USA > Michigan > Saginaw County > History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, Volume II > Part 69
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From this modest beginning the present hardware firm of Morley Brothers developed. Schmitz has long since been dead; the original store deserted more than fifty years ago; but the Morley Brothers have remained active in the business. They have seen it graduate from a country store with barely six thousand square feet of floor space, from the back door of which boys used to spear bull frogs and shoot wild ducks, to a store and factories covering nearly half a million square feet. For many years the business has been the most thoroughly modernized hardware store in this section of the country, transacting the largest business of its kind in Michigan.
But this development was not of a moment, nor was it realized without much hard work on the part of the brothers. In less than two years after the new firm started. Schmitz & Morley moved into the Empire Block on Water Street, then the principal business street of the town. Here goods could be loaded from the rear door of the store into scows to be poled up the river to lumber camps, and supplies brought by lake boats could be unloaded practi- cally upon the firm's shelves. Soon after becoming settled in the new quar- ters, the Morleys bought out Schmitz, and the firm name was changed to Morley Brothers. The firm then comprised Albert Morley, of Painesville,
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
SILVERWARE AND ART SECTION, MORLEY BROTHERS
Ohio, the father, and his three sons, George W., Edward W., and Charles H., the last named having joined his brothers a few months after they had bought into the Saginaw business. The father and Charles H. later retired from the firm.
The continued growth of the business necessitated the addition of ad- joining stores, first on one side and then on the other, until at last, in 1881. Morley Brothers occupied seven stores, and decided to erect a suitable build- ing of their own. On April 1, 1881, a large plot of ground, two hundred and forty feet long, with ninety feet frontage on Washington Street, and one hundred and fifty feet on Water Street, was purchased from Jesse Hoyt. The site was then occupied by a large Summer garden. Building operations were at once begun, and on April 1, 1882, Morley Brothers moved into their new building.
This event attracted much attention in the press, as the establishment, with one exception, was the largest hardware store in the United States. This was thirty-six years ago; but the firm has kept pace with the progress of the times, and improvements and additions made from time to time. The store has always been a pride of Saginaw and one of its show places to visitors and travellers.
The division of Morley Brothers' business into departments, which at that time was a novelty, resulted in the following departments: 1, general hardware: 2, iron and steel : 3, carriage hardware and wood stock : 4, saddlery hardware; 5, stoves; 6, housefurnishing goods and stamped ware: 7, mill and lumbermen's supplies ; &, cordage, oakum and ship chandlery ; 9, paints, oils, varnishes and glass. Each department is most complete, that of hard- ware, in which the company transacts a business annually reaching into the millions, being one of the largest in the United States. Heavy hardware, including pipe, iron and steel, cordage, etc., occupies the rear portion of the lower floors, and a large warehouse on the dock on Water Street, erected in 1900.
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The saddlery department, which was added in 1881, has grown to pro- portions far greater than the imagination of the founders could have pre- dicted. In it may be found everything of interest to the trade; and the department is widely known with the rest of the institution for its standard stocks.
In the sporting goods department, which is complete in every detail, may be found at all times an unequalled line of guns and ammunition, cut glass, silverware, fishing tackle and athletic goods. To this large stock have been recently added a beautiful line of fine china, art glassware, and the Brooks phonograph which is manufactured in this city.
The manufacturing departments include harness and collars in the saddlery factory at Water and Tuscola Streets. Nothing is lacking to make the concern complete in every particular, and this fact, coupled with the hon- est, attentive business policy always followed, has brought it to a position of a leading hardware jobbing store of the Middle West.
George W. Morley, who served as president of the corporation since its organization on February 15, 1883, died April 10, 1914, and was succeeded by Edward W. Morley. Ralph C. Morley was chosen general manager in January, 1900, and later elected treasurer. The directors of the company are: Edward W. Morley, John E. Morley, George W. Morley, Jr., Ralph C. Morley, P. F. H. Morley, secretary ; Charles A. Phillips, manager of the saddlery department ; H. A. Werner, buyer; Thomas .A. Saylor, manager of sporting goods department ; E. L. Reichle, manager of mill supply department.
