History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 40

Author: J. Fletcher Williams
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
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The trial proceeded, witnesses were examined, and the time for the argument had arrived. Mr. Brisbin was the first to present his case to the "court," and in an elaborate argument of two hours' length battled for hisclient. Facts, logic, wit, energy, force and eloquence were all mar- shaled in an imposing array, and brought to bear upon the apparently sympathetic justice.

Mr. Brisbin always said afterward, that he con- sidered that argument the crowning effort of his life; and that as he sat down, perspiring all over, and filled with hope at the numerous assentations of the court, he had not the remotest doubt but that he was "unchangeably fixed."

But alas ! even before he had resumed his seat, the court began to address the opposing counsel excitedly in French, and the opposing counsel to reply in the same language.

"I object !" said Mr. Brisbin, in astonishment. But said he, in later days when relating the in- cident, "I absolutely collapsed the next minute. When Major Noah said glumly, in explanation: "Excuse me, Mr. Brisbin, no advantage is meant, but as the judge can't understand a word of Eng- lish, he was simply asking me what you had said."

It is unnecessary to state in whose favor the case was decided.

But these old days have passed away them- selves not only, but they have borne with them, into that flowing tide whose end for all is inevita- bly oblivion, many of the older lawyers, who made the county their home, and who were mem- bers of the county bar. Others have removed to other states and counties, little being known of there whereabouts or their condition.

As a whole, the legal talent of the county would at any time compare favorably with that of her sister counties in the state. Not a few of its rep- resentatives have been conspicuous in the state,

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while two or three of its present members have acquired a reputation in public affairs, which is national. As a rule, the larger cities absorb the greater portion of the unusually gifted and suc- cessful in the law, and the situation of such law- yers, when once their reputation is established, is calculated to furnish increasing opportunities for their general advancement. The country lawyer is further from the seat of politics and the abodes of wealth, and must work his even way, by slow and sure degrees to a more moderate success, both in his profession itself and in the various higher po- sitions of usefulness and honor, to which his pro- fession is generally accepted as the stepping- stone.

The bar of Dakota county is, perhaps, less bril- liant than the bar of Ramsey county. The fore- going remarks are perhaps a sufficient explana- tion of why that must necessarily be the fact. But the difference is, after all, more conventional than essential, and the average of the legal talent would quite likely rest in favor of the former. At all events, Dakota county is honored by her disciples in the law. Their culture, force, readi- ness, and due degree of profundity and eloquence are generally recognized, and themselves ac- knowledge with that deference and respect, to which they are properly entitled.

The following is a list of the elder members of the bar of Dakota county, who have removed or died, the states from which they come, and the dates of their admission, are also given, together with their present place of residence, or the fact of their decease.

J. J. Noah. N. Y., 1853, Washington, D.C .; J. C. Dow, New Hampshire, 1853, Montana Territory; Archibald M. Hayes, New Hampshire, 1854, de- ceased; Edward F. Parker, Pennsylvania, 1856, Washington, D.C .; Charles W. Nash, Iowa, 1856, Dakota Territory; Lewis Smith, New Hamp- shire, 1856, St. Joseph, Mo .; Eli Robinson, Wis- consin, 1856, deceased; John B. Lea, Mississippi, 1856, deceased; Wm. K. Rogers, Ohio, 1857, Wash- ington, D. C .; Philander Hartshorn, New York, 1857, deceased; Amos H. Norris, New York, 1857, Illinois; Seagrave Smith, Connecticut, 1857, Minneapolis; Alexis Bailly, Canada, 1857, de- ceased; William B. Leach, Vermont, 1858, Cedar Rapids, Ia .; Isaac M. Ray, Indiana, 1858, de- ceased; Aaron H. Nelson, 1859; Thos. R. Hud-

dleston, England, 1859, St. Paul ; James W. Paxton, Pennsylvania, 1859, St. James; Ara Barton, New Hampshire, 1859, Faribault; H. S. Jennings, Iowa, 1863, Montana Territory; Allura- had C. Chamberlain, Vermont, pensioner of 1812, deceased; Julius B. Searles, Ohio, 1864, deceased; Richard H. Montgomery, Illinois, 1865; E. A. Gove, New Hampshire, 1866, Willmar. James B. Young; P. M. Babcock, New York, 1866, Min- neapolis; Andrew P. Fitch, Indiana, 1866, Glen- coe; Edwin Parliman, New York, 1867, Dakota Territory; W. H. Farnsworth, New York, 1874, deceased; Frederick B. Dodge, New York, 1878, Minneapolis.

