USA > Connecticut > New London County > A modern history of New London County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 56
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4. The price to subscribers will be one dollar and sixty-seven cents per annum, exclusive of postage.
5. One-half of the subscription will be expected on delivery of the first number.
Thirteen and a half of the sixteen columns were devoted to reading matter, in which appeared items of foreign intelligence of as late date as September 28. The remaining space was devoted to advertisements, among which was one by the editor, who announced as for sale "at his office in Chelsea" a long list of books, in which were included Ash's Grammar, Ameri- can Revolutionary, Arabian Nights' Entertainment, Baxter's Saints' Rest, Bunvan's Visions of Heaven and Hell, Complete Letterwriter, Dilworth's Arithmetic, Elliott's Medical Pocket Book, Fordice's Addresses, Goldsmith's Works, Hervey's Meditations, Occum's Hymns, Penitential Cries, Vicar of Wakefield and Zimmermann on Solitude.
Messrs. Robinson and Dunham continued their close business relations three years, when their copartnership was dissolved March 30, 1825. On that date the following notice appeared: "With the present number we complete the third volume of the Courier, and with it the senior editor ends his labors as one of its conductors and proprietors, having disposed of his right and title to this paper to his partner."
Mr. John Dunham then assumed full charge of the Courier, which he
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published in the basement of the Dunham block, a wooden building on Shetucket street, the site of which is now covered by the brick block in which at present are the ground floor offices of the Adams Express Company and the New London County Mutual Fire Insurance Company. The paper was conducted with ability and success for more than sixteen years, at the end of which period, on September 15, 1841, Mr. Dunham announced his retirement. His successor, Rev. Dorson Ebenezer Sykes, then assumed charge, and assured subscribers that the principles of the great Whig party, so ably advocated by his predecessor, would continue to guide the political course of the paper, that his editorial brethren of all political creeds would be treated with the courtesy becoming a self-respecting journal and that his readers would be furnished with the news of the day presented in acceptable and pleasing form.
The Courier at this time was a twenty-eight column, four-page weekly, 18 x 24 inches in size, well printed and of attractive appearance. Its new management, however, felt that it had outgrown its old quarters in the Dun- ham block, and therefore announced October 20, 1841, that "The office of the Norwich Courier is removed to the third story of the building on the corner of Water and Dock streets, a few rods below the Post Office." This was the building which still stands on the southeast corner of Little Water and Market (formerly Dock) streets, and is now owned by Dr. Patrick Cas- sidy. It was then numbered 51 Water street, where the paper was printed by J. G. Cooley. A temporary change of office quarters was made in 1843, as the Weekly Courier announced March 28 of that year that "The publica- tion office of the Norwich Courier is removed to 117 Main street, next door east of the Quinebaug Bank, at which place the Editor may be found at all times, during office hours." This was in the block now occupied by Gilbert's furniture store, the bank and the office of the paper being on the second floor.
Monday, March 7, 1842, in addition to the Weekly Courier, appeared a new venture of the enterprising management. "The Norwick Courier, edited and published by D. E. Sykes, is issued every afternoon immediately after the arrival of the Eastern Mail, at 51 Water street. Office third story." This eight-cent a week, one-cent per copy daily, was a sixteen-column, four- page sheet, 12 x 17 inches, which gave up the ghost August 13 following, and was succeeded three days later by the Tri-Weekly Courier, a paper of the same size, which was issued Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at six cents a week, or two cents a copy. The Weekly Courier appeared before its readers January II, 1846, "materially enlarged," not by increase in size but by additional length of columns, which while somewhat augmenting the news, editorial and advertising space, detracted somewhat from the former handsome appearance of the paper.
In a few years the journal removed to Chapman's block, Main street, Franklin Square, occupying a room over the present electric street car wait- ing room, the proprietor having his editorial sanctum at the northwest cor- ner, overlooking Main street, Franklin Square, and what is now Rose alley. A fire occurred in this building about the year 1852, destroying some files of the Courier and other property, and compelling a removal to the three- cornered, or "flat-iron" building which occupied the corner of Main and Shetucket streets, which, with the adjoining property of the Norwich Na- tional Bank. was subsequently demolished to make room for the present Shannon block. The last change of location under Mr. Sykes' management was about the year 1858, when the Courier was removed to the Chelsea building, Franklin Square, on the southwest corner of Main and Ferry streets, over the store now occupied by Mrs. Edwin Fay. Saturday morning, Febru- ary 26, 1859, on his retirement from the paper, Mr. Sykes published his inter-
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esting editorial farewell as follows:
"Seventeen years ago last September, the Norwich Courier contained the vale- dictory of our respected predecessor, John Dunham, and the introductory notice of our accession to the editorial chair.
