History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 53

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The printing-office was removed, November 25, 1826, from its original location to "Messrs. P. & A. Chase's new brick building in Washington Street." There it remained until 1832, February 4th, when it was again removed to quarters in Stearns' Building which it occupied for fifty years. In 1882 the pro- prietors erected the Observer Building, of three stories, of brick, in Kinsman Place, next to the City

Hall, and these commodious quarters they still oc- cupy. In 1837, January 7th, Mr. George W. Pease, who had served his apprenticeship in the office, was admit- ted to the partnership, and in 1839, January 5th, Mr. Stephen B. Ives withdrew, leaving the firm of Ives & Pease.

The Observer has from the beginning "pursued the even tenor of its way" as a well-established family newspaper, experiencing fewer changes of fortune than some papers we have mentioned, and therefore affording fewer incidents "to make a note of." Es- tablished in a time of intense political excitement as a non-partisan paper, it was the first to succeed upon that basis.

At the termination of Mr. Waters' editorship, Sol- omon S. Whipple became a regular contributor to its columns, and afterwards Wilson Flagg, Rev. E. M. Stone, Edwin Jocelyn and Stephen B. Ives, Jr. Gil- bert L. Streeter became associated with the Observer on January 1, 1847, and, with the exception of a brief period of two years, has been a regular contributor ever since.

16. SALEM COURIER .- In 1828, September 17th, Charles Amburger Andrews began a weekly paper, the Salem Courier, which was published on Wednes- day, at three dollars, from an office in the East India Marine Hall building. It proclaimed itself " strictly independent," a supporter of Adams' administration, an opponent of the tariff, etc. It became, however, a theological rather than a political paper, and was a zealous antagonist of the doctrines of Calvinism. Its editor was a pleasant and humorous writer, and had able correspondents. But the paper was continued for only one year. Mr Andrews was a member of the bar, and served as a representative of the city in the Legislature. He died June 17, 1843.

17. THE HIVE .- This was a small weekly publica- tion for children, commenced on Saturday, Septem- ber 21, 1828, by W. and S. B. Ives. The picture of a bee-hive ornamented its first page, and its contents were mostly selected.

After the fifth number it was issued on Wednes- day. It continued for two years. The first volume was 16mo and the second an 8vo. It was one of the earliest of papers intended exclusively for children, which are now so numerous and excellent.

18. LADIES' MISCELLANY .- A small weekly folio, with this title, was commenced January 6, 1829, a specimen number having been issued on the 7th of November preceding. It was printed at the Register office by John Chapman, on Tuesday, at one dollar per year. It was designed "to furnish a supply of amusing, instructive and unexceptionable reading to the Ladies of Salem and vicinity." At the close of the volume the issue was suspended for want of sup- port, but April 7, 1830, a second volume was com- menced, on Wednesday, in consideration of a " consid- erable accession to the list of subscribers." At the close of this volume the publication ceased.

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19. ESSEX COUNTY MERCURY .- The publication of a diminutive weekly paper by the proprietors of the Gazette was commenced in 1831, June 8th, under the name of Salem Mercury. It has since been much enlarged, and is now entitled Essex County Mercury, Danvers, Beverly and Marblehead Courier. It is made up mainly from the columns of the Gazette.

20. SALEM ADVERTISER .- The first organ of the modern Democratic party in Salem was The Commer- cial Advertiser, commenced April 4, 1832, by Edward Palfray and James R. Cook. It was started as a semi-weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday. The office was in Central building, over the Savings Bank. It was an earnest advocate of the election of General Jackson to the Presidency, and throughout its existence of seventeen years continued to uphold the views of the Democratic party. After the first year the additional title of Essex County Journal was adopted, and it was published as a weekly, on Wednesday, until July 8, 1837, when Palfray & Cook sold out to Charles W. Woodbury, who issued it as a semi-weekly again, under the name of The Salem Ad- vertiser. Thus it was continued until February, 1849, when it was a weekly once more until its final close, August 1, 1849. From October 16, 1841, until September 11, 1844, the title was Salem Advertiser and Argus, after which the word "Argus " was omitted.

