USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Richmond > Memoirs of Wayne County and the city of Richmond, Indiana; from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Wayne County, Volume I Pt. 2 > Part 6
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Clark Wissler was born near Dublin, Ind., in 1870, and gradu- ated at the Hagerstown High School, in 1887. For several years he taught in the common schools of Wayne county and for one year was principal of the Hagerstown High School. He attended college at Purdue University and the University of Indiana, grad- uating in the latter in 1897. Later, he went to Columbia Uni- versity, where he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in 1901. His other degrees are Bachelor of Arts, Indiana University, 1897, and Master of Arts, Indiana University, 1899. He has held the following positions: Assistant in Psychology, Indiana Uni- versity, 1895-97; Assistant in Philosophy, Ohio State University, 1897-99; Assistant in Psychology, Columbia University, 1899-1900; Fellow in Psychology, Columbia University, 1901-1902; Assist- ant in Anthropology, Columbia University, 1903-1905; Lecturer in Anthropology, Columbia University since 1905; Assistant in Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History, 1903-1905; Assistant Curator, 1905; Curator, 1906; and Curator of Anthro- pology since 1907. Mr. Wissler has written many scientific ar- ticles, mainly on anthropological subjects. The subjects of some are: "Decorative Art of Sious," "Statistics of Growth," "Re- view of Introduction of the Theory of Measurement," "Compara- tive Measurements of the Hard Palate in Normal and Feeble- minded Individuals," "Spearman Correlation Formula," etc.
CHAPTER XX.
WAYNE COUNTY JOURNALISM.
EARLY JOURNALISM-NEWSPAPERS ESTABLISHED FROM 1840 TO 1865- PAPERS BEGUN SINCE 1865-CAMBRIDGE CITY, CENTERVILLE, AND FOUNTAIN CITY PAPERS-MAGAZINES AND SCHOOL PAPERS IN RICH- MOND-CONCLUSION.
The history of Wayne county newspapers and magazines now covers a period of over ninety years. During the earlier part of the period the library method of preserving files of papers was unknown in this western country. In some few cases files were kept but most of them have been destroyed. A few written ac- counts were given some years ago, notably in Dr. Plummer's "Historical Sketch," Young's "History of Wayne County," and the Interstate Publishing Company's "History of Wayne Coun- ty." But these do not come up to date and do not include every- thing published, and it is therefore our purpose to present in sys- tematic form as complete and accurate an account as it is now possible to make of whatever papers have been published in Wayne county up to the present time.
EARLY JOURNALISM.
We are indebted for what little knowledge we have of the earliest papers in the county to Dr. Plummer, who spoke of the "Richmond Weekly Intelligencer" as the first. The date of its beginning is not known, but it was being printed as early as Dec. 29, 1821, on Front street (now called Fourth), near Main. It was edited by Elijah Lacey and published by John Scott, who later was prominent as a judge and the editor of the "Western Em- porium" at Centerville. The "Weekly Intelligencer" was discon- tinued in 1824. The same year John Scott established the "West- ern Emporium." Although no files of this paper are known of. we can get a glimpse of its existence through the "Public Leger,"
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its Richmond contemporary. The "Leger" quotes the "Em- porium" occasionally and has some sarcastic editorials about Mr. Scott, who no doubt returned the compliment. The "Emporium" was continued until 1827. The third paper in the county, the "Public Leger," is the first of which we can gain anything like a full account, and it may be taken as an example of pioneer jour- nalism. The first number was issued March 6, 1824, by Edmund S. Buxton, who was both editor and publisher. It was a four- page paper, 21 by 13 inches, and was published every Saturday, at the price of $2, in advance, for the year. In case it was paid for sometime during the year, the price was $2.50, while the subscriber who waited till the year was up was charged $3. In No. 4 of Vol. 1, the first number available for examination, a statement of these prices is made with the following words below them: "Payment in advance being to the mutual interest of both parties, that mode is solicited;" and also: "All letters to the Editor must have the postage paid or they will not be attended to." The pioneer editor certainly had a hard time to eke out a living, for throughout the early files we find him reminding sub- scribers of his needs.
So little money was, apparently, in circulation in this part of the country that other mediums of exchange were used. In May, 1827, after the "Public Leger" had been issued several years, the editor stated that he would take produce of various sorts as pay- ment, and named as acceptable, wheat, rye, oats, corn, bacon, sugar, ginseng, beeswax, candles, flax, wool, linen and rags. A description of the contents of the paper will disclose a vast dif- ference between the newspaper material of that time and the present.
