USA > Indiana > Vigo County > History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections > Part 65
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106
Prairie Creek: James A. Moore, M. H. Thompson, James W. Nebergall, John M. Talbott.
Ellsworth: Thomas H. McCorkle, Samuel Watkins.
Seelyville: James McLaughlin.
Nelson: John Poindexter.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE PRESS.
THE newspapers of a country are the index of the people in many ways. A public-spirited, liberal-minded and intelli- gent community will command that kind of papers and publications. And the fate of many a town or city has hung on the circumstance of a vigorous press to back it in its days of first and ultimate progress.
Like all cities, Terre Haute has liad its experiences -- its few successes and its many failures. Papers are like the human family. Go to any town where they have been published any length of time and the dead always outnumber the living. However, there has not been many rash newspaporial ventures in this city.
The first paper ever published in the county was by John W. Osborn, in 1824-Western Register and General Advetiser. The first seven numbers were printed in Washington, Ind., and sent liere for distribution. Mr. Osborn was a Canadian. It was a very small four-column folio, and made up after the manner of newspapers of that day. Instead of local news or editorials, it clipped all the foreign news it could hold, and when the mails from the east-due every two weeks-failed, they would print sermons, or somebody's speech in Congress on the land question, or some other equally merry reading for the children. Osborn was for a high protective tariff, and an abolitionist, though not avowedly so.
633
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
The evolution in newspaper literature from 1824 to the present is remarkable. It was then a mere conduit for the politician and the preacher, and at the beginning of the century every newspaper was a book store in a small way, where was for sale in pamphlet form the sermons of the faith of the editor. Even the religious papers now work in more general news, as well as general subjects of interest, than did the liveliest papers of eighty and ninety years ago.
Osborn and his paper kept their heads above water. In 1830 the big end of the name was dropped, and it became the Western Register, and passed into the hands of Amory Kinney.
Wabash Courier was established in 1832, and the Western Advertiser was merged into it, by Thomas Dowling. This was purchased in 1841 by Judge Jesse Conard, who published it many years. It was a whig publication. While under Col. Dowling it " Tylerized," and Col. Dowling was given the contract to transport the Miami Indians, near Logansport, to their western reservation.
Union, Daily and Weekly .- First issue, January 12, 1857. It was the organ of the American party; I. M. Brown, editor and pub- lisher, and T. B. Long, associate editor. Its office was on Market or Third street, second floor, Routledge's building. Its career was brief but brilliant, something after the fashion of the party in whose interest it was started. The know-nothing party made a tremen- dous display in the national election of 1856, but, as it proved to be, this was its death-throe.
The Daily and Weekly Express .- In 1841 Thomas Dowling, editor and proprietor of the Wabash Courier, sold the Courier to Judge Jesse Canard. In consideration of this sale Mr. Dowling agreed in the transfer that he would not start another paper in Terre Haute within five years from that date. After this sale the temptation for another paper became too great to be neglected, and Thomas Dowling knowing that his agreement with Judge Jesse Canard was seriously in the way, he sent for his brother, John Dowling, then living in Washington, D. C., who came to Terre Haute in 1842, and soon after his arrival the Terre Haute Express, as a weekly paper, was given to the public, with John Dowling as publisher. The Express was thus run until the five years' agree- ment between Thomas Dowling and Judge Jesse Canard had expired. After this Thomas Dowling's name appeared as editor and pro- prietor. The birth of The Express was in a room in the second story of the Linton block fronting on Main street. Thomas Dowling con- tinued to run the Weekly Express up to February, 1845, when he sold it to David S. Danaldson, taking part pay the site now occu- pied by the "Old Ladies' Home," established by W. R. McKeen.
