USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 71
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Nor was Washington County journalism eon- fined to Hagerstown. Mention has been made of the Whig, published at Clearspring by Charles E. Lewis in 1850, and removed to Hagerstown. In 1849, L. Jewett Grove published the Clear- spring Sentinel, and in 1853 the "Fountain of Health" suceceded the "Whig." In 1829, Daniel Weisel established "The Republican Banner" in Williamsport, which was published for many years. In 1847 "The Times" appeared in the same town, and in 1852 the "Seott Banner" was published for a brief period by Williams and Allen. The present Williamsport papers are the Pilot, published by G. W. McCardell and the "Williamsport Leader." In Sharpsburg the only
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newspaper was "The Enterprise," published for several years about 1880, by Charles G. Biggs.
In Hancock there have been several news- paper ventures. The "Weekly Gazette" was es- tablisbed there in 1854 by F. A. Williams. In 1858 the Hancock Journal was established by E. and C. H. Day. The present newspaper of Han- cock is "The Star," owned and published by Miss Gertrude Summers, who enjoys the distinction of being the only woman who ever published a news- paper in Washington County. In Boonsboro, "The Odd Fellow" was established by Josiah Knode, December 17, 1841, who, although not a printer built the first press that he used. In 1855, he sold the Odd Fellow to Isaiah Wolfensberger. Succeeding publishers were F. H. Irwin, Rev. L. A. Brunner and in 1866 Capt. John M. Mentzer of Pennsylvania, who as already stated moved the paper to Hagerstown in 1880. During the war the office of the Odd Fellow was raided by Con- federate soldiers. After the removal of the "Odd Fellow," the Boonsboro Times was established. In 1852, John H. Zittle established "The Trum- pet" in Smithsburg, and published it a year. It was then discontinued, and Mr. Zittle purchased the Shepherdstown Register, which he published for many years.
An interesting editor or printer of the old school lived the latter part of his life in Washing- ton County although he never published a paper here. He was Overton C. Harne, of whose death the Hagerstown Mail at the time published che following notice :
"Overton C. Harne died at his residence on the Williamsport pike, on the 13th day of January, 1873, aged 92 years, 3 months and 28 days. He was born near Elkridge Landing, Md., in the year 1780. His father fought in the Rev- olutionary War. He had but one brother (Wii- berdear) who died young. O. C. Harne was left an infant in care of Rafe Johnson, Tobacco In- spector, at Elkridge Landing, at that time, who put him to the printing business on the Baltimore American, edited by Mr. Peaching, in 1795, in which office he served his apprenticeship. He then went to Winchester, Va. He then returned, and lived with John Thomas, the father of ex- Governor Francis Thomas. Afterwards he went to Hauver's District, where he married Susan Forrest, daughter of Rev. Jonathan Forrest, and subsequently removed to Frederick City, and pub- lished, in company with Mathias Bartgis, The
Republican Cilizen, which they conducted for one year. In 1812, he worked on the old Federal Ga- zetle and Republican Gazelle, Harnett & Co. From Frederick City he removed to Pipe Creek, and taught school, rode as deputy sheriff, consta- ble, and took the census, all at the same time, and arrested the blacks who murdered Mrs. Ba- ker and their owners; and when Baltimore was threatened by the British, and the company at New Windsor was called, he, being lieutenant, was the only man who went to her defence, and was discharged on Chincapin Hill, after which he returned to Hauver's District, where he served as juror, Judge of the District Court, Justiee of the Peace, &c., and raised seven sons and one daughter, and where one of his sons still lives. The rest of his children live in Washington Coun- ty."
The history of the newspapers of Washington ('ounty illustrates the rise, the power and the decline of the country weekly newspaper. For three-quarters of a century after the Spy was es- tablished, in 1790, the people of Washington County were compelled to rely upon the local pa- pers for their news. The city papers had not then invaded their field nor had the United States government made adequate provision to distribute newspapers. Down almost to the middle of the century, the Mail and the Torch Light had mies- sengers on horseback to carry their papers to their subscribers, over routes extending many miles from Hagerstown. Charles W. Humrichouse, when a boy, performed this service for the Mail and Ed- win Bell from time to time for the Torch Light.
