers". In Nancy Jacobs (ed.).
399:
213:, with an age of seven and younger siblings in the household.
406:
An example of her early poetry, first published anonymously:
352:
invited "Mr. E.J. Nicholson" to be vice-president of the
306:, a pioneer women's advice columnist. In 1881, she hired
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27:"Eliza Nicholson" redirects here. For the runner, see
907:
Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders
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19th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
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99:
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909:. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 1009–1010.
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403:] sisters, has evidenced more poetic genius".
892:(3). Louisiana Historical Association: 263–278.
372:Eliza J. Nicholson, pen name Pearl Rivers, from
794:(3). Louisiana Historical Association: 233–48.
269:. On 17 October 1866 the New Orleans newspaper
8:
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220:Eliza J. Nicholson, "A woman of the century"
924:"Eliza Jane Poitevent Holbrook Nicholson".
989:Deaths from influenza in the United States
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342:Rivers became the first president of the
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579:(5th ed.). McFarland. p. 408.
1069:19th-century American newspaper editors
1019:19th-century American women journalists
1004:People from Hancock County, Mississippi
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480:works "Hagar" and "Leah", published in
18:Eliza Jane Poitevent Holbrook Nicholson
994:Infectious disease deaths in Louisiana
937:Do You Know How Picayune Got Its Name?
833:Louisiana Women: Their Lives and Times
439:Talking of her early life in the poem
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633:
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193:, which was located near her home in
7:
1054:19th-century American businesspeople
575:Adrian Room (2010). "Pearl Rivers".
504:. BiblioBazaar, LLC (2008 reprint).
1049:19th-century American businesswomen
964:The Historic New Orleans Collection
468:To come so near that he would pause
334:reported Negro lynchings casually.
730:Rayford Whittingham Logan (1997).
416:My feet are deep in the pea-vines,
344:National Woman's Press Association
25:
1064:19th-century pseudonymous writers
1024:19th-century American journalists
999:People from Picayune, Mississippi
876:Mississippi Writers and Musicians
612:"Nicholson, Eliza Jane Poitevent"
556:Mississippi Writers and Musicians
412:Whistling through the corn field,
205:Eliza Jane Poitevent was born in
1039:American women newspaper editors
736:. Da Capo Press. p. 296ff.
464:The Cherokees to climb the sill,
449:With windows low and narrow too,
1029:Editors of Louisiana newspapers
935:Michael K. Fitzwilliam (2017).
854:Extraordinary Women Journalists
835:. University of Georgia Press.
189:She took her pen name from the
951:Works by or about Pearl Rivers
429:For maidens to whistle; still,
1:
709:. READ BOOKS. p. 262ff.
690:. Moulton, 1893, pp. 288–289.
762:"National Press Association"
705:Thomas Ewing Dabney (2007).
684:Willard, Frances Elizabeth.
374:Some Notables of New Orleans
34:American poet and journalist
453:To wake me up at early morn
451:Where birds came peeping in
433:And whistling helps uphill.
418:And tangles are in my hair.
211:Hancock County, Mississippi
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1044:Pseudonymous women writers
645:Louisiana State University
427:Old folks say 'tis unlucky
239:and her uncle. During the
26:
550:Wicks, Don (2007-05-21).
431:Life is a rugged country,
46:
1059:Women's page journalists
1009:Writers from Mississippi
552:"Pearl Rivers 1843-1896"
201:Early life and education
29:Eliza Nicholson (runner)
960:Nicholson Family Papers
927:Encyclopædia Britannica
364:Personal life and death
143:Amite Female Seminary,
1014:Poets from Mississippi
822:30.3 (1989): 233-248.
470:And buzz a word to me.
466:The gossip loving bee,
414:Whistling a merry air,
397:to the Carey [
377:
328:Negro Republican Party
313:The introduction of a
221:
94:New Orleans, Louisiana
669:"Martha Field's Life"
500:Pearl Rivers (1873).
455:And oft I used to win
384:Literary achievements
371:
263:New York Home Journal
226:Picayune, Mississippi
219:
858:. Children's Press.
230:Liberty, Mississippi
169:Eliza Jane Nicholson
145:Liberty, Mississippi
62:Eliza Jane Poitevent
651:on January 12, 2010
758:Conant, Frances A.
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299:The Daily Picayune
280:The Daily Picayune
272:The Daily Picayune
241:American Civil War
222:
53:Eliza J. Nicholson
916:978-0-313-21362-5
865:978-0-516-26242-0
842:978-0-8203-2947-5
820:Louisiana History
788:Louisiana History
760:(December 1885).
716:978-1-4067-4200-8
586:978-0-7864-4373-4
349:Forest and Stream
246:New Orleans Times
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103:Metairie Cemetery
87:February 15, 1896
16:(Redirected from
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111:Pearl Rivers
89:(1896-02-15)
41:Pearl Rivers
984:1896 deaths
979:1843 births
766:The New Era
478:blank verse
304:Dorothy Dix
207:Gainesville
195:Mississippi
191:Pearl River
171:; formerly
132:Nationality
78:Mississippi
74:Gainesville
973:Categories
772:(12): 376.
655:2010-09-22
621:2009-09-22
561:2009-09-22
520:References
476:Her later
237:headmaster
116:Occupation
67:1843-03-11
259:The South
177:Poitevent
154:1859-1896
332:Picayune
291:Picayune
265:and the
173:Holbrook
165:pen name
135:American
124:Language
108:Pen name
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898:4232739
800:4232737
127:English
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824:online
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502:Lyrics
441:Myself
391:Lyrics
376:, 1896
253:Career
175:; née
151:Period
894:JSTOR
796:JSTOR
293:owner
911:ISBN
860:ISBN
837:ISBN
738:ISBN
711:ISBN
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506:ISBN
84:Died
59:Born
962:at
400:sic
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