USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > History of the city of Evansville and Vanderburg County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 29
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of the editorial rooms. A stock company was formed shortly afterwards but the controlling interests were owned by the McNeely family.
At the time the opera house was burned down the plant of the Journal was destroyed. Mr. E. T. McNeely, who had displayed ability in the man- aging of the Journal, again showed his business sagacity and secured the large building on Main between Fifth and Sixth, which was known then as the Roelker building. There were many who said that the Journal had moved clear out of town, but it has been proven that Mr. McNeely knew exactly what he was doing and it was only a short time until Main street rapidly built up and his location became a most valuable one. The large building gave ample room for all his needs, while he was able to rent other portions of the building for a price that made his own occupancy cost very little. Recently the Journal has suffered through another fire, and a con- tract has been made by which a beautiful building will be built, just around the corner on Fifth street. This will have every modern improvement and will be one of the handsomest newspaper offices in the state. A few years ago Mr. McNeely decided that a good bright evening paper was a necessity in Evansville and began the publication of the Evening News. Prior to that time he had acquired the machinery of the Tribune office and was in a position to turn out a very speedy afternoon paper. In a short time the afternoon issue became so popular that it was decided to drop the morning edition and the name of the old Journal, which for so many years has been the standby of the republican party here, was hyphenated, and the Jour- nal-News was the result. The paper is doing a fine business and bids fair to always continue to be a fine investment. In this connection I cannot help from paying due tribute to Mr. McNeely. Having been in the busi- ness so many years, I know the great burden that he took upon his shoul- ders when he first attempted to take the Journal out of the rut into which it seemed to have fallen. With the greatest industry and very close appli- cation to business and with a thorough knowledge of political affairs, he rapidly built up the decaying paper into the strong and sturdy Journal-News of today. To him is due almost the entire credit for this change.
It must be conceded that the Courier is today the most perfect specimen of a wide-awake modern newspaper in this section of the country. It is ably edited in every department. It is backed by unlimited capital, has an immense circulation and is one of the best paying pieces of property in the city and this only shows what energy and a thorough knowledge of the business and, more than all, the ability to keep up with the times and know what people want and expect, can do for a newspaper. But the early life of the Courier was a hard one. Time and again unsucessful attempts were made to keep up a democratic paper that should be the organ of the Pocket. But each time it failed. The paper was originally started in 1839 under the name of the Southwestern Sentinel. Its editor was Jacob Page Chapman. As to his ability, he had it in plenty and as can be shown from the fact that he afterwards became one of the proprietors and was for many
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years managing editor of the Indianapolis Sentinel. The paper went out of existence in 1840 when Martin Van Buren was defeated. Until 1848 there was no democratic paper here, when Mr. A. C. Huntington began the publication of the Vanderburg Democrat. It was a lively paper and soon had a widespread weekly circulation. But in 1850 it lost its prestige and went out of existence, and simply because of a division between the local political leaders of that party. How often does history repeat itself! These same divisions which existed then have always existed and exist today, and the innumerable defeats which the democratic party has had in this city and county can be attributed to this and nothing else. This book not being partial in any sense, can treat of these matters from an outside standpoint and it takes these facts from history, and it can hardly be blamed for say- ing that just so long as these factions continue to exist the party will never gain a victory. In fact, it is a matter of common knowledge that republi- cans, no matter how hard they fight before elections, always get together at that time and vote the ticket, while the cliques in the democratic party seem to feel that the game of politics is best played by knifing each other, and this is a sad, sad mistake. Mr. Ben Stinson was the next one to unfurl the standard of democracy and established the Evansville Advertiser with Col. C. W. Hutchen as the first editor. He soon sold out to Col. C. K. Drew and Calvin Frary who, being republicans, at once changed its name to the Republican and then transferred it to Clark and McDonald, who ran it for about one year. They then sold out to William B. Baker, who al- lowed it to die again in 1851. In 1852 Charles P. Baymiller and J. W. Brewer started the publication of the tri-weekly called the "Times," but after the election this in turn stopped publication for want of support. In 1852 Captain John B. Hall purchased the office of the Independent Pocket, a neutral paper, and he conducted it during the know-nothing times. The influence of the paper extended widely under his management, as he was a forceful writer and he compelled the respect of his most violent political adversaries. Six years after, the paper was sold to A. T. Whittlesey. He conducted it for a year and then sold it to Captain Nathan Willard and S. S. Whitehead. When the Civil war broke out, Captain Willard joined the Federal army and the newspaper suspended publication and was never revived. John H. Scott, in the summer of 1862, published a small weekly paper called the Gazette, but is soon got out of politics and was conducted as an independent paer, and finally as an advertising sheet.
