USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > History of San Diego, 1542-1908 : an account of the rise and progress of the pioneer settlement on the Pacific coast of the United States, Volume II > Part 13
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WM. JEFF GATEWOOD
Founder of the l'nion and a notable lawyer in the early days of the Horton period
lishers became Taggart & Bushyhead. Mr. Bushyhead says that the prosperity of the paper dates from the time that Taggart came into the establishment. He was a "rustler" and brought in advertising and subscriptions which placed the paper, for the first time, in a fairly prosperous condition. But Taggart had, other interests which shared his attention, and he soon dropped the Union. He sold out to Frederick A. Taylor, late of San Francisco, who took charge on January 1, 1870. At the
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
time, it was stated that the Union was prosperous, and this is attested by the fact that on the 20th day of January it was enlarged to seven columns. Another change was announced on May 12th, when William S. Dodge succeeded to Taylor's inter- est, and the firm became Dodge & Bushyhead.
By this time, Horton's Addition was making considerable progress and had begun to threaten the supremacy of the old town. The Bulletin had been started there the preceding Aug- ust, and was enjoying a large share of the new prosperity-a prosperity from which the Union was excluded by reason of its location. Gatewood had been the attorney for the people of Old Town in the contest over the removal of the county seat, and
J. N. BRISENO Who was employed by Gatewood and whose name appeared as the first publisher of the Union
the Union had supported their side of that contention. But the proprietors concluded the fight was a losing one, and, in the midst of the fray, abandoned the old town and removed to the new. One of the inducements for this change was an agree- ment on the part of Mr. Horton to give the paper his exclusive advertising patronage, so long as it remained in its new loca- tion and helped to build up that part of the town. This was one of the severest blows the friends of Old Town suffered, although it cannot be said that it influenced the final result, as the question was already in the courts awaiting decision.
The Union announced its intention to move, on June 23, 1870, and the following number, June 30th, was the first one issued
483
CHANGING EDITORSHIP
in Horton's Addition. The new office was in a building at the southeast corner of Fourth and D Streets. That location was then thought to be quite out of town, the only other buildings in the neighborhood being the little Methodist church across the street, and the "Era House," later called the "Occidental." The foundations of the Horton House were then being laid.
On September 22, 1870, Dodge retired from the Union and was succeeded by Douglas Gunn. Gunn had been employed for
EDWARD W. BUSHYHEAD
One of the early proprietors of the Union, who also served as sheriff and chief of police
some time on the paper as reporter and printer. He was a man of ability, enterprise, and courage, and the effects of his work were soon manifest. On December 8th following his assumption of the editorship, the Union published President Grant's mes- sage in full, having received it by telegraph, and called it "a piece of newspaper enterprise never before attempted by any ' country paper' in the United States." The like had certainly never before been done in San Diego. On March 20, 1871, the Daily Union, the first daily paper in San Diego, was issued. At that time only two daily papers were published in Southern Cal-
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
ifornia ; these being the News and the Star, of Los Angeles, and the Union was the third. Ten days later, the weekly was enlarged to eight columns, and became the largest weekly paper south of San Francisco. In the latter part of the following April, John P. Young (now editor of the San Francisco Chron- icle) was employed as business manager.
Those were strenuous days for Bushyhead & Gunn. A com- petent writer says: "We do not believe that two men ever did more intensely hard work, for smaller compensation, than the publishers of the Union. The first year of its existence it [the daily] spent about $1,200 for telegraphic news, the next year about $2,000," etc. Mr. Bushyhead does not recall that, as a whole, they were poorly paid; he relates that he and Mr. Gunn were able to put away $1,500 each in bank every month at that period. The partnership of Bushyhead & Gunn lasted nearly three of the busiest and most fruitful years of the life of the new town. Circumstances induced the former to retire in June, 1873. He received $5,000 in cash for his half interest, and Mr. Gunn became sole proprietor. A month later, the daily was enlarged to twice its former size. These were in the palmy days of San Diego's first boom-the "Tom Scott boom"-and the collapse of that excitement, naturally enough, hit the paper hard. The circulation of the daily continued to grow, but its advertising patronage declined and for a few years its struggle was a hard one. In 1877, Mr. Gunn stated that for four years he alone had performed the entire editorial work, local report- ing, and news editing. It was one of his gifts to be able to write rapidly, clearly, and under pressure. Probably few men could have stood the strain under which he labored.
