PUBLICATIONS
"OUR BELL ISLAND BUDGET"
Published June 1, 1923 - May 5, 1927
Created by Gail Hussey-Weir
April 2024
Published June 1, 1923 - May 5, 1927
Created by Gail Hussey-Weir
April 2024
On June 1, 1923, a column entitled, "Our Bell Island Budget," first appeared in The Daily News. It had nothing to do with budgets as we know them today. A "journalistic budget" referred to a list of stories prepared for an editor. In the 1920s, several communities in Newfoundland submitted accounts of local events to the Daily News under a title that included the name of the town and the word "budget."
"Our Bell Island Budget" would appear an average of three to four times a month, sometimes a little more, but sometimes only once a month or not at all for a month or so. There was also no consistency as to which day of the week it would be published, or on which page of the newspaper it would appear.
The news items featured seem to have been gleaned from the local Bell Island newspaper of the time, The Bell Island Miner.
There was no "byline" until October 25, 1923 when the byline read simply, "From Our Own Correspondent." Addison Bown, who was working on Bell Island at the time, recorded in his "Newspaper History of Bell Island" that the column was indeed edited by Leo C. Murphy. (You can read Murphy's bio on the "People" page of this website.) This was confirmed when an item in "Our Bell Island Budget" of September 26, 1924 announced an article that the correspondent was preparing for publication regarding "the history of six graves." When that article was published on October 14, 1924, the byline read, "By Capt. Leo C. Murphy, Special Correspondent for the Daily News at Wabana." (You can read "The Six Graves" in the bio for Owen Kelly, c.1770-1869, in the "People" page on this website.)
The last time the column appeared in the Daily News was May 5, 1927. A similar follow-up column by C.J. Cluett was entitled, "Bell Island Notes." It first appeared on October 25, 1927.
While searching the Daily News in the years 1923-1927 for something else, I came across the following dates on which "Our Bell Island Budget" appeared in that newspaper. I did not search every month of those years but, for the months I did search, I searched every day of that month. (So, if there is no month listed below, it means I did not search that month.) Here is a list of the publication dates I found:
"Our Bell Island Budget" would appear an average of three to four times a month, sometimes a little more, but sometimes only once a month or not at all for a month or so. There was also no consistency as to which day of the week it would be published, or on which page of the newspaper it would appear.
The news items featured seem to have been gleaned from the local Bell Island newspaper of the time, The Bell Island Miner.
There was no "byline" until October 25, 1923 when the byline read simply, "From Our Own Correspondent." Addison Bown, who was working on Bell Island at the time, recorded in his "Newspaper History of Bell Island" that the column was indeed edited by Leo C. Murphy. (You can read Murphy's bio on the "People" page of this website.) This was confirmed when an item in "Our Bell Island Budget" of September 26, 1924 announced an article that the correspondent was preparing for publication regarding "the history of six graves." When that article was published on October 14, 1924, the byline read, "By Capt. Leo C. Murphy, Special Correspondent for the Daily News at Wabana." (You can read "The Six Graves" in the bio for Owen Kelly, c.1770-1869, in the "People" page on this website.)
The last time the column appeared in the Daily News was May 5, 1927. A similar follow-up column by C.J. Cluett was entitled, "Bell Island Notes." It first appeared on October 25, 1927.
While searching the Daily News in the years 1923-1927 for something else, I came across the following dates on which "Our Bell Island Budget" appeared in that newspaper. I did not search every month of those years but, for the months I did search, I searched every day of that month. (So, if there is no month listed below, it means I did not search that month.) Here is a list of the publication dates I found:
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Fri. June 1, 1923, p. 7
Mon. June 18, 1923, p. 8 Wed. June 27, 1923, p. 8 Tues. July 24, 1923, p. 8, continued on p. 9 No issues found for Aug. 1923 No issues found for Sept. 1923 Thurs. Oct. 25, 1923, p. 10 Thurs. Nov. 8, 1923, p. 9 Thurs. Nov. 15, 1923, p. 7 Thurs. Nov. 22, 1923, p. 10 Thurs. Nov. 29, 1923, p. 9 |
Fri. Aug. 15, 1924, p. 7
Wed. Aug. 27, 1924, p. 6 Wed. Sept. 10, 1924, p. 8 Fri. Sept. 19, 1924, p. 8 Fri. Sept. 26, 1924, p. 2 Wed. Oct. 8, 1924, p. 7 Sat. Oct. 11, 1924, p. 10(?) Tues. Oct. 14, 1924, p. 8; and on p. 2 is Murphy's story of "The Six Graves!" Wed. Oct. 22, 1924, p. 9 Sat. Nov. 1, 1924, p. 6 Wed. Nov. 5, 1924, p. 10 Wed. Nov. 12, 1924, p. 10 Sat. Nov. 15, 1924, p. 14 Thurs. Nov. 20, 1924, p. 10 Wed. Nov. 26, 1924, p. 10 Wed. Dec. 3, 1924, p. 10 Tues. Dec. 23, 1924, p. 11 |
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Tues. Jan. 6, 1925, p. 9
Mon. Jan. 12, 1925, p. 2 Tues. Jan. 20, 1925, p. 2 Tues. Dec. 1, 1925, p. 10 Tues. Dec. 8, 1925, p. 8 Tues. Dec. 15, 1925, p. 12 Tues. Dec. 22, 1925 |
Tues. Aug. 3, 1926, p. 8
Wed. Aug. 11, 1926, p. 2 Thurs. Aug. 12, 1926, p. 3 Fri. Aug. 20, 1926, p. 8 Tues. Aug. 31, 1926, p. 8 Tues. Dec. 28, 1926 Wed. Dec. 29, 1926, p. 8 Thurs. Dec. 30, 1926, p. 8 |
Thurs. May 5, 1927, p. 5
Fri. May 13, 1927, p. 14 No issues found for June 1927 No issues found for July 1927 No issues found for Aug. 1927 No issues found for Sept. 1927 |
In the photo below, from the June 1959 issue of the Submarine Miner, p. 5, Captain Leo C. Murphy is the 5th man seated in the front row. He edited the "Our Bell Island Budget" column from 1923 to 1927.
The uniforms are those of the Church Lads Bridgade. This photo may have been taken on Bell Island before they left to sign up in St. John's, or when they arrived in St. John's.
The uniforms are those of the Church Lads Bridgade. This photo may have been taken on Bell Island before they left to sign up in St. John's, or when they arrived in St. John's.