The following is a list of the present members of the bar of Dakota county, arranged according to the date at which they became such: Owen T. Hayes, W. G. Le Duc, John R. Claggett, Igna- tius Donnelly, William Hodgson, Lorenzo Van Slyck, Roswell Judson, Jasper N. Searles, Wm. H. De Kay, James A. Duffy, Charles W. Crosby, W. W. Pringle, Joseph Donaldson, Albert Schal- ler, Daniel T. Chamberlain, William H. Adams, George Barbaras, W. H. Leavitt, Wm. Hagerty, Edward C. Stringer, McNeil V. Seymour, P. E. Leonard.

THE PRESS.

May 27th, 1856, the first number of the Da- kota Weekly Journal was issued, with Henry G. Bailly as proprietor, and James C. Dow, as editor. Mr. Bailly is too well known to require further mention, and many old settlers in that county will remember "Jim" Dow as a well educated young man of great promise, particularly in the capacity of a lawyer. But he fell into the wild and reckless habits which marked so may of the young men, in the early days of Minnesota, and except about "election time," the Journal was left for the foreman to get out, as best he could. Lewis Smith, Esq., was the main-stay when a leader was wanted, if he had time to write it, and many times the paper was all made up and ready for the press, with the exception of the leader, which would be handed in at the last mo- ment. Those were jolly days among the edite- rial fraternity, but outside of St. Paul, it is said that none of its members paid their expenses out of their publications. This may perhaps ae- count for Mr. Dow's neglect; for in every other

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department of business money could be made with ease.

The Journal flourished, however, or existed until the election that removed the county seat and county business to Hastings. Mr. Dow then sold out his interest, and the Journal soon died for want of either capacity or desire to sustain it. During its early life there were many original articles published in it, that were widely copied, and that its founders given it their attention, it would have ranked among the best of the news- papers in the territory. In political, it was ar- dently democratic, and fought the new republican party of 1856, as well as the abolition sentiment of the time, with enthusiastic zeal.

The Hastings Independent appeared as the next candidate for public favor, it having been established in 1857 by Columbus Stebbins. The first issue bears date of July 25th. Mr. Steb- bins was a native of Indiana, and though not a man of great educational qualifications, he pub- lished a brisk, newsy, county paper. He evi- dently was a man of much native talent, and gave himself- diligently to his editorial duties. Anything that touched the local interests of the county, and especially of Hastings, received the fullest consideration. Whatever in his opinion, tended to improve and settle up the county, or to increase business, and educational and religious facilities, received the staunchest support, and the heartiest advocacy. He made the Independ- ent an outspoken republican paper, and an advo- cate of freedom for the slave. It is, moreover, noteworthy, that from the first, he warned the people against the state railroad bonds, which since their issue have been a constant source of difficulty, and wisely counseled in opposition to their being voted into existence. As is well known, popular sentiment was strongly in their favor.

Mr. Stebbins died December 21st, 1878. Before his death, November 16th, 1866, after nearly ten years of usefulness, the Independent was consoli- dated with the Conserver.

The Emigrant Aid Journal, if chronological or- der is followed, deserves mention next after the Independent, since it was established the same year, 1857. Messrs. Donnelly and Nininger were the proprietors, and at Nininger the paper was is- sued. A. W. McDonald, said to have been

connected with the Scientific American, was the editor of this new sheet, whose aim, as its name implies, was to further the interests of the then growing city, in which it was published. It is stated, that for about two years the citizens of Nininger contributed an annual purse of $1,000 for the support of their journal, which deceased at the expiration of that period.

Nininger, however, was far from destined to be out of the journalistic field. In 1861, Messrs. Lindergreen and Hoblitt established there the Dakota Sentinel, whose end came quickly, simply because its beginning should never have been made. There was no room for such a publication in addition to the ones published at the county seat, hence its demise was simply a question of time.

To conclude the newspaper enterprises with which Nininger has been associated; Hon. Ig- natius Donnelly, who was elected in 1878, to the state senate, by the anti-monopoly and democratic parties, became editor also of a paper called the Anti-Monopolist. The Anti-Monopolist, like the Dakota Sentinel, is no longer published.

The first daily paper published in the county was the Daily Ledger, which began its issue at Hastings, May 10th, 1858. It was a five column sheet and democratic in politics. Its publication was begun in Adams and Rogers' ware house, near the corner of Vermillion and Second streets, but the office was soon removed to Day and Hern- don's building on Second street. A. S. Di- mond, afterward foreman of Jameson and Morse's job printing office in Chicago, was editor and pub- lisher. At the expiration of a year it was dis- continued, and in its stead was issued the Has- tings Weekly Ledger, a sheet twenty-two by thirty-two inches in size. The weekly was also discontinued, after the election October, 1859. Like many of the Minnesota newspapers, the Ledger was printed on old material.