The front page of No. 4, Vol. I, contained two and a half columns of historical material, such as would be found to-day in an historical magazine. There was an article on "The Middle Ages," an extract from the introduction of Professar Leslie's "Na- tural Philosophy," then published at Edinburg, and another en- titled "Waterloo," taken from "Essays on Scenes in Italy." A third article, headed "Expenses of War," dealing with England's debt, was quoted from the "Portsmouth Journal." Somewhat more pertinent matter followed these, one article on "Imprison- ment for Debt" quoting some State governors, and another on the "Curse of Slavery," from the "Dayton Watchman." There were several articles on affairs of foreign states, all copied from other papers, and about the same amount of space devoted to our
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own national affairs. Seven lines on the second page told that "at a meeting of . . citizens in . Charlestown, Va., Feb. 14, resolutions were adopted recommending Capt. John Cleves Symmes, of Ohio, as a suitable person to fill the Presidential Chair." An article on the tariff, taken from the "Connecticut Courant," had a small note by the editor in which he gave his views on the matter. The proceedings of the United States Sen- ate and House up to March 9 and 10, were published and half a column was given to summarized political and industrial items from all over the country. The last page was filled with poetry and the kind of articles which are called "Select Reading." This summary of the contents of one issue indicates the absence of all local news or original articles. The only idea of the local life which we can get from the paper is from the advertisements, of which there was one column, all very modest in appearance and wording. One of these advertised "Garden Seeds from the Shakers of Union Valley, Ohio, for sale by S. N. Smith." An- other one asked for subscribers to the "African Repository and Colonial Journal," to be established, as soon as there were enough subscriptions, by the Colonization Society at Georgetown, D. C.
But although the paper had at first practically no local news, we find such articles gradually appearing in greater numbers. It is interesting to trace the notices in regard to the Richmond Library. On May 22, 1824, notice was given of a meeting of share-holders of the Library, to make regulations for it. No further information appears in the paper till July 21, 1826, when a similar announcement was made of a meeting to arrange for organizing and incorporating the society. The meeting was evi- dently not well attended, for on Aug. 12, under the heading, "Try It Again," subscribers to the Library were again urged to meet the following Wednesday. Perhaps the citizens found it more convenient to get reading matter from Mr. Buxton's office than from the town Library, for in May, 1826, he gives notice
that "Persons who have borrowed books from this office are re- quested to return them immediately." In September, 1827, citi- zens were urged to purchase shares in the Library at $3, with an annual tax of fifty cents, as the season of long nights and stormy days was approaching, when they would want reading matter.
Mr. Buxton conducted the paper alone until Nov. 19, 1825, when Samuel W. Walling became his partner. The issue of that day states that the two would have more leisure to peruse the great mass of information contained in the public journals and
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select such as would tend to improve their readers. After a year the partnership was dissolved (Nov. 4, 1826) and Mr. Walling continued to conduct it alone. Mr. Buxton's farewell tells very plainly that a paper could not be made to support two families. During Mr. Walling's ownership various interesting local mat- ters appeared in the paper, among which we may name the progress of the National Road, then being surveyed through Ohio; the railway between Centerville and Richmond, and the establisli- ment of a County Seminary at Centerville. The dependence of the editors of this paper on material copied from other papers was due to the difficulty of securing material first hand. In those times the news had to be brought by stage or on horseback, and often high waters or bad roads would prevent its arriving in time. The "Public Leger" offers a typical illustration of the character- isties of the early papers and shows the financial difficulty of conducting them, the use of material copied from larger papers, the absence of much local news, the absence of glaring head- lines and bold advertisements, and the extremely personal nature of the editorials.
