USA > Delaware > History of the state of Delaware, Volume III > Part 25
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"The Delaware State Journal," the leading Whig and Re- publican newspaper of Delaware until the advent of the modern daily papers at the close of the Civil war, was started in 1831, by Peter Brynberg and Robert Porter, under the firm name of Brynberg and Porter. Moses Bradford, father of the late Judge Edward G. Bradford, of the United States District Court, and the grandfather of Judge Edward G. Bradford, Jr., the present incumbent of that office, was the first editor of the
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" State Journal." A year or two after the beginning of the enterprise, Peter Brynberg retired from ownership in the paper and was succeeded by John B. Porter, son of the remaining partner, the firm name being Robert Porter & Son.
After three or four years' service as editor, Moses Bradford retired and was succeeded, 1833-34, by William P. Brobson, a lawyer and a forceful writer. Robert Porter died in 1836. He was succeeded in the ownership of the paper by Henry H. J. Naff, and the firm name was changed to Porter & Naff. Mr. Naff continued with the paper, as editor, until about 1849, when he resigned, having been appointed postmaster at Wil- mington at the solicitation of John M. Clayton, Secretary of State in President Taylor's cabinet. His successor was Henry Eckel. The firm name then became Porter & Eckel, with Joseph M. Barr, who, in 1866, was appointed postmaster at Wilmington by President Andrew Johnson, as editor.
The new arrangement continued but a short time-a few months-when John B. Porter sold his interest to John A. Alderdice. Barr retired and Alderdice, afterwards Mayor of Wilmington, assumed the editorship, assisted by Leonard E. Wales, a lawyer, who became an Associate Judge of the Su- perior Court of the State, and later Judge of the United States District Court of Delaware. On the retirement of John B. Porter the firm name became Eckel & Co. Alderdice retired in about two years, selling his interest to Dr. James F. Wilson, a son of the founder of " The Mirror of the Times," and after- wards changed to " The American Watchman."
In 1855 Henry Eckel bought of Dr. J. H. Heyward, who was then Mayor of Wilmington, a paper called " The States- man," which had been merged with "The Blue Hen's Chicken." "The Statesman" was united with the State Journal, the title being changed to "The Delaware State Journal and Statesman." Joshua T. Heald, afterwards the Republican candidate for member of Congress, was then as- sociated with Dr. Wilson and Henry Eckel in the publication. Heald retired, and in 1862 Wilson sold his interest to Eckel,
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who for ten years was sole owner and editor of " The Journal and Statesman." The publication office of the Journal was, for many years prior to 1869, at the southeast corner of Market and Fifth streets. In 1869 the Journal and Statesman plant was moved to No. 510 Market street, adjoining the City Hall, a building that became known as The Journal Building. In May, 1872, the paper was sold to Croasdale & Cameron, editors of "Every Evening."'
Henry Eckel was born in Philadelphia, December 30, 1816. His parents were Germans. His school days ended at the age of thirteen, when he began his career as a printer and publisher, as a "printer's devil" in a Philadelphia office. He removed to Wilmington in 1848, and was at once inter- ested in newspaper publication, as a member of the firm of Porter & Eckel, publishers of the Delaware State Journal. Self-educated in the school of practice, the dominant traits of Henry Eckel's character were those of self-reliance, faith in the dictum of his own judgment, and a consequent tenacity in adhering to his own opinion. He was a Presbyterian in re- ligion, a Whig in politics-a conservative.
His active life included the period of the anti-slavery agita- tion and the Civil War. As a Republican of Whig origin, he was an ardent Unionist during the war, but was never entirely free from the conservatism of the old-line Whigs, finally join- ing many of his former political colleagues in the Democratic party a few years before the absorption of "The Journal and Statesman " by the " Every Evening." The only public offices held by Henry Eckel was membership in the Board of Health and Board of Public Education, in both of which he served faithfully and acceptably.
The " Delaware Republican," under the control of George W. Vernon, for many years the rival and competitor of the " Delaware Gazette," stands next to that newspaper in point of age, continuance under one control, and in journalistic in- fluence and power. Caleb P. Johnson's ownership interest in the " Gazette " began in 1843. He became sole owner in 1853.
