History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 45

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 45

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In July, 1862, he was commissioned by the Gov- ernor of New Hampshire as first lieutenant and regimental quartermaster, and in 1863 he was ordered to staff duty, as acting assistant adjutaut-general of a brigade in the Third Corps of the Army, tak- ing part in the battles of Chancellorsville, Gettys- burg and Wapping Heights. He served iu the army uutil September, 1864, when his regiment was dis-

Ho. A. Fuarden

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banded, the terms of most of its soldiers having expired.

He returned to New Hampshire, aud at Coucord engaged in the study of law and in writing for the Concord Daily Monitor. Of the two pursuits jourual- ism proved to Mr. Marden the more attractive, and in a few months he purchased the Kanawha Republi- can at Charleston, West Virginia, which he published during the winter of 1865-66. But finding that the success of his enterprise could be secured ouly by adopting and advocating the policy of President Andrew Johnson, a policy which he heartily con- demned, he sold his paper and returned to New Hampshire, where he was employed by Adjutant- General Head in compiling, editing and arranging the history of each of the New Hampshire military organizations during the war.

Meantime his pen was not idle. He became a con- tributor to the Concord Monitor and the regular Con- cord correspondent of the Boston Daily Advertiser. Of the latter paper he was appointed assistant editor January 1, 1867. In September of the same year, in company with his college class-mate, Major Edward T. Rowell, he purchased the Lowell Daily Courier and the Lowell Weekly Journal, and became a resident of Lowell. The partnership thus formed has continued to the present time (April, 1890), and it has proved fairly successful.

Although journalism is Mr. Marden's chosen voca- tion, his fellow-citizens have recognized his ability by bestowing upon him various offices of trust and honor. In 1873 he served as a member from Lowell of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and in 1874 he was chosen Clerk of the House. In this office, by repeated re-elections, he served nine years. Again, in 1883-84, he was a member of the House of Represen- tatives, in both of which years he was elected Speaker. In 1885 he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate. In the Republican Convention of 1888 he was nomi- nated for treasurer and receiver-general of the State of Massachusetts. To this office, which he now holds, he was re-elected in 1889. On receiving this office he resigned his position upon the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, to which he had been appointed by Governor Ames in 1888. It is but just to say that Mr. Marden has ably and honorably filled every public office to which he has been called. He occupied the chair of Speaker of the House of Representatives at a period when the troubled and discordant political elements demanded a clear head and a firm hand. He proved equal to the demand. His admirable control of himself, together with his keen judgment of other men, gained for him the approbation and respect of all.

But when we have spoken of Mr. Marden only as a soldier, a journalist and a politician, we have left unnoticed that phase of his life and character by which he is perhaps best known and most admired. It is as a speaker on public occasions that he has won

some of his greatest triumphs. It is the most striking characteristic of his mind that upon all occasions he has the most complete command of all his intellectual resources. With ever-ready wit and humor, with a hearty relish for fun and merriment, with an inex- haustible fund of pertinent auecdotes, he never fails to win the sympathy and applause of his hearers.

It would be difficult to find a finer illustration of that kind of oratory in which Mr. Marden excels, than his speech at the New England Society dinner iu the city of New York iu December, 1889.

Mr. Marden has done other miscellaneous literary work, his most notable efforts being a poem read be- fore the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Dartmouth Col- lege Commencement in 1875, and a poem delivered before the Dartmouth Alumni Association at Com- mencement in 1886.

Mr. Rowell was a classmate of Mr. Marden's in col- lege and a comrade in war. He was born in West Concord, New Hampshire, August 14, 1836. He is a man of sterling sense and, though not inclined to ap- pear in public, he has held mauy offices of honor and trust. I notice him on another page among the post- masters of our city. Honorable John A. Goodwin, another editor of the Courier, is also noticed among the postmasters.

Mr. Z. E. Stone, editor of the Courier from 1860 to 1867, deserves special mention as a man admirably fitted, by his high character aud great range of knowledge, to fill the editorial chair. Few journal- ists in the nation have had so large an experience or have collected so great an amount of useful knowledge in regard to the public press.

Col. Schouler also has gained an honorable name, as member of both Houses of the General Court and as editor of the War Records of Massachusetts. Wil- liam S. Robinsou, too, has attained a high rank as a Writer. Few American journalists are better known or more kindly remembered than " Warrington."