But in 1862 the democrats elected their entire ticket in Vanderburg County and before another general election the leaders of the party began to feel encouraged to start a daily paper, run on strictly democratic lines. There was a German paper here called the Volksblatt which was purchased and Robert S. Sproule was engaged as editor. This paper was called the Evansville Times. Mr. Sproule knew all the leading politicians of the state and had a thorough knowledge of the National political affairs. He was aided by Ben Stinson, who was a splendid business manager and J. P. May-
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nard. But in spite of all, the paper went down and died in 1864, leaving the party with a printing office but no paper. It was during the following winter that Mr. Geo. W. Shanklin took hold of the plant and for a few weeks conducted a sprightly little sheet called The Evansville Dispatch. Its last appearance was a lead-bordered edition, after the murder of Abraham Lin- coln. In 1865 the democrats again took hold of the office which had been held by five trustees for the benefit of the original subscribers. This was turned over to Alfred Kierolf, William Holeman, J. B. Cabins and H. H. Hose. The trustees were Hon. John A. Reitz, Judge William F. Parrott, Hon. Thomas E. Garvin, Hon. Charles Denby and Richard Raleigh. The parties to whom the paper was sold were four practical printers, and they did their work so thoroughly that they were able to pay back the subscribers for stock and purchased the paper themselves. Soon Mr. Holeman was left the sole proprietor. He retained Robert A. Sproule and the paper took on a new lease of life, but it had contracted debts which it could not pay and a sale of the plant was made to Geo. W. Shanklin. Mr. Pickett of Ken- tucky came over to do the editorial work. He was a splendid writer and had a vast fund of information. While he was in control, Mr. John Gilbert Shanklin returned from Europe where he had been, and at once took hold with his brother in the management. In 1869 Messrs. C. and F. Lauenstein, who owned the Evansville Democrat, bought the Courier and under their management it soon became a valuable property. They took it in for $6,000 and in less than five years it sold for three hundred per cent profit. They put Col. A. T. Whittlesey in charge and he continued with the paper until 1872, but he disagreed with the proprietors on the question of politics and severed his connection with the paper and in 1873 it was sold to S. D. Terry & Co., who in 1874 transferred it to the Shanklin Brothers. In December, 1876, it passed into the possession of Mr. John S. Reilly, a most competent and capable manager, who conducted the paper for many years. Hon. John G. Shanklin was elected in 1878, secretary of state, receiving the largest majority ever known to be given any candidate up to that time for that office and for two years he resided in Indianapolis. Later Mr. Geo. W. Shanklin resided in Washington and was correspondent for the Cincinnati News, but notwithstanding their other business, they virtually controlled the col- umns of the Courier for many years. Even in those days the paper had many political triumphs. It had the honor of nominating President Cleve- land as its choice for the presidential nomination in 1884 and after his in- auguration, it always endorsed his administration, even while such papers as the Indianapolis Sentinel and others were opposing him along the same lines to which I referred before and it was the first of the leading papers of the country to name him for a second term. It has always been known that the late John Gilbert Shanklin was entitled to the very highest recogni- tion from President Cleveland and it is said that he refused several very flattering offers. Finally he went to Washington for a conference with the president and it is said that political enemies who had been stung by his
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vigorous editorials, stabbed him in the back and prevented him from receiv- ing the position of minister to England. This of course is only hearsay, but there are many facts which go to prove that something of this kind must have been the case.