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George W. Vernon's ownership in the " Delaware Republican " began in 1845. He became sole owner in 1854 and thus for quite half a century these two men and papers worked along parallel paths.
The original of the " Delaware Republican " was the " Dela- ware Sentinel," an anti-Clayton Whig paper, started in Wil- mington in 1840, with William Naudain as editor. In less than a year it was financially embarrassed, and those inter- ested in it, led by Dr. James W. Thompson, took it in charge and changed the name to " The Delaware Democrat." Shortly afterward the paper was sold to Henry H. Cannon, of George- town, Delaware, who a year previous had published a paper called " The Republican." The two papers were then merged in one under the name, " Delaware Republican," published at Wilmington, beginning about 1841. John H. Barr became a part owner with Cannon, but shortly sold his interest to Wil- liam T. Jeandell and William S. Miles, both printers. The firm name was Cannon & Co. In 1842-43 Cannon sold his interest to John A. Alderdice, and the firm became Alderdice, Jeandell & Miles, but the partners could not agree, and liti- gation followed, the outcome being that the court appointed a party to take charge of the property.
It was finally sold, the entire interest, to Henry S. Evans, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, who commissioned his brother, Columbus P. Evans, manager ; and he shortly afterward, in February, 1845, took into partnership George W. Vernon. The firm was Evans & Vernon. It continued for nine years. Evans died in 1853, and Vernon became sole owner, and so continued until the admission of his sons, W. Scott Vernon, George F. Vernon and Howard E. Vernon, as partners in the firm of George W. Vernon & Sons. The firm was incorpor- ated in 1877 under the name of "The Republican Printing and Publishing Company." The daily issue of the " Republi- can " dates from 1874.
George W. Vernon was born in West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania, November 20, 1820. He learned the
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printer's trade in the office of the West Chester " Village Record " with Henry S. Evans, whose purchase of " The Delaware Republican" in 1844 opened the way for him as future owner and editor of that paper. With George W. Vernon as fellow apprentices in the " Village Record " office, were Bayard Taylor, Judge William Butler, Edward Paxton and Columbus P. Evans, all of whom became men of repute and influence in their chosen callings, one of them, Bayard Taylor, achieving a world-wide reputation in literature. Under the management of George W. Vernon, the " Delaware Republican," continuously Whig and Republican in politics, became as widely known and as influential in the State as did its Democratic competitor, " 'The Delaware Gazette."
With its political sympathizers it became a household necessity and but few of the older families of the State and particularly of New Castle County and Wilmington City, were not patrons of the paper. Always earnestly loyal to the political party of his choice, George W. Vernon was never an extreme radical partisan. Without any apparent remarkable gifts, except possibly that of almost infinite patience, his suc- cess was the fruit of continuous and unvarying application to the work in hand. In this way he made his paper, with a very large number of its patrons, an authority of last resort. What other papers, apparently more vigorous and pretentious, said, was by these folk held to lack some essential element until it was verified by the Republican. Its dictum was authoritative. Mr. Vernon was a Methodist in religion. He was twice married. He died at Wilmington, July 29, 1901.
At the death of George W. Vernon, the conduct of the Delaware Republican devolved upon his sons, who had been associated with him in the Republican Printing and Publish- ing Company. They could not agree. The rivalry between them over the control of the property created dissension, and finally the practical dissolution of the original company. On November 25, 1905, the "Daily Republican " was merged with the " Evening Journal " and as a separate publication it ceased from that date.
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Coincident with the appearance of the papers noted as hay. ing attained a permanent hold upon public support, were a number of newspaper enterprises devoted to some particular movement of the times, the lives of which were short, waning with the subsidence of the movement that gave them breath, or the exhaustion of the means of their originations. "Tle Standard," a temperance paper, owned and published by Dr. Henry Gibbons, appeared about 1840 and continued for several years. During the exciting political campaign of 1840 also appeared a number of papers of a strictly political character. Among these were "The Democrat," "Delaware Blue," Locofoco " and " Porcupine." They disappeared after a brief existence, leaving no apparent mark upon the history of the press of the State.
