USA > California > A history of the new California, its resources and people; Vol I > Part 14
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The California Farmer and Journal of Useful Science began its publica- tion in Sacramento in May, 1855, having already appeared in San Francisco a year before. The publishers were Warren & Son and J. K. Phillips & Co. Dr. J. F. Morris was the editor for one month. It was a weekly paper and remained in Sacramento until July 18, 1856, when it was removed to San Francisco, where it appeared for many years. Colonel Warren was a wonder- ful character, having been the proprietor of a famous resort at Brighton, Mas- sachusetts, known as Nonantun Vale. There he kept a register which con- tained the names of eminent men who had visited the place. The Colonel died in San Francisco about ten years ago, having attained the ripe age of one hundred years. He was of considerable ability and culture and in his declining years he took great pride in showing his register which con- tained the names of such celebrities as Webster, Clay and Calhoun, and in exhibiting preserved pumpkins, squash and other vegetables that he had in- troduced into California as editor of the old California Farmer.
Dr. J. F. Morse and S. Colville in March, 1854, issued the first and only number of a monthly magazine entitled the "Illustrated Historical Sketches of California, with a Minute History of the Sacramento Valley." Mr. Joseph A. Woodson says the bad management of the business department caused the carly death of the publication, but others say the name killed it.
March 13, 1854, J. M. Shephard and Co. issued the Sacramento Daily Democrat. It was edited by R. C. Mathewson. It was printed from the material of the defunct Benicia Vidette. After a sickly career of three months, it suddenly gave up the ghost.
The Pacific Recorder appeared July 15, 1854, edited by E. J. Willis. It was to champion the cause of the Baptist Church. It was a semi-monthly, and in July, 1855, it became a weekly. In March, 1856, its rather feeble life began to ebb and it met its death with Christian fortitude.
The California Almanac and Register was a pamphlet which appeared
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from the State Journal office in December, 1854. Alas, its first was also its last appearance.
On June 8, 1855, the State Tribune reached the surface as a morning paper. It was edited and published by Parker H. French and S. J. May. On August Ist, J. M. Estill became editor of the Tribune and op- posed John Bigler and the Democracy with such vigor as to draw bitter op- position from many other journals. Subsequently the partners quarreled and soon thereafter two Tribunes appeared, each with the claim that it was the real and the only Tribune. The twins soon died, the last on June 1, 1856.
ยท From the ashes of the last Tribune the California American soon sprang. It was a radical No-Nothing journal. It died in February, 1857, having never succeeded at any moment of its existence.
The Water-Fount and Home Journal was started on December 15, 1855, by Alexander Montgomery & Co. It was the official organ of the Sons of Temperance. It survived but nine months.
On December 6, 1855, George H. Baker and J. A. Mitchell established the Spirit of the Age. In June, 1856, it changed its name to the Sacramento Age and enlarged. In the summer of 1856 it was sold to the No-Nothing party and it survived until after the election of 1857.
December 24. 1855. A. Bedlam & Co. started the Daily Evening Times, but it breathed its last in March, 1856.
December 11, 1856, C. Babb and W. H. Harvey began the publication of a daily morning independent paper entitled the City Item. P. Codgins was the editor and the paper lived seven months.
Cornelius Cole & Co. began the Daily Times, a morning paper on August 15, 1856. It was Republican in politics, but it entered its tomb on January 24, 1857.
The Chinese New's was started in December. 1856. Ze Too Yune, alias Hung Tai, was editor and publisher and he displayed much skill in his dual capacity. It was first a daily, then a tri-weekly, then a weekly, lastly a monthly, and after a two years' lease of life, it entered Chinese heaven.
The Temperance Mirror was a monthly, commenced January, 1857, by O. B. Terrell with W. D. Taylor as editor. It was issued once in Sacramento, after which it was removed to San Francisco, where it died in March of the same year.
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
The Daily Morning Bee began its life February 3, 1857. It was in- dependent in politics and was edited by J. R. Ridge and S. J. May. A more complete sketch of this journal has been furnished by the publishers and the reader will find it elsewhere in this volume.
In July, 1857, the Star of the Pacific, a religious journal, was removed to Sacramento from Marysville. It died in the fall of 1858.