634
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
Mr. Danaldson moved The Express from the Linton block to an old frame on the site now occupied by the Naylor opera house. After this the office was moved into a one-story frame next to the old town hall, corner of Ohio and Third streets, where the Daily Express was first issued, May 12, 1851,
The origin of the Daily Express is correctly given as follows by James B. Edmunds, editor and proprietor of the late Terre Haute Journal, in his history of the newspapers of Terre Haute:
"Early in the spring of 1851 Judge Canard, of the Courier, formed a resolution in his own mind to start a daily publication just as soon as the clever days of May should come to hand. He succeeded in keeping the secret from his brother journalists until about the second week in May, of 1851, when it leaked out. Isaac M. Brown was then foreman of The Express office, and after work- ing hours on Saturday afternoon, May 10, 1851, he accidently learned that the Courier office was diligently preparing to issue a daily paper some time during the week. This was a stunner to Mr. Brown, who was a printer of unbounded enthusiasm and ambition, and he disliked the idea of The Express being left in the lurch by the venerable Courier, when he knew himself and his office to be thoroughly competent in all its mechanical branches to compete with, if not outstrip the Courier establishment in the matter of a daily publication. With these thoughts on his mind, Mr. Brown at once repaired to the residence of Mr. Danaldson, editor and pro- prietor of The Express, and promptly divulged the news and his intentions relative thereto." In the discussion of the points Mr. Danaldson gave his consent to try the project, and the next Mon- day afternoon, May 12, 1851, the first Daily Express appeared.
The original firm of this paper was David Danaldson, Isaac M. Brown, John B. L. Soule. Two or three years after this The Express was sold to Moses Soule, who moved the office to the Modesitt block, on the north side of the court-house square, where it re- mained until after the war of the rebellion.
During the proprietorship of Moses Soule he put in a Hoe cyl- inder press, the first press of the kind ever introduced in western Indiana. Mr. Soule finally sold the office to Col. Robert N. Hud- son. At this time I. M. Brown and J. N. Silverthorn dissolved partnership in the publication of the Daily and Weekly American. Mr. Brown taking the material and adding it to The Express, and thus became a partner with Col. Hudson in the publication of The Express. In 1858 Mr. Brown sold out his interest in The Express to Col. Hudson and started The Daily and Weekly Union. In 1859 or 1860 Col. Hudson sold The Express to Gen. Charles Cruft, who continued as its proprietor until some time after the war, when
635
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
The Express was sold to a company with Maj. O. J. Smith as editor.
The next transfer was to W. R. McKeen and others, thence to George M. Allen, the present proprietor.
The above is a correct history of the Daily and Weekly Express from their origin, including editors and proprietors, not forgetting F. M. Meredith, who was the principal editor during the time Gen. Cruft owned the office.
There is another point in relation to the Daily Express that is worthy of remembrance, and that is, not an issue has been missed since May 12, 1851, unless it was on a holiday to give recreation to employes. The American, as above stated, is the only paper ever merged into The Express.
Terre Haute Journal .- Daily and weekly by C. F. Cookerly and Thomas I. Bourne, was the strong democratic organ in the cam- paign of 1856. Its office was in the post-office building on Fourth street. It passed into the hands of J. B. Edmunds and John S. Jordan.
Gazette .- This weekly was established in 1868, issuing two edi- tions, Thursday and Saturday, by Maj. O. J. Smith and C. W. Brown. Maj. Smith is now president of the American Press As- sociation. It was a brilliant success in the line of journalism from its first issue, and was in the keeping of bright and enterprising publishers and editors. Maj. Smith sold his interest to R. N. Hud- son and L. M. Rose, C. W. Brown retaining his interest.
Hudson and Rose started the Daily Gazette (afternoon) June 1, 1870, a republican paper. Much of the history of journalism in the spirited times of 1870-72 is furnished us in a historical resume that appeared in the columns of the Gazette of a year or two ago, evidently written by one who was either in the fray or a looker on, as follows: "The founders of the Daily Gazette were Hudson, Rose & Co., Col. Hudson in charge of the editorial columns, which fairly bristled from his pen. He warmed up with the reconstruction measures and Kuklux bills that came before congress. He com- menced using italics, small caps and printer's daggers in his edit- orials quite freely. He did not fully like some of these measures."
The Express at that time was run by Gen. Charles Cruft and edited by Perry S. Westfall and Capt. C. H. Allen. It was an active supporter of Grant's administration, and Col. Hudson soon became outspoken in his opposition. He was openly at outs with the party on its reconstruction measures. O. J. Smith was pub- lishing the Saturday Mail, and the Banner (German) was at its first high tide. Thus was a general three-cornered battle in politics raging. The Indianapolis Journal, the republican State organ,
636
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
took a hand and formerly read the Gazette out of the party. To this Col. Hudson defiantly answered. "As for ourself as editor of the Terre Haute Gazette, we do not propose to ask the Indianapolis Journal or any other journal how we shall think or how we shall write. If the republican party in the campaign of 1872 intends to sustain the old reconstruction measures, and uphold the fearfully unwise measure known as the Kuklux bill, and oppose all bills looking to partial or general amnesty, as the last congress did, then we are not a republican, and will act with any party or body of men in opposition to those measures."