Both the "Western Emporium" and the "Public Leger" were purchased, in 1827, by Septimus Smith-a lawyer and probate judge-and Cyrus Finch, who consolidated the two and began the publication of the "Western Times" at Centerville. The first num- ber appeared Aug. 22, 1828, with the names of Finch and Smith as its publishers. Mr. Smith had had no experience whatever with newspaper work and expected Mr. Finch, an old man in such work, to write the editorials. But it happened that Mr. Finch was in very poor health and failed so rapidly that he with- drew from the business without ever writing a line for the paper. Smith therefore went ahead alone, and at the end of the first six months he said, in the paper, that the subscriptions had been in- creasing at the rate of seven per week, for the last six weeks. From the time of its founding, in 1828, till 1831, the "Western Times" was the only paper in the county. It was a Whig paper and is said by Jacob B. Julian to have been regarded as one of the best papers in the State. "Through its columns," he said, "the people made known their grievances, presented their claims and those of their friends for office, discussed moral, religious, and educational questions, and solicited a place for their political ef- fusions." At the top of the editorial column of the early num- bers, this lofty ideal appeared :
1
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"Here shall the press the people's rights maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain,
From sacred Truth her wholesome precepts draw, Pledged to Religion, Liberty and Law."
Sometime after the year 1829 Andrew Bulla became Smith's partner and remained with him until 1832, when they both with- drew from the business on account of failing health. The paper was continued with several changes of ownership till 1834, when Nelson Boon, its last editor, died.
The "Western Times" was succeeded by the "People's Ad- vocate," established in Centerville, in 1835, by Samuel Meredith, with James B. Haile, a teacher in the seminary, as editor. It was begun as a Democratic paper, but could not be made to pay, so Mr. Meredith changed it to the "Wayne County Chronicle," a Whig paper. The Rev. Samuel K. Hoshour, a prominent news- paper writer of the time and well known educator, edited the paper a year. Mr. Meredith then went to Illinois and the paper was continued as the "National Patriot," edited by Richard Cole. The account given of this paper says it was soon discontinued. This was probably before 1840.
During the existence of the "Western Times" in Centerville, a paper had been established in Richmond, which was to outlive all its contemporaries and last until the present day. Nelson Boon, mentioned above as the editor of the "Western Times," began the "Richmond Palladium," Jan. 1, 1831. Six months later, Thomas Jefferson Larsh became its editor and proprietor. In 1833 he sold to David P. Holloway, a practical printer who had learned his trade in the offices of the "Public Leger" and the "Cin- cinnati Gazette." A list of Indiana newspapers, published in 1833 by Douglass & Maguire of the "Indiana Journal," includes the "Western Times" of Centerville, published by Hall & Boon, and the "Richmond Palladium," published by D. P. Holloway. In 1834 John Finley, a prominent Richmond man, became Mr. Hol- loway's partner, and later, in January, 1836, became sole pro- prietor. After a year he sold it back to Holloway and Benjamin W. Davis, who continued it over thirty-eight years. During this time the paper bore just below the title this motto: "Be just and fear not; let all the ends thou aims't at be thy Country's, thy God's, and Truth's." An account appearing about 1850 describes the "Palladium" as the leading Whig journal of Eastern Indiana, with quite a circulation in other parts of the State. In 1856, with the birth of the Republican party, the "Palladium" became a Re-
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publican paper. Mr. Holloway was a busy public man, as State Senator and United States Congressman, so that during the last ten years of the joint ownership Mr. Davis managed the paper alone.
In November, 1875, the "Palladium" was purchased by Isaac Jenkinson and Martin Cullaton, and, the next July, Arthur M. Reeves also became a member of the firm. The paper had been a weekly until 1876, when this new firm started a daily in addition. Mr. Cullaton withdrew from the firm in September. 1880, and in 1882 Reeves sold to J. M. McNeely. In July, 1883, the latter sold to William Dudley Foulke, who retired in a few months and left Mr. Jenkinson sole proprietor of the "Daily and Weekly Pallad- ium." He remained for twelve years its owner and editor. In the spring of 1896 it was bought by Daniel Surface and Samuel Flick- inger. Mr. Flickinger soon withdrew, and Mr. Surface owned it till 1903, when he sold to Hart & Ruthford ; a year later J. S. Fitz- gibbon bought it, and on Jan. 1, 1906, he sold to the present com- pany, of which Rudolph G. Leeds is the editor and manager. Dur- ing its long existence the "Palladium" has experienced all the changes of form and style which have taken place in newspapers. Beginning as a small four-page sheet, it grew in size till it became the large "blanket" sheet which could scarcely be handled. It was then changed to the smaller eight-page paper of the present time, with a Sunday morning edition, which was discontinued in 1911.