The County paper was the only vehicle for carrying the news to the majority of the people of the United States, and its political power and influence was enormous. The man in the country had no other periodical, and the matter which the country weekly published was of a serious nature and largely political. The columns were filled with the proceedings of Congress, with foreign news, and at a later date with editorials of a most intensely partisan character. During and immediately proceeding the administration of An- drew Jackson, the tone of the Whig papers was ferocious and extreme and partisanship seemed to have reached high water mark. A favorite pub- lisation in all the country papers was the speech- es of the great Statesmen of the day. If Clay or Webster made a great speech in Congress or on the stump, it would be published in full in every
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Whig paper, even if it was so long that it had to be published as a serial. In some instances one speech would be continued four weeks or more, and it would be eagerly read, and the paper con- taining it passed from hand to hand.
The price of the weekly paper then was two or three times as great as it is now and currency two or three times as scarce. The result was that a great many people did not subscribe to a paper but borrowed one from a neighbor. The printers received a good part of their subscriptions in barter. A notice in the paper that the printer could make use of a few cords of wood would at once bring several wagon-loads, to pay some sub- scriptions in arrears. Some paid their bills with articles of produce on the farm, and as the "prin- ter" was nearly always "keeping house," it was the same to him as money. The relation between the country editor and his subscriber was not merely a business relation. The subscriber to the Mail was almost sure to be a Democrat, and the circulation of the Torch Light was confined prac- tically to the Whig party. Each subscriber advo- cated and upheld the paper of his choice. Hc believed what it stated, and absolutely refused credence to the paper of opposite politics. He urged his neighbors to support his paper. He was a personal friend of his editor, and when he went to town he was sure to call upon him, and fre- quently went bearing gifts.
The "printer" or editor relied upon his sub- scribers to bring him the news. There were no reporters. If there was a great political meeting or convention, the editor was there in person to report it, that is if it was of his own party. If it was of the opposite party, it would be dismiss- ed with a, few contemptuous lines. Indeed the publication of "local news" was of gradual growth in modern times. In the Washington Spy, a let- ter from an indignant subscriber is published, scolding the printer for his gross indiscretion in mentioning the name of a candidate at a late election who had been defeated. The printer was admonished that the subscriber would withdraw his patronage if a like outrage was again commit- ted. The printer apologized and promised that he would be more guarded in the future.
In the Spy the tragic death of James Rum- sey, who had just invented the steamboat and had made his trial trips in Washington County, was told in five lines with the merest reference to his inventions. As late as 1835, a son of one of the
most distinguished men that Maryland ever pro- duced, was indicted for murder and tried in the Court at Hagerstown. The account of this re- markable trial did not occupy more than a single inch of space in the Hagerstown papers, and neitli- er the name of the accused nor that of his alleged victim is given. It is simply stated that the son of (giving his name) was tried for murder in our Court on such a day "and triumphantly acquit- ted. The distinguished father was in Court dur- ing the whole trial and endured the ordeal witlı the courage of a spartan." In a modern newspa- per a page a day would not be deemed too much space to devote to the report of such a trial.
The growth of local news in the County pa- pers was due to the competition of the weekly edi- tions of the city dailies. Postoffices were multi- plied, mails came more frequently, and postage rates were reduced, so that there was no obstruc- tion to the circulation of the city papers through- out the country. The better facilities of the city papers, their machinery for collecting news and the use in the weekly edition of type which had already been used in the daily issue, made it pos- sible for the city paper to supply a far greater volume of general news than the County paper could print, and for less than half the price of subscription. This drove the County paper into a new field, namely, the collection and publication of local news; and in the County seats of the larger counties the people were not satisfied with the local news published weekly and so daily pa- pers have been established in no less than five Maryland Counties.
The invasion of the counties by city papers has in many instances made County papers unpro- ductive of sufficient revenue to support the pub- lisher and the old time country editor has about disappeared. Nearly all the County weeklies are published by men having some other calling. Few of them are practical printers. Many of them are lawyers, and some are office-holders, and the amount of work they devote to their newspapers is not enough to maintain their old-time influ- ence. It is now the common practice to buy tlie papers with two pages already printed by a city syndicate, or to buy stereotype plates of ready-set matter. Thus the country weekly papers have to a great extent lost their individuality.
