USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 62
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One of the conditions of the union was that
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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
the Pioneer Press become thenceforth not merely a St. Paul paper, but a St. Paul and Minneapolis paper, belonging alike to both cities, and repre- senting both on equal terms. As the Associated. Press franchise was the most valuable thing the Tribune had to sell, and the privilege of using it for a morning paper was also held by the Even- ing Mail, it was a necessary preliminary in the scheme of consolidation to purchase this paper. Nine thousand dollars was paid Johnson and Smith for the Mail. The consolidation of the Tribune with the Pioneer Press was then accom- plished, fifty thousand dollars being paid for the concern. The first number of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press and Tribune was issued on May 2d, 1876.
The Pioneer Press company, having the Even- ing Mail on their hands, were greatly bothered what to do with it. A corps of Minneapolis editors and managers were engaged to run it, but it failed to pay expenses. Finally, in 1877, it was sold to David Blakely, who parted at that time with his interest in the Pioneer Press. It was stipulated that the Pioneer Press should drop the name of Tribune from its title, in order that it might thenceforth be borne by the Evening Tribune, which was preferred to the name of the Mail. The Tribune, under Mr. Blakely's manage- ment, has been quite successful.
Since the last consolidation took place the cir- culation and general business of the Pioneer Press has steadily increased. To-day the average circulation of the daily is about 15,000. On special occasions it often reaches as high as 20,- 000. For many days succeeding the time of the shooting of President Garfield the number of copies printed was 40,000 per day. Of late great improvements have been effected in its equip- ment and machinery, and it is one of the few papers in the country using that magnificent specimen of mechanical art, the Hoe web-perfect- ing press, a typographical piece of mechanism which prints from an endless roll of paper, at a speed sufficient to turn out from 12,000 to 15,000 complete papers in an hour, which are delivered folded and ready for mailing. To any one con- versant with the process of newspaper manufac- ture no better index of growth can be afforded than the following descriptions of the presses
used, each constituting a new epoch in its his- tory:
1. From 1849 to 1854, a Washington hand- press-capacity 240 impressions per hour.
2. From 1854 to 1866, a Hoe drum or some similar press-capacity 1,000 to 1,200 impressions per hour.
3. From 1866 to 1875, a Hoe one-cylinder-ca- pacity 1,500 impressions per hour.
4. From 1875 to 1877, a Hoe two-cylinder-ca- pacity 3,000 impressions per hour.
5. From January, 1877, to January, 1880, a HIoe four-cylinder-capacity 10,000 impressions.
6. 1880, a Hoe web-perfecting press with folder attached-capacity 14,000 newspapers, printed on both sides and folded, cut and pasted, per hour.
So that now the Pioneer Press prints and folds in half a minute as many newspapers as Goodhue could print in an hour without folding, and in three minutes it prints and folds as many com- plete newspapers as the Pioneer Press in 1876 could print in an hour on its two-cylinder with- out folding.
The pay roll of the Pioneer Press amounts to nearly $165,000, the total number of persons in regular employment in both news and manufact- uring departments being 223.
The following retrospect from the pen of T. M. Newson, briefly shows the order of succession of the various papers, from the earliest dawn of Minnesota journalism to the present :
The first paper in the territory was the Minne- sota Register, printed in Cincinnati and circulated here. The really first paper printed, published and edited in St. Paul, or the state, was the Pio- neer, established April 27th, 1849, by James M. Goodhue. Then came the Chronicle, which was subsequently consolidated with the Register.
In December, 1849, appeared the Democrat, and later this was sold to David Olmsted, and latter still, to C. L. Emerson, both dead; and later still the Democrat united with the Pioneer. In 1851 the Register and Chronicle suspended, and that year appeared the weekly Minnesotian.
On the death of Goodhue, J. R. Brown took possession of the Pioneer. T. M. Newson came to the territory in 1853, and was associated with Mr. Brown as one of the editors of that paper. Earle S. Goodrich purchased the Pioneer of Mr. Brown, March, 1854.
359
SAINT PAUL- NEWSPAPERS.
The Pioneer and Democrat appeared on the 1st day of May, 1854, as a daily, E. S. Goodrich, edi- tor, and then the Daily Times, T. M. Newson, editor. A few years later appeared the Weekly Advertiser, by Charles II. Parker, edited by J. A. Wheelock. In 1855 the Daily Free Press made its appearance, ran a little while as the organ of Gov. Gorman, and then stopped. In 1856 the Staats Zeitung was established. The Volksblatt was started in 1861.
