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Minister & Mail Carrier. The revolt against the Hedermans was led by Mississippi-born Dumas Milner, 37, one of the leading businessmen in Jackson and biggest Chevrolet dealer in the South. Milner, who is estimated to be worth more than $2,500,000 himself, began to think about starting the new paper when the Hedermans made their first open move to buy the News. Milner got twelve other businessmen to put up the first $300,000, and then "it was one of those things that snowballed, with people just calling in and asking to buy stock without even being asked." Investors, who are limited to $25,000 each so that no one can control the paper, include everyone from local businessmen to schoolteachers, housewives, a Negro mail carrier, and one minister who invested his savings ($200) because "the state of Mississippi is too big for one family or one corporation to run."
State Times's Chairman Milner and his 30-man board of directors are optimistic about their chances, hope to break even with a daily circulation of 25,000. On advertising they already have a big advantage: many businessmen in Jackson are stockholders of the State Times and have signed up for ads. The State Times still faces stiff and rough competition from the Hedermans, who have thawed out their own news coverage. Says Chairman Milner: "We can't afford to fail. The Hedermans would run us out of town if we did."