"Through summer heat and winter snow; through rain and shine, through good report and evil report, we have held our way from that day to this, failing not in our weekly intercourse with our patrons and friends; and for seventeen years this day, adding to those hebdomadal visits a tri-weekly call upon such of our acquaintances as signified their desire to see more of us.
"The Courier 'still lives' and speaks for itself in the enlarged, improved appear- ance, and the favor it has met with at the hands of its friends and supporters. Of our faithfulness as a political paper, the columns of our living contemporary, the Aurora, and of our defunct friends, the Norwich News, Norwich Tribune, Norwich Evening Advertiser, and we know not how many besides, will show the dire necessity laid upon them, as political opponents, to pull every wire, turn every stone, and speak every word which could, by any possibility, ensure our utter and entire demolition and annihilation.
"We cannot leave the editorial chair without expressing to our friends and subscribers our appreciation of their good will. Many of them-nay, almost all, we regard as personal friends; and those of whom we have failed to please, who have parted company with us, we consider not as enemies, for the terrible mandate, 'stop my paper,' that greets an editor's ear in every time of political excitement, is not irrevocable, and we, in common with our brethren of the quill, have learned to wait patiently until the tide sets back. To our correspondents, we tender our thanks; to our advertising friends, without whose aid no town or city like Norwich can sustain a good paper, we present our acknowledgments for favors received, and our best wishes that, acting on the 'live and let live' principle, their various trades, occupations or business may so flourish as to fill their coffers and satisfy their desires. To our constant friends who have sustained us in our constant labors, by sympathy, cheerful words and kindly deeds, we offer our grateful thanks.
"Of our successor it is not needed that we multiply words. Though a compara- tive stranger to this community, he is no stranger to Connecticut. For the last four years his connection with the Springfield Republican-one of the best daily papers in New England, and largely circulating in Connecticut-has rendered it necessary for him to keep himself thoroughly informed upon the current political events and interests of our State. He enters, therefore, upon his editorial duties under circum- stances peculiarly favorable both to himself and to the public. Of his plans and purposes with reference to the future interests and management of the Courier, wc leave him to speak for himself. Knowing what we do of those plans and views, we feel the highest confidence that nothing is wanting but a cordial and liberal support on the part of the public to ensure to this community a daily journal second to no other paper in Connecticut. With a heary God-speed to our successor, and a sincere God's benison upon our readers, young and old, we lay down our worn and weary pen."
Mr. Sykes' successor as editor, publisher and proprietor of the Courier, was George B. Smith, a young printer from Springfield, whose introductory appeared March 1, 1859. The establishment retained the old quarters in the Chelsea building, from which were issued the Daily and the Weekly Courier. The new editor informed the public that "This journal will continue to be devoted to the highest interests of this community," "and to the inculcation of those political principles that were intended by the framers of the Con- stitution to underlie the whole system of government, and that are now repre- sented by the Republican party." "The Weekly Courier will be issued each Saturday," and "will be the largest, and we are sanguine enough to believe. the best weekly newspaper in Connecticut."
Mr. Smith's high aims and sanguine hopes were doomed to early and bitter disappointment, and Norwich, that "graveyard of newspapers," ap- peared about to claim another victim. Possessed of excellent taste and fair business abilities, he was, nevertheless, almost at the outset of his career beset with financial difficulties against which he struggled manfully, yet vainly. At the expiration of seven months, unable longer to continue, he retired, and the paper reverted to Mr. Sykes.