The Times and Minnesotian were both Repub- lican papers. In the latter part of 1859, they con- solidated; Newson, Moore, Foster and Company was the firm. In å few months they dissolved partnership and the papers were published separ- ately.
The Daily Times leased its material to Wm. R. Marshall in the latter part of 1860, and in its place, January 1st, 1861, appeared the Press. Soon after the Minnesotian sold out and disap- peared from view.
F. Driscoll e tablished the Union on the ma- terial leased to it by the Times, and in 1861 united with the Press, or rather the paper was stopped and Mr. Driscoll bought out Newton Bradley's interest in the Press, where he has remained ever since.
In 1865 Hall and Davidson purchased the Pio- neer of the Messrs. Goodrich, ran it about seven months, when it was again sold to C. W. Nash and IF. L. Carver.
Some time in August, 1866, appeared the Chronicle, a Catholic paper. Daily Dispatch, a new evening paper, Hall & Ramaley, appeared on the 27th day. of February, 1868. Then further along, in 1872, came the Evening Journal, which lived only a short time. September 6th, 1871, the Pioneer passed out of Carver's hand and came into the possession of IIarry Lamberton. The Anti-Monopolist was a weekly paper started by I. Donnelly, which was run a few years and then stopped. In April, 1874, David Blakely became the possessor of the Pioneer.
On the 11th of April, 1875, the Pioneer and Press, the two rival papers united, and the con- solidation is at present known as the Pioneer Press.
Castle. II. P. Hall started the seven-days-in-the- week Daily Globe in the year 1878.
The Independent Farmer and Fireside Com- panion. This is a monthly illustrated magazine, containing articles on literary matters, and on the higher modes of advancing agriculture, edited by T. M. Newson and Miss May Newson.
THE DAILY GLOBE.
The Globe was established in 1878, by H. P. Hall, who for some time previously had been con- nected with various papers in St. Paul. Mr. Hall came to St. Paul October 6th, 1862. On the 3d of November, the same year, he did his first newspaper work, on the Daily Union, a new pa- per just started. In March, 1863, the Union consolidated with the Press, with which latter paper Mr. Hall continued until November, 1865. At that time, in connection with John F. David- son, he bought the Pioneer of E. S. Goodrich. In June, 1866, the Pioneer was sold, and on Febru- ary 29th, 1868, the firm of Ramaley and IIall started the Evening Dispatch. In 1870 Mr. Hall took the Dispatch alone, and continued it until September, 1876, when he sold it to enter the field of morning journalism. The field for an evening paper seemed to be too small for him, so on January 15th, 1878, the seven-days-in-the- week Daily Globe made its appearance, with a full privilege of the Associated Press dispatches at its back, which paper has since been rolling along prosperously. The Daily Globe does not suspend for holidays and its Sunday issue is a double sheet, as well as its weekly. The office is in the Wabasha street block. Its interior de- partment is amply supplied with all the modern improvements necessary to run a first-class daily newspaper. Eighty-five persons are employed in the Globe establishment. The Globe is demo- cratic in politics, and is the official organ of the city of St. Paul, and the organ of the party in the state.
On the 20th day of June, 1881, the Globe was re-organized and an incorporation effected under the name of the St. Paul Globe Printing Com- pany. The following are the names of those appearing among the corporators: Henry II. Sibley, Patrick HI. Kelly, Albert Scheffer, Ansel Oppenheim, William Dawson, R. B. Galusha and
The Dispatch was sold to a company by H. P. Hall in the year 1878, and is now edited by H. A. \ R. W. Johnson. The capital stock was fixed at
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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
$100,000. The staff consists of H. P. Ilall, ed- itor-in-chief ; W. J. Martin, J. D. Wood, L. W. Neall, E. R. Otis, HI. G. Dnnn, editors; J. L. McAfee, cashier; G. M. Stone, book-keeper; J. Vance, city circulator.
THE DAILY DISPATCH. 1
The Dispatch appeared, for the first time, Feb- ruary 27th, 1868. It was published by Hall and Ramaley, and was issued as an evening paper.