The "Jeffersonian" was established at Richmond, in 1836, by a Democratic association called the "Hickory Club." Samuel E. Perkins, afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court, and a Mr. Tal- cott, a young lawyer, were the editors. It was bought, in 1837, by Lynde Elliott. It ceased to appear in 1839, but Mr. Perkins revived the paper, in 1840, with new volume numbers. The same year James Elder took charge and it was continued till 1864. In 1846 it bore the motto, "Liberty, Union and the Constitution." and published the principles of the Democratic party. One of the noticeable features of the "Jeffersonian" and of other papers of that time is the more extensive advertising. By 1840 patent medicine advertisements were becoming common.
In Richmond there was also a small literary paper called the "Family Schoolmaster," begun in March, 1839. It was con- ducted by Dr. John T. Plummer and printed by Holloway & Davis, owners of the "Palladium." Only thirty-four numbers were issued.
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NEWSPAPERS ESTABLISHED FROM 1840 TO 1865.
After 1840, papers began to be published in other towns be- sides Richmond and Centerville. The rapidly approaching national crisis tended to multiply them and gave them an interesting field for argument and defense of principles. Papers were established because of this opportunity, and the culmination of the struggle in the Civil war also had a direct influence on the life of some of them. Most of the newspapers from 1840 to 1865 may be grouped together as the papers influenced by and influencing the local phase of the national conflict.
Just after 1840, Fountain City, then called Newport, came into prominence through certain anti-slavery papers, which are among the most interesting of Wayne county publications. The first of these was "The Protectionist," begun Jan. 1, 1841. The first num- ber was headed, "Prospectus of a Family Newspaper, entitled The Protectionist." Although it thus proclaimed itself a newspaper, it was more like a magazine, for it was 6x9 inches in size and con- tained about sixteen pages to a number. It was printed in this form in order that it could be bound into a volume of convenient size. It contained no advertisements. It was published on the Ist and 16th of every month by the Executive Committee of the State Anti-Slavery Society, at the price of $1 per year, in advance. The Anti-Slavery Society was not responsible for the contents of the paper but could publish in it any of its official documents or no- tices. A paper intending to fight for freedom would need an editor of strong convictions and will, and "The Protectionist" seems to have had such an editor in Arnold Buffum, who was one of the anti-slavery leaders of that day. He is described as a large. bluff man, with English manners and aggressive ideas. We can gather an idea of his personality from the paper he conducted. He began the first issue with an address in which he stated that it was his purpose to awaken the North to the evils and dangers of slavery. The paper would contain "a brief sketch of the most in- teresting foreign and domestic intelligence, together with extracts and essays on subjects of a moral and religious nature." The first intention had been to publish a weekly journal at $2 a year, but, Mr. Buffum says, "Slavery has so robbed the people of their resources, has so destroyed our home market while it has made no effort to obtain for us a market abroad, that a large proportion of the people find it inconvenient to spare $2 a year for a paper." "Northern Rights" was the title originally proposed, but it roused
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such a storm of opposition that the other was adopted, although Mr. Buffum stated in the paper that in the change of title he made no change in the contemplated character of the paper. He had a lofty idea of the power of the press, and said that he regarded the conductors of newspapers as a class of persons who had assumed a fearful responsibility.
"The Protectionist" contained, besides anti-slavery articles and poems, notices and reports of various Abolitionist conventions and anti-slavery meetings. The novelty of a printing press in New- port was shown by the following notice in the sixth issue: "Per- sons who have not seen printing done in this office will not be re- garded as intruders in making one visit, but we cannot allow any persons to occupy the room or the office as a place of idle resort. All persons who visit the office are requested to abstain from hand- ling the type and from conversation, for it is impossible for com- positors to do their work as it should be done, where there is talk- ing." An interesting department of "The Protectionist" was the "Refuge of Lies," where Arnold Buffum published all false and slanderous reports circulated to discourage the cause.