This brought a storm of scolding from the party papers on Mr. Hudson. He was most frequently dubbed "assistant democrat." In the three-cornered fight the Terre Haute men grew warmer and warmer. The moon became red, and more red constantly. Editors called each other ugly names ; one was a "cigar-stump snatcher," the other a "sewer," and the third " a liar," and all of them " you're another." Hudson, Edmunds and Smith were the style of men that make journals wake up, and they will long be remembered among the Terre Haute newspaper men.
In November, 1872, Hudson & Rose sold the Gazette to W. C. Ball and John S. Dickerson, and the firm of Ball & Dickerson pub- lished until June, 1874, when Mr. Dickerson sold to Spencer F. Ball, and the firm name became as now, W. C. Ball & Co.
These gentlemen are able newspaper men. Since the day they came in control of the Gazette they have forced it to the front in Indiana journalism. It is regarded as the reliable democratic organ of western Indiana. An afternoon daily and a large and handsome weekly are its editions: W. C. Ball, general managing editor, and Spencer F. Ball, business manager.
Terre Haute Banner (German), was established August 20, 1870, by Adolph Frabricius. He published it until his death in Febru- ary, 1874, when it was sold to Emil Hirschburg and Charles Lustig. The former withdrew from the paper in 1875, and was succeeded by John Kuppenheimer, who had established the Indiana Post, which was then consolidated with the Banner.
March 1, 1876, the paper was purchased by P. Gfroerer, who at once issued a daily republican paper, which continued as a daily until January 1, 1877, when it was changed to a tri-weekly.
The weekly Banner had been started as a republican paper April 1, 1876, by Mr. Gfroerer. The mutations of the German papers were frequent. At times there was a republican and demo- cratic organ in full blast, and a while one man edited the papers for both parties.
Terre Haute Journal, daily and weekly (German), was
637
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
founded in 1883 by J. E. Wolff, its present proprietor. Republican in politics, it is a large daily and weekly, and is one of our promi- nent and firmly established institutions, and is meeting with deserved success. This was a tri-weekly paper, and so continued until June 17, 1889, when it was made daily and weekly. Until Mr. Wolff took hold German papers here had a rather precarious existence.
Saturday Evening Mail .- When O. J. Smith retired from the Gazette he established the Mail, July 1, 1870. Its founding was a revolution in weekly papers. Maj. Smith was a master in his pro- fession. His paper was, as it is now, independent in politics; not neutral, but outspoken and fearless. He ran it with great success until the latter part of 1872, when he sold the concern to Perry S. Westfall, who had been for nine years previously with the Express, and who was widely known as an able newspaper man. He pushed it forward successfully until his death, January 17, 1889, when it came into the hands of his son, Edwin P. Westfall, the present manager, who is assisted by W. A. Layman, city editor. Two editions of the Mail are issued, Thursday and Saturday; has an extensive circulation, is eight pages, and is a beauty in its mechan- ical department.
Saturday Courier, republican, was first issued April 12, 1876, by John O. Hardesty.
Locomotive Firemen's Magazine, was founded in January, 1876, by William N. Sayre. A monthly magazine in the interest of the order of the locomotive firemen. It was continued about three years by Mr. Sayre, when it came into the hands of Eugene V. Debs, its present proprietor. As the official organ of the Brother- hood of Locomotive Firemen, it is one of the important publications of the country. It has at present a circulation of 28,000. It is furnished without additional charge to every member in good stand- ing of the order, either in this country, Canada or Mexico. Mr. Debs, although comparatively a young man, has through his mag- azine and his official position as secretary of the order of Locomo- tive Firemen, holds a place in this country of influence and power that has been equaled by few men in history. He makes his mag- azine a power in educating its patrons and members of the order in wholesome ideas on economic questions.