The State Sentinel was issued July 23, 1857, but it died early in 1858. The Eye Glass appeared in August, 1857. No second number was ever issued. The Covenant and Odd Fellow's' Magazine, a monthly journal, began August 31, 1857, and died in June, 1858. The Temperance Register began in September, 1850, and died December 12, of the same year. On December 20, 1857, the Herald of the Morning, a paper devoted to Spiritualism, had an experience of four weeks on earth, after which it passed to Beulah Land. The Phoenix, afterward the Ubiquitous, began as an occasional in the autumn of 1857, was issued as a weekly during the winter of 1858, and died in the summer of 1858. It was an abusive sheet and few mourned its loss. The Watch Dog lasted from January until March, 1858. It was a full twin of the Phoenix. The Sacramento Visitor began in March, 1858, and died in June of the same year. The Sacramento Mercury was established as a Democratic paper in March, 1858, and ceased in October. The California Statesman (number two of the name) was started May, 1858, and died in June. The Californian (number two of that name) saw the light in July, 1858, and died after a week. The Baptist Circular was issued from August, 1858, until the spring of 1859. The Morning Star was a small daily for a few weeks. It expired in March, 1859. The Daily Register appearing during 1858 and 1859. The Daily Democratic Standard was pub- lished from February 26, 1859, until the autumn of 1860.
In June, 1860, Henry Biddleman & Co. founded the Daily Democrat, but it died with the fall election of that year. On June 24, 1860, the Daily Morning News appeared and lived for nine months. The Evening Post was begun in October, 1850, as an independent paper and was discontinued in September, 1861. The Rescue, a organ of the Good Templars, was started as a monthly in February, 1854, and was issued until late in the 70's. The Evening Star was a daily started May 25, 1864, and it lived three months. The California Republican, a Democratic morning paper, existed from Janu-
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ary 4. 1863. until the spring of 1865. The Golden Gate, a spiritualist weekly, lived for a few weeks during the spring of 1864. The Advertiser existed during the winter of the same year. The California Express was published from December 23, 1866, until July, 1867, having been issued as a morning paper.
The Sacramento Daily Record first appeared as an independent evening paper, February 9, 1867. It was published by an association of printers com- posed of J. J. Keegan, John L. Sickler, J. P. Dray and R. E. Draper. Draper was the first editor and in about a month was succeeded by W. S. Johnston, who remained about one year, and was succeeded by J. B. McQuillan, who remained a few months and was succeeded by R. A. Bird. Subsequently it was purchased by W. H. Mills and A. D. Wood. Mr. Mills was long the manager of the Record-Union, and a portion of the Record editorial staff, as also a portion of the Sacramento Union then and subsequent editorial staff long composed the Record-Union staff. The Record became a morning paper December 2, 1867. In the beginning it was a small five-column sheet, but through successive enlargements soon grew to the present size of the Record- Union. During the winter of 1871-2 the Record distinguished itself by the fullest and most elaborate stenographic legislative reports ever published in the United States, frequently printing morning after morning nineteen col- umns in solid nonpareil of the proceedings of senate and house. For several years the Sacramento Union had published annual statistical sheets and in January, 1873, the Record entered the same field and surpassed its rival by issuing the largest holiday paper ever published in the United States. It was the first daily paper to maintain a semi-weekly edition. After a bitter rivalry the Record and the Union were consolidated as the Record-Union in Febru- ary, 1875.
The Expositor was published from July 23, 1867, until September of the same year. On February 26, 1864, Richard Bowden established the Young American, which lasted a number of weeks. During this era a number of weekly papers of local character were published in Sacramento, such as, My Paper, Pioncer Blusterer, the Anti-Office-Secker, The Sunday Times, the Hesperian, Student's Repository, and others.
In the winter of 1864 Charles DeYoung, afterward one of the founders of the San Francisco Chronicle, began the publication of the Dramatic
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Chronicle, which was removed to San Francisco in ahout nine months. Its subsequent history appears further along in this chapter.
Other papers of the period were the monthly railroad Gasetteer, State Capital Reporter, Sacramento Democrat, the Locomotive, Semi-weekly Journal (German), the Valley World, the Evening News, the Sunday Free Press, the Sacramento Valley Agriculturalist, the Occidental Star, and like papers.
The Winning Way was devoted to women and sociability.
Common Sense was a reform journal from 1873 to 1874. Other papers of this period were the Mercantile Globe, California Teacher, State Fair Gazette, Evening Herald, Enterprise, a Sunday morning paper, the Seminary Budget, and the Business College Journal.
In recapitulation the ups and downs of journals may be exhibited quite clearly by the following obituary tablet.
Name of Paper.
Began.
Ceased.
Placer Times
April 28, '49
June 15, '51
Term. 26 1/2 mo. Merged
Transcript April I, '50
June 15, 51
Times & Transcript.
June 16, '51
June 16, '52
I year
S. & M. Tribune.
Oct. 30, '50
Dec. 20, '50
2 months
Sac, to Index.