It appears from the pages of "The Protectionist" that another paper was issued at the same time in Newport. The fifth number of "The Protectionist," that of March 1, 1841, said that the New- port Anti-Slavery Tract Society had issued the first number of- a periodical called "The Jubilee," to be published monthly at twenty- five cents a year. It was to contain articles selected from all the anti-slavery publications. A notice of the sixth number of "The Jubilee" occurred in "The Protectionist" of Aug. I. This is the only record found of that paper. "The Protectionist" was evi- dently not a financial success, for in September, with less than half the subscriptions paid, Buffum was out of money with which to purchase more paper. He himself was paid only by the receipts over cost of publication. At the end of the year 1841, Mr. Buffum went to Indianapolis with a plan of there editing a paper which should reach a broader field. The stockholders of "The Protec- tionist," who were all prominent members of the Newport Friends' Church, secured a man named Benjamin Stanton, from Ohio, to take charge of their paper. Mr. Stanton was a school-teacher who had had no experience in newspaper work, except as an occasional contributor to anti-slavery papers, but he was a man of pronounced ideas. He changed the name of the paper to "Free Labor Advo- cate and Anti-Slavery Chronicle," and continued as its editor and publisher till his death, in 1848. His paper was more of the news-
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paper type than "The Protectionist" had been, for it was a four- page sheet of the size of newspapers of that time. During 1847 the name of the paper was reversed, making it "The Anti-Slavery Chronicle and Free Labor Advocate." It ceased in 1848, when Mr. Stanton died.
The other newspapers of this time in the county were also of the usual newspaper type. In Centerville, "The Wayne County Record" was begun, in 1841, by Mr. Meredith, mentioned above as publisher of "The People's Advocate," who had returned from Illinois. With Hampden G. Finch as associate publisher and John B. Stitt as editor, "The Wayne County Record" was continued till 1848, when Mr. Meredith went to California. D. B. Woods and Stitt became the proprietors and changed the name to "The Whig." Woods also went to California, but the paper was continued till Meredith returned and took charge again. The business was then unprofitable and he sold the materials to Holloway, of "The Richmond Palladium," in 1852.
In 1846 "The News Letter," a literary journal, was begun in Centerville by C. B. Bentley. It was continued for a year, during which George W. Julian was a leading contributor. "The Re- former," a religious monthly, was published at Centerville in 1846 by Elder Benjamin Franklin. A similar paper, called "The Class- mate," was issued a short time in 1854, by Horace S. Elliott.
"The Free Territory Sentinel," a Centerville paper of 1848, was a Free Soil party venture, published by R. Vaile and P. Smith. After a few months Smith left the business, and Vaile a little later changed the name of the paper to "The Indiana True Democrat." In 1852 it was moved to Indianapolis, where it became "The Free Democrat." The papers of this period seemed decidedly unsuc- cessful in Centerville, and were short-lived. The "Independent Press" was issued a few months, in 1852, by Nathan Smith. Dur- ing 1853 Centerville was without a paper and then again, in April, 1854, Hosea S. Elliott started "The Wayne County Journal," which did not last long. In October, 1855, "The Weekly Chronicle," an independent family newspaper, was established by R. J. Strick- land and G. W. Smith. With the beginning of their third volume, Oct. 15, 1857, an editorial throws some light on the newspaper business in Centerville. They had begun their paper. it seems, under discouraging circumstances, for the numerous failures there caused people to think that Strickland & Smith could not suc- ceed. They had, however, succeeded in conducting a paper and a job printing office and made their living out of it. They laid
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their success to the fact that they did all their own work, while some of the previous editors had had to hire printers. They continued the paper till June, 1858, when M. C. Morean bought it and began "The Indiana True Republican," with a new press. He in turn sold to Isaac H. Julian, who conducted it there till 1865 and then moved it to Richmond. We shall describe it more fully in the history of Richmond papers.
"The Wayne County Chronicle" was re-established in Cen- terville, in 1859, by R. I. Strickland, and was published irregularly till 1863. It was then moved to Cambridge City, and back again to Centerville in 1871. It remained there till 1878, when it was moved to Greenfield. Its circulation in 1874 is given as 480. Mr. Strickland also published "The Odd Fellows' Chronicle," a four- page Saturday paper, in 1874.
The history of Milton papers goes back as far as 1841, although no full account of the earliest ones can be found. There is a record of the fact that a small paper, 8 x 10 inches, was published, in 1841. by a Mr. Wickersham. In 1847 C. B. Bentley, of Brookville, started "The Milton Times." He sold to the Rev. Benjamin Franklin, who changed it to a religious monthly, "The Reformer." It was moved away in 1850. During 1850 and 1851 Pritchard & Whelan, from Cambridge City, published "The Western Budget," with Frank Cly- mer as editor. It was a weekly literary paper. Many prominent local writers contributed to it. among whom were Miss Louisa Chit- wood, a poet of some repute, and Mrs. Isaac Jenkinson.
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