History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 19

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 19

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The Daily Evening Tribune was published during the 1872 presidential campaign by Clevenger & Armstrong. E. T. Sawyer was the editor. The paper opposed Grant and supported Greeley.

The Daily Independent Californian, pub- lished by S. H. Herring and Ben Casey, held the fort during the local option campaign of 1874.

The Daily Garden City Times was started by Edwin Markham, S. H. Herring, Perry- man Page and E. T. Sawyer in 1874. It had the telegraph dispatches and for a while the future looked bright. Markham, who after- ward became famous as the author of "The Man With the Hoe," "Lincoln and Other Poems," "The Shoes of Happiness," and who is now an opulent resident of West New

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Brighton, N. Y., was a young man then, whis- kerless and thin, black-eyed, eager and im- petuous. Herring was the publisher of a weekly agricultural paper and an entertaining writer on practical subjects. Page was a printer who had studied for the ministry. He lent the moral support to the undertaking, while the other partners furnished the brains- such as they were. On the start there was no business manager, for it had not occurred to these innocents that an attache of that sort was necessary for the success of a newspaper project. The quartet fondly imagined that the mere announcement of the publication would be followed by such a rush of business men to the office as would necessitate the employ- ment of a score of clerks to attend to their re- quirements. Besides, of what use would be a business manager-a man to drum up adver- tisements for immediate pecuniary needs- when an "angel" had been secured, one whose purse was large and whose promises were all that could be desired. The "angel" was Ben Casey, an elderly rancher living on the Los Gatos road. He had one hobby and how it ruined the prospects of the paper will pres- ently appear.

The Garden City Times was a success from the start. Markham was the literary editor and assisted in the reporting, and his faculty of throwing a glamor of romance over the miost trivial local subject, even though it chanced to be the erection of a chicken coop or the reception of a watermelon from an ad- miring subscriber, gave such interest to the local department that his salary was advanced after the first week. E. T. Sawyer was the city and managing editor and his principal du- ties consisted in consigning to the waste bas- ket such editorials as in his opinion were not in keeping with the conservative policy of the paper. These proceedings were looked upon as high-handed by Mr. Herring and after a week of them he threw up his job in disgust and presented his interest in the paper to the other partners.

About this time an advertisement of a sa- loon was handed in and inserted. It caught the eagle eye of Casey and there came a quick and imperative demand for its withdrawal. A council of war was held. It was realized by the three partners that a crisis had been reached. To take out the advertisement would mean that in future The Garden City Times would not be a paper for all classes, but one lined up on the side of temperance at a time when the question was not being exten- sively agitated. The partners were young and full of confidence. They felt they could do without Casey's money. So the advertise- 00

inent stayed and Casey went out. This action took place on the second day of the second week of publication. The news spread. With- in twenty-four hours every man who had a bill against the paper presented it with the abrupt request for immediate payment. Forced to the wall, the partners paid out all the avail- able cash, hoping that the worst was over. But they were mistaken, for the next move came from the printers. They wanted assur- ance that they would be paid at the end of the week or they would leave in a body. Now optimism was followed by pessimism and the falling in spirits affected the tone of the paper. Markham, instead of scurrying about town with a smiling face, dawdled listlessly in the editorial room and used the scissors in turn- ing out copy. Former editorials, bracketed "by request" at the top were reprinted, while Page, in the composing room, resisted a strong temptation to swear. The inevitable was ap- proaching. Despite a favorable public opin- ion, the promises of enthusiastic friends and the important fact that the paper had come into existence to fill "long felt want," there was a conspicuous and lamentable lack of the silvery sinews of war. After eleven days of experience the partners stopped publication. . Then they collected all the bills due for adver- tising, paid off the printers and walked to St. James Park. Seated on a bench in a shady spot they divided $27 into three equal parts, pocketed each his share and talked of emi- grating to the South Sea Islands.

The Daily and Weekly Advertiser was pub- lished by B. H. Cottle from May to December, 1875. The Weekly Balance Sheet, a commer- cial paper, was started by H. S. Foote in Feb- ruary, 1876. It was discontinued the next year. The California Journal of Education was run for four weeks in 1876. George Ham- ilton was the publisher. The Temperance Champion was published by A. P. Murgotten in 1876. It was discontinued the next year.

