The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a chronological cyclopedia of the past and present, Vol I, Part 108

Author: Farmer, Silas, 1839-1902
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Detroit, S. Farmer & co
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a chronological cyclopedia of the past and present, Vol I > Part 108

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That publishers had their tribulations then as now is evidenced by a notice in The Gazette for September 11, 1818. After warning the people against a person who had defrauded them, the pub- lishers say :

Citizens who have been wronged by scoundrels have only to send a notice of their wrongs and the name of the scoundrel to this office in order to put the public on guard. Such notices will be published gratis.

In the last number of the paper, printed on April 22, 1830, this notice appears :

Some light-fingered gentleman entered our office and took from thence a double-cased silver watch with a steel chain and two gold seals and a key, The man who would steal from a printer ought to be compelled to drive a snail through the Black Swamp to Boston in dog-days, and suck a dry sponge for nourish- ment.

An editorial of July 14, 1820, shows that they had other perplexities. It says :

We have in the city of Detroit 82 subscribers ; at River Raisin, 17 ; in other parts of the Territory, 19 ; total, 118 subscribers in Michigan Territory ; 2 subscribers in Upper Canada, and 32 in different parts of the Union. Total subscribers, 152. Not one of the advertisements have been paid for, and only 90 subscribers have paid for the paper.

Possibly in order to get their pay more readily, the price was reduced the next year to $3.

The following extract from the Carrier's Address of January 1, 1822, is suggestive :

Detroit, thy little capital, Thy little villages likewise, In miniature shall mimic all That mankind see beneath the skies.

Ambition still shall find the means To show capacity of sconce ;

And Council House shall furnish scenes For those who spout for fame or pence.

Still shall delicious whitefish run In millions through our noble strait ;

And many a daughter, many a son, Be born to bless our future State.

Foolish quarrels, friendly greetings Will be numerous as ever ; And weddings, dinners, births and meetings Shall make, at times, all sorts feel clever.

In July, 1828, The Gazette was leased to H. L. Ball for nine years ; John P. Sheldon became editor, and January, 1829, witnessed the beginnings of what is doubtless the most remarkable event in the history of the press of Michigan. A man named John Reed had been convicted of larceny in the circuit court of Wayne County. When the jury was being drawn for trial of the case he challenged one of the jurors for cause, but his challenge was overruled, and he had to make use of his statutory right of peremptory challenge in order to have the objectionable juror dismissed. It was not claimed that any of the other jurors were objected to. The objectionable juror did not sit. The prisoner had no occasion to use his remaining right of peremp- tory challenge, and the trial was conceded to have been fairly conducted. Nevertheless the Supreme Court, in January, granted Reed a new trial on the ground that he had been illegally compelled to exhaust one of his rights of peremptory challenge.

On January 8, 1829, after the adjournment of the court, Mr. Sheldon published an article in his paper headed, "Progress of the Perfection of Reason in Michigan." The first paragraph said :

The Supreme Court of the territory terminated its December session last week. As usual there was but little business done, and a portion of that little, we are led to believe, was but poorly done.

Then followed nearly a column of what would, in this day, be deemed a mild criticism of the action

672

THE NEWSPAPER GRAVEYARD.

of the court in granting a new trial of the case named. This article was followed in subsequent issues by others of the same import.

For these articles, on March 5, Mr. Sheldon was arrested for contempt of court, and fined $100. E. A. Brush and E. P. Hastings offered to pay the fine, but Mr. Sheldon refused to accept their offer, and was committed to jail.

On the evening of the same day a public meeting to consider the subject was held at the Mansion House, a noted old hotel on Jefferson Avenue near Cass Street. Major Kearsley was called to the chair, with H. V. Disbrow as secretary. Resolu- tions condemning the action of the judges were passed and a committee was appointed to take up subscriptions to pay the fine, in sums of not more than 1212 cents from each person.