The Hastings Democrat was first placed before the public Saturday, December 3d, 1859, Charles Powell Adams, editor and publisher. It was a six column paper, with a page twenty-one by thirty-one inches. The office of the Democrat was on Second street, near Tyler. May 5th, 1860, Charles P. Adams and Company appeared as pub- lishers and C. P. Adams editor. The material was sold soon after to John R. Mars, and the

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second volume began December 8th, 1860, with John R. Mars as publisher and C. P. Adams edi- tor. The office was removed about this time to a room over the bank, on the corner of Sibley and Second streets. The last number of the Demo- crat was issued April 27th, 1861, both editor and publisher having patriotically enlisted in the United States Volunteer service, exchanging the pen for the sword. During his connection with the Democrat, Mr. Mars, together with Mr. Nor. thrup, commenced the publication of a magazine called the Frontier Monthly. The country was too new, however, for such an enterprise to suc- ceed, and the monthly was discontinued after the issue of three numbers.

The Minnesota Conserver next appeared, hav- ing the following history. In 1861 Rev. C. N. Whitney, a Methodist preacher of considerable pulpit talent, though of no previous experience in the newspaper business, purchased the press and type of the Prescott Democrat, then defunct, and on the 18th of April, 1861, issued the first number of the Minnesota Conserver. This was a seven column, twenty-four by thirty-six inch sheet, and was republican in politics. The office was located in the second story of the Edison block, on Vermillion street, occupying three rooms in the northeast corner. The name of the paper was a novel one, originating in this wise. Mr. Whitney had selected that of the Minnesota Conservator, and ordered an electrotype head from the type foundry. Not being a printer, he neglected to measure his page, and consequently when the plate arrived it was an inch and a quarter longer than the forms would permit. Rather than throw it away, or having no time to send for another, he cut out the at and made the o an e, leaving the name as above stated. On the 22d of July, the day following the battle of Bull Run, the publication of an evening daily was commenced, giving full telegraphic particulars of that great disaster, in which Company H, of the old Minnesota First, many of whose members were Hastings men, had participated. Although only a small three-column sheet, at that time printed only on one side, the rush to get it was 80 great that for several days the doors were kept locked, and the sheets passed down the back- stairs. It was afterwards enlarged to four pages, appearing in the morning, and if in the hands of

a practical man, might have been sustained until the present time. It was continued until Tues- day, October 15th, a period of three months, on which day its formal suspension was announced. This did not interfere with the publication of the weekly, which was kept up in the old quarters for a time, and then on the second floor of Follet and Rennick's bank, corner of Sibley and Second streets. The Conserver and the Independent were together merged into the Gazette November 16th, 1866.

The Northwestern Democrat, published by Frank J. Mead, came into public life in the spring of 1863. Devoted to the interests of the Democratic party, it was its faithful worker and ally, but to no purpose, so far as an assurance of its own continuous existence was concerned. The enterprise was abandoned, after about a year and a half, for pecuniary reasons.

The Dakota County Union issued its first num- ber April 4th, 1866, Alexander Johnson, after- ward of the St. Paul Pioneer, being editor and proprietor. April 24th, 1867, J. W. Fralick became a partner, and the paper was conducted by the firm of Johnson and Fralick until Decem- ber 18th, 1867, when Mr. Johnson withdrew. C. W. Scammon having at that time purchased an interest, the firm became Fralick and Scam- mon. February 17th, 1869, Mr. Fralick took en- tire charge of the paper, and conducted it until March 24th, 1869, when John Kennedy became associated with him, under the firm name of Fralick and Kennedy. June 2d, 1869, Sea- grave Smith bought out the establishment, and the following week W. R. Todd became associ- ated with Mr. Smith. March 30th, 1870, the name of the paper was changed to the Hastings Union, which is an existing paper, whose history is given subsequently.

The Farmington Telegraph, published, as its name indicates, at Farmington, was established in the spring of 1868 by Frank J. Mead. It was Democratic in politics, and devoted to the inter- ests of the town in which it was founded. Its career was short, however brilliant it may have been, and in 1869 its publication was discon- tinued.

Hitherto, only those papers have been consid- ered whose period of present usefulness had ceased. The thoughts they generated, or the

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ideas they promulgated, are still potent, but in themselves they are no more. The early settlers were awake to the importance of newspapers, and and did their full duty in their support. It was only when the supply of papers exceeded any de- mand, on the part of the people, that could in any fairness have been expected, that the support failed.