The Journal has lived a somewhat nomadic life. We find it located at Middlesex Village, in a wooden two-story building near the First Congregational Church, in a building near St. Anne's Church, near the American House on Central Street, on Hurd Street, on the corner of Central and Middlesex Streets, on the corner of Central and Hurd Streets, on the corner of Central and Middle Streets, in the Museum Building, in the Hildreth Block, and now at last in the new block erected by its proprietors on Merrimack Street. The firm of Marden & Rowell now employ upon their papers and in their job print- ing establishment about sixty hands.

I may be charged by the reader with giving to the Journal and Courier a disproportionate amount of space; but it is history that I am writing, and this paper alone may emphatically be said to have a history. Others, though managed with equal ability, are now busily engaged in making history. Though strong they are young.

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The Daily Times was established Ang. 23, 1872, by Joseph H. Smith, M.D., with E. A. Hills, his son- in-law, as editor. For about two years before this date Dr. Smith had published from the Museum Building the Middlesex Democrat, a weekly paper, first issued Oct. 8, 1871.

After publishing the Daily Times one year, he sold both the Times and Democrat to John L. Hunt, who, in company with his brother, Charles L. Hunt, for three years published the two papers under the names of The Weekly Times and The Daily Morning Times.

In 1876 the brothers Hunt sold out to Charles Cow- ley, Esq., who, after three months, sold the papers to Dr. Smith, who had held a mortgage upon the prop- erty since selling it in 1873.

The firm of Campbell & Hanscom, the present pro- prietors, having purchased the property of Dr. Smith, issued their first copy of the paper Dec. 15, 1879.

The Daily Morning Times is recognized by all political parties as a very sprightly and well-con- ducted paper, and among business men the firm of Campbell & Hanscom has an honorable name.

The paper is an uncompromising advocate of the political principles of the Democratic party.

James L. Campbell was born in Henniker, N. H., his father having been publisher of the Manchester Union, of Manchester, N. H. In company with Geo. A. Hanscom, he published the Union from 1872 to 1879, when the partners purchased the Lowell Tintes and removed to Lowell.

Geo. A. Hanscom was born in Elliot, Maine. After an apprenticeship of three years in the office of the Democrat at Saco, Maine, he followed the sea for twenty years. In this service he became master of his vessel and thus received his well known title of "Captain." We have already spoken of his partner- ship with Mr. Campbell in publishing the Union in Manchester, N. H., and the Lowell Daily Times.

Vox Populi .- The first number of this paper ap- peared May 25, 1841. Its purpose seems to have been to afford an opportunity for the public expression of a feeling, which then somewhat extensively prevailed, that the corporations of the city were exercising too exclusive a control of its affairs. Its name indicated its purpose, that the voice of the people ought to be heard. Hence it advocated the amelioration of the condition of the operatives in the mills, by reducing the hours of labor. Besides this, battle was waged against the abuses said to exist in the " Whig dynasty in Massachusetts."

In general, men who felt aggrieved or indignant at the insolence of office or the oppressive exercise of power intrenched by corporate authority, found in the Vox a channel for conveying their pent-up feelings to the public mind.

The names of the originators of this organ, for obvious reasons, did not publicly appear. It is said that Gen. B. F. Butler, Henry F. Durant, James M. Stone and Granville Parker belonged to their number.

Mr. Cowley informs us that, in addition to the gen- tlemen above named, J. G. Abbott, now Judge Abbott, of Boston, actively participated in the management of this paper as a rival and opponent of The Adverti- ser, then published by Rev. Eliphalet Case.

Mr. Gilman tells us that J. M. Stone was, at first, the editor of this paper. Whoever, for the first few months, were the responsible cditors and managers of the Vox, on December 4, 1841, it came into the hands of Samuel J. Varney, who had before been engaged in the mechanical work of printing and publishing the paper. In January, 1850, John T. Chesley be- came the proprietor. In May, 1856, the paper was purchased by Mr. Varney, and was published by S. W. Huse & Co.

Mr. Varney, the owner of the paper, having died in November, 1859, it became, on January 1, 1860, the property of Z. E. Stone and S. W. Huse, who (with N. J. N. Bacheller, subsequently admitted into the partnership) remained proprietors until 1878, when Stone and Bacheller sold their interests to Mr. Huse, who took as his partner John A. Goodwin, the latter an once becoming editor. Since the death of Mr. Goodwin, September 21, 1884, S. W. Huse has become the proprietor of this paper, and the business has been conducted under the firm-name of S. W. Huse & Co., the son of Mr. Huse, Harry V. Huse, being his father's partner, and Mr. John L. Colby being editor.

The following is substantially Mr. Gilman's list, without dates, of the numerous editors of this paper : James M. Stone, S. J. Varney, J. F. C. Hayes, B. F. Johnson, Enoch Emery, A. W. Farr, Thomas Brad- ley, Miss Harriet F. Curtis, John A. Goodwin, Z. E. Stone, Samuel A. McPhetres, John L. Colby.

