Alphabet File page 267
Nicholson, Mrs. E.J., of the PICAYUNE, honored THE ECHO sanctum Saturday by a visit. Mrs. Nicholson is known to the field of literature as "Pearl Rivers", and will spend awhile at her lovely villa, "Fort Nicholson," and will soon leave for the North. (SCE 05/27/1893)
LeBlanc, Mrs. Alfred, and Mrs. E. J. Nicholson have discovered an original material for dress goods which bids fair to become quite a fad at Bay St. Louis. They have each had a driving costume made of wide navy blue stripes, made with a navy blue silk belt ornamented in front and back with silk rosettes, the waist being made of navy blue silk. The effect is very pretty and a more stylish and handsomer driving costume cannot be conceived. PICAYUNE. (SCE 6/10/1893)
Nicholson, Mrs. E. J., and gentlemanly little sons, Master York and Leonhard, left Monday noon for Lithia Springs. (SCE 7/15/1893)
Nicholson, Mrs. E. J., and manly sons Masters York and Leonard, leave Fort Nicholson today for their winter home in New Orleans. (SCE 11-4-1893)
Nicholson, Mrs. E. J., owing to illness of one of her sons, did not leave Saturday, but left during the week. (SCE, 1111-1893)
See Bay Waveland Yacht Club (from pamphlet in vault)
Nicholson, Fort - Home of Eliza and George Nicholson. It was located on N. Beach Blvd, Waveland, just north of Nicholson Avenue and present location of _______ N. Beach. Photo (ATG p5)
"Fort Nicholson"- Col. E. J. Nicholson, of the Daily N.O. Picayune, is expected at his beautiful home, " Fort Nicholson," during the latter part of this month. (SCE 9/10/1892)
Nicholson, Col. Geo. (Waveland) is having extensive repairs made about his place. (SCE 12/10/1892)
Mr. Geo. Nicholson, See mention in article "Waveland - The Lovely Village On The Mississippi Sound"
Hale, Dr. Samuel, who has spent so much of his life in foreign travel, has been spending a few days with his friends, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Nicholson, at Bay St. Louis. Dr. Hale is so pleased with the Bay that he speaks of purchasing a home and keeping a bachelor hall during the summer. (SCE 6/10/1893) (THE PICAYUNE)
Nicholson, Col. Geo., and family of Waveland, left for Georgia his week. (SCE 7/15/1893)
Nicholson, Col. George, came to Waveland from New Orleans Monday and spent the day at his beautiful summer home. (SCE 11-25-1893)
Nicholson, George - see Mrs. George Nicholson. Photo (ATG p5).
Nicholson, George Mrs., - Nee Elizabeth Poitevent aka Pearl Rivers. Home was Fort Nicholson only after John T. McDonald of Pass Christian built a retaining wall in front of the home that made it resemble a fort. The wall did come down during the next hurricane, however. Still, today some bricks can be seen encased in the concrete to serve as fragmentary relics of the past. (Source unknown)
Mrs. Elizabeth Poitevent Nicholson with her husband George Nicholson owned and ran the New Orleans Daily Picayune. She was known as "Pearl Rivers". About the time (1892) of her master poem "Hagaar" was receiving nationwide acclaim and while staying at her Waveland home "Fort Nicholson" she paid a call on the young editor of the Echo. (From a newspaper clipping of no credentials in the HCHS VF)
One of the most noted residents of Waveland, is Mr. Eliza J. Nicholson - better known under the non de plume of "Pearl Rivers" - the proprietor of the New Orleans Daily Picayune, one of the most popular and powerful journals in the South. Mrs. Nicholson's summer home, called "Fort Nicholson" is situated on the beach of Waveland, near Nicholson Avenue. Over-looking Bay St. Louis. The spacious house is of modern architecture, with broad galleries surrounding, and is in the center of a beautiful lawn, with winding, shell bedded drives on either side. We illustrate a nook in the handsome parlor of the Fort Nicholson residence, showing a pair of magnificent vases direct from china, the only pair of the kind to be found in the United States. Mrs. Nicholson's girlhood life was spent in a rambling old country house, near the brown waters of Pearl River. She was the only child on the place; a lonesome child, with the heart of a poet, and she took to the beautiful Southern woods and made them her sanctuary. A born poet, it was not long before she found her voice and began to sing, full and sweet, the fairy stories of the woods. These songs reached out in the world and the wise and gray heads of other poets were listeners to the little one's songs of nature. She became a contributor to the New York Home Journal, and other papers of high standing, and the name of "Pearl Rivers" - the other name of the editor and proprietor of the Picayune - is one that is held dear by the many who have read her exquisite verse. She is the poet laureate of the birds and flowers of the South. Her poems and fantasies of the birds and flowers of the pine scented Mississippi woodlands are the very airy ephemera and cobweb daintiness of poetic thought -so dainty are some of them that they might have been etched with a thorn on the petal of a dog rose bloom. "Pearl Rivers" first published article was accepted by Mr. John W. Overall, now editor of the York Mercury, first published article was accepted by Mr. John W. Overall, now editor of the New York Mercury, from whom she received the confirmation of her own hope that she was born to be a writer. While still living in the country the free, luxurious life of the daughter of a wealthy Southern gentleman, Miss Poitevant received an invitation from the editor of the Picayune to come to New Orleans as the literary editor of his paper. A newspaper woman was then unheard of in the South, and it is pleasant to know that the foremost woman editor of the South today, was also the South's pioneer woman journalist. Miss Poitevent went on the staff of the Picayune with a salary of $25 a week. The work suited her and she found herself possessed of that rare faculty in a woman - the journalistic faculty. After a time, she married the owner of the Picayune. When he died she found herself with nothing but a big, unwieldy newspaper, almost swamped in a sea of debt. The idea of turning her back on this new duty did not occur to the new owner. She gathered about her a brilliant staff of writers, went faithfully and patiently to her "desk's dead wood", worked early and late, was both economical and enterprising and after years of struggle, won her battle and made her paper a foremost power in the South, yielding her a handsome, steady income. To those in her employ she is always kind and courteous and her staff honor her and work for her with enthusiasm. Of late years the cars of conducting a great journal have made the composition of much poetry impossible; but "Pearl Rivers" has found time to write two grand poems that have received the highest praise from eminent critics. They are "Hagar" and "Leah" noted for their strength in narration and beauty of language, and are destined to live in literature. In 1878 "Pearl Rivers" married Mr. George Nicholson, and their hospitable and happy home are the poems of which this gentle poet is proudest - her two sons, Leonard and Yorke. Mr. George Nicholson is a native of Leads, England. He came to New Orleans in 1842 and shortly afterwards went into the service of the Picayune, first as carrier and assistant mail clerk, and successively served as counter clerk, collector and cashier. He was afterward made business manager, continuing under all the administrations of the paper. He finally became part owner of the paper, and by his marriage with Mrs. Nicholson became associated with his wife in the publication of the Daily and Weekly Picayune, under the firm name of Nicholson & Co. Photo. (ATG p5,6)
Nicholson, Mrs. and manly little sons, Master York and Leonard, after spending awhile here, returned to New Orleans on Monday morning where they will spend the winter. (SCE 11/19/1892)
Nicholson, Mr. and Mrs. Geo., of the PICAYUNE, registered the other day at Hotel Windsor, New York. (SCE 7/29/1893)