So many persons were connected with the Adver- tiser at various times, as editors and publishers, that we must mention them briefly. During the pro- prietorship of Mr. Woodbury, Wm. B. Pike served as editor for about six weeks from October 17, 1838. Henry Blaney served two terms as proprietor, first, from March 11, 1840, until October 16, 1841, and again from June 21, 1843, until September 11, 1844. Benjamin Kings- bury, Jr., was editor during the political campaign of 1840. Edward Palfray took a second turn of two years between Mr. Blaney's two periods. H. C. Hobart and F. C. Crowninshield were the editors during the campaign of 1844. Mr. Hobart after- wards went to Wisconsin, and became Speaker of the Assembly. Mr. Crowninshield enlisted for the Mexi- can War, and was a lieutenant of a company. Messrs. Varney, Parsons & Co. were the next publishers, from November 20, 1844, to December 31, 1845, and were succeeded by Messrs. Perley & Parsons, Mr. Varney having gone to the war as a corporal. The final publisher was Mr. Eben N. Walton, who began February 15, 1847, and continued to the end. Mr. Woodbury, an earlier editor, and once postmaster here, was the third one who went to the war. He was drowned on his way back. Before he came to Salem he published the Gloucester Democrat. Edward Pal- fray, the projector of the paper, and the person who was longest editor of it, died at the Worcester Hos- pital in 1846, April 14th, aged forty-one. He was a spirited and forcible writer, a zealous Democrat and a kind-hearted man.

21. SATURDAY EVENING BULLETIN .- This was

the title of a small neutral paper, published weekly by Palfray & Cook, at the Advertiser office. Price, one dollar. It continued for one year, from May 18, 1833, when it was relinquished in favor of a political journal. It was edited by Nicholas Devereux.

22. THE CONSTITUTIONALIST .- This was the po- litical journal which followed the Bulletin. Its pub- lishers were the same. It was a small weekly. It sustained Marcus Morton for Governor and Joseph S. Cabot for Congress. The duration of this paper was from June 28, 1834, until the close of the year- a little more than six months.

23. THE LANDMARK .- In 1834, August 20th, a semi- weekly paper, entitled The Landmark, of goodly size and elegant typography, sent ont its first number from a new printing-office, corner of Essex and Liberty Streets. It was printed on Wednesday and Satur- day by Ferdinand Andrews, formerly of the Gazette, and subsequently publisher of the Boston Traveller, and was edited by Rev. Dudley Phelps.

The Landmark was started in the period of "the Unitarian controversy," and was intended to coun- teract the influence of Unitarianism, which was prev- alent in Salem at that time. It was also intended to give utterance to anti-slavery and temperance senti- ments, both of which topics were beginning to at- tract serious attention. On January 31, 1835, a com- munication was published in the Landmark upon the subject of temperance, which caused more excitement in the community than any other publication either before or since. It was the famous article by Rev. George B. Cheever, then the young pastor of the Branch Church in Howard Street, entitled "Enquire at Amos Giles' Distillery." It set forth in lurid colors the evils attending the manufacture, sale and use of intoxicating liquors, and depicted, with great severity of language, the responsibility of those en- gaged in the liquor business. It was understood to have personal reference to a prominent and reputable citizen of Salem, a deacon of the First Church, who was a distiller, and was alleged to contain libelous matter. The editor of the Landmark apologized in the next number for the appearance of the obnox- ious article, but this did not allay the public excite- ment ; and a fortnight afterwards Mr. Cheever was publicly whipped in Essex Street, just above Sewell Street, by Elias Ham, the foreman of the distillery, who used a cowhide for the purpose; and in the even- ing of the same day an attack was made upon the Landmark office, with the apparent design of wrecking it, but it was defended from the inside, and the assault failed. Mr. Ham was fined fifty dollars for the whipping. Mr. Cheever was tried for libel, and, although defended by Rufus Choate, was con- victed, and sentenced to a fine of one thousand dol- lars and imprisonment in Salem jail for one month. He was escorted to jail by his friends, and was fur- nished with every convenience and luxury. The parties to these events subsequently and consequently

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left town. Mr. Ham became an active friend of tem- perance in after-years. Mr. Phelps retired from the Landmark, and Mr. Cheever left the Branch Church aud entered upon a distinguished career in New York City. The Landmark was not sustained in its advanced position, and its publication ceased Novem- ber 2, 1836, in a little more than two years from the outset.

24. THE LIGHTHOUSE .- During the time of the Landmark a small weekly paper, entitled The Light- house, was printed at the Gazette office, and "edited by an Association of Gentlemen," the design of which was "to represent the sentiments and espouse the in- terests of liberal Christianity." It was recognized as an antagonist of the Landmark, and was continued from June 11th until October 31st of the year 1835. The first nine numbers were issued on Monday; the remainder on Saturday.

25. ESSEX COUNTY DEMOCRAT .- This was the ti- tle of a paper removed hither from Gloucester in the fall of 1838, to sustain Joseph S. Cabot, and the in- terests of the Cabot section of the Democratic party, in distinction from those of the Rantoul section. It was edited and published by Joseph Dunham Friend. The first number was issued November 2d of that year. After continuing for a time as a semi-weekly, on Tuesday and Friday, it became a weekly. It ex- pired in about three months.

