History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 42

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Illinois > Bureau County > History of Bureau County, Illinois > Part 42

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

qualities and extended acquaintance in the county made him a valuable acquisition to the paper. Mr. Colton is a brother of Cyrus Colton, of this county. He is now a farmer in Kansas. In 1874 Mr. Colton sold his in- terest to Charles P. Bascom, the firm becom- ing and remaining as it is now-Bailey & Bascom. Until 1863 there had been no very tempting field here for paying journalism and there had not been, therefore, any con- siderable expense justifiable in the different publishers, but they had been compelled to follow the plan of most of the country press of that day, and practice every economy, es- pecially in the way of a great deal of machin- !ery or office material.

Under Mr. Bailey's administration the "old reliable" Bureau County Republican has nearly rivaled Jack's bean-stalk in rapidity of growth, until now, if not the largest, it is the second largest country weekly paper in the State. £ Its present circulation is over 4,300, and its supply of presses and materials is fully commensurate with its large busi- ness. And its job rooms, under the super- vision of Mr. Streetor, are simply par excel- lence. The paper is a stanch Republican organ, and its opinions are universally de- ferred to by its army of subscribers. John W. Bailey was born in Cincinnati, and at seven years of age entered a printing office in that city, graduating at the case and in the job room. At a very early age he naturally commenced writing short sketches for the different city papers, and soon was a city re- porter, and eventually the night editor of the Commercial. In 1854 he left the city and was engaged in Indiana in assisting to start a paper there; then went to Tiffin, Ohio, and published the Tiffin Tribune. From here he went to the Toledo Commercial and worked on this paper until he came to Princeton in 1863. In his chosen line of life he has been

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successful far beyond the average. At no time making or attempting to make any great stir in the world, yet he has worked always to the best purpose, and has honestly won the crown of complete success.

Charles P. Bascom is a college graduate. He is a son of Dr. Flavel Bascom. He has been a resident of Princeton since 1855. He is a young man yet, and the readers of the Republican may catch occasionally pleasant veins of humor from his pen in the locals. He is affable, genial and pleasant, and makes an important addition to the general inter- ests of the office, and is justified in the as- pirations that may lead him some day to the head of his chosen profession. *

Bureau County Herald. - In 1848 the Bu- reau County Herald was established by Philip Payne. This was supposed to be a Democratic organ, but Payne seems to have soon got to quarreling quite bitterly with his Democratic friends, and finally it was a state of open, active war. Cyrus Bryant was edit- ing the Whig side of the Advocate, and his vigorous pen was prodding the Democrats and Abolitionists every week. Payne made the great mistake of a feeble and stupid at. tack upon nearly everybody, and Bryant lampooned him in doggerel poetry that liter- ally ran him ont of the country. Payne and his paper had a brief and troubled existence here, and both soon departed, leaving the Advocate master of the situation. The Her- ald office went to Kewanee.

Yeoman of the Prairie Land was the ab- breviated name of Dr. S. Allen Paddock's paper, started in 1861. He had purchased the office of Hooper Warren, of Hennepin. It had an illustrated or pictorial head, and was intended to convey to the reader in the old

States something of an idea of the West and its great and rich prairies. Dr. Paddock sold to some adventurous soul, who struggled against fate a short time and quit.

Judge Paddock was a strong sensed and able man, though not a printer or publisher. He served as County Judge, being elected in 1852. When the war broke out he was the first to respond to his country's call, raised a regiment, was elected Lieutenant-Colonel, and died when his regiment was on its way to the field.

