USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Historical and biographical record of Los Angeles and vicinity : containing a history of the city from its earliest settlement as a Spanish pueblo to the closing year of the nineteenth century ; also containing biographies of well known citizens of the past and present > Part 30
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In July, 1851, William H. Rand became a partner. In November of the same year McElroy retired. Manuel C. Rojo edited the Spanish pages of the paper, but seems not to have been a partner. The editors and printers bunked and boarded in the second story of the building. Oc- tober 19, 1854, McElroy again became a partner. In 1855 J. S. Waite acquired an interest, and the style of the firm name was J. S. Waite & Co. December 15, 1855, J. S. Waite became sole pro- prietor. The Spanish department was trans- ferred to El Clamor Publico (The Public Outcry). The subscription price had been reduced to $6.00 a year, if paid in advance; $9.00 if paid at the end of the year. Waite, having been appointed postmaster, sold the paper April 12, 1856, to William A. Wallace, an ex-schoolmaster. Wal- lace evidently found the editorial tripod an un- comfortable seat; at the end of two months he
transferred tripod and paper to H. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton was an experienced newspaper man and made a good paper of it.
He continued its publication until October 12, 1864, when, having fallen under the ban of the Federal government on account of his outspoken sympathy for the Southern Confederacy, he was forced to discontinue the paper. The plant was sold to Gen. Phineas Banning, who removed it to Wilmington and used it in the publication of the Wilmington Journal. The Journal failed to be self-sustaining and its publication ceased in 1867. The old press and type were bought in 1870 by G. W. Barter and used in the publication of the pioneer paper of the Santa Ana Valley-the Ana- heim Gazette. The Gazette office was consumed by fire in 1878, and the old press that had printed the first paper published in Southern Cal- ifornia was destroyed. It was a Washington Hoe press of an ancient pattern, and had made a voyage around Cape Horn in the fall of '49 or spring of '50. It is to be regretted that it was not preserved as an historical curio.
May 16, 1868, Hamilton resumed the publica- tion of the Star. In his salutatory he said: "Nearly four years have elapsed since our last issne. The 'little onpleasantness' which at that time existed in the family has been toned down considerably." It was conducted as a weekly until June Ist, 1870, when the first number of the daily was published by Hamilton & Co., the members of the firm being H. Hamilton and G. W. Barter. Barter retired September 6, 1870, and Hamilton conducted the paper alone until March, 1872, when he leased it to G. W. Barter, who ran it one year. March 31, 1873, Hamilton again took charge of it. On July 1, 1873, Mr. Hamilton leased the Daily and Weekly Star to Maj. Ben. C. Truman, who conducted the paper until July 1, 1877. It then passed into the possession of Paynter & Co., then to Brown & Co. The Rev. A. M. Campbell published it for a time. Finally, in 1879, the sheriff took charge of it. The material and files were stored in an outbuilding belonging to J. C. Hollenbeck. His Chinese hielp accidentally set fire to the house, and La Estrella, The Star, or what was left of it, blazed up once more and then disappeared from the newspaper horizon forever.
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN. The second paper founded in Los Angeles was the Southern Californian. The first issue appeared July 20, 1854, C. N. Richards & Co., publishers; William Butts, editor. November 2, 1854, William Butts and John O. Wheeler succeeded Richards & Co. in the proprietorship. In November, 1855, A. Pico was the proprietor and J. P. Brodie the
.
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editor. In January, 1856, it died. It is said to have cost Pico $10,000. One page of the paper was printed in Spanishı.
EL CLAMOR PUBLICO was the first paper in Los Angeles that was entirely printed in Spanish. The first number appeared June 8, 1855, Fran- cisco P. Ramirez, editor and proprietor. It was the organ of the better class of the native Cali- fornians of the south and was the first Republi- can newspaper published in Los Angeles. It warmly advocated the election of John C. Fremont to the presidency in 1856. It suspended publica- tion December 31, 1859, for want of support.
THE SOUTHERN VINEYARD was founded by Col. J. J. Warner, March 20, 1858. The press and material used in its publication had formerly belonged to the Southern Californian, in which paper Warner had an interest at the time of its suspension. The Vineyard was a four-page weekly, twenty-two by thirty inches in size. December roth of the same year it became a semi-weekly, issued Tuesday and Friday morn- ings. It was mildly Democratic in the begin- ning, but bolted the regular Democratic ticket in 1859. At the time of its demise, June 8, 1860, it was leaning towards Republicanism. The plant was transferred to the Los Angeles News.