The Vox Populi, partly from the circumstances of its origin, and partly from its intrinsic merits, has al- ways been a favorite journal among the people. It has been very gencrally sought for by the operatives in our mills, and probably no other paper is so gene- rally taken by persons who were once citizens of Lowell, but now reside elsewhere. In politics it is now Republican.

The Lowell Daily Citizen had its origin in the pur- chase, on April 28, 1856, by Leonard Brown and George F. Morey, of the three following publications : 1. The Daily Morning News, started in 1851. 2. The American Citizen, a weekly, started in 1854. 3. The Duily Citizen, started in 1855. The journal formed by thus consolidating the three was styled the Daily Citizen and News, having for its editor John A. Goodwin.

It had its birth in the midst of high political ex- citement and agitation. The Kansas outrages had roused to a white heat the anti-slavery sentiments of the North. The Republican party was led on by eloquent men, who fired the public heart by denounc- ing the encroachments of the slaveholders and of slavery upon the domain of freedom. " Fremont

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and Dayton, free soil for free men," was the rallying cry. The mutterings of the coming war already be- gan to be heard.

Into this contest the Citizen entered with ardent zeal, taking the advanced position of the Republican party-a position which it has ever since consistently held.

Mr. Goodwin retained the position as editor, with some interruption, until June, 1859, when Chauncey L. Knapp and George F. Morey became the proprie- tors, and Mr. Knapp the editor, of the paper. In 1876 Mr. Knapp and his son, Charles L. Knapp, be- came the proprietors, the firm-name being C. L. Knapp & Son.

On April 3, 1882, the Citizen was purchased by a stock company styled The Citizen Newspaper Compa- ny, of which Harry R. Rice is president. Henry J. Moul- ton was made principal editor, with C. F. Coburn as assistant editor, James Bayles as city editor, and H. R. Rice as business manager. Mr. Moulton retired in 1887. Mr. Bayles, the present editor, succeeded Mr. Moulton. He is a man of genial nature and supe- rior ability, and he makes the Citizen a very racy and readable paper.

Lowell Morning Mail .- Messrs. Z. E. Stone, N. J. N. Bacheller and Ephraim D. Livingston, having formed a partnership, commenced the publication of this paper, as a daily, in July, 1879. For about one year they published a semi-weekly Mail in connec- tion with the daily. Since then a weekly Mail has taken the place of the semi-weekly, and is called the Saturday Evening Mail.

About five years ago a stock company, for publish- ing this paper, was incorporated, of which Z. E. Stone is president, N. J. N. Bacheller, manager, and Charles E. Burbank, clerk.

Until the formation of this company Mr. Stone was editor. Since then the editor's chair has been filled by Edward H. Peabody and by the present incum- bent, Charles L. McCleery.

The management of the affairs of this company is in the hands of men of such large experience and such high character that the paper possesses the entire confidence of the community, and richly deserves the popularity which it enjoys. In politics it is Republican.

The Sun was started Aug. 10, 1878, with Daniel J. and John H. Harrington as publishers and pro- prietors, and Thomas F. Byron as editor. After three years it was enlarged from four to eight pages. John H. Harrington, the second editor, was succeeded by John R. Martin, the present incumbent.

The paper is starchly Democratic. In 1888 it re- moved from its early home on the corner of Central and Prescott Streets, to its new and commodious rooms on Merrimack Street.

The public has been generous in the support of this paper and it has prospered. The Sun was the first paper in the city to employ an artist, who was a mem-

ber of the editorial staff and devoted his whole time to this paper. The cartoons of his pencil were well drawn and were designed to draw attention to the strength and weakness of the politicians.

The paper is printed upon copper-faced types and in a neat form of eight pages, having a very pleasing typo- graphical appearance. In a few years the proprietors intend to erect a new " Sun Building."

The Lowell Daily News was established in May, 1884. It is published by an incorporated company called the Daily News Company. Its editor is D. A. Sullivan. It is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Democratic party and has a large circulation. It is published from Hildreth's Building, on Merrimack Street.

L' Union (published in the French language) was started on March 14, 1889, and is published from Hildreth's Building by an association of gentlemen. It is edited by this association.

L'Etoile was first issued Sept. 16, 1886, Lepine & Co., publishers. Its first editor was Aime Gauthier, who was succeeded by Raoul Renault. The present editor is Alfred Bonnean. This same company publishes another paper in the French language in Lawrence, Mass.