Again the Courier had long years of vicissitudes and nothing but the indomitable pluck and the business acumen of Mr. J. S. Reilly kept it from going to the wall. While there may be many newspaper men of equal ability as managers, I am compelled to say that I never met the equal of Mr. Reilly. How he did it, I do not know, but I do know that to him is due all the credit for keeping the paper on its feet. Mr. S. Luck of Kentucky purchased an interest in the paper and for a time put new life into it, but the paper still seemed to be unsuccessful and it was finally sold to its present proprietors, Mr. Henry C. Murphy, P. P. Carroll and Howard Roosa. When they pur- chased the paper, it was being run at the Keller printing establishment on Locust street, but they soon moved into a splendid building on Main street, which was purchased by them and at once began a series of innovations which startled the staid old city to its very depths. They were the first to donate for everything. They inaugurated all sorts of prizes, among which were tours to Europe for successful candidates for popularity. They gave entertainments for the poor and in fact, have been the prime movers in every- thing of that kind ever since its present owners took hold.
I would indeed feel this article incomplete, if I failed to pay a tribute to the memory of those two loving friends who first guided my steps along the paths of journalism, John G. and G. W. Shanklin.
Both sleep a dreamless sleep, but so long as The Courier shall be known, their names will be linked with it.
Given different environment, and their names would have been inscribed on the roll of fame side by side with the greatest editors of their day, but Evansville, a city that for years was wont to decry any home product, never gave them due appreciation.
Purse-proud money grabbers had little use for them. They could not use them. They were not good politicians for they had too much innate man- hood to descend to the foul and dirty tactics of the "shrewd politician" of today.
But as finished writers and deep thinkers they had few equals. They were masters of both clean out argument and satire, but their styles were different. George wielded the great broadsword, while Gil fancied the deli- cate rapier.
They did not look on their paper as a money-making machine, but as a medium through which to make their birthplace one of the greatest cities in the west. The Courier was their pet, their pride, their all, and their great- est desire was to see it one of the great papers of the country. But all too early came their summons ; their hands are stilled, their mentality at rest for- ever. How sad to think, that in the clouds that roll between the pulsing
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present and the Great Unknown, there is not some little rift through which their souls may see the fulfillment of their dreams.
As an example of what push will do, the present proprietors when they assumed the management, found a circulation of 4,500. After taking off all the delinquent and unpaid subscribers, there was left as a basis of circula- tion, about 2,500. Their present circulation is 18,016 and by this I mean its paid circulation. Surely the management should be congratulated on this wonderful progress. In 1891 there was a split in the republican party in this city and it seemed impossible for the leaders of the two factions to get together, strange as it may seem. The first thought of one faction was that they needed a good live organ to give their views on a political question of the day and for this purpose quite a number of them banded together to start one. They offered the Evening Tribune a large sum for its plant, but this was refused, as the paper was making money fast and its proprietor loved the business and saw no reason for stopping it, as it was stipulated that if he sold, he was not to start any other paper in this city for a term of years. Finally they bought an entirely new outfit and a first-class one in every respect and began the publication of the Evansville Standard. It was started in the Vickery block, the lower part being used for a business office and a press room and type setting department, while the upper part was used for the editorial offices. It started as a morning paper, but after a year's trial, it was decided to put it into an afternoon paper. The first editor was John T. McEnnis, a splendid writer and a thorough newspaper man in every sense of the word. He remained with the paper until it was put into the afternoon field, when he was succeeded by Edward B. Bell, also a most finished writer. The paper, however, lost money from the start and in the fall of 1893 it was sold to Col. Frank B. Posey and the late Andrew J. Clark, who published it in conjunction with John J. Newman, who owned the Germania, an afternoon German paper. Later both of these publications were sold to other newspapers and the outfit was scattered among them. Of all the German democratic papers in Indiana, there was not one better known than the Evansville Democrat. It was established in 1864, by Mr. Peter Maier, who conducted it until 1866 and then returned to his own profession. In 1867 Messrs. C. and F. Lauenstein purchased it and for six years conducted it with great ability. It made money from the very start and had great influence, not only in the large German population of this city, but all over the county, the farmers of which are mostly Germans. The elder brother was a physician by profession and in 1873 he sold his in- terest to the late Fred Lauenstein and left the city of Evansville for a three- years' tour of Germany, the land of his birth. Mr. F. Lauenstein at once enlarged and improved his paper, moved into quarters at No. 306 upper Sec- ond street, which is now occupied by the rear of Strouse Brothers store, but which was then next to the Courier, which stood on the alley corner. In 1876 Dr. Lauenstein returned from Europe and again went in with his brother, and conducted the publication of the Democrat until his death. In
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1883 and 1884 Herman Determan and Hans Scheller both had interests in the paper, but they sold the same to Mr. Lauenstein who continued it until death, under the name of F. Lauenstein & Co. His son was educated in the business and aside from that, received a splendid education abroad, so that at the death of his father, he was able to take entire charge of the paper, which he has conducted in a most able manner ever since.