The Daily News entered the newspaper field in Terre Haute after many failures had been made to establish a third daily publi- cation here. It was established by broad-minded men, who saw the necessity of a strictly independent journal in Terre Haute. The exclusive franchise of the The Press News Association was pur- chased by A. Z. Foster and Douglas H. Smith, insuring tel-
638
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
egraphic service. Stock in the new enterprise was rapidly taken, and on June 15, 1889, the company was organized. The following directors were elected: Eugene V. Debs, Albert Z. Foster, Doug- las H. Smith, Oskar Duenweg and James E. Piety. A. Z. Foster was elected president and D. H. Smith secretary of the board. The News made its first appearance Monday evening, August 5, 1889, with D. H. Smith as managing editor. It was a six-column folio, neat in appearance. Within three months the size was en- larged to seven columns and a double paper was issued on Satur- day. The merit of the News brought it immediately under public notice and it rapidly began its ascent. Within eight months it had forged ahead until its circulation equaled that of its older contem- poraries. Since that time it has constanty been increasing its cir- culation and improving its facilities for acquiring news. The force of the News was composed of young and energetic men who entered into the enterprise with the determination to make it suc- ceed, and the favor with which the News is regarded attests the reward of their endeavor. The News has for its fundamental principle the good of the public. It is strictly independent and is not allied with any political party. It brought about a revolution in city affairs, and has done much in the way of correcting municipal abuses and advocating reforms. The News is recognized as one of the most successful ventures every undertaken in the west.
David S. Danaldson, who published the first daily paper ever issued in Terre Haute, the Express, is yet with us and still actively engaged in business at the green old age of eighty-one years. He has been a prominent citizen of Terre Haute fifty-five years-1835 to 1890; a native of Rock county, Ky., born March 2, 1809; a son of John and Elenor (Clark) Danaldson. The parents were Virginians; married there in 1791. David S. being eleventh in the order of birth of thirteen children-eight boys and five girls-but one, a brother, besides himself surviving, he is a citizen of Monte- zuma, Ind. The father, Col. John Danaldson, was lieutenant-col- onel commanding the Second Regiment Kentucky Mounted Volun- teers. He died in Clark county, Ky., August 21, 1839. His father was shot through the head while passing a port-hole, in an attack by the Indians. Col. Danaldson was a step-son of the noted Col. Fleming, after whom so many towns, counties and places are named, " Flemingsburg."
David S. Danaldson grew to manhood in his native place, and was educated in the common schools of the day; commencing his career in his own behalf as clerk in a store at Winchester, Ky .; then on his own account merchandised two years at Blue Lick, and came to Terre Haute in 1835, and was engaged in merchandising
639
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
from 1835 to 1845, when he purchased the weekly Express and published it for several years. After selling his paper he again be- came a merchant, first in a grocery store and then purchased the interest of W. B. Tuel in the dry goods store of Tuel & Ripley. This he sold after the breaking out of the late war and opened a claim agency which he is now conducting.
David S. Danaldson and Eveline W. Clark were married. She is a daughter of William and Sallie Conway Clark, natives of Fredricksburg, Va. To them have been born four children: Flem- ing, deceased at the age of eight; William Harrison, in the revenue office St. Louis; Nellie, married J. H. Whedon, of Terre Haute; Frank C. Danaldson, present mayor of Terre Haute.
James Bratt Edmunds died while mayor of Terre Haute in 1877. He was one of the strong newspaper men of this place. He, in connection with his cousin, Isaac Coltrin, in 1850 started the Prairie City-one of the able weekly papers that soon attained a wide circulation. In 1863 he was elected city clerk. In 1856, with G. F. Cookerly and Thomas I. Bourne, published the weekly Terre Haute Journal. Bourne retired, and Cookerly and Edmunds started the Daily Journal, which they conducted till 1862, when they sold to a stock company. Edmunds then retired to his farm in Lost Creek township. But the pleasures of a quiet agricultural life soon paled and he returned to the city, and, in company with John S. Jordan, bought the Journal and continued it until it was sold to Col. R. N. Hudson & Co. In 1868 Edmunds was the can- didate for State senator, but was defeated with his party by H. D. Scott. In 1875 he was elected mayor, defeating G. W. Naylor, and re-elected in 1877, and died soon after his induction into the office.