Meantime arrangements were being made for a public dinner to be given in the jail in honor of Mr. Sheldon, and on May 7, 1829, for the first and only time in Michigan, a prisoner in jail was treated to a complimentary dinner. Nearly three hundred persons were present, John Garrison was chairman, and Judge John McDonnell and Louis Davenport were vice-presidents. When it is remembered that the entire population of Detroit, a year later than this time, numbered only two thousand two hundred persons, it will be seen that nearly every adult male in the city must have been present at this dinner, and the jail, which then occupied the site of the present public library, was filled to overflowing. The meeting was both serious and hilarious. Songs, toasts, and speeches were the order of the day, and the old jail rang and rang again with the cheers of the gathered throng. The first toast, for John P. Sheldon, was offered by Major Kearsley; the sec- ond, " The Press," by D. C. Mckinstry; and the third, " Liberty of speech and of the press guaran- teed to every citizen by our laws and constitution- a jury must decide on the abuse of either," was offered by John Farmer. These toasts were suc- ceeded by a dozen others of similar character.

Mr. Sheldon remained in jail nine days, and dur- ing his imprisonment wrote several articles for his paper dated " Wayne County Jail." On March 14, the fine having been raised, a committee, accom- panied by a large number of citizens, waited on him at the jail with a carriage, and went with him to the Mansion House, whence, after a luncheon, he de- parted for Oakland County, where his family re- sided.

On April 23, Mr. Sheldon retired from the edi- torial chair and was succeeded by Ebenezer Reed. For several weeks after, the paper was filled with no- tices from eastern papers concerning the affair, with comments on the action of the judges. All this advertising, however, failed to make the paper pay,

and on October I, this lamentation appeared in its columns :

Our subscription list in Michigan bears no proportion to the number of subscribers we have in other States. Foreign subscri- bers pay in advance, while those in Michigan pay or never pay, as it may chance to suit their fancy. Sometimes we get a pig or a load of pumpkins from them, and once in a great while there is a man of mettle who pays cash for his paper.

The last number of the paper was issued on April 22, 1830, the press and printing material being en- tirely destroyed by fire four days later. The fire was set by a printer named Ulysses G. Smith, who was imprisoned for the offense.

On June 17 it was announced that the paper would be re-established in about twenty days, but they must have been days of the Rip Van Winkle order, for it never reappeared.

The names of subsequent newspaper ventures in the order of their establishment are as follows :

The Michigan Herald

published by H. Chipman and Joseph Seymour. It professed to be neutral, but really favored the Whigs. It was a weekly at $3.00 a year. The first number was issued May 10, 1825, and the last, April 30, 1829.

The Gazette Française.

This, the first French paper published in the Territory, was issued from the Gazette office: E. Reed, editor. It was in octavo form, issued the first and third week of each month, at $1.50 per year. Volume I, Number I, was dated October 31, 1825, and contained this suggestive editorial :

The editor requests the patrons of the Gazette to recollect that this is only a venture, and it depends a great deal upon their generosity if he will continue or not. They must not borrow the Gazette from their neighbors. If they wish the editor to con- tinue to publish, they must all subscribe.

At least three numbers of the paper were issued.

The Detroit Telegraph.

A paper with the above title was issued in Sep- tember, 1829; it was probably short-lived.

The Herald of Literature and Science,

a small quarto, was issued by the Detroit Debating Society as a monthly, at six shillings a year. Vol- ume I, Number I, was dated May 14, 1831. Four or more numbers were issued.

The Michigan State Register,

a semi-monthly, documentary and historical in char- acter, was first issued July 1, 1836, price $3.00 a year . G. L. Whitney, publisher, and George Corse- lius, editor. The thirteenth number was issued Feb- ruary I, 1837, and the magazine was then probably discontinued.

673

THE NEWSPAPER GRAVEYARD.

Detroit Evening Spectator and Literary Gazette.

This paper was published by B. Kingsbury and G. P. Burnham (both from Boston) at Republic Hall, 144 Jefferson Avenue. It was a semi-weekly, issued on Wednesdays and Saturdays, at $4.00 a year. It was printed by G. L. Whitney. The first number was issued October 20, 1836, and it was in existence as late as May 20, 1838.