Among other papers published here were the Post, a German paper and the Bulletin, which was established by Charles F. Gould, an untiring worker and a caustic writer. Unfortunately he lacked the capital to pur- chase a paper commensurate with his ability, but for many years he pub- lished the Bulletin, which was known as being liberal on all questions. For a time he was assisted by his daughter, a young woman of great ability and whose poetic pieces were so good that they were published in many of the leading papers of the country. At the death of Mr. Gould the paper passed into the hands of legal heirs and his son conducted it under the name of the Star Bulletin.
The Y. M. C. 'A'. published a paper called the Advance, which was for the promotion of the association and it had a circulation of about 1,000. Mr. Geo. E. Clark, during the good days of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, published the Union Recorder, which was devoted to the prin- ciples of that order. It had quite a large circulation until the order began to decline. It was for some years a money-making paper and was ably edited, but went out of existence of course, when the order virtually lost its pres- tige. Mr. Clark also published the Advocate at one time. The Pilot, a demo- cratic journal, devoted to the interests of the colored people, existed for only a short time, as it could gain no prestige among the white population and a great majority of the colored people were naturally opposed to its policies. In the same year the Saturday Call was started. It was published at the printing house of Keller and Payne by Isaac Herr, editor. The paper was started to supply the demand for a society journal which at the same time would contain much of interest to members of secret orders. The circula- tion of this paper grew very rapidly as it was somewhat of a new departure and its list of contributors was quite large. Some of the best writers, especially among the ladies, contributed to its columns. The paper flour- ished for a time, but Mr. Herr on account of ill health was compelled to move away and he sold the paper to William C. Payne and Charles F. Worthington, who continued it for some time, but as its circulation began to decrease, they decided to stop its publication.
On the IIth day of October, 1873, W. T. King established the Evening Herald, an afternoon daily paper published in Evansville. It seemed to have been started at just the wrong time, but it might have been successful had King applied himself more assiduously to its interest. He was an actor by profession and a dramatic, writer and seemed to think that if he furnished a lot of bright matter, the paper could run itself. In this, he lacked busi- ness acumen as it was shown, for in 1877 he was compelled to dispose of
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it and it was bought by Frank J. Ryan and Jacob Covert. This paper im- mediately jumped into a wide-spread circulation, but reverses came and it was soon seen that it could not be kept up, so in 1881 Mr. Percy V. Jones was taken in as a partner. Disagreements arose almost immediately and so violent was the antipathy, that something rarely seen in newspaper work soon appeared in its columns, the editorials written by Mr. Ryan all being signed with an R and those of Mr. Jones with a J. Only newspaper men can understand what the situation must have been. Soon Messrs. Ryan and Covert drew out and began the publication of an evening paper called the News. The rivalry between these two evening papers was very great and for a time the News threatened to wipe out the Tribune. To protect him- self, Mr. Jones purchased the News and at the same time his sister, Mrs. Alice Van Riper, formerly Miss Alice Jones, a beautiful and highly educated young woman, came to his aid and did not hesitate to assist not only in the editorial department, but in any other department and I well remember that on the afternoon that I first thought of buying the Tribune and went over to look at it, that I was very much surprised to see Mrs. Van Riper with her sleeves rolled up and a huge apron on, making up the mail on a table down in the basement, while all around were yelling newsboys and the clat- ter of that old Hoe press, was something awful. I think that it was during one of the periods at which the press broke down as usual, that I was first able to hear about the exact circulation of the Tribune-News.