26. THE HARRISONIAN .- During the exciting po- litical contest of 1840 a small campaign paper, en- titled The Harrisonian, containing speeches and documents, was published by the editor of the Ga- zette. It was commeneed on Saturday, February 22d, and continued weekly until the election, lending its aid to the Whig nominees.

27. THE WHIG .- This also was a campaign paper, a few numbers of which were published in 1840 at the Register office, to promote the election of General Harrison to the Presidency. Such campaign sheets as the Whig and Harrisonian were numerous during the memorable contest of that year, and exerted a large influence in favor of the election of Harrison and Tyler. They were published at very low rates, and freely purchased by political clubs for gratuitous distribution.

28. GENIUS OF CHRISTIANITY .-- This was the title of a small semi-monthly sheet, printed at the Observer office, for the Rev. A. G. Comings, for two years from January 1, 1841. It was a religions paper, as its ti- tle indicates. Mr. Comings was a preacher of the Campbellite faith, and had a society in a room on Washington Street, opposite the court-house.

29. THE CHRISTIAN TEACHER .- This was substan- tially the same publication as the Genius of Christi- anity, containing, as it did, the same matter as that sheet, thrown into a quarto form, once a month, for circulation through the mail. It was issued during the year 1832. The printers and editor were of course the same.

30. "THE LOCOMOTIVE, an Independent Journal." -In April, 1842, William H. Perley commenced a weekly paper in Lynn, entitled The Locomotive, which was removed to Central building, Salem, December 17, 1842, and published here on Saturday, until July 8, 1843-about six months. A few numbers in Feb- ruary were published semi-weekly, on a diminutive sheet. From May 13th it was published by Perley & Whittier. It was humorous and miscellaneous in its character.

31. ESSEX COUNTY WASHINGTONIAN .- This paper was printed in Lynn, by Christopher Robinson, and was published in Lynn and Salem, on Thursday, dur- ing a portion of the year 1842. Its connection with Salem was brief and merely nominal. It was one of the earliest of the numerous temperance periodicals which sprang up at the time of the Washingtonian or moral suasion movement. The editor at one time was the Rev. David H. Barlow, of Lynn.

32. SALEM WASHINGTONIAN .- This paper, like the preceding one, had only a nominal connection with our city. It was printed in Boston, by J. B. Hall, published by Theodore Abbott, and edited by Charles W. Denison. Its Salem office was in Wash- ington Hall (then permanently occupied by a tem- perance society), whenee it was circulated on Satur- day, for a short time, in 1843, commencing July 8th. It soon afterwards assumed the title New England Washingtonian, and was published in Boston under that name for several years.

33. INDEPENDENT DEMOCRAT .- A division existed in the Democratic party in 1843, which led to the es- tablishment of a weekly paper here to sustain David Piugree as a candidate for Congress against Robert Rantoul, Jr. It was entitled Independent Democrat ; was commenced March 6th, and continued for a few weeks only. Wm. H. Perley was the printer.

34. THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE .- In 1843, May 7th Sylvanus Brown, who was then in Salem Jail for dis- turbing a religious meeting, published at the Loco- motive office three numbers of a small sheet with the foregoing designation, beginning May 7, 1843. Mr. Brown was one of the sect of "Comeouters," then somewhat numerous, so called because they came out from the churches as a protest against the pro-slavery tendencies of the pulpit.

35. VOICE AROUND THE JAIL .- In 1843 Henry Clapp, Jr., issued a small transient publication with the foregoing title, from W. H. Perley's printing-of- fice. Mr. Clapp was editor of the Lynn Pioneer, and was then an occupant of Salem Jail under a sentence for libel. His " Voice" in this printed form was in favor of radical reform. Mr. Clapp was a Garrisonian Abolitionist, and a mau of genius, and subsequently became prominent as a journalist in New York City.

36. THE EVANGELIST .- For the second time the publication of a Universalist periodical was begun in Salem, Aug. 12, 1843. It was a small weekly, with the foregoing title, issued on Saturday from Samuel

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T. Damon's office in Manning's Building. The edi- tors were L. S. Everett, J. MI. Austin and S. C. Bulke- ley, the first settled over the Universalist society in Salem, and the others pastors in Danvers. The Evangelist was sustained only six months.

37. ESSEX COUNTY REFORMER .- This was the third temperance paper published here as an aid to The Washingtonian or moral suasion movement. It was issued weekly, on Saturday, upon a small sheet, from the office of S. T. Damon. T. G. Chipman was the editor. It lasted three months from September 2, 1843.