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The issue of Saturday, August 20, 1859, contained a notice to this effect, when the former editor was compelled to resume the arduous duties which he thought had been forever relinquished. Under these adverse circum- stances, Mr. Sykes decided to publish only a semi-weekly paper, and an- nounced that "The days of publication will be Wednesday and Saturday of each week; and the paper will be issued in time to be sent off in all direc- tions by the earliest mails on the mornings of those days, or by the earliest trains, stages, post-riders, etc. The city, Norwich Town, Bean Hill and Greeneville subscribers will be supplied by carriers as heretofore, and care will be taken that this is done with fidelity and promptitude." In addressing advance subscribers the editor wrote:
"Although the paper has come under its new management seriously encumbered with the subscription contracts of the late publisher, and although their repudiation by us would cause but a trifling loss, individually, to subscribers who have paid in advance, while their fulfilment by us would involve a heavy sacrifice; and, although no legal or moral obligation rests upon us to pay these debts; yet, rather than permit the lowering of the good name of one of the oldest journais in Connecticut or New England, or allow a sin of this sort to stain its escutcheon, the responsibility of satisfying these claims is hereby voluntarily assumed by us, and Daily and Weekly subscribers will be furnished with the Semi-Weekly issue until the dates when their prepaid subscriptions shall expire."
The reasons given for the non-issuance of the Daily Courier were thus given :
"Many readers will naturally be anxious to know the reason why the Daily Courier is not continued. Our answer is that our idea of what such a paper ought to be could not be carried out, except at a heavy pecuniary sacrifice on the part of the publisher. Outside of Norwich but little advertising support can be relied on for a daily paper; consequently, the duty of sustaining it must belong to the city. That responsibility it has had a fair opportunity to assume, but lias declined, guided in the matter, we believe, by circumstances which would have decreed otherwise had they all been considered. These reasons have been of a pecuniary character-a large number of our citizens being unable or disinclined to incur the expense of a daily, and many of our businss men having yet to discover the benefit of liberal advertising in a local paper, established for the advantage of local interests. We think the truth is included in what we have said; and none can regret the facts more than we do. So soon as we sce, or believe we see, the time to have arrived when better and brighter prospects for remunerative support justify a renewal of the experiment, we shall not be slow in taking advantage of the change."
December 7, 1859, it was announced that on and after Thursday, January 5, 1860, the publication of the Norwich Weekly Courier would be resumed. It was claimed that the paper would contain more reading matter than would any other weekly journal published in Connecticut, and that its news would be fresh up to the hour of publication. It was gently hinted, also. that the New Year would be "a good time to subscribe."
With the issue of the Semi-Weekly Courier of Wednesday, June 6, Mr. Sykes retired from the paper for the second time, and in this instance was succeeded by H. C. Kinne. At the top of the first column of the second page appeared the
AMERICAN REPUBLICAN TICKET. For President, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, of Illinois. Vice-President, HANNIBAL HAMLIN, of Maine.
Mr. Kinne continued the publication in the Chelsea building, Franklin Square, which has been the paper's home for so long a time.
Friday, August 20, 1860, he announced that "We this day commence the publication of the Courier as a Daily Evening paper. Those who have previ-
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ously received the Semi-Weekly by carrier will be furnished with the Daily till further arrangements can be made. The Semi-Weekly will be continued for the benefit of our country readers so that we are now issuing the Courier in three forms, Daily, Semi-Weekly and Weekly. As we are cir- culating a thousand dailies within the limits of the town, transient adver- tisers will appreciate the value of the Courier as a medium of communication with the people."
Mr. Kinne's proprietorship of the paper was of limited duration, as he died in a few months, when the journal once more reverted to Mr. Sykes. The latter gentleman finally disposed of the property to Manning, Perry & Co., the proprietors of the Norwich Morning Bulletin, who issued their first number of the Weekly Courier, December 15, 1858, in the Chelsea building. The paper was 16 x 211/2 inches in size, its eight pages containing forty-eight columns. In this issue the publishers informed the public that
"We believe the readers of both the Eastern Bulletin (the weekly edition of the Morning Bulletin) and the Norwich Weekly Courier will without exception be gratified to learn that, by the consolidation of the two papers, they are hereafter to be furnished with the largest and best weekly in the State. Under the arrangement now perfected, we shall continue to send all paying subscribers of each paper the Norwich Weekly Courier in its present form. The advantages resulting from this consolidation to subscribers and advertisers, as well as the publishers, will be readily appreciated. Many of our readers will recognize with pleasure an old familiar name and face, many others-readers of the Eastern Bulletin-will give cordial greeting to well-known features that come to them new titled, and many more we hope will find it to their interest to make acquaintance with us during the year ahead.
