The San AntonioLight, a daily afternoon and Sunday morning newspaper, was published by the San Antonio Light Publishing Company. The original appearance of the paper was heralded in an occasional paper called theSan AntonioSurprise, a tiny four-page sheet which explained the necessity for a lively daily devoted to the issues and interests of San Antonio and reported that "the Evening Light would be visible January 1, 1881 . . . and will grow brighter and stronger with each issue." Actually, theEvening Light's first issue did not appear until January 20, 1881. It was first published as a daily, except Sunday, at the office of theTexas Sun, which was published by A. W. Gifford andJames Pearson Newcomb. In 1883 Newcomb transferred management of the paper to Gifford and Tom B. Johnson. The plant was moved to an office on Commerce Street, and the paper became theDaily Light, with three Johnson brothers doing all of the work. In 1890 the paper was described as the only Republican daily in Texas and as a newsy and ably-edited journal. In 1906 the publishing company was sold to E. B. Chandler, and in 1909 the Daily Light Publishing Company bought the San AntonioGazette, after which until 1911 the paper was known as theLight and Gazette. Edward S. (Tex) O'Reilly, author, soldier of fortune, and adventurer, was at one time managing editor. In 1911Harrison L. Beach and Charles S. Diehl, veteran correspondents of national standing, moved to San Antonio and bought theLight and Gazette, which was subsequently known once more as theLight. They installed leased wire news service and published the first full market reports in a San Antonio paper. TheLight became liberal-Democratic in its political views, and under the Beach and Diehl management circulation increased from 11,000 to 25,000 copies daily. In 1924, however, William Randolph Hearst bought theLight and instituted Hearst policies, and by 1945 the circulation was approximately 70,000. In the post-World War II years the San AntonioLight attained circulation leadership in the city under publisher B. J. Horner and managing editor N. Dwight Allison. Following their retirement in 1967, William B. Bellamy was named managing editor, and Frank A. Bennack was publisher. In 1972 theLight, with a daily circulation of 122,292 and a Sunday circulation of 160,905, was one of the leading Hearst newspapers in the United States. By 1987, however, it was operating on a deficit. Under George B. Irish, the paper continued to be published in the early 1990s, with a circulation of 186,777. On October 6, 1992, the Hearst corporation, after purchasing rival paper, the San AntonioExpress-News, announced that it would close the San AntonioLight if it cold not find a buyer for the property. At the time the paper employed over 600 people including 134 editorial staff. Shortly after the announcement, the paper closed.