Bureau County Democrat was started March 15, 1856, by C. N. Pine, an eight- column, Democratic organ. H. R. Lemar was his associate and the printer and pub- lisher. It was furiously Democratic, and in the political campaign of 1856, supported Buchanan and "Old Dick " Richardson, and roundly abused Bissell and Lovejoy. A copy of the paper of date September 19, 1856, tells in biting sarcasm of a traveling lecturer, Gen. Pomeroy, of Kansas, at the Congrega- tional Church, in Princeton, where a collec- tion was taken up for "bleeding Kansas." Another editorial describes a great Republi- can demonstration in Princeton. Two trav- eling stump speakers came to town, and the people met and it was arranged that a Mr. Young should speak first, then Justus Stev- ens should speak for the Democrats, and then the other stranger should close. The paper says the programme was carried out, and a vote of the audience showed "eight for Fre- mont and 125 for Buchanan." Another col- umn in flaming headlines tells of a big Dem- ocratic rally at Peru; says there were at least 8,000 people present; a big crowd from Princeton, and in the delegation was a large vehicle from Hall Township filled with boys, carrying a banner inscribed "Fathers pre- serve the Union for us." Justus Stevens, John D. Phillips and H. W. Terry, of Bureau,

* Since the above was in type we learn that in our genealogy of this paper we have reversed in one case the true order of suc- cesion. It was the Princetonian and then the Post, and uot as above stated the Post and then the Princetonian. This is only material as a correction in the order of the names of paper.

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were among the Vice-Presidents. The chief speaker was R. D. Carpenter, a Kentucky Colonel (known to the writer as one of the veriest blatherskites). The next article is a long account of Milton T. Peters, one of the Democratic electors that year, walking out of his window at night, when asleep, at Pontiac, and breaking his thigh and otherwise seri- ously injuring himself. The balance of the issue is full of abuse of the Fremont men.

The intensity of Pine's partisanism was pretty well indicative of the course that we understand was in store for him and his paper. Buchanan rewarded his services by making him Postmaster in Princeton, and in 1858 Buchanan required his Illinois Post- masters to fight Douglas-to be too Demo- cratic to vote the ticket-or walk the plank for some other man. In this way Buchanan raised an army of nearly 5,000 anti-Douglas Democrats in Illinois in 1858-60, and we believe it is history that every one of the leaders in this band became intense Republi- cans, hating the South quite as intensely as they were in love with slavery in all the Ter- ritories the day before. It is not intended here to question their motives, but to state a curious fact-a common anomaly among in- tense patriots.

Mr. Pine is still publishing a newspaper at this time in Pennsylvania, in Stroudsburg.

In 1858 Pine sold the office to attorneys Eckels & Kyles, and J. S. Eckels says this firm really was as follows: Eckels, editor; Kyles, paymaster, and Bob Gibons, devil and printer. Bob says he had to set the small pica editorials of Eckels standing on tip-toe, because they (the editorials and not Eckels) were so tall, you see. Kyle stood heroically at the paymaster's desk for six weeks, and then " another soul made happy " as he closed ont to Gilbert Gibons, and the new firm was democratically known as Eckels

& Gibons, with all the hard work on Bob, and a kind of lockout in the paymaster's depart- ment. It ran along thus for nine months, and just as Bob got so he could set 5,000 a day, and at the same time do all the job work, and Jim and Gil had got trained down to short and few leading thunderers for each week's paper, and Bob had a pledge from a subscriber in the northwest corner of the county to bring in a watermelon in the fall, to help support the county paper with, they sold out, and with a broken heart he (Bob) went at the law, where he is to-day.

W. H. Mesenkop was the purchaser. He was only a bright and inexperienced boy at that time, but he was quick to learn, and full of resources for those daily emergencies that come to any one trying to establish a news- paper. He conducted it successfully for a short time, and then sold it to C. J. Peckham, who worked away till his last shirt was in soak, and then he re-conveyed it back to Mesenkop, who carried it on until 1863, when he sold it to C. N. Smith & Co. (the Co. was John). They changed the name to the Bureau County Patriot, and in this pa- triotic style ran it till 1871, when they sold it to J. C. Whitney, who changed it to the Bureau County Herald, and thus continued to herald the good news, such as "Wood wanted ou subscription," and other abstruse scientific problems of life that do so stare starving editors in the face, until 1876, when an unfeeling Sheriff took possession of the office, willy-nilly, and sold it at auction to the highest bidder for cash, and Mr. Cash removed the whole concern to Kewanee. Life's fitful fever, etc. Next!