The senior members of the company were confident from the earliest days of the business stability of the city, and have lived to see Saginaw the third city in the State, and one of the leading cities of its class in the entire country.
HARDWARE AND CHINA SECTION, MORLEY BROTHERS
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
The Early Newspapers
As early as 1836, when Saginaw City was only a frontier settlement in the forest wilderness, a printing press and small assortment of type were brought from New York by Norman Little. It was a time when this enter- prising promoter was advertising extensively throughout the eastern states, the advantages of settlement here, and his plans of improvement included the starting of a weekly newspaper. Accordingly, on a certain day in 1836 there appeared the first issue of the Saginaw Journal, the pioneer newspaper of the Saginaw Valley. John P. Hlosmer was its first editor, his duties including the work of type-setting, working the press, and everything else done by hand, which generally fell to the printer's "devil." How long this primitive sheet was kept alive is not known.
The Saginaw North Star, the second newspaper printed here, was established in 1842 by R. W. Jenny. After a few years of precarious exis- tence it suspended publication, and for some time Saginaw City was without any newspaper of its own. At length L. L. G. Jones, having a liking and facility for collecting news, started the "Spirit of the Times," the first issue of which appeared on March 3, 1853. Under this somewhat catchy title he put out a presentable sheet, a copy of which, of date 1858, is preserved by Mrs. S. W. Kennedy, 703 North Michigan Avenue.
Another early newspaper was the Saginaw Valley Herald, which was started by a man named Blair, who soon after sold it to P. C. Andre. Before long Mr. Andre sold the paper, under certain conditions, to Bertram & Gardner, but as the conditions were not fulfilled, the sheet reverted to Mr. Andre in 1858. He continued the publication until 1868 when it was pur- chased by C. V. DeLand and run by F. A. Palmer for about six years. In the Fall of 1872 this paper started daily publication, and six months later the office was removed to East Saginaw and an afternoon daily published to take the place of the Enterprise, which had just suspended. The Daily Herald was continued until November 28, 1875. when it too suspended. the Weekly Herald, however, being continued.
In 1870 the Saginaw Republican, a weekly newspaper, was published by F. A. Palmer & Company. The office was above Jay Smith's drug store on Court Street, where "job printing of all kinds, at moderate prices, was executed promptly." Later the same company started the Daily Repub- lican, in the Bliss Block, which was issued every afternoon (Sundays excepted). The price was "eight dollars a year, by mail in advance, or delivered by carrier at seventy-five cents per month; job printing neatly executed at reasonable prices." During this period the "Saginawian," a Democratic newspaper was published at Saginaw City by George F. Lewis, a pioneer journalist of this city. The office was in the Khien Block, Hamil- ton Street, where "job printing in all styles is executed and blank books printed and bound to order." The Saginaw Valley News, a semi-weekly paper, was established July 7, 1874, by Charles Il. Lee.
A Reporter's Reminiscences
In speaking of the difficulties of collecting news and publishing news- papers forty or fifty years ago, F. Bruce Smith, a well known reporter, a short time before his death, said: "Today the news gatherer can sit at his desk and with the telephone reach several hundred sources of information about any local happening he thinks may interest the public. The intro- duction of the telephone in Saginaw was, I think, about 1880.
"Conditions were very different here a half century ago. Prior to 1887 the only street lights in Saginaw City were gas lamps. The posts were a block apart and were placed on only a few of the main streets. The only
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pavements were of plank, and only in the business section-Court Street for two blocks and Hamilton for four blocks being paved full width. The rest of the streets were dirt-muddy in Spring and Fall and dusty in Summer. The only sidewalks were boards laid on the ground, or indeed, the bare earth tramped down hard. Under such conditions getting about town in quest of news was not easy or altogether enjoyable. A part of my equip- ment when I commenced gathering news for a morning paper, as necessary as my note book and pencil, was a lantern to light my way.