"The Courier has heretofore been issued as a daily evening paper, a semi-weekly and weekly. In place of all these we shall issue the Norwich Bulletin daily, and the Norwich Weekly Courier on Saturday morning of each week."
This issue, whose whole number was 285, contained twenty-six columns of reading and twenty-two of advertising, all well arranged and presenting a harmonious whole.
January, 1861, the presses, type and accessories were removed from the Chelsea building to Chapman's block.
The Courier, erratic hitherto only in its occasional changes from Weekly to Semi-Weekly and to Daily, appearing at different times in one, the other or all of these forms, now settled permanently as the weekly visitor in thou- sands of homes where its presence became ever welcome and where its benefi- cent influence will forever continue.
In the autumn of 1858, Mr. J. Homer Bliss, a practical printer and a fluent and forceful writer, feeling that the time was propitious and that Norwich would generously respond to the effort, induced William D. Man- ning and James N. Perry to consolidate their printing offices and issue a daily paper which would achieve popularity by its enterprise in fully reflecting the local news and its liberality in presenting the telegraphic intelligence of the world. The last-named, whose establishment was on the middle floor of Chapman's block, was the fortunate possessor of a power press, the mo- mentum for which was obtained from the machine shop of Peleg Rose. which fronted on what is now Rose alley, and is at present occupied by Powers Brothers as a fish market. At the suggestion of Mr. Henry Hugh Osgood, Isaac H. Bromley was selected as editor, and became a member of the firni of Manning, Perry & Co., the other partner in which, whose name did not appear, being J. Homer Bliss. The title "Bulletin" was suggested by Mr. Bromley as being almost a synonym for "the latest news," and because of its originality. few, if any, newspapers having then adopted it. Accommo- dations facing Franklin Square were secured in Franklin hall, Chapman's block, where was born and from which was issued December 15. 1858. the first number of the Norwich Morning Bulletin, a twenty-four column, four-
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page journal, in size 16 x 21 inches. This number contained eleven columns of reading and thirteen of advertising matter, and as an initial issue indicated the high position the paper was destined to attain in the journalistic world. The editor thanked the brethren of the press throughout the State "for the many kind notices with which they have generally heralded our coming," and paid his respects in true Bromley style to the "Hartford Post and New London Star, for having put into tangible shape and deniable form, a report, which has been somewhat industriously circulated throughout the district-with how much malevolence we are unable to say-that the main object with which this paper was started was to influence the congressional nomination of this Third District."
In their prospectus the publishers announced that the Eastern Bulletin would be published weekly, and would contain, in addition to editorial and other original matter, the current news of the week, a summary of telegraphic items, foreign, State and local news, market reports for the week, carefully prepared, marine intelligence, agricultural matters and literary selections.
Mr. J. Homer Bliss, the projector of the Bulletin, soon retired, yet in his Plainfield home today views with satisfaction the present results of his initial efforts of half a century ago. Two of the other three partners, Messrs. Manning and Perry, are still with us as residents of Norwich.
September 4, 1860, Charles B. Platt of Norwich became a partner in the Bulletin, retiring Mr. Perry, and three days later the firm name of Manning, Platt & Co. appeared as publishers and proprietors. This copartnership was dissolved October 31, 1863, and was succeeded by the Bulletin Association, a joint stock company organized for the purpose, the president and directors of which held their first meeting November 30 following. The capital stock, all paid in, was $25,000, of which the president, James D. Mowry, held 230 shares, and the directors, Messrs. Isaac H. Bromley, Joseph H. Starkweather and Albert H. Almy, owned 310, 230 and 230, respectively. The company erected the Bulletin building on Main street in 1867, which was then num- bered 127, but is now 85, which has since been the home of the paper.
The name of Campbell & Co., as publishers and proprietors, appeared Thursday, July 6, 1871, but disappeared with the issue of Friday, February 28, 1873, being succeeded Monday, March 3, following, by that of the Bulletin Company. The administration of the former was evidently unsatisfactory to the stockholders, as on the last-named date it was explained that
"A newspaper is not a philanthropic enterprise, without regard to pecuniary profits. Of all classes of men, an editor should have the least thought of himself, and the most for others. It is their interests, rather than his own, which he is summoned to promote. Consequently, piques of any sort and peculiar ideas of his own have no rightful place in his paper. People want a paper principally for the news, and this they shall have so far as we are able to give it. We do not consider it to be a part of our duty, however, to fill the news ont by any imaginings of our own in order to make it more sensational. Truth shall not be lost sight of, nor shall the character or reputation of men be assailed without sufficient reasons; while the pleasure, good and prosperity of all our readers shall be ever kept in view."