The Spy in Michigan

was a weekly devoted to the Whig cause. It was edited by E. M. McGraw, published by Morgan Bates, and printed by Harsha & Bates. The first number was issued June 12, 1837, and it continued as late as November 13, 1838, when it ceased for a time. During 1839 it was revived, and published for about a year.

The Detroit Morning Post.

This paper, the second established by Kingsbury & Burnham, was $6.00 per year. It would be ap- propriately described as a daily issued at irregular intervals. The first number was issued in July, 1837.

Our old fellow-citizen, ex-city marshal, and legis- lator, Patrick McGinnis, went to work on the paper as "devil " in 1837. One day Mr. Kingsbury, who was always ready for a practical joke, sent him over to the Free Press office with a tin measure to bor- row "a gill of editorial." As the verdant messen- ger entered the composing room, he met Mr. Bagg, the editor, and made known his errand. Bagg im- mediately stepped to the wall, and taking down a picture of a jackass, handed it to McGinnis, saying, "Take that to Mr. Kingsbury." Instantly taking in the situation, Pat blurted out, " Arrah, now, Mr. Bagg, give over wid your tricks on a poor Irish boy. Sure it's an editorial my master wants, and not the editor."

In 1838 J. M. Berger was proprietor of the paper and B. Kingsbury, Jr., editor. In this year a weekly was issued at $2.50. In December, G. R. Griswold became proprietor, and he and Kingsbury were as- sociate editors. In January, 1839, the paper was consolidated with

The Craftsman of Michigan.

This paper was first issued in May, 1838, by E. J. Roberts, as a weekly at $3.00 a year. After its consolidation with the Post, a Democratic paper, called

The Morning Post and Craftsman,

was issued by Kingsbury & Roberts, until June, when it was changed to The Evening Post and Craftsman. In the fall of 1839 it suspended for

about two months, and was afterwards revived, and published during the early part of 1840.

The Michigan Observer

was first issued on Saturday, June 17, 1837. Rev. Warren Isham was editor. It was a weekly, de- voted to religious and moral subjects, and was dis- continued after the issue of June 22, 1839.

The World

was the title of a monthly issued for a short time in 1837. E. Bordman was publisher, and W. Harsha, printer.

The Jeffersonian Democrat,

a campaign paper of 1837, was issued in the interest of John D. Ellis of Monroe. Mr. Butterson was editor.

The Day Book,

a daily penny paper, was published by William Harsha in 1838. Eight or ten numbers were issued.

The Michigan Agriculturist,

H. H. Snelling, editor, was first issued in October or November, 1838, and continued till January 8, 1839. The price was $ 2.00 a year.

The Eglantine

was in existence in January, 1839.

The Mirror of the Lakes,

a literary and society paper in quarto form, was published by H. H. Snelling, at $3.00 a year. Vol- ume I, Number 9, is dated March 2, 1839.

The Journal of Education was being published in January, 1839.

The Spirit of '76, or Theller's Daily Republican Advocate,

was first issued on August 17, 1839. Daily and weekly editions were printed. H. H. Snelling was publisher, and Dr. E. A. Theller, editor. It was in- tended to aid the cause of the Patriots, and the editor was imprisoned for participating in the Patriot War. The paper was issued as late as October 17, 1840.

The Western Farmer,

a semi-monthly agricultural paper, at $1.00 a year, was first issued by Josiah Snow on January 19, 1841. On October 15, 1841, B. F. Armstrong be- came the publisher, Mr. Snow serving as editor. In 1842 Bela Hubbard served as editor, and with Number 5 of this year William Harsha became pro- prietor. On January 21, 1843, he sold the paper to

674

THE NEWSPAPER GRAVEYARD.

D. D. T. Moore, who soon removed it to Jackson, changed it to a monthly, at fifty cents a year, and issued it in April, 1843, as

The Michigan Farmer and Western Agricul- turist.