Bureau County Tribune. - In 1872, in the month of August, W. H. Mesenkop again appears upon the tapis as a live newspaper publisher. The Bureau County Democrats as to an organ to voice their political faith,

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were as "one who treads alone some banquet hall deserted; whose garlands dead and lights have fled and all but me departed"-to the Republican "band wagon" perhaps. Horace Greeley was a candidate for President, and the Democrats made up a purse toward start- ing a paper. Mesenkop listened and heeded this cash call, and in a few days the Tribune was flying its banner to the political breezes.

In this style it was successfully run by Mesenkop from August to December, 1872, when the office was purchased by C. L. Smith and P. D. Winship. In 1873 Winship sold to E. K. Mercer, and the firm became Smith & Mercer. Winship went to Mar- shalltown, Ia., and became a practicing phy- sician, where he is now. In 1875 Smith sold to E. F. Doran, and after Doran had been in the firm nine months, he sold back his interest to Smith. In June, 1879, Smith sold to E. K. Mercer, the present proprietor and editor, who is still sole owner and man- ager of the newspaper, with Dean as partner in the job department.

Mr. Mercer is one of the strong and solid writers on the weekly press, and his paper to-day is a firmly established, able and widely influential Democratic organ. Already in power presses and extensive materials of all kinds the office is very full and complete, and the bold, vigorous and sprightly editorials that mark the columns of the paper, upon political, literary, scientific or moral ques- tions, has given it an enviable position in the world of modern thought and culture.

The Bureau County News .- In December, 1881, George M. Radcliffe and Charles B. Smith started this paper as an independent, anti-monopoly, greenback organ. A nine- column folio, handsomely printed, ably edited and fighting like a Trojan for Ben Butler for President. This paper was a religious, financial, political, mechanical and editorial

success from the day of its first issue. Char- ley is an experienced newspaper man and a thorough, practical printer, while George is a "free-trade" widower, who has had a varied experience in life, or as he expressed himself in a speech at the recent old settlers' meet- ing : "I commenced life at a very early period of my existence." When a callow youth he was Circuit Clerk of Bureau County, and while still a very young man was elected to the Legislature. He has made political speeches, preached the Gospel and published papers in nearly all the leading towns in this part of the State. We esteem him the sprightliest paragraphist in the county. He prods the two older and more dignified papers of Princeton without fear, favor or affection, and as the slangy gamins say, has "a barrel of fun."

The News is the only paper in North Prince- ton. Its already large patronage is rapidly growing, and a well equipped office is now prepared to meet the wants of many friends and patrons.

This concludes the newspaporial story of Princeton. And now a word of something of the different proprietors, of whom we have omitted giving an account in the preceding.

C. J. Peckham is in Independence, Kan., a prosperous land agent in that land of grasshoppers, hot winds, hard winds and dog towns. He was not a practical printer.

E. F. Doran was a printer, and when he got through with Princeton, struck out for Nebraska, laid down the "stick " and with grim determination seized the plow handles.

The Walnut Motor .- A five-column local paper in the town of Walnut, was started July 4, 1876, by a man named Townsend. He sold to J. T. Vasbough, who ran it for three years, when he sold to Reeve, Phillips & Co., and removed to Iowa, where he is now publishing a paper. In a little while C. G.

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Glenn became the proprietor of the Motor. November 13, 1882, it passed to the hands of W. H. Frazer, who ran it for six months and sold to William Wilson, the present propri- etor, in May, 1883. Mr. Wilson learned his trade in Oil City, Penn. When sixteen years of age, 1852, he became connected with a printing office at Morrison, Whiteside Co., where he remained until he completed his trade, since which time he has been in dif- ferent printing offices in the State, the most of the time in Morrison and Prophets- town, until he took charge of his present paper. Mr. Wilson is entitled to great credit and is receiving the confidence and liberal support of the people in his portion of the county. He is the right man in the right place.