On September 13th, 1876, the property and franchises were purchased by the St. Paul Dis- patch Company, which consisted of some forty leading republicans. The capital stock is at present $50,000, of which amount has been issued $33,000. The officers of the St. Paul Dispatch Company are: W. R. Marshall, president; L. W. Nieman, vice president; B. B. Herbert, secre- tary; H. D. Brown, treasurer. The present cir- culation is given as 5,500, and is said to be in- creasing at the rate of one hundred per week. It has six editors. The number of employes on the pay roll is twenty-two. In October, 1878, the Dispatch Company leased from Adam Decker, for five years, the large three-story building, 100 East Third street, which it now occupies, in con- nection with the Daily Volkszeitung. The lead- ing feature of the Dispatch is the specialty it makes of local news, although it by no means neg- lects outside matters of interest. It has exclu- sive control of the day telegrams of the Associated Press. From the date of the formation of the present corporation, until April, 1881, Captain Castle was the editor-in-chief. He then resigned and the place has been filled by L. W. Nie- man. September, 1881, Mr. Castle resumed the editorship.
DAILY AND WEEKLY VOLKSZEITUNG.
The Volkszeitung was first issued September 6th, 1877. Previous to this date there had been two German papers, the Staats Zeitung and the Volksblatt. The two were united, by the forma- tion of a stock company, with a capital of $25,000, which was known as the German Printing Com- pany, and the name of Volkszeitung given to the consolidated papers. In October, 1878, the prop- erty came into the possession of the Volkszeitung Printing and Publishing Company. It is now the only German daily west of Milwaukee, and it circulates largely in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa
and all the North-western territories where Ger- mans are settled. It is independent in politics, and has a large influence among its readers.
The present capital investéd in the concern is $15,000. There are four editors and forty em- ployes in all. The circulation is given as up- wards of 10,000. The editor-in-chief is A. Wolff, the city editor Werner Rapp, the manager C. H. Lienau. The latter was editor of the Volksblatt, in 1861, and continued with it until 1869. In 1878 he identified himself with the interests of the Volkszeitung, and has continued with it since then. Mr. Wolff, the chief editor, has been con- nected with German papers of the state for the past twenty-five years.
The Minnesota Demokrat is a weekly German newspaper, published by the Demokrat Printing Company, of which P. J. Dreis is president, and Fred. De IIaas, business manager. It was started July 4tlı, 1878, by the above company. Its po- litical complexion is democratic. Its circula- tion is given as three thousand seven hundred, principally in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin; it also has quite a circulation among the mem- bers of the Schutzenbund of the North-west. It is intended to add a supplement devoted to the interests of the Schutzenbund, to be called the Western Schutzen and Jagd Zeitung. They have a supplement which is published regularly with the Demokrat, and accompanies it called, Un -· terhaltungs Blatt, Supplement to the Minnesota Demokrat. They employ eleven persons about the office.
The North-western Chronicle, the Catholic or- gan of the Diocese of St. Paul, is published weekly. It was established in 1866, by John C. Devereux. It is a strictly religious Catholic fam- ily newspaper. It takes no particular interest in politics; the main body of those who support the paper, however is democratic. This paper started off on a good firm basis, having one thousand four hundred subscribers on its list before the first issue was printed. It has a circulation of four thousand per week, and is adding to its list every day. The Chronicle circulates mostly in the state of Minnesota, but yet has a few sub- scribers in northern Wisconsin, Iowa and Dakota. The paper is owned and published by the North- western Chronicle Publishing Company, of which John C. Devereux is the manager. The Nortli-
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SAINT PAUL -NEWSPAPERS.
western Chronicle is the medium of communica- tion between the Bishop and his people, and is the official organ of the Roman Catholic church.
Der Wanderer is a German Catholic weekly newspaper. It is the official paper of the Bishop of St. Paul, and has the approbation of the Arch- bishop, of Milwaukee. This wide-awake paper was founded in 1867, by the German Catholic Printing Company of St. Paul, but at present the paper is owned by the following citi- zens of St. Paul: Frank Breuer, Nic. Bures, II. H. Miller, Jas. Ellis. Frank Fassbind, editor; Peter Pottgieser, business manager.