The Pioneer, devoted to the interests of the men of '49 and the early '50s, was started by A. P. Murgotten in 1876. It was discontinued in 1881. Mr. Murgotten was well fitted for the task of placing on record the experiences of the California pioneers. He came to the coast in the early days and for many years lived in Placerville, coming to San Jose in 1866 with his brother-in-law, W. A. January, to assist in the publication of the Argus. He has the honor of being the dean of the newspaper guild of California, his experience covering fifty-five years, beginning with "devil" and ending with editor. He is a fluent, graceful writer, with a clean, conscientious sense of duty. He holds the belt as correspondent, having been the

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first to represent in San Jose the following San Francisco papers : The Alta, Examiner, Chron- icle and Call. During the famous Normal School investigation he sent to the Call regu- .lar reports of the proceedings of the legisla- tive committee, his copy averaging 5,000 words daily. As the reports were taken in long hand it will be seen that Mr. Murgotten had use for every minute of his time. After serving as reporter for the Argus (weekly and daily) he started in business for himself, in turn publishing the Temperance Champion, The Pioneer and a paper devoted to the inter- ests of the Elks. It was on The Pioneer that his best, most valuable work was done. The paper was the first of its kind to be published in the state and its great historical value was at once recognized and appreciated. In these later days Mr. Murgotten is best known as a public-spirited citizen, one always to the fore when projects for the betterment of social conditions are under consideration or are on their way to fruition.

The Headlight, an evening daily, was started by a company of printers in 1879. Its name was afterward changed to the Record, but after a short time it retired from the field.

The Daily Morning Times first saw the light in 1879. The proprietors were S. W. De Lacy, F. B. Murdoch, J. G. Murdoch and F. W. Murdoch. In January, 1880, Mr. DeLacy became the sole proprietor. It was a success- ful venture. Mr. DeLacy's aim was to present a paper, which in its treatment of local events, should be equally readable and reliable; in general, the implacable foe of wrong, the in- flexible champion of right, independent at all times and always fearless in expression of opinion. But while success was his, he con- ceived the idea that a daily newspaper founded and conducted on the principles of the Times would flourish in San Francisco. Accordingly on September 6, 1883, he sold his paper to C. M. Shortridge and went to San Francisco. There in 1884 he joined forces with James H. Barry and together they began publication of the Daily Evening Star. After a few months of battling against odds the Star suspended. Mr. De Lacy shortly afterward returned an San Jose and after a short experience in jour- nalism went to Tacoma, Wash., where for over twenty years and until his death he served as deputy collector of customs. When in harness he was in his element when expos- ing local abuses. He was scrupulously hon- est, a loyal friend and a generous enemy. Al- fred Cridge was editorial writer for De Laey. He was a short, roly-poly sort of man, gentle and self-effacing. He reveled in hard facts and dry statistics and his collection of clip-

pings overran his large cabinet of pigeon holes. Before his arrival in San Jose he had served the Government as a detective. Dur- ing the Civil War he was one of the assistants of Col. L. C. Baker, through whose agency John Wilkes Booth, the slayer of Lincoln, was located and killed.

The Daily Evening News was started and did business during the campaign of 1882. W. D. Haley was the editor.

1n 1883 H. A. De Lacy, present under sheriff of Santa Clara County, established the City Item. Its name was changed in 1885 to the Evening News, a name it still bears. Mr. De Lacy came to California in 1862 and went at work as an engineer at the New Almaden mines. In 1865 he came to San Jose and was engaged for several years in the business of carpenter and contractor. In 1870 he was ap- pointed deputy sheriff and soon developed great skill as a detective officer. When his term expired he was elected constable of the township. In 1872 he published The Reporter, but discontinued it in order to devote all his time to his official business. In 1874 he was for several months the lessee and manager of the San Jose Opera House. In 1883 he started the City Item and the success of the venture was so pronounced that he took in the late Chas. W. Williams as a partner. It was a strong combination and the effect was imme- diately apparent. The business rapidly in- creased and the paper has been enlarged many times during the thirty-five years of its exist- ence. In the early '90s Mr. De Lacy sold out his interest, having been elected San Jose's chief of police. In that office Mr. De Lacy made a record that any man might be proud. of. He was both honest and resolute in the performance of his duties, and he soon made his name a terror to evil doers. At the expira- tion of his term he engaged in business, serv- ing for several years as business manager of the Daily Mercury. In 1910 he was appointed under sheriff, but resigned after three years' service. In the 1918 election a new sheriff, George Lyle, was elected and his first official act was to appoint Mr. De Lacy under sheriff, a position he still holds. He is considered one of the most competent and reliable officials Santa Clara ever possessed.