In December, 1844, it was sold to W. F. Storey and - Cheney. In 1845 it was sold to and edited by H. Hurlbut. In April, 1846, H. G. Woodhull became a partner. In December, 1847, Warren Isham began to conduct it, and with the new volume it was changed to a semi-monthly, and the price raised to $1.00 per year. In 1849 it was enlarged, and published both at Jackson and Detroit. In 1850 Warren Isham was both editor and publisher. in 1853 W. S. Duncklee and R. F. Johnstone pur- chased the paper of Warren Isham, and the next year Mr. Duncklee sold out to Miss L. B. Adams. In the fall of 1854 Miss Adams purchased

The Farmer's Companion and Horticultural Gazette,

which had as editors C. Fox, J. C. Holmes, Linus Cone, and Charles Betts. C. Fox was publisher. It was established as a monthly on December 1, 1852. Mr. Fox died, and the last number was dated September, 1854, after which it was merged with the Michigan Farmer, and on January 1, 1859, that paper was changed to a weekly. In Septem- ber, 1861, it was sold to Mr. Doty; who continued it for about a year. In the fall of 1862 W. S. Bond and George Snyder became proprietors. In Sep- tember, 1864, they sold it to H. N. F. Lewis, who changed it into a paper called

The Western Rural,

which, in the fall of 1869, was moved to Chicago.

The Rat Gazette.

A paper with this name was issued in September, 1839, by the Typographical Union.

The Michigan Christian Herald.

This paper was published in January, 1842, as a monthly, by the Baptist State Convention. The price was fifty cents a year. R. C. Smith was pub- lishing agent, and Rev. A. Ten Brook editor. At some time prior to 1845 the paper was changed to a weekly, and S. N. Kendrick became associate publisher. In 1844 Rev. J. Inglis was editor. In 1845 Miles Sanford was associated with Mr. Inglis, in 1848 he was succeeded by Rev. G. W. Harris. The same year the paper was transferred to Mr. Allen, and in 1850 the names of M. Allen and O. S. Gulley appeared as publishers. The price was $2.00 a year. In January, 1863, the paper was sold to several members of the Baptist Church, and re-

moved to Kalamazoo, and in the fall of 1866 Rev. J. A. Clark sold their interests in the paper to the Baptist Standard of Chicago, and that paper sup- plied the unexpired subscriptions.

The Michigan Literary Gem,

a monthly, at $1.00 a year, was in existence in March, 1842.

The Washingtonian.

This paper, the organ of the State Temperance Society, was published originally at Jackson, then at Marshall, and finally at Detroit. The first num- ber issued here was dated March 12, 1842. It was a semi-monthly at $1.00, and lived a year.

The Detroit Daily Times,

an evening, anti-slavery journal, was published by Warren Isham at $8.00 a year. The first number appeared May 14, 1842. It ceased in November.

The Constitutional Democrat

was first issued on May 25, 1842. It was a semi- weekly, at $3.50 a year, issued by Currier, Briggs, & Co., with E. D. Ellis as editor. After October I, 1842, it was issued but once a week, at $2.00 a year. In 1844 it was changed to a daily, and in 1845 it was merged with

The American Citizen,

a weekly paper, devoted to the free-soil party, which was in existence as late as May 14, 1847.

The Western Catholic Register.

This paper, the first number dated July 23, 1842, was published by Eugene T. Smith. It was issued every Saturday, at $1.50 a year, and existed just a year.

The Detroit Daily Gazette.

Volume I, Number I, was issued December 19, 1842, by Sheldon Mcknight, at $6.00 a year. A weekly was also published at $2.00. The paper was continued for some three years.

The Detroit Magazine

was first published in October, 1843, by S. N. Gantt. It was short-lived.

L' Amie de la Jeunesse (Friend of Youth),

a French paper, was first issued on May 23, 1843. It was a weekly at $3.00 a year, published by James A. Girardin, with E. N. Lacroix as editor. Nine numbers were issued.

The American Vineyard,

a temperance and anti-Catholic sheet, was issued by E. McDonald as early as September, 1843; it was discontinued and then revived. The last number was dated May 19, 1848.

675

THE NEWSPAPER GRAVEYARD.

The Evangelical Observer,

with Rev. George Duffield as editor, and D. B. Duf- field as "fiscal agent," was printed by Geiger & Christian, and was first issued on Monday, Novem- ber 18, 1844. It was a weekly, at $2.00 a year, and was in existence as late as October 5, 1846.