[The following reminiscences of the found- er of the Torch Light were written for the author by his son, Edwin Bell, who succeeded his fath-
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er as editor of that paper. These reminiscences were written in November, 1905, when Mr. Bell was about 86 years of age, and they give a glimpse of Hagerstown when it was a stage coaching centre, and vastly different from the Hagerstown of today and in some respects much more interesting. Mr. Bell is perhaps the only person now living who could draw such a pic- ture of the old town of seventy years ago. T. J. (. W.]
"Hagerstown was founded in 1762. under the original name of "Elizabethtown," and the origi- nal dwelling of its founder and family, which they occupied through life, was a large stone house on the N. E. corner of the Public Square and Washington St., with a brick attachment on the street. The Torch Light printing office was established in this house, from which the first issue of the paper was made, and it also became the residence of the editor and family for several years. Then it was removed to, and published in, a two-story brick house, which had been used as a store-room, on the rear of the lot. at the S. W. corner of the Publie Square and Washington St., known as "Mrs. Heister's Garden." Mrs. Heister was Rosanna, the only daughter of Jonathan Ha- ger, and the wife of Gen. Daniel Heister, by whom the spacious. and at the time. magnificent, mansion was built, as a dwelling, on the corner of the Public Square, now the property of the estate of the late Chas. W. Humrichouse, and occupied by the offices of the Maryland Telephone Company and the Ilager-town Ele trie Railway Company.
"For many years the Torch Light continued to be issued from this place, and until it was de- stroved by fire during the 30- in its second home, when it was temporarily removed to the corner room of the old stone house in which it was first published, then owned by another Jonathan Ila- ger, known as "the miller," in contradistinction to Jonathan the "founder." After the destruction of the entire row of buildings on Washington St. by the fire, this Mr. Hlager purchased the proper- ty as it stood ; one of the buildings adjoining the former printing office, was secured by Mr. Bell and re-tored, and in it the Torch Light continued to be printed up to the death of its founder and as long as it remained in his family.
"Thus it will be seen that the Torch Light,, from its foundation by Mr. Bell, to the end of its connection with his family, remained through its
several mutations, linked to the Hager founda- tions. To this connection another link may be attached, savoring somewhat of the romantic. Some half a decade before the coming of William D. Bell to Hagerstown and the establishment of his journal, a little girl, the youngest child of Mr. Jacob Harry, a merchant and at one time a Judge in the Orphan's Court, whose residence and place of business was on Washington St. opposite "Mrs. Heister's Garden," was wont to visit and play in that beautiful enclosure, where she became a pet of the mistress of the garden, Mrs. Heister, who was childless, and who was anxious to adopt her as her own. This proposition was deelined, and she became the wife of the editor and founder of the Torch Light, and mother of a large family of children. In her stead, a young boy, named Philip Wingert, destined to be the founder of an enterprising and useful family in the community, was adopted and became the heir of the Heister estate. For many years the remains of General and Mrs. Hvister rested in a private vault, in one of their lots at the corner of Potomac and Church streets, built by the General for their reception. They have since been removed to the burial ground of their church on the opposite corner. by the de- scendants of their adopted son, who may be said to have had throughout life a disposition for building houses, and in this respect resembled Col- onel Rochester, who preceded him. To him the town owes the Wingert property on the N. E. cor- ner of the Public Square and Potomac street, which included at one time the "Hagerstown Hotel." and is now the center of a cluster of stores. the large dwelling recently known as St. Joseph's School and adjoining the C. V. Station; the large double house on the angle. formed by the intersection of Antietam and Washington streets: and the large brick house on the opposite side of Antietam street. owned by the late Jacob Hauck. The spirit which animated this useful citizen seems to have been transmitted to his de- scendants in the second generation, as among the enterprises in this direction, in which they are now engaged, are the construction and the run- nine of their large and profitable manufacturing establishments in the "West End"-the furmturc factory ; the silk works; and the spoke works.