LOS ANGELES DAILY AND WEEKLY NEWS. The Semi-Weekly Southern News, independent, issued every Wednesday and Friday, was estab- lished in Los Angeles by C. R. Conway and Alonzo Waite, January 18, 1860. The sheet was enlarged July 18, 1860, and again August 13, 1862. The name was changed to the Los An- geles Semi-Weekly News, October 8, 1862. January 12, 1863, it appeared as the Los Angeles Tri-Weekly News, issued Mondays, Wednes- days and Fridays.
Conway & Waite sold the News to A. J. King & Co., November 11, 1865, A. J. King becoming editor. It was again changed to a semi-weekly. Under the management of Conway & Waite it was union in politics, after its transfer it became Democratic.
January 1, 1869, the semi-weekly was discon- tinued and The Los Angeles Daily News ap- peared, King & Offutt, publishers. The daily was enlarged in May, 1869. This was the first daily published in Los Angeles. It was issued every day except Sunday, subscription price $12 00 a year. October 16, 1869, R. H. Offutt sold his interest to Alonzo Waite and the firm name became King & Waite. January 1, 1870, A. J. King retired from the editorial manage- ment and was succeeded by Charles E. Beane. October 10, 1872, Mr. Waite sold his entire in- terest to Charles E. Beane. The paper suspended in 1873.
MODERN NEWSPAPERS.
By the terin "Modern Newspapers" I mean those founded since 1870, and still published. It is impossible in the single chapter devoted to a review of the press of Los Angeles to notice all the newspapers and periodicals that have ap- peared and disappeared in this city in the past thirty years. Our journalistic graveyard of long-felt but unappreciated wants is well filled. The dead outnumber the living, but it is for the "survivals" only that I have space.
THE LOS ANGELES EVENING EXPRESS, the oldest daily paper now published in Los Angeles, was founded March 27, 1871, by an association of practical printers, comprising Jesse Yarnell, George Yarnell, George A. Tiffany, J. W. Paynter and Miguel Varela. It was Republican in politics, with Henry C. Austin, editor. The members of the association dropped out until, in 1873, only George A. Tiffany and J. W. Paynter were left; James J. Ayers having taken the place of H. C. Austin as editor.
March 15, 1875, J. J. Ayers and Joseph D. Lynch purchased the paper from Tiffany & Co. The new firm enlarged the paper to eight col- umns and later in the year it was enlarged to nine columns to the page. On October 3, 1876, Mr. Lynch retired from the Express and took editorial charge of the Daily Herald; Ayers con- tinuing in charge of the Express, which was vir- tually an evening edition of the Herald. In 1882 Governor Stoneman appointed Col. Ayers state printer and Mr. Lynch, who had retained his in- terest iu the Express, conducted both papers, but with separate editorial and local staffs. In 1884 H. Z. Osborne and E. R. Cleveland bought the Express. In 1886 these gentlemen organized the Evening Express Company, an incorporation. J. Mills Davies became a stockholder and busi- ness manager of the company. C. C. Allen, after completing his term of office as adjutant- general of the state, became a member of the Ex- press Company. J. Mills Davies retired. In 1896 H. Z. Osborne was president of the company, C. C. Allen vice-president and E. R. Cleveland secretary and treasurer. H. Z. Osborne was ap- pointed United States Marshal of the Southern District in 1897 and C. D. Willard became gen- eral manager of the paper. He was succeeded by J. B. Abell. In January, 1900, John M. Miller, W. A. Kelsey, Richard G. Beebe, William F. Botsford and Edwin B. Haskell bought up the various interests represented in the old Even- ing Express Company and took charge of the paper. John M. Miller was elected president of the new firm; W. A. Kelsey, vice-president and general manager; and Richard G. Beebe secretary
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and treasurer. J. B. Abell was retained as busi- ness manager.
LAS DOS REPUBLICAS (The Two Republics), successor to La Cronica, was established June 2, 1872, by M. S. Arevalo and B. F. Teodoli, B. F. Ramirez, editor. Ramirez retired shortly after the paper was founded, and was succeeded by E. F. De Celis. Under his editorship the paper became the most influential journal pub- lished in the Spanish language in the state. In the year 1880 Mr. Arevalo organized the La Cronica Publishing Company-a joint stock association. Mr. Teodoli withdrew from the company, and after a time the stockholders leased the paper to Pastor de Celis and Miguel J. Varela. From them its management passed to Cordona Brothers, then to E. F. de Celis, next to S. A. Corona and from him to Tomas Temple. Temple shortly before lıis deatlı. in 1892, sold it to its present proprietor, A. J. Flores, who changed its name to its present form. It is devoted to general news, independent in politics and re- ligion.