38. THE TEMPERANCE OFFERING .- The Rev. N. Hervey, who preached to a Free Church in Washing- ton Hall, commenced February, 1845, a montlily 12mo periodical, with the title named above. Dnr- ing that year it was printed at the Gazette office. The second and last volume, for 1846, was printed in Bos- ton, of octavo size, and with the additional title of Youth's Cascade. The volumes have since been issued in book-form.

39. SALEM ORACLE .- In 1848 two numbers of a small advertising sheet, called The Oracle, were pub- lished for the months of January and February by Henry Blaney. Four more numbers, enlarged, for the four months following, were printed at the Ga- zette office for Jos. L. Wallis, editor.

40. ESSEX COUNTY TIMES .- This paper was a Democratic weekly, published in the fall of 1848, by E. K. Averill. It began in Marblehead, where ten numbers were issued, and ended its brief period here with three numbers more. It was issued irregularly. The principal writer for its columns was E. K. Aver- ill, Jr., who was better known as a writer of "yellow covered literature" for Gleason's publishing house in Boston.

41. THE FREE WORLD .- This was a spirited cam- paign paper, published during the Presidential con- test in 1848, in support of Van Buren and Adams, the Free-Soil candidates. It commenced August 15th, and continued on Friday until November 10th. The editor was George F. Chever, Esq. It was printed at the Observer office.

42. SALEM DAILY CHRONICLE .- The first attempt to establish a daily paper in Salem was made by Henry Blaney, who, in 1848, March 1, began the Salem Daily Chronicle. It was printed in Bowker's building, and published every afternoon at one cent a copy. It took no part in politics and was short lived.

43. THE ASTEROID .- Iu August, 1848, William H. Hutchinson, a job printer, commenced a small monthly sheet for the entertainment of the young people in our public schools, etc., entitled as above. It was continued here for several months, and was then removed to Boston.

44. ESSEX COUNTY FREEMAN .- The Free-Soil movement in 1848-49 led to the establishment of several new papers in different parts of the common- wealth. One of these was the Essex County Freeman,

the first number of which was issued by Gilbert L. Streeter and William Porter August 1, 1849. It was designed to aid the political anti-slavery movement, and in pursuance of this purpose sustained the nomi- nations of the Free-Soil party, and subsequently those of the coalition of the Free-Soil and Demo- cratic parties. It was published semi-weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday, at three dollars per year, from an office in Hale's building. In 1850, Nov. 25th, Mr. Streeter withdrew his interest in the paper, but remained as editor. The publication was continued by Mr. Porter until 1852, Feb. 11th, when he withdrew, and the publication was assumed by " Benjamin W. Lander for the Proprietors." At the same time Geo. F. Chever, Esq., associated himself with the former editor as joint conductors of the paper. In the be- ginning of the next year the establishment was pur- chased by Rev. J. E. Pomfret, the former editors con- tinuing their services in that department for several months. Mr. Pomfret was the publisher of the paper for one year, after which Edwin Lawrence, of the Lynn Bay State, become the proprietor. He issued it weekly until June 14, 1854, when the publication ceased, after a term of five years.

45. THE NATIONAL DEMOCRAT .- On Saturday, May 24, 1851, Mr. James Coffin issued a specimen number of the National Democrat, but the patronage offered did not warrant a continuance of the paper. It was designed to oppose the coalition of the Free- Soil and Democratic parties.

46. THE UNION DEMOCRAT .- The next movement for an anti-coalition Democratic paper was more suc- cessful. The Union Democrat lasted over ten months. It was commenced by Samuel Fabyan, a printer from Boston, July 31, 1852, and closed October 6th, when it was removed to Boston. The office was in Bowker's building. Published on Wednesday and Saturday.

47. MASSACHUSETTS FREEMAN .- This was the title of a weekly Free-Soil paper, published for a short time by J. E. Pomfret, commencing June 8, 1853. It was made np from the columns of the Essex County Freeman. Mr. Pomfret, previous to his commence- ment in Salem, had published several papers, the last of which was the Amesbury Villager. He was a min- ister of the Universalist persuasion, and afterwards settled in Haverhill.

48. THE PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE .- This paper was begun in Marblehead, in November, 1847, by Rev. Robinson Breare, a Universalist minister, and bore the title of The Marblehead Mercury. In 1848 it be- came the property of James Coffin and Daniel R. Beckford. In 1849 it was entitled The People's Advo- cate and Marblehead Mercury, and in August of that year Mr. Coffin became sole proprietor. In October, 1853, it abandoned its neutral position in favor of the advocacy of the views of the Democratic party. In October, 1854, the printing-office was moved to Salem and the title of the paper was abbreviated to The People's Advocate. It was discontinued in 1861.