"Upon the completion of the repairs to the burnt buildings of "Hager's Row" which had been purchased from Mr. Hlager, the printing office was removed into it. But the family of Mr. Bell had
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
for many years been living in a property purchas- ed on South Potomae street and now known as the "Eleetrie Gardens." This was located in the second ward of the town, and during his residence there, Mr. Bell served as Commissioner for his ward, and generally as Moderator, who, under the then existing charter, as presiding officer, filled the relative position of Mayor. This was in a reign of terror which continued during an entire winter, created by the alinost nightly occurrence of an incendiary fire, which rendered necessary the or- ganization of a volunteer patrol. These nightly vigils caused a gathering of the family together and led to various expedients for entertainment. In ours, I remember the constant occupation was work upon a "picture table." For this purpose, a small, plain pine table was produced, and upon it were pasted or glued the figures of.birds, beasts, or anything curious or pretty out of old books and particularly the Edinborough Encyclopedia. With these the whole table, including the legs, was adorned, making quite a neat souvenir and orna- ment. And as the hours passed, and dawn ap- proached, the men on duty as patrol would drop in and have a eup of coffee for refreshnient.
"Hagerstown was called "Elizabeth town" af- ter the wife of Jonathan Hager, the founder. Her maiden name was Kershner. Jonathan Hager, the founder, had two children-Rosanna, who married Gen. Daniel Heister, and Jonathan Ha- ger, Jr. The latter died young, leaving a widow, who was Mary Orndorff, and a young daughter, Elizabeth. The widow married Col. Henry Lewis and the daughter married Upton Lawrence, a member of the Hagerstown Bar. Here the name "Hager" became disconnected from "the founder," and the connection has since been continued by "the miller," of a distinct ancestry. Thal of the founder was absorbed in the family of Lawrence, and hidden in those of "Brent" and "Keyser," two of the most honored and justly prominent names in the city of Baltimore. Taking a retro- spective view of the numerous connections now bearing the name, no one had a more remarkable career than the second Hager who, from his occu- pation, was called "the miller." Starting life in the town founded by his name-sake, he entered into business in a small way as a merchant, in a small house on South Potoniae street, near the Publie Square, with very small means, as was exemplified in the fact that he walked to Baltimore to pur- chase his goods and returned the same way. He
married the daughter of Col. Hogmire, and left a family of three sons and two daughters: Wil- liam, Andrew, John, Mrs. S. D. Straub and Mrs. Dr. J. E. Miller, who came into possession of lis cstate, consisting of the following valuable prop- crty : The old frame mill erected by Judge Stull on the Antietam, known later as the "Hager Mill," the stone mill near by on the stream supplied by the Cold Spring facing the national turnpike, and known as the "Kennedy Mill;" the flouring mill higher up the Antietam, now converted into the Antietam Paper Mill; the farm adjoining tile Kennedy Mill on the east, which was part of the Heister estate, called "Springdale;" the large and valuable estate adjoining called "Ravenswood," which was left by John Wagoner to his grandson, John W. Kennedy; and the cqually valuable and extensive estate between the Sharpsburg turn- pike and the Norfolk and Western R. R., left by his uncle, James Hugh Kennedy, to his namesake, the youngest son of John Kennedy. In addition to these farms and mills were the home of Jona- than Hager, "the founder," and Hager's Row on Washington street. He was also the owner of the dwelling and store house of Kennedy & Ferguson, on the S. E. corner of the Public Square, now the Roessner property, in which his son Andrew, long conducted business. Thus, almost the entire estate of the Kennedys, and part of that of Jon- atlıan Hager, the "founder," passed into his hands, including the dwelling house, and home through life, of Richard Ragan, the elder, on the corner of Waslungton and Antietam streets. one of the most complete structures in the town. In this he pass- ed the last days of his life, and at his death left to his widow $60,000 in cash and securities, along with the house in which he died.