Dec. 23, 50
May 17, '5
3 months
Journal
Feb., 1852
June 24, '58
6 1/3 years
Banner
Aug., 1852
Aug., 1853
I year
Californian
Nov. 17, '52
July 30, '53
4 months Few months
Baptist Journal
Ang., 1852
Statesman
Nov. 13, '54
Mar. I, '55
3 1/2 months One issue
Illustrated Cal.
Mar. IO, '54
Democrat (No. I.).
Mar. 13, 54
Recorder
July 15, '54
Mar., 1856
Cal. Almanac
Dec., 1854
Farmer
May, 1855
July 14, '56
Tribune
June 8, '55
June I, '56
I year
Tribune (No. 2)
Oct. 16, '55
Oct. 30, '55
2 weeks
American
June 2, '56
Feb., 1857
9 months
Water Fount
Dec. 15, '55
Sept., 1856
9 months
Spirit of the Age.
Dec. 6, '55
Feb., 1857
26 months
Evening Times
Dec. 24, '55
Item
Dec. II, '56
June, 1857
7 months
Times Aug., 1856
Jan. 24, '57
5 months
Chinese News
Dec., 1856
Nov., 1858
2 years
Star of Pacific.
July, 1857
Sept., 1858
14 months
State Sentinel
July 27, '57 Aug. 22, 57
June, 1858
10 months
Temp. Register
Sept., 1857
Jan., 1858
4 weeks
-Phoenix
Sept., 1857
July, 1858
8 months
Watch Dog
Jan. I, '58
Mar. IS, '58
3 months
Visitor
Mar. 26, '58
June I, '58
2 months
Mercury
Mar. 28, '58
Oct. 12, '58
5 1/2 months
Statesman (No. 2).
May, 1858
June 24, '58
I month
Californian (No. 2)
July 9, '58
July 15, '58
I week
Baptist Circular. Aug., 1858
April, 1859
9 months
Morning Star
Nov. 2, '58
Mar., 1859
5 months
Register
Feb. I, '59
Sept., 1859
7 2/3 months
Covenant
Aug. 31, '57
Dec. 10, '57
3 months
Herald of Morning.
Dec. 20, '57
Feb., 1858
7 months
Eve Glass
One issue
Mar., 1856
3 months
Few months
20 months One issue Removed
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
Nume of Paper.
Began.
Ceased.
Term.
Standard
Feb. 26, '59
Oct., 1859
8 months
Democrat (No. 2)
June, 1860
Sept., 1860
3 months
News
June 24, '60
Mar., 1861
9 months
Coast
Oct., 1860
Sept., 1861
II months
Republican
Jan. 24, '63
Sept., 1863
9 months
Evening Star
May, 1864
June, 1864
5 weeks
Young America
Feb., 1864
April 24, '64
II weeks
Golden Gate
April, 1864
May, 1864
6 weeks
Chronicle
April, 1864
Removed
4 months
Express
Dec. 23, '66
July, 1867
7 months
Expositor
. July 23, '67
Sept. 9, '67
1 1/2 months
My Paper
Anti-Office Seeker
Pioneer
Footlight
Brief
Blusterer
Olive Branch
Reporter
Jan. 12, '68
July 30, '72
4 1/2 years
Evening News
Mar. 29, '69
July, 1869
3 months
Democrat (No. 3)
Aug. 3, '71
Sept. 5, '71
I month
Locomotive
Champion
Spring, 1873
Summer, 1874
16 months
World
Spring, 1873
Fall, 1873
6 months
Free Press
. Feb., 1873
I week
Occidental Star
Jan., 1873
May, 1873
6 months
Winning Way
Sept., 1873
Feb., 1874
6 months
Common Sense
Dec., 1873
Mar., 1874
4 months
Enterprise
Aug. 29, '75
Oct., 1875
9 weeks
Total deceased publications, 66.
Average deaths to the year, in excess of 2 and less than 3.
The following interesting history of the San Francisco Chronicle, one of the great newspapers of the country, was prepared by one of the Chronicle staff, under direction of Mr. George Hamlin Fitch :
The transformation of a little seed into a remarkably large product is a common enough performance in the field of horticulture in California, but it is rare in the domain of journalism, the San Francisco Chronicle being the most striking example in the state of such a feat. The Chronicle, now one of the largest and most influential newspapers in the nation, was as tiny a sheet as there was in the land at the commencement of its existence, Janu- ary 16, 1865. It was then hardly more than a playbill, nine by fifteen inches in size, and it was dubbed the Dramatic Chronicle. That Charles de Young the elder brother, and M. H. de Young were born newspaper-men was evi- denced by the career of the Chronicle from its very start. They began with- out experience, for M. H. de Young was only seventeen years of age at that time and Charles de Young was not much older. These youthful journalists had no financial backing, but with light hearts as well as pockets, and ready wits as well as hands, they gathered advertisements, prepared the other neces-
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
sary matter, put it into type, turned the crank of the printing machine, and attended to the distribution of the paper.