The existing newspapers in the county remain to be considered, and their history is herewith given. The Hastings Gazette, as already indi- cated, was born of the union of the Independent and Conserver, which occurred March 16th, 1866. Irving Todd and Columbus Stebbins, editors and publishers. The firm was dissolved March 4th, 1878, by the purchase of Mr. Stebbins' interest. Irving Todd still continues as sole proprie- tor and editor, having placed the Gazette on a firm financial basis, and made it favorably known in all parts of the state.

The Hastings Union, as already stated, is the name bestowed upon the Dakota County Union, March 30th, 1870. August 31st of that year, Alexander Johnson purchased Seagrave Smith's interest, and the firm became Todd ond Johnson, until January 24, 1871, when E. Eichhorn bought Johnson's interest, making the firm name Todd and Eichhorn. September 2d, 1872, J. A. Duffy purchasing Mr. Eichhorn's interest, became part- ner of Mr. Todd, until September 17th, 1873, when Mr. Duffy withdrew, and Mr. Todd re- mained sole proprietor, October 15th of the same year, J. T. Duffy associated himself with Mr. Todd, until in 1880. July 21st, General C. P. Adams purchased an interest in the Union, the firm name now being Duffy and Adams. The politics of the paper has always been democratic, except when Mr. Kennedy was connected with it for a short time, in its old form. General Ad- ams is the present editor of the Union, which is known and read in all political circles, and is the only democratic organ in the county.

The New Era was established at Hastings in the fall of 1875, under the following circumstances. Some of the business men of that city, desiring a special circulating medium for advertising pur- poses, decided to issue a small sheet for free dis- tribution, and did so on the first of October. This sheet was of but three columns, yet large enough to antagonize the other papers of the city.

The result was the formation of articles of in- corporation of the Hastings Publishing Company, for the purpose of printing and publishing a newspaper called the New Era, and transacting such other business as pertains to a publishing and job printing office. The capital stock was $3,000, divided into one hundred shares of $80 each, ten per cent. paid on delivery of the stock, and the balance as called in by three-fourths of the stock holders. Harvey Gillitt, H. W. Hall, C. W. Williams and Geo. B. Reed, incorporators of the company, were also its directors. Geo. B. Reed was elected president, C. W. Williams sec- retary, H. W. Hall, treasurer, and H. Gillitt, manager. A five column newspaper was imme- diately published, with O. T. Jones, now of the Milbank Journal, as its first editor, assisted by Wm. B. Reed. The price of the paper was only fifty cents a year, and its circulation could not but increase. A job press was put up in the of- fice and in due time the circulation of the New Era was 1,500 copies. With business thus in- creased, it was decided on the first of April, 1876, to enlarge the paper, purchase a new press and other material necessary to the issue of a first-class, seven column sheet. At this time, C. W. Williams sold his stock to Geo. B. Reed, after which H. W. Hall and H. Gillitt bought the entire interest held by Mr. Reed. On the first of April, 1876, accordingly the Little New Era became a full fledged newspaper. Mr. Gillitt has been manager of the paper from its inception, and has been assisted in the editorial work by the following persons : O. T. Jones, Wm. B. Reed, S. W. Robinson, Albert Schaller, L. N. Countryman, C. Mather, Thomas O'Leary, J. S. Mills and J. W. Williams.

Mr. Gillett bought out Mr. Hall's stock during the summer of 1876, and owned the entire stock from that time to April 1st, 1881, when N. M. Thomas, of the Le Sueur News, bought one- half of the company stock, and on the 5th of April, 1881, assumed the duties of editor, Mr. Gillitt continuing the management. The New Era has been the official paper of the county for the past two years, and Mr.Gillitt's financial man- agement of it has been highly successful. It is now published at $1.00 per year, and under the new combination, will doubtless justify all favor- able expectation for its future.