THE DAILY AND WEEKLY HERALD was founded by C. A. Storke, now an attorney in Santa Barbara. The first number appeared Octo- ber 3, 1873. Mr. Storke conducted the paper until August, 1874, when he sold it to a stock company, the membership of which was largely made up of grangers, or patrons of husbandry. The paper was edited and managed by J. M. Bassett in the interest and as the organ of the Grange. With the decline of the patrons their organ was sold, J. D. Lynch, who had retired from the Express, becoming editor and publisher of the Herald. He continued to edit and manage the paper until the fall of 1886, when he sold a half interest to Col. James J. Ayers. Ayers and Lynch were old time newspaper men and made the Herald the leading Democratic journal of Southern California, if not of the state. In Oc- tober, 1894, Lynch and Ayers sold the Herald to a syndicate of leading Democratic politicians. Next year it was sold to John Bradbury. Brad- bury, after sinking considerable money in the venture, discovered that he was not cut out for a newspaper man and disposed of his burden. In 1895 W. R. Creighton was editor-in-chief. In 1896 William A. Spalding became business manager of the Herald Company. He retired early in 1900 and was succeeded by Randolph H. Miner.
On the 7th of July, 1900, the Herald was sold to a syndicate composed largely of men interested in1 the petroleum industry. Its publication is con- ducted, as formerly, under the Herald Publish- ing Company. The present officers of the com- pany are: Wallace L. Hardison, president and
general manager; H. G. James, manager; Guy L. Hardison, vice-president and secretary; W. Benjamin Scott, treasurer; R. H. Hay Chapman, managing editor. The politics of the paper was changed from Democratic to Republican by the new managers. The Herald has been enlarged and greatly improved in its typographical ap- pearance by its new owners. Its motto is, "No enemies to punish-no special friends to serve."
THE WEEKLY HERALD is published every Saturday morning. It is a seven column twelve page paper. Special attention is given to local happenings and under appropriate departments, it gives information "regarding the farm, orchard, the mining industry, literary and scientific mat- ters, society and the home." It has a large country circulation.
SÜD-CALIFORNIA POST. A weekly paper pub- lished in the German language was established by Conrad Jacoby July 25, 1874. In 1887 the daily was issued and was continued until 1890, when it was suspended. The weekly has quite an extensive circulation among the German population of Southern California. Mr. Jacoby severed his connection with the paper in Feb- ruary, 1893, when the present proprietors, Mor- lock & Glauch, assumed the management. It is an eight page, seven column journal, devoted to news and general literature. The founder of the paper, Conrad Jacoby, died in March, 1900.
THE RURAL CALIFORNIAN. The predecessor of this illustrated monthly magazine was the Southern California Horticulturist, the first num- ber of which was issued September, 1877, at Los Angeles, by the Southern California Horti- cultural Society, L. M. Holt, editor. Its columns were devoted to the interests of horti- culture and agriculture. The size of the magazine then was six by nine inches. In January, 1880, Carter & Rice obtained control of it and pub- lished it under the caption of Semi-Tropic Cali- fornia and Southern California Horticulturist. The size of the page was enlarged to nine by twelve inches. Carter retired after the third issue and George Rice obtained sole control of it. He changed the name to its present form. In 1881 he sold it to Coleman & Dickey. They con- dncted it about a year, when Dickey died. Rice bought it of Coleman and in 1883 sold it to Fred L. Alles. Charles A. Gardner bought a half in- terest and for a time the firm was Alles & Gard- ner, while later Gardner became its sole owner until George Rice again came into possession of it. In 1891 it passed into the hands of C. M. Heintz, who still conducts it.
LOS ANGELES WEEKLY MIRROR. The first number of the Weekly Mirror appeared February 1, 1873. It was a small sheet 10x13 inchies, four
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pages and three columns to the page. It was published every Saturday by Yarnell & Caystile, and distributed free. Marchi 1, 1873, William M. Brown became a partner and the firm name was changed to Yarnell, Caystile & Brown. In 1875 the Mirror was enlarged to a twenty-four column sheet 17x22 inches, its subscription price being $1 per year. Brown retired from the firm on ac- count of ill-health. In August, 1880, S. J. Mathes came into the firm and the paper was enlarged to an eight column paper, 24x38 inches; subscription price $2 per year, S. J. Mathes, editor. After the Daily Times was started, in December, 1881, the Mirror became practically the weekly edition of the former, but retained its original name.