"The political contest which preceded the elcc- tion of Gen. Jackson to the Presidency and con- tinued through his two administrations, was one tempestuous storm, accompanied by violence of expression and actions of which the party news- papers were the centre. In the midst of it, the Torch Light, as the Whig organ, took a very ac- tive part. On one occasion my father, Wm. D. Bell, who had been engaged in a controversy with the editor of the "Martinsburg Republican." Mr. Alburtis, had quite an adventure. On his way to the post-office, then on South Potomac street as he was passing the corner of the Square, he was hailed, and as he turned to respond, received a blow in the face from his opponent in ambush
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but without any serious result. On another occas- ion, in one of those paper wars with the editor of the Democratic organ in Cumberland, Mr. Van Burkirk, the latter publicly announced that he would give the editor of the Torch Light a "cow- hiding." Whereupon Mr. Bell prepared himself for the visit. IIe procured an old cavalry pistol, which, like himself, had seen service in the War of 1812, and kept it lying on his desk in the offiee ready for use. At the appointed time his antagonist appeared at the door, and was ordered to "halt" which he did, and the matter was closed. A much more complicated affair, illustrating the extreme bitterness of the political campaign of 1832, was the appearance of what was known as the "Coffin Handbill." This was a large poster, covering a half sheet newspaper, surrounded by a deep black mourning border, embellished with a score of coffins with the picture of a man of fierce visage running his sword apparently through another man bending down in front of him. The coffins were to represent the arbitrary victims of Gen. Jackson during his service in the South- West, and the picture was supposed to represent a personal altercation with one of his many antag- onists. These illustrations were all explained in the context with due emphasis. For a long time the place of publication of the "Coffin Handbill," which was scattered all over the States, was a well- kept secret, and it was denounced with warmth by the Democrats. Finally it began to be suspect- ed that it emanated from the Torch Light office, and that Mr. Clay, who was Gen. Jackson's oppo- nent, had something to do with its publication. This suspicion may have arisen from the fact that in his annual return to the Capital from Kentucky he passed through Hagerstown, and as it was the last stop on the route, it was usual for him to take a rest here. In fact, on one of these occasions, I was taken across the street from the printing office to the "Globe Inn," by my father, and pre- sented to the great statesman-an honor which in those times of intensity, I greatly enjoyed. That the obnoxious document was printed in the office was fully conceded, and when the building was destroyed by fire, all the printers iu town united lovingly in removing its contents. John A. Freaner, an apprentice of the "Mail" office picked up the wood cut of Jackson, and discovering its import, pitched it back into the burning heap, with the delighted cry of "I'll send this to h-1, anyhow !"
"The private dwelling houses of Hagerstown, characterized by peculiar features which mark the different eras of construction, form an interesting retrospective study. In the days of its founda- tion, those of limestone, ereeted upon the spot from which the stone had been quarried on the ledges nearby, seem to have been preferred. This was illustrated in the original home of the founder of the town, in the Public Square, and the dwell- ing house of his historie successor, Col. Rochester, last occupied by his family before it removed to the Valley of the Genesee, standing on the eastern portion of the lot now occupied by the Hotel Hamilton. Others, of like character, included a stone house on North Potomac street, in which Col. Rochester once lived and later the home of Mrs. William Williamson. Another is the Gallo- way house, now the residence of Edward W. Mealey, at the corner of Washington and Jonathan streets. Still another is the old Fitzhugh house, on the corner of E. Antietam and Locust street, now occupied by W. W. Stover. These and others illustrate that particular period. In the days of Philip Wingert, brick succeeded, as is exemplified in his block on the corner of the Public Square and N. Potomac St., and brick structures of two stories became the favorite class, superceding the frame and roughcast houses, which have nearly all been replaced by the brick and the composite styles of the present day.
"Col. Rochester's original home was the large L shaped mansion on the entire square bounded by Washington, Antietam, Walnut streets and an alley, now Prospect St., and included a lot adjoin- ing on Antietam street to the cast. This property passed into the hands of Upton Lawrence, whose wife, Elizabeth, was the granddaughter of Jona- than Hager, "the founder," and from him into those of Joseph Patterson, of the eity of Balti- more. For a number of years this property re- inained unoccupied and neglected. On the ad- joining lot, separated only by an alley, was the residence of Mr. John Albert, a butcher, and in the rear of it was his slaughter house, on the ground now occupied by the manse of the Presby- terian Congregation. With the exception of a dilapidated stable, nothing stood upon this large square of land except the dwelling and a small brick house on the corner of Washington St. and the alley, which Col. Rochester had built for a post-office when he filled the office of post-master. The whole area otherwise presented the appearance
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