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The Daily News made its formal introduction to Hastings on the morning of the 7th of Decem- ber, 1880. It was not an impulsive venture, but the result of mature deliberation, after all cir- cumstances that could be brought in its connec- tion had been carefully considered and balanced. For some months previous to its birth, E. H. Freeman, the proprietor, for many years one of the proprietors of the Hastings Union, and James S. Mills, the editor, for three years editor of the Hastings New Era, had contemplated the project of a daily newspaper in Hastings. Both men were thoroughly acquainted with Hastings business interests, and knew exactly the support necessary to maintain such an institution. They also communicated their idea to all the leading business men of the city, and to others whom they knew were not adverse to enterprises of such character, and they met with encouragement and assurances of support on every hand. With a sure prospect before them, the two gentlemen em- barked in their undertaking, and every week since, the News has grown in popularity and pe- cuniary power. It is a small newspaper, a four- column folio, printed every morning, Sundays ex- cepted. Its circulation for the first month was 600 copies, but after the holidays, the circula- tion, as was confidently expected, decreased until it reached 400, when it stopped, and there re- mains permanent. This exceeded the expecta- tions of the projectors, as they had never calcu- lated upon a larger circulation than 300. Its ad- vertising patronage more than doubled the fondest anticipations, and this branch of the business has continued without decrease. The Daily News is now a household word in Hast- ings, and although small and devoted almost ex- clusively to local affairs, giving only a brief sum- mary of general news, its managers are justly proud of the great favor voluntarily bestowed upon it. The aim of the proprietors is to increase its capacity as rapidly as possible, and an enlarge- ment may be expected at almost any time. One thing is certain, the Daily News is a living issue, and will remain so so long as life like the present surrounds it.

About the 25th of July, 1870, the Farmington Press made its first appearance and has since con- tinued in a flourishing condition, ranking well among the papers of the county. A history of

the Press could not be given without a sketch of its founder, editor and proprietor, J. W. Emery. Mr. Emery was born in Eastport, Maine, in 1822, his father being then a merchant in that place. With the slight advantage of only about two years schooling, besides what he learned from his father, who was a great reader, his youth was spent in farming and fishing, with an occasional voyage at sea, until at the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to learn the trade of printer. He worked as an apprentice about six years, two of which were served in Boston. At the age of twenty-six he was married, and purchased the Eastport Sentinel, which paper he conducted suc- cessfully for seven years. Leaving that region, however, on account of the prevailing fogs, which affected his health, he for some years pursued bis business in Boston and vicinity, with varying suc- cess. He afterward established the first paper is- sued in Princeton, Mass., and subsequently a pa- per in Harwich. While in this service he was ap- pointed by Governor John A. Andrew, one of the board of pilot commissioners for the state of Massa- chusetts, his nautical experience qualifying him well for the position. After the election of Lin- coln to the presidency, Mr. Emery held a posi- tion for six years in the Boston custom house, from which he was discharged, he says, because he swore at Andrew Johnson when he "swung round the circle." Being thus thrown out of business, and with health much impaired, Mr. Emery, after a second marriage, resolved to go west, and went almost directly to St. Paul. Here he met General Averill, who told him of an open- ing for a paper at Farmington. He went there looked the field over, and after some doubts and hesitation, concluded to start in. The prospect was not inviting. Frank J. Mead had made the same attempt a year before with much stronger inducements, and at the end of one volume had become sufficiently disgusted with the ex- periment, and gave it up taking his material to other fields. Mr. Emery wrote to his wife to pack up his type and fixtures in Massachu- setts, hire a car and come on with all speed.

After much tribulation the goods arrived in awful plight,the type were wofully "pied," and it took Mr. and Mrs. Emery fully two months to sort them, and get them in working order. It was on the 12th of May, 1870, that Mr. Emery

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left Boston, never before having lost sight of the salt sea, to make his home on the western prairie. His wife arrived in Farmington about the 24th of June, 1870, and it was the 25th of July that the first number of The Press was issued from the old Webster building, now occupied by Mr. Bram- stedt. The freight on the through car was $255, which was paid before the car was unlocked in Farmington, the agent probably fearing that otherwise he would not get his pay, probably judging from past experience with printers, and possibly with all new comers. Accordingly, in- stead of the bonus so often given to start a paper in western towns, Mr. Emery came here with a clean bill of lading, owned his press and type, started his paper without outside assistance, and for many months he and his wife alone did all the work of his office. For the first two years, the income barely paid the rent, and the closest econ- omy was necessary to keep the wheels moving, but Mr. Emery managed to pay all his bills, main- tain his standing, and pursue a more independent course, probably, than any other paper in the state. The paper is not the organ of any clique or faction, has never solicited subscribers, but by a straightforward course has achieved a success to be proud of, when we consider the field of oper- ation. In 1872, Mr. Emery built the office and house he now occupies, to which he has made ad- ditions from time to time. Though not an im- mense establishment it is neat and trim, and the editor, though he never can get rich, has that comfort and independence which are far more desirable. When the Press was started there were no painted houses, no regular sidewalks, no chimneys, no shade trees in Farmington. All these have been called forth and fostered by the Press, and now with all these accessories of a young city, with elegant brick buildings, genteel residences, splendid stores, and a public music hall, the Press may well congratulate itself upon the good work it has helped to accomplish.

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History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 40

Author: J. Fletcher Williams Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: J. Fletcher Williams
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: