History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 52

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100

USA > Maine > Penobscot County > History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 52

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

EASTERN REPUBLICAN.

This paper was edited by Nathaniel Haynes, a gentle- man of culture and literary taste. The Register styled him "Attorney of Law, late of Orono." He possessed a different temper from that of the editor of the Gazette, and stirred up the bile of Mr. James Burton, jr., of the Register, wonderfully, who took delight in calling it the "Genuine." After a few issues Mr. Burton's delight as- sumed a dismal cast, for he felt constrained to "move on the works" of his adversary in this style: "False charges, malicious innuendoes, misrepresentations, and circumstances with which we have not the slightest con- nection, have been brought in requisition against us; in no instance where his evil genius could conceive he might injure our feelings or reputation has he neglected the attempt." The Republican was alive at the time of the demise of the Register, which journal in its valedic- tory gave its editor the following kick: "Perchance, too, we have at times felt more pity than indignation at the puny and spiteful and exceedingly little spirts of the young man, and have made many apologies for him sim- ilar to his own for his 'mistake'in advocating duelling-that he is, constitutionally, altogether a mistake, and laboring under the influence of that malady that never permits him to be on the right side, or to feel at all amiable to- wards his species. In sober truth, we have felt more pity than anger, and more contempt than either."

Mr. Haynes continued in charge of the Republican as long as his health would permit. On his resigning his position, his brother, Isaac C. Haynes, who had been in the office with him, succeeded him, and continued to control the columns of the Republican until December, 1837, when he sold the establishment to General Samuel Veazie and others.

The Republican was a vigorous supporter of Andrew Jackson for the Presidency of the United States, and sustained the Democratic party in all its measures, until its sale to Veazie & Co., when it was conducted in the interest of the "Conservatives," a faction of the Demo- cratic party who were opposed to President Jackson's measures in relation to the United States Bank. It was understood to be under the editorial control of John Hodgdon until its final suspension in November, 1838, when its subscription list was transferred to the Frankfort Intelligencer. Mr. Hodgdon returned to his allegiance to the Democratic party, and afterward removed to Du- buque, Iowa, where he now resides.

THE CLARION.

This was a small quarto literary paper, established May 3, 1828, by Gilman Merrill, and published from the office of the Bangor Register. It was at first edited by Charles. Gilman, son of Hon. Allen Gilman, first mayor of Bangor. After a time the Clarion was enlarged from a sheet of four pages to one of eight pages, and was edited by B. B. Thatcher, the poet, conjointly with Mr. Gilman. These editors were liberally educated, and law- yers. The Clarion was very creditably edited by them. They were both young men when they left the paper. Mr. Gilman was afterward law-reporter in Quincy, Illin-

ois, where he died. Mr. Thatcher obtained distinction as an author in Massachusetts, where he died.

The Bangor Register was succeeded by the

PENOBSCOT JOURNAL.

This paper was edited by the late lamented Phineas Barnes, esq., who had a short time previous to its estab- lishment graduated from college. It was, as may be supposed, ably conducted. It advocated the cause of the National Republican party from August, 1831, for about two years.

In 1833 the Whig party was organized, and on Sep- tember 22, 1833, the

BANGOR COURIER

was established as an exponent of its principles, by Wil- liam E. P. Rogers. As a partisan paper it was the lineal descendant of the Penobscot Journal. It came under the editorial supervision of Samuel Upton-a former unsuccessful merchant in Castine-and his son Horace Upton. It was edited with considerable vigor and ability. On July 1, 1834, Mr. Rogers established in connection with the Courier a daily paper, styled the Bangor Daily Whig .. On December 20, 1834, the name was changed to

BANGOR DAILY WHIG AND COURIER.

This name it was borne until now, and bids fair to bear for a long time to come. It continued under the same proprietor and editor until September 21, 1835, at which time the junior editor retired, because of fail- ing eye-sight, and Mr. Rogers disposed of the establish- ment to Gamalid Marchant and Jacob A. Smith. Samuel Upton continued to edit the paper for a time, but at length retired, leaving the editorial labor in the hands of Mr. Marchant, who managed it creditably until his health failed. His lungs being affected, in the fall of 1837 he made a voyage to the West Indies for relief, but on his return, in May, 1838, he concluded to dis- pose of his interest in the paper, and on June 8 sold it to John Edwards of Portland. The paper was carried on by Edwards & Smith until August 2, 1841, when Mr. Edwards transferred his interest to John S. Sayward, then late of the Mechanic and Farmer. The paper was in the hands of Smith & Sayward until May, 1854,-nearly thirteen years. Mr. Sayward had especial charge of the editorial department, and Mr. Smith of the printing. The paper was ably and successfully managed by these gentlemen. On the Ist day of May, 1854, they sold the es- tablishment to William H. Wheeler and John H. Lynde. Mr. Wheeler had recently been connected with the edito- rial department of the Kennebec Journal. In introducing these gentlemen, Mr. Sayward said of Mr. Wheeler, that through him the political, social, intellectual and moral welfare of the people would be promoted, and of Mr. Lynde, that he possessed energy, skill, and business habits. The result has shown that Mr. Sayward was not in error. Mr. Wheeler's management of the editorial de- partment of the paper confirmed his opinion of him ; and that Mr. Lynde has conducted the financial affairs of the establishment with skill, energy, and success there can be no question.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Mr. Wheeler continued his connection with the paper until November, 1868, when he disposed of his interest to Mr. Lynde, and removed to Boston, where he died, March 9, 1871. He was born in Wor- cester, Massachusetts, February 13, 1817, but the largest part of his life was spent in Augusta. He served a long and faithful apprenticeship as a printer in the office of the Kennebec Journal; continued his connection with the office for many years as journeyman, and became one of the proprietors in 1850, when Luther Severance, whom he succeeded as editor, retired from the paper to accept the mission to the Sandwich Islands. In June, 1853, Mr. Wheeler sold his interest in the property to his partner, William H. Simpson, but remained as editor until 1854, when he went into business in Bangor as partner of John H. Lynde, in the publication of the Daily Whig and Courier. Of this paper he was editor and joint proprietor from 1854 until the autumn of 1868, when he sold his interest to Mr. Lynde, and removed to Boston, where until recently he was employed as one of the editors of the New England Farmer. He left a wife and four children-two sons and two daughters.

The Boston Journal speaks of Mr. Wheeler's char- acter as a journalist as follows: He displayed marked ability as a political writer, and gave promise of attain- ing to the highest rank in his profession-a promise ill health alone prevented the complete fulfilment. How- ever, he held for a long time the strongest pen in the State of his nativity, and has left a record in journalism of which his family and many friends have a right to feel proud. His views with regard to the duties and obliga- tions of journalism were pure and lofty, and were thor- oughly carried out in the newspapers over which he exercised control. Thoroughly conscientious, yet un- obtrusive, gentle and amiable at all times, upright in his walk and catholic in thought, he had many friends who will hear of his demise with deep regret. He was modest and retiring to a fault, otherwise he might have held high official position. Devoted to his profession, he sought no honors outside of it. Mr. Lynde has since carried on the establishment in his own name. The paper has been under the editorial management of, first, Joseph W. Bartlett, (principal), and J. Swett Rowe, (local) editors, and now of Captain C. A. Bontelle, (prin- cipal) and Edwin A. Perry and Alfred S. Meigs (assist- ant local) editors.

The Whig and Courier was an earnest supporter of the Whig party during its existence, and has been an un- flinching advocate of the principles of the Republican party since the Whig party was dissolved. It now stands among the ablest papers in the State; its business has steadily increased from the commencement, and it may well be called a success. When Messrs. Smith & Say- ward left it, Mr. Sayward went into the Kennebec Jour- nal, and has since left that paper with a competency, and is enjoying his otium cum dignitate upon his farm in Boxford, Massachusetts. Mr. Smith is enjoying his in an elegant residence upon Thomas's Hill, in Bangor.

When the Anti-Masonic party deemed itself of suffi- cient importance to organize politically, its leaders

thought it expedient to establish an organ in Bangor ; and Anson Herrick removed thither from Hallowell, where he had been associated with Richard D. Rice (af- terward Judge Rice of the Supreme Judicial Court), in printing a paper, for the purpose. On the 7th day of August, 1834, he published the first number of the

PENOBSCOT FREEMAN.

This paper was under the editorial charge of Asa Walker, a polished and vigorous writer. We believe it survived its party, but was not long-lived. Mr. Her- rick's enterprising disposition prompted him to greater things than the publishing of a weekly Anti-Masonic journal, and in August, 1835, he commenced the publi- cation of a small daily paper, styled the

DAILY COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER.