The " Blue Hen's Chicken " appeared in 1845. It was a more vigorous enterprise and attained considerable success. Its projectors were William T. Jeandell and Francis Vincent. Jeandell had been associated with William S. Miles, five years previous, in the ownership and publication of the " Delaware Republican." He retired from this new venture in about three months. Francis Vincent had learned the trade of printer in the office of the Delaware Gazette. He was now sole owner of a newspaper and destined to become a unique and important figure in local newspaperdom, and later in local literature and politics.
Physically he was a unique figure. Of good stature, round- faced and extremely corpulent, his bald head seemed to grow immediately out of his shoulders with a backward inclination ; being very near-sighted he wore spectacles which he invariably pushed to the top of his head ; at such times he would push his head forward, putting on his face an expression at once vacant and expectant. His voice was effeminate, his motion quick. He was a man of large general information and con- siderable literary ability.
Among all his local newspaper contemporaries he alone ap- peared to anticipate the necessity of localizing the attention
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and force of the local newspaper. He made that the distinc- tive character of " The Blue Hen's Chicken." It was, for that day, intensely local in news and editorial comment, and because of that is remembered as holding a unique place in the development of local newspapers. The paper continued for about nine years as a separate publication. Mr. Vincent sold it to Dr. Heyward, owner and publisher of "The States- man," who united it with that paper. Heyward's venture failed, and within a year he sold his interest to Henry Eckel, then owner and editor of the Delaware State Journal.
Francis Vincent's paper, "The Blue Hen's Chicken," was destined to a brief revival. Shortly after the absorption of the " Blue Hen's Chicken " by the " Journal and Statesman," Dr. White and Dr. Stradley started a paper called the " Demo- crat." Dr. White soon retired and was succeeded by Mr. Wharton, of Dover. Under Wharton and Stradley the paper became independent in politics. Then Wharton retired and was succeeded by William T. Jeandell, who had been Vin- cent's partner in the " Blue Hen's Chicken." The name of the paper was then changed to " The Commonwealth." Its publication office was at the northwest corner of Fifth and Market streets. Joseph M. Barr bought the paper from Jean- dell and Stradley, and later, in 1861, sold it to Francis Vin- cent, who restored the name of " Blue Hen's Chicken." Vin- cent disposed of it, and it came into the possession of Allen and Biddle, who discontinued the publication.
With this second failure of his newspaper ventures, Vin- cent's connection with the press ceased. He then turned his attention to literary work, and projected a History of Dela- ware. His fitness for this task was generally admitted, and the appearance of the book was the subject of some pleasant anticipations that were doomed to disappointment. But one volume was issued, appearing in numbers. In 1868 Vincent wrote an essay, for the Cobden Club of London, England, advocating an Anglo-Saxon Confederation. This work gained for the author a wide and generally commendable notoriety.
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He was elected to honorary membership in the Club in 1874. He was Alderman at Wilmington from 1864 to 1869, and treasurer of the city from 1873 to 1879.
Francis Vincent was born in England and came to this country in early youth, and shortly afterward located at Wil- mington, where, as already noted, he learned the printer's trade. He was a Republican in politics. His death occurred on June 23, 1884. His widow and children are still living in Wilmington.
The " Temperance Herald," George Washington Lowe editor and proprietor, appeared about 1840. It was published in Wilmington. It, too, was short-lived. "The Delawarean " was started by J. Newton Harker, a former partner in the " Dela- ware Gazette," with the plant of the Temperance Herald, which he had purchased from Lowe. Within two years Harker sold out to Augustine Maille. The latter failed, and the plant was sold at sheriff's sale. H. H. J. Naff, formerly editor of the " State Journal," was the purchaser. The next venture with this plant was projected by Daniel Hulley, in the pub- lication of the " Patriotic Politician," at the southeast corner of Sixth and Shipley streets, but it, too, was short-lived.
The "Delaware Inquirer," a Douglas Democratic organ, was started in Wilmington by James Montgomery in 1860. Its publication office was on the west side of Market street near Fourth street. After the political campaign which ended in the defeat of Stephen A. Douglas, and the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the " Inquirer " be- came ardently Republican in its politics. The assassination of President Lincoln and the political apostasy of Andrew Johnson after his succession to the Presidency, aroused the most bitter partisanship in James Montgomery : the failure of the effort to impeach President Johnson was to him the most bitter political disappointment of his life.