THE LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES. The first number of the Daily Times was issued December 4, 1881, Cole & Gardiner (Nathan Cole and James Gardiner), publishers. It was a seven column folio. Gardiner retired with the first issue and Cole continued the publication until January 1, 1882, when he sold the paper to the publishers of the Weekly Mirror, Yarnell, Cay- stile & Mathes, who continued its publication as a Republican morning journal. Immigration had set in from the northwestern states, which were then as now strongly Republican. This brought a change in the political complexion of Los Angeles and made the successful publication of a Republican journal possible. In April it was enlarged to eight columns and in July to nine columns to the page. August 1, 1882, Col. H. G. Otis became a partner in the firm and editor of the Daily Times and of its weekly issue, the Mirror. On the 22d of May, 1883, A. W. Francisco bought Mr. Yarnell's interest and in the following October was made business mana- ger, a position which he filled until his retire- ment in 1884. Mr. Mathes retired from the firm to engage in other pursuits. In September, 1884, the paper was again enlarged and the telegraphic service increased. In October of the same year the Times-Mirror Company was in- corporated with a capital stock of $40,000, which was increased in 1886 to $60,000, for the purpose of erecting the Times building on the northeast corner of Broadway and First street. In April, 1886, the Times-Mirror Company was reorgan- ized, Albert McFarland and William A. Spalding acquiring stock in the company. The former was elected vice-president and the latter secretary, Col. H. G. Otis being elected president. In September, 1886, Charles F. Lummis acquired an interest, and in August, 1887, L. E. Mosher became a member of the company. In March, 1888, Col. C. C. Allen bought an interest and was elected vice-president. He was appointed
adjutant-general of the state by Governor Mark- ham, and severed his connection with the paper. William A. Spalding also retired from the com- pany.
In 1897 Harry Chandler, who had been con- nected with the paper a number of years, became business manager, and during General Otis' service in the Philippine war had full charge of the business part of the paper. The present officers of the Times-Mirror Company are: H. G. Otis, president and general manager; Harry Chandler, vice-president and assistant general manager; L. E. Mosher, managing editor; Marian Otis-Chandier, secretary; Albert Mc- Farland, treasurer. The following extract from the January, 1900, number of the "Land of Sun- shine" gives a brief outline of the remarkable growth of the Daily Times:
"From the old water power threshing-machine of a 'Potter drum cylinder,' which pounded out one side of 1,400 sheets an hour in 1882, to the magnificent perfecting Hoe press, whichi to-day prints, stitches, folds and delivers 48,000 S-page, or 24,000 16-page, or 12,000 24-page copies of the Times per hour, is a long step. Between have come also five other presses, each bigger than its predecessor and more competent. Ten Mergenthaler linotypes were put in in July, 1893, and four have since been added. The capital stock at incorporation (October, 1884,) was $40,000; increased two years later to $60,000, and since then doubled four times-being set up to $960,000 December 18, 1899."
THE WESTERN GRAPHIC began its career as Greater Los Angeles. At the time of its birth the city was in one of its spasms of municipal ex- pansion. The principal local question then agitating the public was the annexation of the suburbs to the south and west of the city, and Greater Los Angeles was a favorite phrase with those favoring expansion; hence the name.
The first number of Greater Los Angeles was issued November 21, 1896; Joseph D. Lynch, editor and proprietor; Ben C. Truman, business manager. In giving a prospectus of what the paper is to be the editor says: "It is proposed that Greater Los Angeles shall be a distinctive journal of its section and a source of pleasure and instruction to its readers, covering all topics usual to journals of its character and embracing in its rauge literature, politics, music, the drama and society. It shall also discuss and urge the building of the Salt Lake Railroad, the Nica- ragua Ship Canal, a deep sea harbor and other necessary projects."
Mr. Lynch sold out his interest in the paper to George Rice & Sons in November, 1897, Maj. Ben C. Truman continuing his connection with
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the paper as editor. In 1898 Major Truman retired and Irving Hays Rice became editor. The same year the name was changed to the Western Graphic. During the present year it has absorbed the Sunday World and the Cali- fornia Curio. The journal has carried out the policy outlined by its founder, "at all times championing the interests of Los Angeles and of all Southern California." It is ably con- ducted and finely illustrated.
THE CAPITAL, a weekly illustrated journal, was founded January, 1895, by Henry W. Patton and published by the Capital Publishing Com- pany, with Henry W. Patton as general manager; J. M. Tiernan, business manager, and Ben C. Truman editor. It was issued as a sixteen-page paper, without illustrations, but soon became an illustrated journal. Mrs. W. E. Rothery suc- ceeded the Capital Publishing Company in the ownership of the paper and conducts it as editor and proprietor. Under the management of H. W. Patton the Capital devoted considerable space to the discussion of political questions and the topics of the day. Under Mrs. Rothery's management it has become strictly a first-class society journal.