This was a lively, non-partisan journal, and Mr. Her- rick made it quite taking for several months, until, in consequence of an unfortuate non-financial operation, he suddenly (in May, 1836), came to the conclusion that New York ideas would be more favorable to his success than those of Bangor, and removed to that city, where he established the Sunday Atlas. He was right in his conclusion. He was made an alderman, and a Member of Congress (as his father, Ebenezer Herrick, had been before him), in New York, and when he died a few years since, he left a fortune (we believe), and the Atlas in the full tide of prosperity. But notwithstand- ing Mr. Herrick left Bangor, the Advertiser went on. It fell into the editorial hands of John W. Frost, a young lawyer, who manipulated its enunciation with much bra- very until December, 1836, when it was absorbed by the

PEOPLES' PRESS.

This was a daily and weekly Democratic paper of a peculiar stamp, established by Thomas Bartlett, jr., March 12, 1836. The paper was edited with some smartness for something more than two years. We be- lieve it was suspended in November, 1838.

On February 6, 1835, an association of gentlemen having at heart the welfare of the artisans and agricul- turists, established a weekly journal, under the style of the

MECHANIC AND FARMER.

This association was composed of John Brown & Co. They employed John S. Sayward as its editor. In his introductory, the editor announced it to be his intention "to assist and cheer mankind in the various duties of the workshop, the field and the domestic circle; to urge for- ward correct feelings and action among the practical working men of the country." The Mechanic and Far- mer was an interesting and useful journal, and was in existence four years. Its last number was published February 21, 1839. Its publishers were successively, Cobb & Merrill, Charles Cobb, Benjamin A. Burr, and William E. P. Rogers. In June, 1835, John S. Carter commenced a monthly publication, the

EASTERN MAGAZINE.

This was edited by Mrs. M. P. Carter (wife of the publisher), who was a poet, and a writer of much merit. She continued in the editorial chair until failing health

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

compelled her to leave it, in December, 1835, when she was succeeded by Charles Gilman. Mr. Gilman contin- ued in it during the remainder of the year, after which he edited it as the

MAINE MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

This periodical was published by John S. Carter. Both these publications were handsomely printed, and ob- tained considerable reputation for literary merit. The patronage extended to them was not sufficient to keep them in existence.

In January, 1836, Mr. Carter established a pleasant weekly,

THE BANGOREAN.

This was edited by Mr. Gilman, also. It was hand- somely printed, and edited with ability. It was not, however, a political paper, and there being no powerful company behind to sustain it, its fortunes were united with those of the Mechanic and Farmer in October, 1836.

In 1837, Rev. Thomas Curtis, a Baptist clergyman of much learning and ability, came to Bangor from Eng- land, and conceived the project of putting before the public a literary and religious paper worthy of the sup- port of an intelligent community. It was understood that Professor Leonard Woods (afterwards President Woods of Bowdoin College) was to assist in the editor- ship. A respectable subscription was raised, and the result was the

BANGOR JOURNAL.

The first number was issued June 1, 1837. The paper was continued just one year. It was printed by Samuel S. Smith. It was edited by Mr. Curtis and his son. It was a handsome paper in quarto form, and contained eight pages of reading matter. Although the articles were well written, yet they were not to the popular taste, and the subscriptions were not renewed.

As the Democrats were a live party in Penobscot, and professed to have some political light, they did not choose to have that light hid under a bushel long at a time; therefore, when the Eastern Republican fell into what they conceived to be conservative darkness, many of them "pooled " in $10 apiece, and on the 15th day of February, 1836, started on its long and eventful career, the

BANGOR DEMOCRAT.

William R. Smith, and, we believe, for a time, William T. Johnson, were its publishers. It at length came un- der the editorial charge of Isaac C. Haynes, formerly of the Republican, who was its editor for many years. Although strongly partisan, yet Mr. Haynes's editorials were usually dignified, quite free of personali- ties, and perhaps as temperate and little objectionable as partisan editorials could well be. On November 22, 1838, the publication of the Democrat passed into the hands of John Pray and William Thompson. Mr. Thompson at length became the sole publisher, and so continued during Mr. Haynes's connection with it, until August 3, 1857.

Marcellus Emery, a graduate of Bowdoin College, a lawyer, and a gentleman of ability, succeeded Mr.

Haynes as editor of the Democrat. He, for a time, published in connection with the Democrat a daily paper, the

BANGOR DAILY UNION.