Chas. W. Williams continued as sole pro- prietor of the Evening News until 1917, when ill-health compelled his retirement from the arduous work of the office. He sold his plant and business to H. L. Baggerly, for many years sporting editor of the San Francisco Bulletin. Mr. Baggerly is a live wire and the News, under his management, has more than quadrupled in circulation. The editor is R. L.

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Burgess, whose writings have in a few years given him a national reputation.

The Santa Clara Valley, a monthly journal devoted to the horticultural and viticultural interests of the community and the exploita- tion of the resources of the county, was started by Maj. Horace S. Foote in 1884. In 1886 he sold out the paper to H. A. Brainerd, who added to its name The Pacific Tree and Vine, thus enlarging its sphere of usefulness. Brai- nerd continued the publication until his death about twenty years ago.

It was while Major Foote was engaged in newspaper work that he had an adventure that he will never forget. In the '60s Charley Barr, an Englishman, kept a saloon on First Street opposite El Dorado. The place was patronized largely by Cornishmen from the New Almaden and Guadalupe quicksilver mines. The rear of the saloon was arranged like an English tap room with fireplace, man- tel, pipes and tobacco and tables for drinking and playing cards. The miners used to flock in every Saturday afternoon and usually they were quiet and inoffensive. But on one Satur- day something happened that made them boil with rage. The something was a write-up in the Independent. The writer was Major Foote and he had made a sensation out of a flying rumor of a ghostly visitation. The rumor ran that for some time the old Chapman quicksil- ver mine beyond the cemetery had been haunt- ed by the ghost of a murdered miner and Foote had asserted that on account of the ghost's nightly walks about the mine residents on the Monterey Road were afraid to pass the mine at night. It was a well-written, creepy story and Foote was proud of it and his pride was at high-water mark when there entered his office a delegation of enraged Cornishmen. One of them held in his hand a copy of the paper containing the story, and when he ad- dressed Foote there was blood in his eye. Foote noticed that the men were in liquor and it seemed to him that they loomed like giants in his little office. Then a harsh voice smote his ear. "Are you the bloomin' beggar who wrote this piece?" Foote gave an affirmative answer. "Then," went on the Cornishman, making no effort to master his rage, "You have insulted the ghost of my father and I'm going to do you up." Foote shivered and then looked out of the open window with the idea of jumping to the sidewalk. But the distance appalled him, so he concluded to leave his fate in the hands of the irate miners. He had heard of the actions of Cornishmen when crazed with drink and out for retaliation on enemy or enemies, and the thought that he might be seized, thrown to the floor to have his ribs crushed by hob-nailed boots, was not

a comforting one. But he got a firm grip on his nerves and replied: "You must be mis- taken. I have not insulted the ghost of your father. I have never in my life spoken disre- spectfully of a ghost. In fact it is my rule to treat ghosts with the utmost courtesy. Let me read the article to you. I am sure you must have mistaken my meaning." "All right," grunted the son of the ghost, "Go ahead."

Foote braced up, took the paper and pre- pared to make a fight for his life. As he read he interlarded the story with comments com- mendatory both of the ghost's activities and of the character of the miner before he became a ghost. The reading finished he noted with satisfaction that the hands of the son of the ghost were no longer clinched but were hang- ing quite naturally by his side. "Perhaps," said the spokesman for the Cornishman, "I was in the wrong, and perhaps you have been stringing me. If I thought-" here Foote

broke in quickly. He wished to cement the impression the reading had made. "Listen further," he said. Then he went on in an ex- temporized speech to extol the virtues of the men of Cornwall. He expatiated on their hard work, their love for their wives and children; their honesty and their generosity. As a law- yer making a plea for his client he made such a plea for himself as aroused generous emo- tions in the breasts of his visitors. He wound up with an eloquent peroration that quite set- tled the business, for the Cornishmen patted him on the back, declared he was a gentleman and a scholar and invited him over to Charley Barr's to drink the health of His Honor, the Spook.