By the year 1878, conditions had so far improved that the Union began to benefit by the reaction. , On the first day of June, the office was removed to Sixth Street, one door below where the postoffice was then located. Several quiet but fairly prosperous years followed, and in July, 1881, the paper was again enlarged and the first steam printing press in San Diego set up for its use. Five years later, it was again enlarged. On August 3, 1886, Mr. Gunn retired and the paper passed into the hands of the San Diego Union Company. The manager of this company was Colonel John R. Berry, and his associates were William Collier, now living at Riverside, and J. Russell Smith. Colonel Berry had been city editor of the Union about two years,. and now assumed editorial charge of the paper.
Mr. Gunn retired to devote himself to his business interests. Under his editorial management of almost sixteen years the paper had grown up with the town and had played an impor- tant and vital part in its development. Soon after, he built the
485
A NEWSPAPER MERGER
Express Block, and in 1889 was chosen and served as the first mayor of San Diego under its new charter.
Three or four months after the new company took charge, Hosmer P. McKoon acquired an interest, and, a little while after that, Bryant Howard and E. W. Morse came in. In Feb- ruary, 1888, there was a white paper famine which now seems amusing. The Union appeared for a time printed on paper of many colors, dirty white, terra cotta, and bright pink. In the following May, cards were issued inviting the friends of the paper to call and witness the operation of its new double- cylinder Hoe printing press and feeders. Whole page descrip-
OFFICE OF THE UNION At Sixth and F Streets in the '70's
tions were given, with large cuts of the new press. In June, 1888, John C. Monteith became owner of part of the stock and assumed the business management of the paper. In the fall, Howard M. Kutchin became business manager and a few months later editor, and so continued till June, 1889. In December of the year 1888 the Union company purchased the Daily Bee from Harry A. Howard, Thomas Fitch, and their associates, and merged the two papers under the title of the San Diego Union and Daily Bee. In the following year, Berry parted with his interest in the paper to the Monteiths. Berry went to Ohio
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
and was gone a few months and upon his return took charge of the paper again in association with Andrew Pollock.
In 1890 Colonel Berry was appointed collector of the port, and soon after his appointment sold out to the Messrs. John D. and Adolph B. Spreckels, who were then represented here by E. S. Babcock; and these gentlemen have ever since been the owners and publishers of the Union. August 1, 1890, Thomas Gardiner, one of the founders of the Sacramento Union and of the Los Angeles Times, was appointed manager of the paper,
JOHN R. BERRY
Who served at different times as editor of the Union and who was colonel of the Seventh Regiment, National Guard, during the Spanish War
and served in that capacity until his death nine years later. On June 19, 1899, James MacMullen became general manager of the Union Company, and is still its manager. March 8, 1900, the Union purchased the plant of the Morning Call (formerly the Vidette), and on September 27, 1901, it became the owner of the Evening Tribune, which had been established since Decem- ber 21, 1895. The publication of the latter has been continued. It is one of the two evening papers now published in the city.
487
THE SPRECKELS BUILDING
On the 30th of November, 1901, the editorial, press, and busi- ness rooms of the papers were removed to the old Horton bank building, on the southwest corner of Third and D Streets, which has since been known as the Union building. Spreckels Broth- ers recently purchased land adjoining this building on the south and west, tore down the old building, and erected in its place a large, modern six-story business block, which will pro- vide for the Union company better quarters than any other
JAMES MACMULLEN
General Manager of the Union and Tribune
EDMUND F. PARMELEE
Advertising Manager of the Union, who has been longer in continuous service than any other member of the newspaper corps.
newspaper south of San Francisco. The papers have also been provided with new presses and up-to-date facilities in every department.
James MacMullen is now general manager of the Union and Tribune. George S. Bates is editor of the Union, as he has been for many years. Walter T. Blake is editor of the Tri- bune. Edmund F. Parmelee has been advertising manager of the Union since January 1, 1888, a longer continuous service than any other man in San Diego in a similar position. He is thus dean of the newspaper corps.
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
These two papers support the regular Republican organiza- tion. They have been developed into valuable and influential properties with the growth of the city, and afford their patrons a live and satisfactory service. The Union has a complete file of its issues, from the beginning, in a good state of preservation -a mine of inexhaustible interest and value to the historian and writer.