This paper took strong ground against the Republican party, President Lincoln, and the war for the suppression of the Rebellion; and it was thought by the enemies of the Rebellion that the editorials were rank with treason, and almost every issue provoked denunciation and threats against the editor. Hon. Isaiah Stetson was then mayor, and so open and violent were these threats at last that his attention was called to the excitement, and he was very anxious to prevent an outbreak. But no vigilance could provide against the cool determination of a community that felt itself outraged by what it con- ceived to be attacks upon the principles which they had been educated to believe sacred, and stabs at the heart of their country. On the 12th of August, 1861, while Mr. Emery and his assistants were at their dinner, the mob quietly entered his office and shied his presses, paper, types, cases, and apparatus of all sorts, from the fourth story windows into the street, and afterwards piled them up in the market-place and burned them; and, when he appeared to remonstrate against this unexpected disposi- tion of his property, the indignation against him was so great that it was with difficulty he was protected from violence.

But Mr. Emery was not to be suppressed. After the lapse of nearly a year and a half, when the public irrita- tion had to some extent subsided, he made an appeal to his Democratic friends in the State, and was enabled to resuscitate the Democrat in January, 1863. This paper is still in existence, under his charge, and is the Demo- cratic organ of Penobscot county.

After the war was closed, Mr. Eemry, counting either upon the imperfect memory or forgiving disposition of the people, sought to recover the value of his de- stroyed property by a suit, in Waldo county, against cer- tain individuals for trespass. These individuals, how- ever, determined that a jury of Waldo county should render no verdict without a full understanding of Mr. Emery and of the disloyal utterances of his journal, and of the great injury they were doing to the cause of the country at the time of the suppression. And, in a protracted trial, they produced sufficient testimony to the jury (a portion of whom were Democrats), that they returned a verdict that Mr. Emery's paper was a "public nuisance"-but giving some damages against two of the defendants, Tabor and Hopkins, who had made them- selves conspicuous in the mob, though, unfortunately for Mr. Emery, they were poor men and not able to re- spond, and were quite indifferent in regard to the result of the suit. They had both been to the war and done something for their country, and as Mr. Emery had the privilege of living in it without contributing anything voluntarily for its salvation, they were quite willing his involuntary contribution should stand. The other de- fendants in the suit were declared not guilty; but a new trial was granted, which has not yet been had.

It is but justice to Mr. Emery to say, that on the

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

night of the arrival of the news of Lee's surrender, after being informed of it, and prompted by some enthusiastic war people, he left his bed in haste, and taking his stand upon the balcony of his hotel, proclaimed that he was a friend of the Union, and waved the stars and stripes in a manner indicating, to the spectators in the streets, that he loved the flag.

The Democrat has now the support or countenance of such prominent Democrats as Major-General James H. Butler, chairman of the State Democratic Commit- tee, ex-Surveyor-General Gorham L. Boynton, Abraham Sanborn, William H. McCrillis, James F. Rawson, Amos M. Roberts, Hastings Strickland, Isaac W. Patten, Jo- seph Chase, James Tobin, and Abner Knowles, esqrs .; General Charles W. Roberts, Drs. George W. Ladd and C. A. Jordan ("Faust"), Hon. George P. Sewall, Benja- min Swett, Joshua W. Carr, William T. Hilliard, John Varney, and Simpson Rollins, esqrs.

In the year 1842, the anti-slavery men of Bangor, having the year before organized a branch of the party known as the Liberty party, felt the necessity of an or- gan, and on April 30, 1842, sent forth the first number of the

BANGOR GAZETTE.