Col. R. N. Hudson came here in 1840, when a lad. He attended Asbury University, where he graduated in 1844, and then read law in R. W. Thompson's office. He was a member of the legislature in 1848 and 1849. In 1856 he became proprietor of the Express, and edited it till the close of the campaign of that year. He was then financial agent at New York, for Indiana. He entered the war a colonel on the staff of Fremont and served in different commands during the war. He was an abolitionist and followed Greeley, and started the Gazette in aid of his election; sold this and started the Journal, which he conducted until 1873.
640
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
CHAUNCEY ROSE.
T HE helpful friend of true education is the benefactor of his race whose work ranks with that of the great discoverers of new truths and useful inventions. The true education-the dif- fusion of real knowledge-is the supreme power in lifting up every civilization. Nothing really great is accomplished in this world without the combined labors of men, whose efforts all tend in the one direction. One generation may suggest that which to the in- ceptive generation succeeding may evolve the beginning of an idea, that will slowly grow and ripen in the long succeeding generations to the full, and the human race is thus advanced along the high- way and the new humanity finds itself with a new thought or inven- tion and believes that the new birth is wholly of their own creation, and remain forever ignorant of the forgotten men, who not only started the idea on its way to full growth, but who have added and added from generation to generation to it and made possible the fruits that the favored peoples are enjoying.
In all biographical history, then, the world's truly great men must be carefully culled from the merely notable men, and the truly great will pass the competitive examination in triumph, while much of the so-called history will be re-written and new balance sheets struck between true greatness and the world of sham. The laurel crown must go to those whose work has been the permanent good of mankind. All that is not permanent in results is of little value, and must be so rated by the true historian. The founder of a gov- ernment, in the rapid mutations of nations, may live to see the results of his labors pass away. This is true of systems of religion. The greatest wars of history were transitory in their effects-their wounds are healed and every trace obliterated, and in the short space of a century it has generally come to be a matter of fact, that it is immaterial on which side the eagles of victory perched upon the waving banners in the hour of battle.
Pestilence and famine have swept from the earth their millions of people, but here too are only temporary effects. The hideous gaps are filled, and where once was decay and rotting silence there comes again songs and laughter, marriage and births, hopes and
641
HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.
successes, triumphs and failures. During the past nineteen hun- dred years, every succeeding generation, even those of the five hundred years of the dark and dismal ages, has flattered itself that until it came the whole world was barbarian, but "now the perfect civilization is here." We patronizingly pity the ignorance of our fathers, and at the same time, perhaps, shape every movement in this life, and even our preparation for the great future, by the au- thority of precedent that has been handed down from the gray dawn of the morning of tradition. Until our illustrious sires founded the United States government, no one had dreamed of the possibility of the separation of State and church, thereby bettering infinitely both church and State. But ignorance and craft are tenacious of authority. The church clung to the school, and when the church and State finally separated, to some extent the State and school became united, and where the State once said it was directly inter- ested in the morals of the people, it now says it is quite as deeply concerned in the diffusion of knowledge.
When education stands alone who knows but results, the same as in the case of the church, may prove not only surprising, but both blessed and gratiying.
The great institutions of learning that have come to this, and will go to succeeding generations from the benefactions of Chauncey Rose, are in the judgment of some of our school men, destined to mark an era in the history of education. And in a careful prepar- atory study of this remarkable man's life, and the disposition of his large estate, both before and after his death, justified the conclusion that here is a biography, which, when properly told, is worthy of the closest investigation of both learned divines and the wisest of statesmen. To the average mind it is esteemed enough to simply enumerate this man's princely benefactions-to say that he is the Pea- body of the west-who gave millions to the cause of education, to charity and to the sick, maimed, to the unfortunate and the poor. The largeness of the sums is the central point of attraction, with no deeper thought of the far more important fact of the wisdom that . guided all these gifts to the permanent good of mankind-the purely practical reaching after effects that in time will be felt around the world. He could have given his vast wealth to the State or to the church, to found a great school or university of learning as an enduring monument to himself. But he would do far more than this easy way of perpetuating his name. He talked to men, and thought out the subject in its entirety, and when it finally evolved the completed idea of the polytechnic school, then it was he won the enduring crown in the long line of the world's greatest benefactors. In the immensity-the number of millions given to
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.