The pioneer editor and publisher of Horton's Addition was William H. Gould, who began the publication of the San Diego Weekly Bulletin on August 21, 1869. It was a four-page six- column paper. In this first number Mr. Gould expressed the
WILLIAM H. GOULD The pioneer editor and publisher of Horton's Addition
opinion that: "There is nowhere on the globe a finer field for newspaper enterprise and the exercise of newspaper power than exists today in our young and growing city of San Diego."
The paper was enlarged to seven columns in December, and in the following June Major Ben C. Truman purchased a half interest and became editor and business manager. In July, 1871, W. H. Ogden became editor, Truman remaining as busi- ness manager. At the end of that year Major Truman's con- nection with the paper ceased. On February 13, 1872, the first number of the Daily Bulletin appeared. It was a small sheet of five columns and four pages. In the following month W. W. Bowers became the business manager and D. T. Phillips became editor of the Bulletin in June. The paper was soon after sold
489
RUSH TO HORTON'S TOWN
to Colonel Gatewood, who took over the entire plant and began issuing a new paper, called the World. The last number of the weekly Bulletin was July 13th, and of the daily, July 23, 1872.
The Bulletin was established by the friends of New San Diego to counterbalance the influence of the Union at the rival town. The Union "coppered" this move, however, by removing to Hor- ton's Addition, and, having secured Mr. Horton's exclusive pat- ronage, the Bulletin proved unprofitable and soon languished. It began as a Union Republican paper, but a year later became
-
MAJOR BEN. C. TRUMAN
JOSEPH D. LYNCH
Two journalists identified with San Diego in early Horton days and during the great boom
straight Republican and continued so. There is a complete file of this paper in the public library, presented to it by Mr. Daniel Cleveland.
Will H. Gould left San Diego in 1874 and had a checkered career afterward. He established papers at San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and other places, none of which lived long, and was connected with the San Diego Bee in 1887-88.
The first number of the Daily World was issued July 25, 1872, and the weekly two days later. The daily was a small quarto
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
sheet, with four pages of five columns each, and the weekly was a large four-page sheet of seven columns. There were elements of fitness in Colonel Gatewood's being its editor and proprietor. The paper which he had founded (the Union) was now a Repub- lican organ, while he was a Democrat; and many people thought that the time was ripe for an opposition paper. J. N. Briseño, an old employe of Gatewood on the Union, acquired an interest, in August. In October, the daily was enlarged to four full-size
JACOB M. JULIAN
Associated with N. H. Conklin as editor and proprietor of the San Diego World in 1874; later, editor of the Daily News
quarto pages of six columns each, and in December the office was removed to the south side of D Street, between Second and Third, in what was formerly called the Stockton House.
Joseph D. Lynch succeeded Gatewood as editor, and, in the fall of 1874, the paper was acquired by Jacob M. Julian and N. H. Conklin. Both were newcomers, from Warrensburg, Mis- souri, where they had been associated in the publication of a weekly paper. They continued to publish the World a year or two and then it was merged with the News, published by Julian & Co.
CHAS. W. OESTING
President State Board of Harbor Com- missioners.
M. A. GRAHAM President Board of Public Works.
DR. D. B. NORTHRUP County Physician.
HOWARD M. CHERRY County Auditor.
IEGO SUN
300 BUN
New home of the San Diego Sun Publishing Company, Seventh and B Streets, one of the most complete newspaper buildings in the United States.
HORACE E. RHOADS
Vice-President and Business Manager of the San Diego Sun Publishing Company since November, 1906.
491
FOUNDING OF "THE SUN"
Mr. Julian began the publication of the San Diego Daily News in 1875, and continued it until April 9, 1882, when it was purchased by the Sun company.
The Sun first appeared on July 19, 1881. Mrs. Charles P. Taggart originated the enterprise. Horace Stevens, Fred C. Bauer and Robert Campion served as editors or managers.
Mrs. Taggart disposed of her interest to A. Wentscher, Edwin Parker, Horace Stevens, Dr. T. C. Stockton and C. P. Gerichten. The first office of the Sun, was in a small frame building on the east side of the plaza, where the Schmitt Block now: stands.