This was a weekly paper; its publisher, John Burrill; editor, John E. Godfrey. It was continued for a year as a weekly ; after this, its publisher thinking the en- couragement sufficient to warrant it, issued a daily sheet. The design of the proprietors was to put before the people facts in regard to American slavery, and to impress upon them the idea that, as that was a political institution, it was by political appliances that it must be abolished; that, constituted as they were, it was impos- sible for either the Whig or Democratic party to take action against it and maintain its integrity; therefore, that the only practicable way of operating against the institution, politically, was by voting squarely against it. The effect of the argument was soon felt, and both the great parties were driven to concede, by resolves and editorial utterances, that political action was necessary, but their organs insisted that the action must be through the two great parties. As the people preferred to re- main with their old parties so long as there was the least hope of accomplishing anything through them, acces- sions to the Liberty party were gradual. In a vote of the city, the largest ever obtained by the Liberty party was between 300 and 400, in an entire vote of the citi- zens of between 2,000 and 3,000. But the anti-slavery sentiment was strengthened throughout the community to a very much greater extent than the vote of the Lib- erty party indicated. That vote, however, and the agi- tation it occasioned, and the information promulgated by its journals, accomplished the end sought for much earlier than its friends expected. The Gazette performed its share of the labor. It was continued several years. In about two years after its establishment, Mr. Burrill disposed of his interest, and was succeeded by George W. Light as publisher. Mr. Light was succeeded by Seward P. Moore. Mr. Godfrey, atter a time, relin- quished the editorial chair, and was succeeded by Asa

Walker. When the Free-Soil party came into existence, in which the Liberty party was merged, Mr. Walker changed the name of the Gazette to

THE PLATFORM,

under which name it was published, by Francis Shepherd & Son, during the Free-Soil campaign, in which Mr. Van Buren was candidate of that party for the Presidency.

The prominent supporters of the Gazette during its existence were Adams H. Merrill, Charles A. Stackpole, Jonas P. Veazie, George A. Thatcher, James Allen, Asa Davis, Nathan P. Wiggin, Albert G. Wakefield, Llewel- lyn J. Morse, Joseph C. White, Albert Titcomb, Elijah Low, Charles Plummer, Joel Hills, Joseph E. Littlefield, John S. Kimball, Timothy Crosby, John S. Johnston, Theodore S. Brown, Henry B. Farnham, Henry Gale, Charles Godfrey, Alexander Drummond, Joseph Brown, and others.

During Mr. Godfrey's connection with the Gazette, he collected the principal anti-slavery articles of that paper, and Mr. Burrill published them in a monthly journal called

THE EXPOSITOR.

This paper was in a quarto form, was furnished at a low price, and had quite an extensive circulation. The articles were temperate, judicious, and free from bitter- ness, and produced a good effect.

The history of the Free-Soil party is not forgotten. It was the offspring of the Liberty party, as the Republican party was the offspring of the Free-Soil party, before which the once glorious Whig party. vanished like chaff before the wind, and the great Democratic party fell, prone to struggle for long years against a destiny which, in the days of Andrew Jackson, no one could have dreamed awaited it, to wit-annihilation.

BANGOR POST.

This was a racy paper, established some time before the year 1850, by Thomas Bartlett, formerly of the Peoples' Press, to amuse the community and support himself. It was a jolly, readable paper, and "took" while it was taken; but, unfortunately, for want of material aid, it was not taken long.

Mr. Bartlett had a brother, a printer by trade, a witty and enterprising person, a victim of the cacoethes scribendi, who started a paper in the year 1844, to amuse, edify, and provoke the community. It was not particular what it said or whom it placed blushing before the public gaze, provided its treasury derived benefit from it. It bore the name of

BANGOR DAILY MERCURY.

It was the mouthpiece of all the wags, all the croakers, all the grumblers, all the envious, and all the jolly and dissatisfied persons who chose to send it their contri- butions. It was much dreaded by timid persons, but sometimes it stirred up the risibilities of the people won- derfully. It started the Antiquarian burlesque, which kept the community in a state of merry fermentation for weeks. Those who recollect the excursion of the Mercury's antiquarians down the Penobscot river, their marvellous adventures with Aboljacknegus, Porkunsis,

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

and Baskahegan giant-whiskey-will not recall them without being inclined to renew their cachinnation of those merry times.

But it was at last with the Mercury as it is with all similar guerilla journals; after the people had been pretty generally lampooned, they lost their relish for that kind of amusement, and began to withhold their patronage. The consequence of this was that Mr. Bartlett relin- quished the editorship, saying, in his valedictory, that he had put nothing into the concern, and he left its capital unimpaired. In 1850 the establishment passed into the hands of several Whig gentlemen, who greatly enlarged it, and placed it under the charge of Samuel P. Dinsmore and Charles P. Roberts, two young lawyers of more than ordinary editorial ability. It was conducted, in connec- tion with a weekly issue, in the interests of the Whig party, until the year 1854, when it stopped. The estab- lishment went into the hands of W. E. Hilton & Co., and was converted into a straight Whig paper, and called

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 52

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co. Number of Pages: 1100

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100