The Scooper, a humorous weekly, came out in 1885. The proprietors were E. T. Sawyer and John T. Wallace. Mr. Wallace, who after- wards became justice of the peace and held of- fice until his death a few years ago, sold out his interest to his partner, after a few months' experience. The Scooper lived until 1886.

The Santa Clara Index was started in 1870 by a company of printers. W. W. Elliott was the editor. One day he had an altercation with W. G. Wilson, the foreman of the com- posing room. Office furniture took the place of fists and Elliott emerged with a bruised head and a broken arm. His life reads like a romance. Erratic, brilliant, nervous, "his own worst enemy," he moved from place to place, never satisfied but always optimistic. He was a pioneer resident of the state and in the late '50s went to Australia. Returning after an ab- sence of several years, during which he was sailor, gold prospector, theatrical agent and merchant, he enlisted in the Union army and rose to the rank of major. When the assas- sination of Lincoln occurred he was in San

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Francisco and was one of the leaders of the mob that wrecked several offices of newspa- pers that had published what were considered disloyal editorials. To escape possible prose- cution he fled to Mexico, entered the service of Juarez, the famous Mexican general and president and was present as a member of Juarez' body guard at the execution of Max- imilian. A prominent position under the Mex- ican government was offered him, but he had become tired of Mexican life and longed for the climate and society of California. He re- turned to San Francisco in time to take a prominent part in the gubernatorial election of 1867. Henry H. Haight, the Democratic can- didate, was elected and Elliott, as a reward for his services, was appointed assistant adju- tant general of the state. He resigned after serving but half his term and came to Santa Clara and became one of the partners in the publication of the Index. His row with Fore- man Wilson terminated his career in Santa Clara. Removing to San Jose he spent sev- eral years in doing editorial work for the local newspapers.

In the early '70s while the State Normal School was under construction a scandal arose over the work of the contractor, the Legisla- ture ordered an investigation, a committee for the purpose was appointed and the sessions were held in the court house. Before the tak- ing of testimony it became necessary to ap- point a stenographer. There were but few short-hand writers in those days and there- fore competition was not lively. One of the applicants for the position was Elliott and through local influence he was chosen for the position. And now was shown an instance of monumental nerve. Elliott knew no more, practically or theoretically of the system of shorthand writing than an infant in arms. But he was a rapid writer, had a system of abbre- viated long hand and a memory that was mar- velous. He sat in a corner, allowed no one to look at his hieroglyphics and succeeded in "pulling the wool" over the eyes of the mem- bers of the committee and the attorneys pres- ent, although more than once he found him- self in an exceedingly tight place. He was frequently asked during the progress of the investigation to read certain portions of the testimony and it more than once happened that neither his notes nor his memory tallied with the facts, which were mainly in the line of statistics. But his unblushing assurance saved his face and he was permitted to make the necessary corrections without receiving other than an admonition to be more careful in the future. Elliott afterward declared that he worked harder to earn the few hundred

dollars that his position netted him than he had at anything before undertaken. He was required to transcribe each day the notes he had taken during the session. This work was done late at night in order that he might have as assistants to notes and memory the proof sheets of the fairly full reports given by the morning paper.

In 1872 Elliott's roving disposition led him first to Stockton, then to Salinas. While doing editorial work in the last named city, the shooting of Mrs. Nicholson by Matt Tarpey, the politician, followed by the lynching of Tarpey occurred. Elliott, act- ing as correspondent of a San Francisco paper, met the mob half way between Salinas and Monterey. Tarpey had been taken from the Monterey jail and his captors were preparing to hang him to a tree when Elliott arrived. At Tarpey's request Elliott took down the doomed man's last will and testament and then saw the mob carry out its work. Shortly after this occurrence Elliott was elected city marshal of Salinas. At the expiration of his term he engaged in the hotel business in Santa Rita, but a too strenuous life had undermined what had been a strong constitution, and so, after a few years he gave up active business and resumed the life of a rover. In the early '90s he reappeared in San Jose, did a few days' work on one of the daily papers and then dis- appeared. About a year later he died in the Soldiers Home at Yountville.