The writer remembers an occasion when Montgomery. seated between his two sons, then mere lads, and surrounded by a number of his political and personal friends, put his
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arms affectionately around the boys, he swore that if it were not for leaving them fatherless, he would go to Washington and kill the President, without regard to consequences to him- self. Montgomery continued to publish the "Inquirer " until the close of the Civil War, when the paper passed into the control of James B. Riggs, who shortly afterward failed and the plant passed into the possession of Caleb P. Johnson, of the " Delaware Gazette."
The many failures and the few successes recorded in this record of Wilmington newspaper development, indicate that the State has ever been a difficult field in which to establish a local press. This is due more to its geographical position than to any hindering cause. Lying between the great states of the North and South, and on the great mail route between them, the great daily papers of both sections being as easily available to local readers as local papers can be, the competi- tion thus established has been almost prohibitory. The great demand for daily newspapers in this country was a product of Civil War times. The great journals of the country are a post-bellum growth. Their newsfield is the world.
It is due to the growth of the City of Wilmington since the Civil War, the multiplication and concentration of important local interests, in business, social life, and in politics, with the incidental happenings inseparable from large complex popu- lations, that a successful daily local press has become possi- ble. Under previous conditions, the failure of all ante-bellum efforts at establishing a daily newspaper in Delaware was fore- ordained. The first effort of this kind was made in Wilming- ton in 1856, by Henry L. Bonsall, who, until a few years ago, was principal of the public schools of Camden, New Jersey. His paper was called "The Daily Enterprise." It failed to win support, and of course was discontinued. Ten years later, in 1866, the first successful daily newspaper, " The Daily Commercial," appeared in Wilmington.
The subscription list upon which the " Daily Commercial " enterprise was based, was started in 1866 by a Mr. Tyler.
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Before his arrangements were entirely completed, Howard M. Jenkins and Wilmer Atkinson, young Pennsylvanians, pur- chased Tyler's interest and started the paper, Jenkins a- editor and Atkinson as publisher. They made a bright, vig. orous local newspaper, that won the respect and support of the community. It was Republican in politics, and appeared destined for a long and useful career. For five years it had no competitor in the local field. Its publication office was at the southwest corner of Fifth and Market streets. It was sold at two cents a copy.
The naturally existing difficult circumstances to be over- come by the projectors of this enterprise have already been noted ; and, probably these general hindrances, more than any other, contributed to its ultimate failure. One other hindrance may be expressed in what appears to be a paradoxical state- ment : the paper was, possibly, too good, too respectable. It catered to the exclusive rather than to all classes. Another thought in this connection. Politically ambitious editors and publishers have rarely, if ever, been successful in Delaware. Right or wrong in their judgment, Delawareans generally de- cline to confer eminent political preferment upon emigrant citizens. This fact may have something to do with the dis- continuance of the "Daily Commercial."
The editor, Mr. Jenkins, came to be regarded as having political ambitions, and in 1876 was the Republican candidate for the State House of Representatives from Wilmington. ITis defeat followed, and the serious dissensions then existing in the Republican party of the State, together with various other causes, proved discouraging, and the "Commercial" lost rather than gained ground. In April, 1877, the " Daily Commercial" was sold to the Every Evening Publishing Company, and was merged into the Every Evening under the title of " Every Evening and Daily Commercial." Mr. Jenkins removed to Philadelphia, and became editor of " The Ameri- can," and subsequently of "The Friends' Intelligencer," a religious paper under the control of the Society of Friends.
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Mr. Jenkins will always be remembered as a man of marked ability, and he earned an honored place in the newspaper world. His death occurred in 1903.
The decade between 1867 and 1877 must be regarded as a revolutionary period in the history of the local press. Dur- ing that period all the established weekly papers in Wilming- ton began the issue of daily editions. Three new enter- prises, "The Daily Commercial," "Every Evening" and "The Morning Herald," from which the existing daily press has been developed, were started ; "The Daily Commercial," as has been noted, to be merged into "Every Evening " and " The Morning Herald " to become "The Morning News."