"One night when I was reporting the proceedings of the common council, one of the aldermen insisted that the time had come when the ordinance prohibiting cattle and horses from running at large in the streets, should be enforced. The late James Ilay, who was present, said to me: 'I am glad the council has taken this stand. I hope that the poundmaster will take my cow and not some widow washerwoman's cow to the pound.' He foresaw that many animals would be impounded before the owners would realize
GEORGE F. LEWIS Pioneer Journalist
that the old days of violation of the ordinance had passed. In this con- nection I recall writing a paragraph to this effect: 'Sheriff M --- is cleaning up the jail yard with a four-legged lawnmower.' The jail yard was enclosed by a four-foot fence.
"The Daily News was published in Saginaw City for some six years beginning in 1877. For a year or two following I was ambitious for new features, and church paragraphs under the heading of Religious Intelligence' were presented in Saturday's issue. Some of the pastors had conscientious scruples about announcing subjects of their sermons, but with most of them the scruples gave way when they were to preach on a topic of special interest.
"In 1880 the Saginaw Herald, which had succeeded the Saginawian, tried the experiment of a Monday morning issue. The Sunday field for local news was largely confined to church matters, and, as ministers were not inclined to furnish a synopsis of their sermons. I had to cover four or five churches. To get to all of them 1 frequently called on volunteer reporters, one of whom was Fred W. Bushell, who was a book agent, selling
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
PERRY JOSLIN
bibles. The first work he did for me was reporting sermons of Reverend A. F. Bruske, the pastor of the deer-shooting out of season notoriety, later president of Alma College. From this start Mr. Bushell became one of the ablest of Saginaw's newspaper men, and he was city editor of the Saginaw Courier-Herald for several years. lle then went to Minneapolis and became city editor of the Minneapolis News, and died there about 1901." Charles B. Schaefer, news editor of the Courier, was also a well known newspaper man for many years connected with newspapers here.
During the late eighties the only daily newspaper in Saginaw City was the Saginaw Evening Journal, which was established in April, 1886. D. Z. Curtis was the manager and editor and F. Bruce Smith was city editor. The Journal was a healthy and vigorous paper, alive to the interests of Saginaw City, and had a substantial patronage. In 1887 a weekly edition was started and it sustained the reputation of the daily paper for furnishing interesting news.
Pioneer Newspapers in East Saginaw
The first newspaper in East Saginaw was the Saginaw Enterprise, which was started in 1853 by Williamson & Mason. Without financial means to carry on a publication on the frontier, or indeed, experience in newspaper work, their efforts at journalism met with scanty support by the pioneers, and a year later the paper was sold to Perry Joslin. He at once made it a live sheet, injecting subjects and items of general interest, and soon had the Enterprise on a solid basis. In 1864 Francis Parth, who had been connected with the printing office since the paper was started, was admitted as partner with Mr. Joslin, and a year later C. V. Deland also became a partner. In September, 1865, the Daily Enterprise was started and continued until the Spring of 1873, when it suspended. About 1870 the newspaper was located in a building at 125-27 North Washington Street, on the site of Morley Brothers hardware store. It announced "the largest circulation and best advertising medium in this part of the State; plain and ornamental printing neatly and promptly executed."
On June 16, 1859, appeared the first issue of the Saginaw Weekly Courier, a paper founded by George F. Lewis, who was probably the ablest of the newspaper men of that period. He was a man of strong character. possessed an indomitable will, and became a powerful figure in city and
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county affairs. In 1868, in association with Bradley M. Thompson, E. W. Lyon and Joseph Seemann, he started the Daily Courier which was "pub- lished every morning (except Mondays) and is the organ for the salt and lumber interests, and the best local paper in Northern Michigan. The Weekly Courier (published every Thursday) is replete with the latest current news and is a first-class family journal." Later the Courier was sold to S. S. Pomroy, who printed the paper and conducted a job office on South Franklin Street, in the rear of the Penney Block.
Edwin D. Cowles Takes Charge of the Courier
The fortunes of the Daily Courier were materially improved in March, 1874, by the acquisition of Edwin D. Cowles, a journalist of great promise, who for about two years had been city editor of the Daily Enterprise. Ile assumed the editorial management of the Courier, in which position he remained for fifteen years, and was very successful in raising the standards of journalism in this section of the State. In September, 1889, in association
You un requested to to pinsent at " meeting of fermement ' Donerats of the Sagenan Kathy , se to hotel at Percin 'Vi. 1.3. Banruft . " inm. Wednesday Evening, Feb, 5th,'68 at 71-2 o'clock, P. M., to the artun in inquiet is the sommangement and sejfrest of the Party "Grunn, som to be issued .