Had they not possessed uncommon talents for the newspaper business they would have failed as did many other publishers, who, better provided with money, were for a period their competitors, and whose names with those of their papers are forgotten. So quick and continuous was the Chron- icle's process of development that ere long it shed the word "Dramatic," and in 1868, it became a regular daily newspaper. From the inception of their journalistic work the proprietors had broad plans. In the opening announce- ment in the very first number of the Dramatic Chronicle, they said "We shall do our utmost to enlighten mankind of the actions, intentions, sayings, doings, movements, successes, failures, oddities, peculiarities, and speculations of us poor mortals here below," which compact statement has expressed the purpose of the Chronicle from that day to this-its constant aim, in other words, having been and still being to get and give all the news, despite diffi- culties.
So notable has been the Chronicle's success that some readers of the present time, unfamiliar with its history, may suppose that luck favored it or that it had an easy road to travel when it once got on the journalistic highway, but instead it long had to face the opposition of the strong, to en- dure the contumely which meets the ambitious, and to struggle incessantly as it grew. Numerous, indeed, have been its battles. It struck strong blows at its foes, and did not go down to defeat and ruin because generally these foes were the foes of the people. The history of the Chronicle involves much of the political history of the state. It has been foremost in some of the hottest contests which have been waged in California. It is said now and then that the people are ungrateful, but the career of the Chronicle in- dicates that it is not unprofitable to be their champion. In the first issue of the daily paper which was put forth by the de Youngs in 1868, they stated that the Chronicle would be a strictly anti-monopolist journal and would be subservient to no money interest and to no railroad corporation.
The importance of this principle and of sticking to it may not be fully appreciated by persons who are unaware of the part which certain wealthy corporations played in directing the government of California for a genera- tion. Assailing monopolies became the policy and habit of the Chronicle,
.
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
and that the people approved its course in this respect was demonstrated by the support given it, enabling it to thrive while the newspapers which-to use a phrase that was often employed in California politics, "Were subsidized by the corporations," languished and died. The fate of the Alta California, for example, was a contrast to the prosperity of the Chronicle. That paper was one of the earliest which appeared in San Francisco, antedating the birth of the Chronicle. In an exciting conflict between the corrupt elements in San Francisco and the great body of the people in the first epoch of the city, it spoke for the cause of the people, and it gained renown and revenue; but in later years it became the mouthpiece of the corporations against whom a spirit of popular antagonism had been aroused, and notwithstanding its established credit and the good name it had formerly won, it declined and finally perished. The Chronicle has always kept its anti-monopoly sword unsheathed, for monopolies keep springing up in California as elsewhere and there is usually an opportunity for an opponent of them to keep busy. The Chronicle has attacked them under the Sherman anti-trust law and the laws of the state, and has materially aided in breaking up such combina- tions.
Displays of enterprise in getting the news are interesting episodes of the Chronicle's history. Even when at the beginning it was run as a theat- rical sheet, depending on advertisements for the necessary funds to keep going, its proprietors sought to give as much local news as possible, and it was the first paper in San Francisco to afford the public information about the assassination of Lincoln in 1865. The custom of most newspapers then was to print the bare facts about an event, and the details were seldom fur- nished. The young proprietors of the Chronicle reasoned that newspaper readers ought to have as many details concerning interesting occurrences as were obtainable, and they had a chance to put this notion into effect soon after the Chronicle became a daily. The Great Earthquake, as it is still called, rocked the city on October 22, 1868, and the de Youngs with every one of their employes went forth to scour the streets and get all the infor- tion procurable about the results of the terrifying shake. As fast as details were secured the men hurried back to the office and put them in type, and three extras were issued in the afternoon, the last one giving all that there was to be told. This enterprise was a novelty for the town, and it gave the
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
paper local fame. The same spirit was shown as the Chronicle grew, always the desire to outdo its rivals in the race for news being uppermost. Space does not permit a resume of its many "scoops." It became known as "the live paper," and its business kept increasing to such an extent that after moving several times to larger quarters the de Youngs erected a building on the northeast corner of Bush and Kearney streets, then the largest newspaper structure in San Francisco, and published the paper there in 1879. In the business office in this building Charles de Young was shot fatally in April, 1880, by Isaac M. Kalloch, at present an attorney-at-law in San Fran- cisco, the shooting being the outcome of political conditions.