In 1886 Warren Wilson of San Bernardino purchased the Sun, and in December of the same year the paper was estab- lished in the Sun building on the Plaza, built by him and now owned by Nathan Watts. In February, 1889, Wilson sold the Sun to Walter G. Smith, now of Honolulu, and W. E. Simpson, the money being furnished by the California National Bank. The purchasers turned the property back to the bank in January, 1891, and Dr. D. Gochenauer was appointed general . manager. The failure of the California National Bank in November of that year resulted in the Sun being thrown upon the market, when it was again purchased by Warren Wilson, who in turn sold it on June 3 to Paul H. Blades and E. C. Hickman, the money being furnished by E. W. Scripps, the millionaire newspaper publisher. Mr. Scripps had just come to San Diego from his home in Cincinnati, on a visit, and was persuaded to invest in the Sun at the request of his cousin, the late Mrs. Fanny Bagby Blades. From this nucleus has grown the entire Scripps league of western newspapers, now covering every important city on the Coast.
In November, 1892, the Sun purchased the San Diegan, being merged under the title of 'San Diegan-Sun. With the San Diegan was secured the services of Mr. F. D. Waite as editor, who until recently remained as editor of the paper, and is still a member of the staff as associate editor.
The Sun has had various business managers. most of whom are now identified with the Scripps properties on the Pacific Coast and elsewhere. In March, 1901, Mr. Scripps purchased the interests of Blades and all others in the Sun. and trans- ferred a half ownership to himself and the other half to Mr. W. H. Porterfield, which ownership has continued to the present time. For several years past Mr. Porterfield has been engaged in the management of other Scripps properties in Northern California, and the active business management of the Sun has devolved upon H. E. Rhoads. Mr. C. A. Mc-
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
Grew, formerly of the New York Times, is editor. The Sun is independent in politics, with Democratic leanings in national campaigns. Early in this year (1908) the Sun Company moved into its new home, a handsome brick building on Seventh and B Streets. As illustrating the growth of San Diego, the statement is made that the Sun's business has quadrupled in the past five years.
W. H. PORTERFIELD
President and General Manager of the San Deigo Sun Publishing Company
The San Diegan was established by J. M. Julian, E. J. Bacon, and Julian Regan, in 1885, as a Democratie organ, and four years later sold to Chaffee, Sullivan & Waite, who remained the owners until the consolidation with the Sun in the fall of 1892.
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THE SHORT-LIVED "BEE"
The next paper established, in point of time, was the Daily and Weekly Bee. The Bee Publishing Company was incorpor- ated in November 1887, by Wm. F. Hutton, Will H. Gould, Thomas J. McCord, Harry A. Howard, and Thomas L. Fitch. The company had been organized in the spring by Messrs. Ben- jamin & Cothran, and had for its editors a Mr. Zeigenfuss, and
WALTER T. BLAKE Editor of the Tribune
F. D. WAITE Associate Editor of the San Diego Sun
Mrs. Clara S. Foltz. The Bee was a live paper, while it lasted. It was absorbed by the Union, in December, 1888.
Thus far this story of the files is that of the papers which are either still in existence, or have been absorbed by other papers vet published. A number of other papers-exactly how many it is really impossible to say-were started at different times. but permanently suspended publication. A list of some of these
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
is given farther on. The most important of these was the San Dieyo Vidette, a daily and weekly paper established by D. O. McCarthy, August 6, 1892. From December 1, 1894, to March 7, 1895, Harr Wagner leased the paper, after which the founder again became managing editor and J. Harvey McCarthy busi- ness manager. In 1899, it was leased for a short time to B. A. Stephens, T. Spears, and Frank Gregg, in succession. In Jan- uary, 1900, the name was changed to the Morning Call; and in the following March the Call suspended publication and the Union bought its plant. The motto of the Vidette was: "Thrice armed is he whose cause is just." It was a live and vigilant paper, independent and fearless, which attacked wrong and corruption wherever found.
In the way of periodical literature, the first ambitious effort was that of Harr Wagner, when he removed the Golden, Era monthly magazine from San Francisco to San Diego, during the boom. It was established at San Francisco in 1852. The plant arrived at San Diego early in March, 1887. It was intended to change the name to the Coronado Illustrated Magazine, and public announcement was made of that intention ; but for some reason the plan fell through, and the magazine continued to be published as the Golden Era. In the fall the Golden Era Company was incorporated, by Harr Wagner, J. D. Wagner, E. C. Thorpe, C. E. Maxwell, and G. C. Berlew. It was a mag- azine of fiction, travel, and general literature, and the oldest illustrated magazine on the Pacific Coast. It was the literary journal of the Southwest and had a number of notable contrib- utors, among whom were Joaquin Miller, Madge Morris (Mrs. Wagner). Rose Hartwick Thorpe, and others. It was published in San Diego until March, 1895, when it was again removed to San Francisco, and soon after changed to the Western Journal of Education, under which name it still continues, with Mr. Wagner as editor-in-chief. While here Mr. Wagner engaged in a varieties of activities connected with education-was superintendent of schools, connected with the San Diego Col- lege of Letters at Pacific Beach, etc.