The Bulletin Association retained its building but disposed of the paper, presses, type and other accessories to the Bulletin Company, a corporation formed for the object, the present and a majority of the directors of which held their first meeting March 15, 1873. The capital stock of $50,000, all paid in, was held as follows: H. H. Osgood, 300 shares; Albert S. Bolles, 200; Lorenzo Blackstone, 200; H. B. Norton, 200; T. P. Norton, 200; A. W. Prentice, 100; John F. Slater, 100; Charles Bard, 100; E. N. Gibbs, 200; W. R. Wood, 80; W. R. Burnham, 40; Sabin N. Sayles, 100; James Lloyd Greene, 50, and Gardiner Greene, 50. The Eastern Bulletin was consolidated with the Courier at the time of the latter's acquisition by Manning, Perry
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& Co., and the paper continued under the old and honored name as the weekly edition of the Norwich Morning Bulletin.
Many years later, as the citizens of this place, New London, and the neighboring towns had so long been accustomed to the early and regular appearance of their favorite paper, filled to overflowing with local and world- wide intelligence and all that appealed to literary, artistic, musical, scientific, religious and general tastes, it was thought that the word "Morning" in the title became superfluous. It was therefore eliminated, and from August I, 1895, the ever-welcome visitor has appeared as the Norwich Bulletin.
During the earlier days of The Bulletin the old style of hand composition was in vogue, when seven men were able to set only from fourteen to eighteen columns of matter in a night. During the second term of Alonzo H. Harris' management, The Bulletin was equipped with Mergenthaler linotype ma- chines and a web rotary press, which greatly facilitated the work of the plant. The linotype machines were invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler, and reasonably perfected in 1886, to do plain composition, and were first used by the New York Tribune. They have since been greatly improved, and are now adapted to fine newspaper and job work.
Linotype machines are operated by finger keys, as is the typewriter, but there the similarity between them ends. The former works automati- cally, making and bringing, ready for the press or stereotyping table, bars of type metal, each bearing, properly justified, the type to print an entire line. The machine does not set the type, but evolves a slug, or line of metal, upon which the characters are cast, ready to print from. With this paper's improved facilities, three employees can, in a single night, furnish thirty columns, and, with the aid of operators during the day, the capacity may be increased to forty-five or more. The present daily average of The Bulletin is thirty-five columns. The advance made in machinery is shown from the fact that with the old Washington hand press 100 four-page papers could be printed in an hour-with our modern web power press 200 eight-page papers can be printed and delivered folded per minute.
The officers and editors of The Bulletin have been as follows
Presidents-Col. Hugh Henry Osgood, Norwich, February 28, 1873, to March II, 1884. Amos W. Prentice, Norwich, March II, 1884, to March II, 1889. Col. Hugh Henry Osgood, Norwich, March II, 1889, to October 21, 1890. Henry H. Gallup, Norwich, March 5, 1900, to March, 1908. Chas. D. Noyes, March 4, 1908, present incumbent.
Business Managers-The first manager, who certainly did well his part, was James N. Perry, Norwich, December 15, 1858, to April, 1859. Charles Black, from April, 1859, to September 4, 1860. The managers since that day have been: Charles B. Platt, Norwich, September 4, 1860, to October wich, secretary and treasurer, July 14, 1874, to March 7, 1875. William Fitch, New London, secretary, treasurer and business manager, March 8, 1869, to December 3. 1874. Elisha C. Rice, Norwich, 1874 to 1875. Charles E. Dyer, Norwich, secretary, treasurer and business manager, December 14, 1875, to April 30, 1880. Alonzo H. Harris, Norwich, April 30, 1880, to May 7, 1884. Charles Elisha Dyer, Norwich, secretary, treasurer and business manager, May 7, 1884, to January 25, 1888. Alonzo H. Harris, Norwich, January 25, 1888, to October 1, 1898. W. H. Oat, Norwich, October 1, 1898, present incumbent.
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