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

49. SALEM DAILY JOURNAL .- The second at- tempt to establish a daily penny paper in Salem was made by Edwin Lawrence in 1854. He published the first number of the Salem Daily Journal on the 24th of July of that year. It was published in the afternoon, as the Chronicle had been in 1848. The experiment was not successful, and the publication was abandoned November 24, 1855, after a trial of over a year. The Journal was at first neutral, after- wards favorable to the Native American party, and in the fall of 1855 approved the Republican nomina- tions. Mr. Lawrence, previous to his removal to Sa- lem, had published the Newburyport Union, Lynn Bay State and Essex County Freeman.

50. THE ESSEX STATESMAN .- These were no news- paper ventures during the unsettled period immedi- ately preceding the outbreak of the Rebellion, and it was not until 1863, the second year of the war, that a new publication was undertaken. This was the Esse.x Statesman, commenced on January 17th, and pub- lished on Wednesdays and Saturdays by Edgar Mar- chant, and afterwards by Benjamin W. Lander. It was announced as a " conservative " paper and was conducted as a moderate opponent of the national administration. It terminated after four years of dif- ficult existence.

51. THE POST .- In July, 1872, Charles H. Webber began the publication of a weekly paper entitled The C'ity Post, which was continued under the successive titles of Sulem City Post and Salem Evening Post. Mr. Webber, after a few years, disposed of the paper, which had become a semi-weekly, to Charles D. Howard. The latter proprietor, in 1885, sold the concern to "The Telegram Publishing Co.," a new penny daily. The Post was a professed neutral paper with Democratie leanings.

52. THE SALEM EVENING NEWS, a small daily penny paper, begun October 16, 1881, by Robert Daman, issued from a new office on Central Street. The News, having become prosperous, was subse- quently enlarged and removed to Brown's building, on Essex Street. The main purpose seems to have been to collect the local news and gossip of the town, in which it has been quite successful.

53. THE EVENING TELEGRAM .- This venture of a small penny daily, in rivalry of the News, grew out of the suspension of the Post, as has been mentioned. The first number was issued by " The Telegram Pub- lishing Company," on February 9, 1885, and it con- tinued until March, 1887, when, becoming embar- rassed, the plant was sold out to the publishers of the Daily Times.

54. THE DAILY TIMES .- A new trial of the penny plan by parties previously interested in the Telegram. The first number was issued March 21, 1887.

55. THE SALEM PUBLIC .- A weekly paper com- menced Saturday, April 23d, 1887, by Charles F. Trow, at $1.50 per year. Devoted chiefly to the in- terests of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr.

Trow had been connected with the Methuen Tran- script and the Salem Telegram.

This completes the list of newspapers published in Salem by subscription since the introduction of the printing press by Samuel Hall, more than one hun- dred years ago. Besides these, several advertising sheets have been issued, such as the Pavillion, pub- lished by David Conrad for about four years, and the Fireside Favorite, published for a yet longer time and still continued by John P. Peabody. These have been circulated gratuitously, principally for the busi- ness advantage of their proprietors.

Another series of periodicals, of a scientific character, deserve to be enumerated. To review the contribu- tions of Salem authors to the literature of science would be an elaborate work, quite beyond the scope of this paper. Benjamin Lynde Oliver was a distin- guished contributor to scientific works before the Revolution, and his "Essay on Comets " was pub- lished in Salem from Mr. Hall's press. The names of Count Benjamin Rumford, John Pickering, Na- thaniel Bowditch, Edward A. Holyoke, Charles L. Page and others more recent would be included in this category. For the periodicals published in Salem for the promotion of scientific knowledge we are in- debted to the Essex Institute and the Peabody Acad- emy of Science. The former society has been prolific in publications within the past few years, its priced list showing about one hundred and fifty pamphlets and books. The " Journal of the Essex County Nat- ural History Society," from 1838 to 1852, was followed by the "Proceedings and Communications " of the Institute from 1848 to 1868, and then by "The Bulle- tiu," issued quarterly. These publications contained an account of the regular and field meetings of the society, and papers of scientific value. Besides these, the Institute issnes its " Historical Collections," quar- terly, at three dollars a year, containing papers of historical, genealogical and biographical interest and of permanent valne to students in general and local history. Although no name is given of the editor of these publications, it is well known that the public are indebted for them to the indefatigable industry of Dr. Henry Wheatland, who is, indeed, the founder of the Institute itself.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538