Tiskilwa Tidings was established by Sid- ney Averill, Jr., in June, 1884. A six-col- umn folio, and independent in politics. The good people of Tiskilwa extend to the Tidings a generous support, and it is to be hoped Mr. Averill may find it sufficiently encouraging to make it a large and permanent institution.

Sidney Averill, Jr., was born near Rahway, N. J., January 2, 1855. His father was a teacher in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The family came to Whiteside County, Ill., about the beginning of the late war. The father has taught in this State and West among the Indians, and at other points. He is now retired from active life.

Tiskilwa Register was started in 1877, in Tiskilwa, by W. B. Sherwood. It was pub- lished one year and discontinued. In a copy of this paper we noticed, among others, the advertisements of B. N. Stevens & Sons, C. H. Wilkinson, Moore & Kitterman, L. O. May, C. C. Slygh, Luther Quick and Drs. Freeman and Little.

Tiskilwa Independent. - The first number was issued February 27, 1856, by George L.

Karl. This was a six-column folio, and independent in politics. The initial number had a "Salutatory " over two columns long, which gave the paper a general top-heavy appearance. It expired May 8, 1857.

Buda Call was established October 26, 1877, by M. M. Monteith, who published about two years and discontinued it, and went to Peoria, and is again sticking type. He was a very good editor, and made a good paper.

In 1879 H. P. Fitch started the Home Guard, but after a little while changed to the Weekly Call, and sold to D. P. Payne, who changed the name to the Buda Gleaner, and thus published it for one year, and then sold to Dr. C. E. Barney, who changed the name to Bureau County Times. October 1, 1882, he sold the paper to Charles A. Pratt, the present proprietor, who was born in Green County, Penn., January 20, 1856. He re- furnished and fitted up the office anew, and changed the name to the Buda Press. An elegant quarto, weekly, and about the largest paper in the county, full of live and sprightly editorials, and fat with handsomely set adver- tisements.

The people of Buda may well be congratu- lated on the acquisition of this young man, as his energy, thrift, enterprise and ability will prove an invaluable acquisition to the town and vicinity. He published his first newspaper when eighteen years old-the Princeville Times. He was some time city reporter on the Peoria Democrat before he was twenty years old. He established the Cass County Journal at Chandlerville, which he published two years, and sold it, and then was on the staff of the Peoria Transcript. He then established the Argus, at Astoria, Ill., from whence he came to Bureau County. He was a natural born newspaper scribbler, having commenced to write articles when

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sixteen years old, while attending school, and his varied experience shows him to be also a natural born publisher. His success at Buda with his present paper is remarkable, and all have no hesitation in predicting for him a splendid future career.

Among the publishers who came and went in the early day of newspapers in the county as above given, appears the name of Hooper Warren-a name deserving more than a pass- ing word. Hooper Warren started the third paper published in Illinois-the Spectator, Edwardsville, Ill., in the year 1819. D. W. Lusk, in his "Politics and Politicians of Illi- nois," says it was established as an " anti- slavery paper." This statement cannot be true. The same writer says: Henry Eddy and S. H. Kimmell, who started the Emi- grant, in Shawneetown, 1818, the second paper in the State, established it as an anti- slavery paper. Lusk's statement is as true of one paper as the other, but it is not the fact about either. At that time there were people in Illinois who wanted to make it a slave State, and there was the large majority who were opposed to slavery coming here. These did oppose slavery coming into Illinois, and there ended the entire question. The absurdity of the proposition that Hooper Warren's paper was an anti-slavery paper (in the universal acceptation of that term), is the fact that he started it in 1819. It was published in Edwardsville, the county seat of Madison County. Alton is in Madison County, and is only fifteen miles from Edwardsville. Elijah P. Lovejoy was murdered, and his press destroyed by a mob in Alton, in 1837, because his paper was supposed to be an anti- slavery paper.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-TRE IMPROVED AND UNIMPROVED LAND IN THE COUNTY-VALUE AND TAX TREREON-AND OTHER INFORMATION~ETC., ETC.