L'UNION NOUVELLE is the oldest paper pub- lished in the French language in this city. It was founded in 1879 and has been continuously edited by the founder, Pierre Ganee. It circu- lates among the French families, many of whom were the early pioneers of Los Angeles. It is an ably edited and well conducted weekly news- paper.
LE FRANCAIS, a French independent paper, was established in 1896. It is an eight-page weekly; size of page 11 x 16 inches; published by Trebaol & Briseno. It is a conservative literary journal, with a good circulation.
LAND OF SUNSHINE, an illustrated monthly magazine, was founded by F. A. Pattee. The first number was issued in June, 1894. It was started as a local publication, designed to set forth the attractions of Southern California. Charles F. Lummis acquired an interest in it and during the latter part of its first year it was pub- lished by F. A. Pattee & Co. The December number of 1894 announces that, "Beginning with the January number the editorial manage- ment of this magazine will be in the hands of Charles F. Lummis." The size of page then was 9 × 12 inches-double column to the page. In the May number, 1895, the editor announces that with its next issue (June) "the Land of Sunshine will become a magazine full-fledged but not full-grown." The size of its page contracted to 6x9 inches, but the magazine increased in thickness. The Land of Sunshine Publishing
Company took the place of F. A. Pattee & Co. F. A. Pattee became business manager under the new firm or corporation. The present board of directors is composed of W. C. Patterson, presi- dent; Charles F. Lummis, vice-president; F. A. Pattee, secretary; Charles Cassat Davis, attorney; and Cyrus M. Davis.
THE LOS ANGELES JOURNAL is published by the Daily Journal Company (incorporated), at 205 New High street. It was founded as the Court Journal, the first number of which was is- sued April 6, 1888, by Charles W. Palm and H. H. McCutchan. With the next number the firm name was changed to Charles W. Palm & Co., who continued to publish it until August 8, 1893, when the ownership passed to Warren Wilson. About a year later the name was changed to its present form, and The Daily Journal Company incorporated, Warren Wilson becoming general manager. Its specialty is legal news-such as court records and decisions, records of real estate, transfers, mortgages, etc. It is a four-page seven-column paper, published daily, Sundays excepted. It secured the contract to do the county advertising for the fiscal year, July, 1900, to July, 1901, and is the official county paper.
THE TIDINGS, the Catholic paper of the dio- cese of Monterey and Los Angeles, was estab- lished in June, 1895, by Capt. James Connally, P. W. Croake and Miss Kate Murphy, who en- tered into a copartnership for that purpose, under the title of The Tidings Publishing Company. After some months Captain Connally sold his in- terest in the concern to his partners, and later on Mr. Croake acquired the entire ownership of the paper. January 1, 1898, he sold a half interest to John J. Bodkin, who a year later acquired by purchase the full ownership and control of the paper. The paper is the church organ of South- ern California.
THE BUILDER AND CONTRACTOR was estab- lished March 1, 1893, by George Lawrence. It was then a four-column four-page paper; size of sheet, 14x22 inches. Harry Iles bought out Lawrence in 1895, and has ever since been its publisher and editor. Its present size of sheet is 30x40 inches, four pages, six columns to the page. Its field is advance information to build- ers and contractors-descriptions of new build- ings and lists of all legal instruments pertaining to building filed for record in the city or county offices.
LOS ANGELES MINING REVIEW, devoted to the mining, petroleum, financial and other interests of Southern California, Arizona and other portions of the great southwest, was established by A. Richardson, February 12, 1898, and he still con-
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tinues to be the sole proprietor and editor of the Spanish war its circulation went up by leaps and paper. It is a sixteen-page illustrated weekly, bounds. Mr. Burbank, its founder, is not now financially interested in the paper. four columns to the page; size of page, 10x14 inches. It is the only paper in Southern Califor- nia devoted to mining.
THE CALIFORNIA CULTIVATOR was estab- lished in 1889 by W. B. Nesbit, as "Poultry in California." Mr. Nesbit died in 1890, and G. H. A. Goodwin, the present editor and proprietor of The Cultivator, bought of Nesbit's heirs The Poultry, and changed the name to its present form. The Cultivator is a weekly illustrated jour- nal devoted to the interests of the agriculturists of Southern California. It is a sixteen-page paper; size of page, 11x15 inches.
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