The Detroit Register,

a weekly, first issued in December, 1844, was pub- lished for two months by Harsha & Willcox.

The Detroit Daily News

was first issued on July 7, 1845. It was a handsome sheet, neutral in politics, filled almost exclusively with original matter. It was published by M. P. Christian, C. A. Hedges, E. M. Geiger, J. Campbell, and D. H. Solis, all practical printers. Price, $4.00 a year, or ten cents a week.

The Western Excelsior

was issued in the interest of the colored people. Volume I, Number I, was dated March 29, 1848.

The Michigan Journal of Homeopathy

was published by Drs. John Ellis and E. H. Drake. The first monthly number was issued in November, 1848. S. B. Thayer succeeded E. H. Drake, and at the close of the year it was discontinued.

The Western Literary Miscellany

was published by George Brewster at $1.00 a year. Volume I, Number I, was issued in April, 1849, and was probably the only number printed.

Wellman's Literary Miscellany

was the most pretentious and popular magazine ever printed in Detroit. It was established by J. K. Wellman. The first number was issued in July, 1849, with D. F. Quinby as editor. It was an octavo of forty-eight pages, at $2.00 a year ; and as the Eastern magazines had not attained their later popularity, it soon had six thousand subscribers. The magazine numbered among its contributors N. P. Willis, Rev. H. D. Kitchell, Rev. S. D. Simonds, Rev. D. D. Whedon, Rev. E. Thompson, Jacob M. Howard, Washington Irving, Horace Mann, Rev. David Inglis, Rev. B. St. James Fry, Rev. B. F. Tefft, Moses Coit Tyler, T. D. Wilkins, and Rev. W. H. Collins.

In February, 1851, the magazine was sold to Luther Beecher and D. F. Quinby, and its name changed to Monthly Literary Miscellany. In July, 1852, Mr. Beecher sold his interest to H. S. Sparks and - Russell, and the next month A. G. Wood was admitted as a partner. In January, 1853, the name was changed to Western Literary Miscellany ; in the spring or summer, Wood, Sparks, and Rus-

sell sold their interest to Quinby, and on August 20, 1853, he sold to Mrs. E. M. Sheldon, and for the fourth time a new name was given to the magazine. It was now called The Western Literary Cabinet. Eight pages were added to the magazine, and Mrs. Sheldon published in it a series of very interesting translations of documents concerning Detroit, ob- tained by Governor Cass while United States Min- ister to France. These translations formed almost the whole of the volume she subsequently issued under the title of "Early History of Michigan." The last number of the magazine was issued in August, 1854. It was discontinued on account of the death of Mr. Sheldon.

The Northwestern Advocate,

a Whig paper, was published in October, 1849, by Josiah Snow. It lived but a short time.

The Detroit Daily Herald,

a penny paper, was first published November 26, 1849 ; its last issue was December 6, 1850. Its proprietors were John N. Ingersoll and W. T. Young.

The American Gleaner,

literary in character, was published by Annin & Reed, at $1.00 a year. Volume I, Number I, was dated January 1, 1850. Only a few numbers were issued.

The Monthly Hesperian and Odd Fellows' Liter- ary Magazine,

published by John N. Ingersoll and Henry Barns, at $2.00 a year, appeared in January, 1850. In the May number for 1852 the names of Moulton, Craw, & Company are given as publishers. The magazine existed three full years; the last year the words "Odd Fellows'" were dropped from the title, and " American " substituted.

The Medium,

a semi-monthly magazine, at $1.00 a year, was de- voted to the interests of the Swedenborgian or New Jerusalem Church. It appeared first at Jackson on December 25, 1848 ; was afterwards moved to Mar- shall, and on January 15, 1850, to Detroit. It was published by Jabez Fox. Soon after its removal to Detroit, E. W. Barber became associated with Mr. Fox. About 1853 the paper was moved to Cincin- nati, and then to New York. Its name was changed to New Jerusalem Messenger on February 1, 1863.

Le Citoyen

was a French literary paper, in quarto form, issued on Saturdays, at $2.00 a year. L. J. Paulin was publisher, and E. N. Lacroix editor. It was issued for six months. Volume I, Number I, was dated May II, 1850.