The first issue of the " Every Evening " appeared in 1871. The projectors of this enterprise were William T. Croasdale and Gilbert G. Cameron, the first named as editor and the latter as publisher. Croasdale had edited a weekly paper at Georgetown, Delaware. Cameron was a practical printer, having learned his trade in the " Delaware Republican " office. The original office of the paper was at No. 4 East Third street. It included but two rooms, an editorial sanctum and a com- posing room. The press work was done at the job printing office of James & Webb. Croasdale's editorial experience had given him the key to the local press problem. He put the price of his paper at one cent a copy and began at once to establish intimate and confidential relations with the masses of the people ; and aside from its vigorous editorial utterances upon topics of public interest, the columns of the paper were open to the people in a spirit that was at once liberal and sympathetic. The appearance of the paper was opportune.
" Every Evening " soon became the leading newspaper of the State with a larger circulation than any of its competitors. In the second year of its history the firm was incorporated under the name of Every Evening Publishing Company. The new company bought of Henry Eckel the plant of the " Delaware State Journal and Statesman" and removed the publication office to the Journal Building, adjoining the City
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Hall on Market street. In 1873 " Every Evening " absorbed the " Delaware State Journal," and in 1877 the "Daily Com- mercial." The publication office was then removed to the office occupied by the "Commercial " at Fifth and Market streets. The Every Evening Building was erected in 1882. In the same year Mr. Croasdale retired, to become successively the edi- tor of The Day, at Baltimore, Maryland, The New York Star. New York City, and The Standard, Henry George's labor paper, also of New York City. He was succeeded by Edward N. Vallandigham, who afterward joined the staff of the New York Mail and Express; he was succeeded by George W. Humphreys, and he by the present editor, Merris Taylor.
" The Morning Herald," the first morning daily paper pub- lished in the State, was the successor of "The Advertiser." established by George Chance in connection with his job printing office. The paper became a daily and its name was changed under the direction of John O'Byrne, a member of the Philadelphia bar, of whom it was alleged that he acquired a Delaware residence to forward political ambitions looking toward United States Senatorial honors. The paper was pub- lished under the firm name of George O'Byrne and Company ; the firm included three sons of John O'Byrne and his sister. Miss Catherine O'Byrne. The first daily addition appeared in 1876. It started out well, was ably edited, but its editorial ability was handicapped by lack of good financial manage- ment, the latter involving difficulties to which it quickly suc- cumbed. In 1880 the " Herald " passed into the control of John H. Emerson, a pioneer newspaper man of the Peninsula, who formed a partnership with Henry C. Conrad, a member of the New Castle County bar, under the firm name of Emerson and Conrad. The name was changed to "The Morning News." A few months later Mr. Emerson retired, and was succeeded by Isaac R. Pennypacker, the firm name becoming Conrad and Pennypacker.
In 1882 the interest of Conrad and Pennypacker was sold to The Morning News Publishing Company, and it passed
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into the editorial control of Watson R. Sperry, formerly a member of the editorial staff of the " New York Evening Post." Associated with Mr. Sperry as business manager of "The Morning News " was Edgar M. Hoopes, a native of Ohio and an experienced newspaper man. The new management moved the publication office to the present Morning News Building on Market street between Fifth and Sixth streets. The paper quickly attained a good clientage and a permanent place in local newspaperdom.
Republican in politics, it was regarded as the chief organ of that party in the State. Party dissensions, however, made its position a difficult one. Located in New Castle County, its normal party relation was that of an advocate of local political interests, and in this relation it opposed the party manage- ment in the campaign of 1882, causing a loss of considerable of its prestige. Changing its party attitude, the paper was again in opposition to the local party county interests in 1888.
In 1892 President Harrison appointed Mr. Sperry United States consul at Teheran, Persia ; he was removed by Presi- dent Cleveland early in his second administration. Retaining his editorial relation with the News, Mr. Sperry remained in Europe for several years, and on his return resumed his place on the paper. The political situation was not any more to his liking on his return than it was before he went to Persia. The changes occurring in his absence had again put him out of touch and sympathy with his former associates and finding his position uncongenial, he retired from the "News" to be- come the editor of the "Hartford Courant " at Hartford, Connecticut. On the retirement of Mr. Sperry, William H. Hill, who had been the active editor of the "News" during the absence of Mr. Sperry in Europe, became editor-in-chief.
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