S SATURDAY, June 16, 1855, a notice was published for a meeting of the people to organize a County Agricultural Society to meet in the Court House. This was signed by J. I. Taylor, John H. Bryant, Alfred F. Clark, H. V. Bacon, Lazarus Reeve, R. T. Templeton, Benjamin Newell, Justus Stevens, J. V. Thompson and Stephen G. Paddock.

The meeting convened-Caleb Cushing, Chairman, S. G. Paddock Secretary. R. J. Woodruff, Arthur Bryant and Thomas S. Elston were appointed a committee to, draft an address to the farmers, and prepare a constitution and by-laws for the society. S. G. Paddock was appointed Corresponding Secretary, and Milo Kendall his assistant. The proceedings were ordered to be published in the Post.

The second meeting convened July 7, 1855-Austin Bryant, Chairman, S. G. Pad- dock, Secretary. Favorable reports were re- ceived from the various townships. The Committee on Address reported. The con- stitution read and adopted. One thousand copies of the address and constitution were ordered printed. The committee was thanked for its able address and constitution. The Society permanently organized, and elected the following officers: President, R. J. Woodruff; Vice-President, W. R. Bruce; Secretary, S. G. Paddock; Treasurer, R. T. Templeton; Directors, Hezekiah W. Terry, Alpheus Cook, V. Aldrich, Thomas Grattige, Fred. Moseley.

It was thought best not to try to have a fair this year. At the October meeting,

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Aaron E. May, Antony Morrissey and Enos Smith were made additional Directors. The same officers were re-elected October 2, 1856.

March 2, 1858, officers elected were: Presi- dent, J. V. Thompson; Vice-President, H. C. Field; Secretary, S. G. Paddock; Treasurer, R. T. Templeton; Directors, J. T. Thomp- son; K. S. Steinhauer, John Prouty, W. R. Bruce and E. S. Phelps, Jr.

At the meeting February 10, 1859, Mr. Thompson offered a resolution reciting that there was much grumbling about the man- agement of the society, therefore resolved we dissolve it. This was voted down, and an amended constitution was adopted. The new officers elected at this meeting were: H. C. Field, President; W. R. Bruce, James M. Dexter and Ira P. Evans, Vice-Presidents; S. G. Paddock, Recording Secretary; E. S. Phelps, Corresponding Secretary; R. T. Tem- pleton, Treasurer; and William Trimble, John B. Crosby, Aquilla Triplett, L. D. Whiting and Thomas Tustin, Directors. A general committee of one from each township was appointed as follows: Clarion. David Wells; Lamoille, J. P. Knight; Ohio, Charles Wood; Walnut, O. Chapman; Greenville, J. M. Draper; Fairfield, Whicher Dow; West- field, William Morrison; Berlin, Julius Bene- dict; Dover, Joseph Morrison; Bureau, C. D. Trimble; Manlins, M. Carpenter; Gold, A. Morrissey; Hall, E. C. Hall; Selby, Joseph N. Kies; Princeton, C. T. Wiggins; Center, N. C. Monrose; Concord, I. L. Sweet; Min. eral, T. Grattige; Leepertown, D. F. Mc- Elwain; Arispie, Alanson Benson; Indian- town, Asy Barney; Macon, W. H. Patterson; Brawby, William Norton; Wheatland, S. M. Clark; Milo, I. G. Freeman.

The farmers in each township were recom- mended to organize a farmers' club.

February 6, 1860, at the annual meeting the society had $474.50 on hand. The old

officers were re-elected, except Dr. Woodruff, was elected Corresponding Secretary. The new Directors were: Fred Moseley, M. L. Goodspeed, Alpheus Cook, John V. Cottrell, and Edward C. Hale. The old general com- mittee was re-appointed, except K. S. Stein- hauer for Milo, and J. W. Bush for Ohio.