676

THE NEWSPAPER GRAVEYARD.

The Peninsular Fountain,

a temperance journal, was first issued Saturday, May 17, 1851, with Henry C. Knight, editor. The business management was controlled by Morgan Bates. It lived less than a year.

The Northwestern Musical Herald,

published by A. McFarren and edited by Charles Hess, made its appearance in May, 1851. The price was fifty cents a year. There was little of either money or music in it, and it was soon discon- tinued.

The Western Evangelist,

a weekly, at $1.00 a year, was first issued in the fall of 1850 by Jabez Fox. He was succeeded by Rev. S. A. Baker, who published the paper as late as 1852.

The Detroit Commercial Bulletin,

edited by George W. Pattison, was an old paper revived. It began for the second time as a penny daily, about 1851. It was burned out in the Cooper Building in the fire of April 16, 1852, and was not again issued.

The Republican,

a German weekly, was published about five months, in 1852, by M. Kramer and Alois Wuerth.

The Students' Offering,

published by scholars of the Eighth Ward School, was first issued in 1853, and continued through three or more volumes.

The Atlantis,

a German literary monthly, edited by Christian Esseleine, was issued for several months in 1853.

The Detroit Catholic Vindicator,

edited by Thomas R. Elliott and published by Dan- iel O'Hara, was a weekly quarto, at $2.00 a year. The first number was dated April 30, 1853. Dr. Hasset succeeded Mr. O'Hara as proprietor, and continued the paper, at $2.50 a year, until January, 1860, when it was merged into

The Detroit Guardian.

Volume I, Number I, of this paper, a Catholic weekly at $1.50 a year, was issued January 21, 1860, by T. C. Fitzgibbons, and continued for five months or more.

The Detroit Daily Times (No. 2).

This was published by G. S. Conklin and E. T. Sherlock, with J. N. Ingersoll as editor, at $3.00 a year. It appeared in May, 1853, was purchased by Ingersoll & Tenny in November, 1854, sold De-

cember, 1855, to an association of journeymen printers, and continued by them until the spring of 1856.

The Peninsular Journal of Medicine,

an octavo monthly, was originally published at Ann Arbor. Its first issue was dated July, 1853. E. Andrews, A. M., M. D., was editor. In July, 1854, Dr. A. B. Palmer became associate editor, and in July, 1855, the office of publication was removed to Detroit. Dr. Andrews now retired, and Drs. Z. Pitcher, A. B. Palmer, William Brodie, and E. P. Christian served as editors. After the number for March, 1858, it was united with

The Medical Independent.

The first number of this paper, edited by Drs. H. Goadby, E. Kane, and L. G. Robinson, was issued March 1, 1856. In March, 1857, Moses Gunn and L. G. Robinson became editors, and the magazine was called

The Peninsular and Independent.

In April, 1858, it was edited by A. B. Palmer, Moses Gunn, and Frederick Stearns. The last number was issued in March, 1860.

The Michigan Homeopathic Journal

was first issued in October, 1853, by Drs. John Ellis and S. B. Thayer, and was continued for a little over a year.

The Michigan Journal of Education and Teachers' Magazine

was published by G. E. Pomeroy & Company, at 34 Woodward Avenue. Number I of Volume I appeared in January, 1854. It was edited by E. O. Haven, D. D., who afterwards became successively president of the Michigan, Northwestern, and Syra- cuse Universities, and a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The second volume was pub- lished by H. Barns, and edited by J. M. Gregory, afterwards Superintendent of Public Instruction and president of the Industrial College of Illinois. With Volume VI Professor A. Winchell of the Michigan University became its editor. It was printed for a number of years at Ann Arbor, but was finally re- moved again to Detroit, where it was discontinued about 1860.

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The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a chronological cyclopedia of the past and present, Vol I, Part 108

Author: Farmer, Silas, 1839-1902 Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Detroit, S. Farmer & co Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Farmer, Silas, 1839-1902
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Detroit, S. Farmer & co
Number of Pages: 1096