Having given a list of the newspapers now published in Lowell, I will very briefly notice those which have either ceased to exist or have lost their names by being merged into other publications. Following the name of each is the date of its establishment.

For the Chelmsford Courier (1824), the Chelmsford Phoenix (1825), and the Merrimack Journal (1826), turn back to the history of the Lowell Journal.

The Globe, by J. H. White, appears in 1825, a paper evidently of little merit and short-lived.

The Lowell Mercury appeared Nov. 14, 1829, with Thomas Billings as proprietor and Rev. Eliphalet Case as editor, and was first published in a cottage on the site of Welles' Block. This paper, in 1835, was united with the Journal, and, for one year, the consolidated paper is styled the Journal and Mercury. After that the name Mercury disappears.

The Middlesex Telegraph appeared in Sept., 1831, as a weekly. It was published by Meacham & Mathew- son. It seems to have lived about one year.

The Lowell Observer, a religious paper, Rev. Mr. Blanchard, of the First Congregational Church, and Rev. Mr. Twining, of the Appleton Street (now Eliot) Church, being editors, appeared in 1831. Rev. D. S. Southmayd appears as its editor in 1833.

The Evangelist, with Rev. E. W. Freeman, pastor of the First Baptist Church, as editor, appeared in 1831.

H. H. Weld, in 1832, started The Experiment, soon changing its name to The Compend. It seems to have lived only to Oct., 1833.

Alfred Gilman started The Album, or Ladies' Common- Place Book, Nov. 1. 1832. It continued one year.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

The Rose-Bud, a Sunday-school paper, started by Oliver Sheple in 1832, survived less than two years.

The Times, by H. H. Weld, appeared in 1833.

The Semi- Weekly Times was started by Mr. Weld in 1834. These two papers survived probably only a few months.

The Lowell-Advertiser, a tri-weekly, was started in 1834 by B. E. Hale, with Eliphalct Casc as editor, and the Lowell Patriot, a weekly, was in 1835 pub- lished in connection with the Advertiser. They were issued from No. 35 Merrimack Street. These two Democratic papers had a longer life than most of the papers of that time. In 1838 the Adver- tiser was edited by N. P. Banks, then a Democrat, and in 1840 the two papers were published by Abijah Watson. In 1845 they passed into the hands of H. E. and S. C. Baldwin. In 1852 the Lowell Advertiser appeared as a daily, with James G. Maguire as editor, and Bellows & Hedge as publishers. In 1855 Charles Hunt and Robins Dinsmore became its editors, with Fisher A. Hildreth as proprietor. This paper sur- vived thirty years and had many editors. Mr. Cowley mentions as editors, E. Case, N. P. Banks, H. H. Weld, J. G. Abbott, I. W. Beard, William Butter- field, Henry E. Baldwin, Samuel C. Baldwin, Fisher A. Hildreth, Robins Dinsmore and J. J. Maguire, and adds : "The Advertiser always supported the De- mocracy, but the Democracy never supported the Ad- vertiser, and in 1864 it collapsed. The Patriot col- lapsed at the same time with the Advertiser.

Mr. Hildreth, for a long time the proprietor of the Advertiser, was an astute politician and a man of marked ability. A brief sketch of his life is found in my notice of the postmasters of Lowell.

The Pledge and The Female Advocate appeared in 1835 ; also the Journal and Bulletin was published from the Livingston Building, near Tower's Corner, by Kinnicutt & Parker ; also Zion's Banner, a Free- Will Baptist paper, edited by Elder Thurston.

In 1836 the Messenger was printed by George Brown and the Standard by Edward Waylen; also the Ga- zette by Alfred S. Tilden and the Philanthropist by Rev. Aaron Lummas.

In March, 1837, the Casket was started by Brown & Judkins. In January, 1840, the American Wes- leyan Observer, an anti-slavery shcet, was started with Rev. Orange Scott as editor. This paper, after six months, was succeeded by the New England Christian Advocate, edited by Rev. Luther Lee.

In 1839 the Ladies' Repository was started by A. B. F. Hildreth, also the Literary Souvenir by Mr. Hil- dreth.