Another editor with a record was Allen P. Kelly, who died in Los Angeles five years ago. In the late '70s Kelly was the editor of the San Jose Herald, then under the manage- ment of genial Nick Bowden, the attorney. In 1880 he collaborated with E. T. Sawyer in the writing of "Loyal Hearts," a military drama, founded on incidents of the Civil War. After the production of the play at Stockton, the late Governor James H. Budd, playing one of the principal roles, Kelly went to Virginia City and worked under Arthur McEwen until called by William Randolph Hearst to do fea- ture work for the San Francisco Examiner. After distinguishing himself by the rescue of imperiled seamen from a rock in the bay, he was detailed by Hearst to go south and cap- ture a grizzly bear. He was allotted three months in which to do the work. Kelly se- lected Ventura County as his field of opera- tion. At the expiration of three months there was no bear in sight and therefore Hearst or- dered him to return to San Francisco. But Kelly refused to leave the hills. The deal was off and his salary had stopped, but still he per- sisted in scouring the hills for a grizzly. One day he entered Hearst's office in San Fran-

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cisco and said: "1 have corraled mister bear. He is at the depot in a cage. He is for sale. Will you buy him?" Hearst said he would buy the beast if a price could be agreed upon. Kelly saw to it that the sum proposed and ac- cepted would cover his expenses and leave a comfortable sum for his work. The grizzly was named Monarch and for many years was one of the attractions at Golden Gate Park.

His long outing in the Ventura hills had given Kelly a taste for out-door life. He gave up newspaper work and entered the service of the state. As state forester he made an en- viable record and the state was the loser when he resigned his position to re-enter the news- paper field. For awhile he published a paper in Las Vegas, N. M. As it was not a money- making proposition he sold out and went to Philadelphia to fill a position on the North American. A couple of years before his death he returned to California and for awhile was editor of a paper published in Imperial Valley.

The Enterprise, a weekly paper, was pub- lished in Mayfield by W. H. Clipperton in 1869-70. It was afterward removed to Gilroy and the name changed to the Gilroy Telegram, but was discontinued after a few months.

The Gilroy Advocate was established at Gilroy September 1868 by G. M. Hanson and C. F. Macy. In 1869 it went into the hands of Kenyon and Knowlton and in 1873 to Mur- phy and Knowlton. In the same year H. Cof- fin became publisher and was succeeded in 1875 by H. C. Burckhart. In January 1876, J. C. Martin took charge and was succeeded by Rev. D. A. Dryden in October of the same year. The paper was soon afterwards leased to Frank Dryden and J. Vaughn, who con- ducted it a few months and then turned it over to F. W. Blake, who continued as proprietor until his death in 1907, when his son, W. F. Blake, took charge.

The Gilroy Crescent was established in Jan- uary, 1888, by R. G. Einfalt. It had a short existence.

The Gilroy Valley Record was first issued in May, 1881, E. S. Harrison, publisher. In 1884 it went into the hands of B. A. Wardell who changed the name to the Gilroy Gazette. Other publishers of the paper up to 1919, were E. D. Crawford, John C. Milnes, L. C. Kinney and R. G. Einfalt. Kirkpatrick and Johnson are the present proprietors.

The Los Gatos Weekly Mail was estab- lished in 1884 by H. H. Main. After eight months' experience Main sold the paper to W. P. Hughes. In 1886 Hughes sold to Walker and Fellows. Other publishers were D. D.

Bowman, W. S. Walker, A. B. Smith and A. E. Falch. In 1918 the Mail was consolidated with the News. The News was started in July, 1881, by W. S. Walker, who afterward sold to WV. B. Trantham, C. C. Suydam and G. Web- ster. In March, 1886, Webster sold his inter- est to his partners. Afterward Suydam with- drew from the firm. Trantham was sole pro- prietor when the consolidation of the two papers took place.

In 1885 a weekly paper called the Courier was published at Mountain View by George Wagstaff. It lasted but a few months.

The Mountain View Weekly Register com- menced publication in April, 1888, with Frank Bacon (now a noted eastern actor) and Harry Johnston. Afterward came The Leader. In 1904, P. Milton Smith took charge of both papers and consolidated them under the name of the Register-Leader.

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History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 19

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846- Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1928

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928