September 4, 1862, it was resolved to post- pone the fair for that year. Old officers re- elected. In 1863 C. P. Allen became the Re- cording Secretary. It was resolved to hold a four days' fair, commencing October 6. S. G. Paddock became Corresponding Secretary, and B. S. Farris, Treasurer. In 1864 J. C. Weeks, President; Johu G. Buback, Record- ing Secretary; C. P. Allen, Treasurer. In 1865 H. C. Fields again President; C. D. Trimble. Secretary; Directors, John Clapp, F. M. Nichols, C. P. Mason and H. W. Terry. 1867, J. T. Thompson, elected President; S. G. Paddock, Secretary; C. P. Allen, Treas- urer. 1868, D. McDonald, President, and S. F. Robinson, M. Greenman and Enos Smith, Vice-Presidents; G. W. Stone, Secre- tary; Directors, M. L. Barnhart, P. H. Piper, H. C. Field, J. G. Calif and J. W. Harris. 1870, A. C. Boggs, President; J. T. Thomp- son, Treasurer; J. C. Smith, Marshal. 1872, President, George N. Palmer; Vice-Presidents, Simon Elliott, John V. Catterill, M. Brough- ton; Directors, George Hammer, F. Horton, William Norris, William Cummings, P. R. Shugart; Treasurer, James L. Worthington; Secretary, R. R. Gibons; Assistant, T. J. Cooper. For the next year C. C. Kellogg was President. 1874, Rufus Ford, Presi- dent; J. W. Templeton, Secretary; W. H. Winter, Treasurer. 1876, Simon Elliott, President; E. R. Virden, Secretary. Octo- ber, 1876, Justus Stevens, President; J. H. Fawcett, Secretary. All Directors re-elected. S. G. Paddock, Treasurer; next year old offi- cers re-elected, except C. P. Bacom, Secre-

Martin Brenne man

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tary; M. C. Clark, Assistant; B. F. Cox, Superintendent of Grounds. In 1878 the gate money was $2,281.42. The society was then in debt $4,100. The next year A. C. Boggs was President. Other officers and Di- rectors re-elected. 1882, G. N. Palmer, President; Ellis B. Wood, W. T. Lewis, William McManis, Vice-Presidents; J. W. Templeton, Secretary; David Knight, Super- intendent Grounds; Atherton Clark, Mar- shal. Total receipts, $5,239.75. Disburse- ments, $5,162.45. Clark Gray, Secretary. 1883, John Crossman, President; Ellis B. Wood, William T. Lewis, Robert Hunter, Vice-Presidents; M. C. Clark, Secretary; C. A. Mckinney, Assistant; C. G. Cushing, Treasurer; P. H. Zeigler, Superintendent Grounds; A. Dunbar, Marshal; Directors, Edward Dow, J. M. Draper, L. K. Thomp- son, James Dunbar, D. P. Smith, Willet Groves, N. Spratt, Daniel Weirick, U. J. Trimble, Henry G. Wells, R. Braden, Her- man Gray, Edward Murphy, S. D. Abbott, Isaac D. Page, A. C. Boggs, Cyrus Colton, A. W. Walton, S. J. Miller, William Criss- man, J. W. Harris, Ed White, A. R. Gris- wold, M. A. Lewis, Ed Borup. Gate fees this year were: Hacks, $37; single admis- sions, teams, etc., $2,596.15. Total receipts, $5,006.65. Disbursements, $4,868.49. Debt of society, $3,369.45. 1884, E. B. Wood, President; Vice-Presidents same as last year, except William Buswell, Third Vice- President; Treasurer, E. A. Washburn; Mar- shal, Ed White; Directors same as last year except Frank Rawson, in place of S. J. Miller; J. Stephens, rice M. A. Lewis; Frank Rawson vice Ed White.

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History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 42

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company Number of Pages: 776

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776