W. L. WEBBER.
GEO L. BURROWS. JNO. MOORE.
M. JEFFERS.
A. F. R. BRALEY,
J. I. KETCHAM. L. J. WHEELER. 11. W. JEWEIT.
WM. 3. MILLER.
T. E. DOUGHTY.
B. B. BUCKHOUT,
(. EMERSON.
ROOT & MIDLER.
[Courtesy of W. J. Hunsaker]
FAC-SIMILE OF NOTICE OF MEETING TO SUPPORT THE DAILY COURIER
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
with Roswell G. Horr, he purchased the Saginaw Daily Herald, which had been published by Laing Brothers on North Cass ( Baum) Street, and was made editor-in-chief of the Saginaw Courier-Herald, the paper which resulted from the consolidation with the Courier. In this capacity he remained until 1902, when he sold his interests in the paper and removed to Bay City.
During his thirty years of editorial work in Saginaw. Mr. Cowles manifested his courage and fidelity to the principles of the Republican party, to whose political fortunes the paper was unequivocally committed ; and during the campaign of Colonel Aaron T. Bliss for Gov- ernor of Michigan, the Courier-Herald was his most staunch supporter, exerting a large in- fluence in his behalf. For thirty-five years Mr. Cowles was the Saginaw Valley corre- spondent of the American Lumberman, and in his compilation of statistics of lumber and salt production in this valley, he became known far and wide as an authority on these subjects. His statements were prepared with great care E. D. COWLES, IN 1874 and attention to details, and no man was so well posted on the history and development of these industries. For a period of twenty years Mr. Cowles was the Sagi- naw correspondent of the Detroit Free Press, to which he contributed much interesting and valuable matter.
The Saginaw Courier-Herald
On January 1, 1902, the Saginaw Daily Courier-Herald, then owned by Edwin D. Cowles, Fred G. Cowles and Governor Aaron T. Bliss, was sold to Walter J. Hunsaker. of Detroit, and Chase S. Osborn, of Sault Ste. Marie. Mr. Ilunsaker, who had wide experience in journalism in the West and as editor of the Detroit Journal, at once assumed the entire editorial manage- ment and business control of the paper, while Mr. Osborn, who was State Railroad Commissioner, took no active part in the business. Its policy in general was not changed and it remained in politics an independent Repub- lican paper, free from political direction and of influences, except such as were in accord with its own thought and purpose.
To place the paper in the front rank of daily newspapers in Saginaw Valley, it was necessary to overhaul the entire mechanical equipment ; and the new owners proceeded on an extensive plan of improvement. AA battery of five new linotype type setting machines replaced the old Rogers typo- graphs and new display type of attractive face was added from time to time. Later a high-speed electrically driven Hoe press of the most approved type was installed, capable of running twenty-four pages at the rate of twelve thousand papers per hour and lesser pages at higher speed. In recent years the equipment has become completely modernized, including electrical drive for all machines, insuring typographical excellence efficiently and economi- cally produced. The general improvement in the news and editorial features of the paper, as well as in mechanical facilities, is reflected in the steady increase in circulation, in advertising, and in the influence exerted on public opinion.
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THE HOME OF THE SAGINAW COURIER-HERALD
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
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BATTERY OF SIX LINOTYPE TYPESETTING MACHINES
During the Roosevelt-Taft primary campaign of 1912 Mr. Hunsaker pur- chased the interest in the paper of his associate, Chase S. Osborn, at that time governor of the State, and thereupon assumed entire ownership of the property. The paper has since been wholly directed by his policies, both politically and editorially, as publisher. The editorial management is in the hands of Arthur O. Cook. William A. Rorke, formerly of the Bay City Tribune, is the business manager of the paper. Robert C. Laing, one of the publishers of the old Saginaw Herald before its consolidation with The Courier, is telegraph editor.