In October, 1840, appeared the Lowell Offering, a unique paper of wide-spread fame, being entirely composed of original articles written by the mill- girls. It had its origin in an improvement circle under the auspices of Rev. A. C. Thomas, of the Second Universalist Church. The contributions written by the girls and read by Mr. Thomas at the meetings of

this circle, exhibited so much talent as to warrant issuing a paper as an exponent of the thoughts and aspirations of the operatives in the Lowell Mills. Of its literary merits the poet Whittier, who, for a few months in 1844, was a citizen of Lowell, says, in his "Stranger in Lowell :" "In its volumes may be found sprightly delineations of home-scenes and char- acters, highly-wrought, imaginative pieces, tales of genuine pathos and humor, and sweet fairy stories and fables, reminding the reader at times of Jean Paul." Its editors were Harriet Farley and Hariot Curtis, two factory girls. It continued to be pub- lished several years. A rival of the Offering, called the Operatives' Magazine, was started, but it was ab- sorbed by the Offering.

In 1841 the Ladies' Pearl was published by E. A. Rice. The Star of Bethlehem was a Universalist weekly paper, published by Powers & Bagley. In 1844 its editors were T. B. Thayer and A. A. Miner.

The Sword of Truth, a Methodist paper, was issued in 1842. The Orion was started by W. F. Somerby in 1843 or 1844.

In 1843 the Middlesex Washingtonian and Martha Washington Advocate was started by L. D. Johnson, and the Daily Herald was issued by James M. Stone ; also the Genius of Christianity was printed at the Journal and Courier office. In 1843 or 1844 the Oper- ative, which survived two years, was published by J. C. Stowell & Co. Its editor during the second year was Arthur P. Bonney.

In May, 1844, John C. Palmer started the Life in Lowell, which survived about five years. It was of too scurrilous a character to live longer. Lowell is not a favorite soil for such publications.

John G. Whittier, in 1844, at the solicitation of friends, came to Lowell as editor of the Middlesex Standard, an anti-slavery paper. It survived but a few months. While in Lowell Mr. Whittier wrote a small volume of high literary merit, entitled the "Stranger in Lowell."

In 1845 F. A. Hildreth started the Republican, which, in 1846-47, was absorbed by the Advertiser and Patriot.

In 1846 W. F. Young edited a paper called the Voice of Industry.

In 1847 the Literary Visitor, and succeeding it, the Lowell Gazette, were published by Joel Taylor and Daniel Kimball. The Gazette survived about two years.

In 1846-47 the Niagara, a temperance paper, is edited by Rev. William H. Brewster, and the Gospel Fountain, edited by Rev. William Bell; also the Ladies' Magazine and Casket of Literature, edited by E. A. Rice; also the Temperance Offering, by Nathaniel Hervey.

In 1849 William S. Robinson started the Tri- Weekly American, which survived only a few months.

The Massachusetts Era, a free-soil paper, was started by Dana B. Gove, with J. W. Hanson as editor; also

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the Day Star, a Sunday-school paper, was started by A. B. Wright.

In 1851 the Christian Era, a Baptist paper, was published by J. M. Burt, with Rev. D. C. Eddy as editor ; also the N. E. Offering and Mill Girls' Advo- cate was published and edited by Harriet Farley ; also the Spindle City was published by Keach & Emery.

For the Daily Morning News (1851), the American Citizen (1854), and the Daily Citizen (1855), see history of the Lowell Daily Citizen.

In 1852 Wentworth's Waverly was published by George Wentworth ; also the Lowell Mirror by Chase & Hoitt.

In 1854 the Lowell Daily Morning Herald was pub- lished by Enoch Emery. It survived one year; also the World's Crisis, a second advent paper, was issued by Jonas Merriam.

In 1857 The Star was issued by E. D. Green & Co. ; also the Middlesex American, edited by L. J. Fletcher ; also the Weekly Union, edited by scholars of the High School ; also the Trumpet, by the Addisonian Reformatory Club.

The Gad Fly, " devoted to truth, virtue and Democ- racy," was published by S. W. Huntington in 1861 ;- also Homer A. Cook started a literary paper called the Lowell Sentinel in 1861. It survived but a few months.

In 1861 the Douglas Democrat appeared under the auspices of A. R. Brown, W. E. Livingston and J. K. Fellows.

In 1871 the Middlesex Democrat was published by Dr. J. H. Smith. In 1872 this paper was merged in the Daily Morning Times.

For the Semi - Weekly Mail and the Saturday Even. ing Mail, see history of Lowell Morning Mail.

The following papers were published in the French language : L'Echo du Canada, which started in 1874 and survived one year. La Republique, in 1875, by H. Beaugrand, which survived about six months. La Sentinelle, in 1879, which survived less than one year. L' Abeille, in 1880, with L. E. Carufel as editor, which survived about three years. Le Soliel, Le Farceur and Le Loup Garon were very short-lived.

The Advocate, a temperance paper, was started in 1885 by William Cogger. It subsequently fell into the hands of Adams & Farley. It lived about two years.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 45

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1226

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226