The next important venture in this line was the Silver Gate, established in January, 1899, by James A. Jasper. Sixteen numbers in all were issued, the last one being for April, 1900. It was devoted to local statistics, current politics, articles on cli- mate, horticulture, etc., and also contained views, maps, and por- traits of value. With the September number, 1899, it absorbed the Mother's Club Magazine (a monthly started February 1, 1899), and the "Mother's Club Notes" formed a department of the magazine until it suspended. It also had for a time a depart-
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VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS
ment edited by the Woman's Relief Corps. The back numbers of this magazine are highly prized.
The West American Scientist was established by C. R. Orcutt, December 1, 1884, and he is still the editor and publisher. It is the organ of the San Diego Society of Natural History and was the first scientific publication established on the Pacific Coast. It has at different times absorbed a number of other similar publications and its files contain matter of great value.
The Western Magazine issued three numbers-August, Sep- tember, and October, 1906. It was the most ambitious example of periodical literature ever undertaken in San Diego, and its early demise was a matter of sincere and widespread regret.
HARR WAGNER MADGE MORRIS (MRS. WAGNER) Who published the Golden Era, a literary magazine, in San Diego from 1887 to 1895
The following is a list of newspapers and other periodicals known to have been started in San Diego from time to time. All these periodicals are now defunct, unless otherwise stated.
In May, 1885, D. P. St. Clair started the San Diego Califor- nian, and published it about two months.
In 1887, the Bennett Brothers established a paper which they call the News (Julian's paper of the same name having been absorbed by the Sun, five years before). It was issued asa daily for six months, and then removed to Ensenada, in Lower California.
The Deutsche Zeitung, a weekly, was established by Charles F. Kamman, in 1887, and is still published.
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
The Free Press, a tri-weekly, was published by J. G. Over- shiner in 1887.
The Semi-Tropic Planter, devoted to agriculture, was pub- lished by Cooke & Hufford, in 1887. C. R. Orcutt afterward became its editor.
The Coronado Evening Mercury was established May 16, 1887. It was an evening daily, published at Coronado by Kimball, White & Co., and later became a weekly issued by F. E. A. Kimball.
The Southern California Information Agency (Augustus Mer- rill, manager), issued the Southern California Informant in the latter part of 1887. It purported to be "a journal of reliable information and just criticism."
The first issue of the Echo was December 3, 1887. It was a critical and humorous weekly.
R. H. Young issued the Pacific Beach Magazine in 1888. It was subsidized by the Pacific Beach Company and lived about a year, expiring with the boom.
The Beacon was a small weekly published in 1889 by Sigis- mund Danielwicz, devoted to the discussion of social ethics.
The Clipper was established in 1889, by the Bayside Publish- ing Company: It was a weekly, edited by John C. Monteith.
The Great Southwest, edited by R. H. Young and devoted to horticulture, was issued in 1889.
The Dart, a prohibition paper, was first issued August, 1888.
Zoe, a biological journal, was established by Mrs. Katherine Brandegee, in 1890.
The Review, a weekly publication by Birdsall & Van Haren, was started about March, 1890. It was devoted to the interests of the National Guard, "society, current comment, and education."
May 10, 1890, appeared the San Diego Republic, published every Saturday by Stephens & Harris.
The first number of the Spiritual Times Magazine appeared November 1, 1890. Later, the name was changed to the San Diego Times Magazine. The editor was William Alfred Rugg.
The San Diego Advertiser was founded by E. N. Sullivan, July 25, 1891. It is now the San Diego News, a weekly.
The Seaport News was first issued September 3, 1892, and it was the successor of the Coronado Mercury. It was a weekly journal. At the time of the change, T. D. Beasly assumed a half interest in the paper.
The National Popular Review was first issued, July 1, 1892. It was a monthly magazine devoted to medical subjects, and called An Illustrated Journal of Preventive Medicine. It was
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