The Saginaw Courier-Ilerald at present represents the oldest continuous newspaper published in Saginaw, and enjoys a prestige which permanency gives. Its progenitors are grey with age. Dating from the establishment of the Weekly Courier in 1859, the Daily Courier in 1868, and the purchase and consolidation of the Daily Herald in 1889, The Courier-Herald justly claims the distinction of being the pioneer paper of Saginaw to maintain continuous publication. Several years ago the Weekly Courier, which had been published for half a century, was discontinued.
The demise of the weekly edition was due to the establishment in its present scope of the rural free delivery service, which has had great influence upon newspaper reading. By extending this service to cover practically every farm home in Saginaw and adjoining counties, the Government opened up a large field for the daily morning edition. It was soon discovered that farmers needed a daily morning paper, reaching them within a few hours after publication, as a valuable adjunct to rural life. They found that The Courier-Herald brought them the news of the world, the previous day's market reports, and such things of general interest almost as quickly as it
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did to residents of the city. In fact a great many farmers living from twelve to sixteen miles distant from the city receive their daily morning papers be- tween nine and ten o'clock in the morning, and others nearer the city some- what earlier. Consequently the rural circulation of the daily Courier-Herald increased rapidly, so that the Weekly Courier as formerly constituted be- came obsolete. This was true of all weekly papers excepting certain local weeklies published in small towns and county seats. As a result of the creation of rural free delivery service The Courier-Herald quickly gained and still holds by far the largest circulation among the farming community of any publication in this section of the State.
Although the Weekly Courier was the oldest direct progenitor of The Courier-Herald, the latter fell heir to all morning papers published here prior to 1890, and from that year no efforts were made to start a competing morn- ing paper in Saginaw. It is now the only morning newspaper published in the eastern half of Michigan, between Detroit and Lake Superior, and has had no competition in the morning field since it took over the Saginaw Herald in 1889. This has resulted in its becoming "the paper that goes home." and in its being read by the second and third generations of men who subscribed for it when Saginaw was merely a border lumbering town. Many citizens now past middle life recall the old Courier in the home when they were chil- dren, and it was as much a part of the home life as now.
The present policy of The Courier-Herald is broad and liberal, yet soundly conservative, and its attitude toward public questions is singularly open-minded. It believes in unity and harmony between the several sections of the city, and advocates a spirit of helpfulness and co-operation among business and professional men. To all projects intended to advance the mate-
THE HOE HIGH SPEED PRESS
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
rial prosperity, increase the employment of labor, and better living condi- tions of the community, it gives unqualified support, and may always be found on the side of progress and truth. It stands for enlightened public interest in good civic government, and, being free from political entanglements, exerts a strong influence to the culmination of its purpose.
A factor of great importance in the success of The Courier-Ilerald is the Associated Press full night telegraphic news service, over a leased wire direct into its office, which the paper has enjoyed since 1902. It was the first news- paper in this city to secure the full press reports, thus enabling it to give complete day and night news up to nine o'clock in the morning. Moreover, the reports, being gathered with more time for preparing the news than the hurried day press reports, are amplified and usually contain more interesting details. A fac simile of the Associated Press certificate of membership. granted to Walter J. Hunsaker in 1902, is reproduced below.
. 1 ?
TIE ASSOCIATED PRESS INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP
This is a Creditas, this Salter J. Hunsaker
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. Perselany
THE CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HELD BY WALTER J. HUNSAKER FOR THE SAGINAW COURIER-HERALD
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VARIED COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
The Saginaw Daily News
Following in the footsteps of the pioneer journalists was the Saginaw Evening News, founded in 1881 by Joseph Seemann and Charles H Peters. Sr., with whom the idea originated that there was room in Saginaw for an evening paper. They were convinced that the public had more time to read daily papers after supper than before breakfast ; that there was a chance for a larger circulation for an afternoon paper and that the readers of such papers were more susceptible to the influence of advertisements than the readers of morning papers generally. Accordingly the first issue of the paper, consisting of several thousand copies, appeared on May 2, 1881, and was in the main distributed gratuitously, the paid circulation being less than five hundred. The price was fifty cents a month, and the politics Democratic.
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