On March 5, 1886, the Tribune was purchased by Frank M. Gilbert, who had been publishing the Argus in the old Marble block on Main street. The success of the Argus had been phenomenal. It was built up of second-hand type that was bought by Thomas Collins of Mt. Vernon when a paper failed in Louisville. The chief asset of the paper was the splendid lot of type, the best outfit of type then in this city. A great deal of this type was unneces- sary, but the paper had no press and the first few issues were printed at the Courier office. The outfit was then moved to Marble Hall, a second press was bought and run by hand. But afterwards when J. C. Gutenberger and Will C. Payne, both deceased, went into partnership in a job printing estab- lishment in the rear, it used steam power. It published the first pink edition ever seen in Evansville and among the contributors were such men as Geo. Peck, who visited Mr. Gilbert here at the first Blue and Grey reunion; Billy Nya, Kit Adams, Geo. Salisberry, Dr. Locke, the Dunbury news men, very well known humorists who had never known where Evansville was located, but knew the Argus from its jokes. At the end of the second year, Mr. Kleiner's interest was bought and the Argus continued until the purchase of the Tribune as above. The new owner was taken sick with pneumonia on the very day that he bought it and for many weeks lay at the point of death. In fact, so low did he become at one time, that two of the papers in the city had his obituary written. But this is where they wasted good time. He at once got rid of the old Hoe press, brought over his good type from the Argus, killed that paper and secured the services of Charles G. Covert and several
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others of the brighter young men in Evansville. To say that the paper was a success is putting it mildly. At the end of the second year, it made over $1,000 clear over the entire cost of the plant. It was conducted by the same owner for several years and a fine perfecting press was put in and every thing for a first-class paper. In fact, it was its boast that is was the best equipped newspaper plant of its size in the west. But reverses came through unfortunate endorsements and he found himself unable to pay his men. Up to that time, the Tribune had been known as the happy family. The one paper in which there was never any disagreement. 'At that time, two gentle- men from Warrick county bought the Tribune, put in a great many changes, made it a straight out democratic paper and continued it for one year, at which time it went back into Gilbert's possession, as he held a mortgage for a portion of the unpaid purchase money. Several papers had an eye on the plant and it was sold at midnight one night through Mr. Geo. A. Cunning- ham and it was not known by the company's proprietor until about an hour afterwards, when Mr. E. T. McNeely came up and shook hands with him that the Tribune was dead and gone forever, and had passed into the hands of the Evansville Journal Company.
CHAPTER XIX.
OUR SCHOOLS-THE FIRST ATTEMPTS-COUNTRY LOG SCHOOLS WITH WANDER- ING TEACHERS-FIRE HOUSES USED IN EVANSVILLE-"DADDY KNIGHT"- PRIVATE SCHOOLS-THE MORE MODERN SCHOOLS-A BEAUTIFUL AND THOROUGH SYSTEM-DIFFERENCE IN TEACHERS.
Evansville may well be called a city of schools. While much is due to the state of Indiana for this fact, yet still greater credit is due to our citi- zens who ever since the founding of the place, have felt that education was one of the greatest necessities of this life. In perhaps no other city of the same proportion of population, are there so many beautiful buildings of such great magnitude equipped with the very best facilities for instruction and where the pupils are instructed by teachers so well fitted to fill their positions. In fact, for years the schools of the city have been one of the greatest points of which our people have boasted and it is a fact that many of the best men, prominent and wealthiest here today, were brought here by the fact that by settling in Evansville heir children could obtain as good an education in every respect in any city in the world. This, of course, does not refer to the classical education, but as far as what the term "com- mon school education" implies, no city can excel Evansville. In these days it is almost impossible for a young person to exist without a good ordinary education. Our High School especially is the peer of any like institution in the country. But of these schools of today, we will treat later on and for the present will take up the early history of education in this section. Perry township was the first one to make a move under the state laws to organize a school. The original ordinance which might be called the father of the free school system, was passed in 1787 by the continental congress. It provided for a general and uniform system of common schools. In In- diana our statesmen and legislators have been so careful of educational finances entrusted to their care, that the school fund has today to its credit, millions of dollars, a greater fund perhaps than possessed by any other state in the Union. 'According to the law, a part of this fund is loaned to the state and the remainder is apportioned to the various counties. And the county auditors of this county are authorized to loan this fund to people, with the proper security, at 6 per cent interest.
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