After Charles de Young's death M. H. de Young alone conducted the paper, and made it even a greater power and more remunerative property than it had been before. Such was the increase of its circulation that about 1890 Mr. de Young found it necessary to move again so as to secure more room, and he erected the present home of the Chronicle, at the junction of Market. Geary and Kearney streets. This was the first tall, fire-proof building constructed in San Francisco. Previously it was feared that tall structures would be cracked or overthrown by earthquakes, but Mr. de Young's experi- ment, which was undertaken after he had studied the construction of strong steel-frame buildings in eastern cities, showed that this fear was groundless, and then high office buildings became quite numerous in California's metropo- lis. The junction of the streets mentioned is now known as "Newspaper Corner," the other morning papers having buildings on other corners, which were put up after Mr. de Young's, his being opened in June, 1890. The monetary value of the Chronicle is now estimated to be about $5,000,000, as it is supposed to be earning a fair rate of interest on that big sum, while aside from his newspaper Mr. de Young is reputed to have holdings which are worth millions of dollars. He is a sagacious business man and a keen judge of real estate, and it is generally understood that his investments for a con- siderable number of years have yielded large profits. What a great oak has been developed from the little Dramatic Chronicle acorn!
The Chronicle is the only daily newspaper in San Francisco which has been under one management from the beginning. The proprietorship of each of the others has changed more than once. Of all the men now engaged in the newspaper business in San Francisco, Mr. de Young has been in it longest.
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
He knows every detail of the business from the top floors where the contents of the paper are written, the pictures are prepared and the matter put in type, to the basement, where the swift presses throw off the printed pages in the early morning hours. He knows how an editorial should be written and what point should be made by it; what should be the form of the local and telegraphic news and what the relative value of important news where ma- chinery and ink and paper and all other materials should be bought; and what every man on his long pay-roll is doing daily. The complexities of the advertising department were mastered by him long ago. In short, the Chron- icle is essentially M. H. de Young's paper. He and it have grown up to- gether. His travels abroad benefit the Chronicle as well as himself, for on his trips to eastern cities, where he is well known, and to Europe, where also he has many distinguished acquaintances, he notes whatever new ideas arise in newspaperdom, and the Chronicle gets the advantage of them. His knowledge of the world enables him to judge as to the news of the world, and as to how it should be obtained. Some years ago George P. Rowell, an advertising agent of New York, who was known all over the country, and who made a study of the newspapers of the United States so as to decide wisely where to place the advertisements of his clients, said "The San Fran- cisco Chronicle is the best conducted paper in the United States," and since then its merit has not decreased. The general verdict concerning the Chron- icle in California at this day is that it supplies all the news, discusses the ques- tions of the day intelligently and ably, and is about as fair as a daily news- paper can be.
Mr. de Young has for many years represented this state on the board of directors of the Associated Press, but the Chronicle had to fight hard to gain admission to the Associated Press, and until 1876 its San Francisco rivals, who were receiving the telegraphic news sent by that eastern organization, succeeded in keeping it out. For its independent telegraphic service it had to pay comparatively heavy tolls, and as it strove to be foremost in the eastern and foreign news fields its special dispatches entailed large outlay. After it got the Associated Press service, it continued its special telegraphic service which has never been excelled. The Chronicle was the first paper to teach the California public to expect extensive accounts of important events from dis- tant places. It also began the custom here of celebrating special occasions
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HISTORY OF THE NEW CALIFORNIA.
with large editions. When type, machinery, and paper were not so easy to procure in San Francisco as they are now, these mammoth editions were notable.
When at home Mr. de Young, millionaire though he is, goes to his office daily, and gives personal attention to every department of his paper. When away from San Francisco he keeps informed as to what is going on at the Chronicle office. He has engaged at times in political strife and has served with energy and ability on World's Fair Commissions, but he has allowed nothing to lessen his devotion to the Chronicle. For eight years he represented California on the Republican national committee, of which he was vice-chairman, and he was a delegate to several Republican national con- ventions. He was a candidate for United States senator in 1892, and re- mained in the balloting for nearly two weeks, when he withdrew so that the deadlock might be broken. It was thought that Governor Markham would appoint him to fill a vacancy in the senate, but Senator Perkins was named instead. In 1898 when reports that he was an active candidate for senator were printed, Mr. de Young made a public announcement, in which he said : "I am not a candidate for United States senator. I have in past years been an aspirant for the United States senatorship; but realizing that the questions to be settled for this government by the Republican party are of more im- portance than the private ambitions of any individual, I am anxious for the success of the Republican state ticket, and shall bend my energies exclusively to that result, as I hope every Republican will during the ensuing campaign."
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