The present company purchased the paper from the German Catholic Printing Company in May, 1878, for $8,600. The average circulation of the paper is about three thousand five hundred weekly. It is a good advertising medium. Em- ployment is furnished to from six to ten men. The general contents of the paper is church and political, home and foreign news. In politics it is democratic. The paper is well patronized as an advertising medium by most of the leading busi- ness houses of St. Paul. Through the energy and good management of Peter Pottgieser, and the editorial ability of Mr. Fassbind, Der Wan- derer has proved a great success financially as well as otherwise.
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SKAFFAREN
is a Swedish weekly newspaper, both political and religions. It was founded in 1877 at Red Wing, Minnesota, where it was then issued as a religious paper only. In 1879 it was removed to St. Paul. The paper was enlarged to double its size, and it became a political as well as a re- ligious paper. It is republican in tone and sen- timents and its religious views are strictly evan- gelical Lutheran. Since its removal to the city its circulation has increased from 700 to about 3.000 copies per week. Ten hands are employed on the paper. The proprietors of the Skaffaren are the Rev. E. Norelins, of Vasa, Goodhue county, Rev. P. Sjoblom, of Red Wing, and Rev. A. P. Monten, of St. Paul.
The chief editor is E. Norelius, the assistant editor, P. Sjoblom, and business manager, Her- man Stockenstrom.
It is, like other papers printed in a foreign lan- guage, an excellent advertising medium, circu-
lated among a large class of our citizens who can not read the English language, but patronize newspapers printed in their own language. They have subscribers all through Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Dakota.
NORDVESTEN.
A Norwegian and Danish weekly newspaper, is published by the Nordvesten Publishing Com- pany. It was organized and incorporated under the state laws, in the city of St. Paul, on the first day of May, 1881. The capital stock of the com- pany is $25,000. The names of the corporat- ors and their respective residences are as follows: S. D. Peterson, Brown county, Minnesota; L. K. Aaker, Douglass county, Minnesota, F. S. Chris- tensen, Ramsey county, Minnesota; Geo. H. Johnson, Hennepin county, Minnesota, A. E. Rice, Kandiyohi county, Minnesota; John Thors- gaard, Clay county, Minnesota; John Erickson, Clay county, Minnesota; P. C .. Sletten, Polk county, Minnesota; K. D. Helgerson, Stevens county, Minnesota; Soren Listoe, Otter Tail coun- ty, Minnesota; A. E. Johnson, Freeborn county, Minnesota; A. L. Alness, Ramsey county, Min- nesota; A. A. Brown, Douglass county, Minne- sota; L. J. Markhus, Kandiyohi county. The board of directors is composed of S. D. Peterson, L. J. Markhus, A. E. Rice, L. K. Aaker, S. Lis- toe, Geo. II. Johnson, F. S. Christensen, P. C. Sletten and A. E. Johnson. The general bus- iness manager is Geo. HI. Johnson.
LE CANADIEN
is the only French newspaper published for the states of Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Dakota. It was first issued on August 15th, 1877, in the city of St. Paul. Its size when first first published was 18 by 24 inches, but six months after it was first issued it was enlarged to 24 by 28, and finally, to its present size, 28 by 40. on the first of September, 1879. Its circulation, which was limited to 150, when it first started, has grown steadily ever since until it has reached pretty nearly 3,000 copies weekly. It is a weekly newspaper, published on Thursday of each week, independent in politics, devoted to literature, news, commerce and agriculture, and is to-day considered as the mouth piece of the French i speaking population of the western states on
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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
most any topic, as it has a large circulation in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Dakota.
The St. Paul Daily Hotel Reporter is published every day in the week except Monday and holi- days, by W. M. Tileston, its proprietor. The Re- porter is in its third year of publication. It pub- lishes a full and correct list of the daily hotel arrivals, and general hotel news. It has a free daily circulation upon the out-going and in-com- iug trains of fifteen lines of railroad, terminating in St. Paul, extending throughout Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, and through Dakota Terri- tory and into the British Possessions, also on the river and lake steamers, at the city hotels, and watering places during the summer season. Its daily issue is from 1,500 to 2,500 copies, depend- ing upon the season. Its subscription price is $3.00 per annum.
The St. Paul Grocer is a family journal of twelve pages, published monthly, since April, 1878, by Griggs and Company, devoted to the in- terests of every household. It is the only paper of the kind published in the north-west. It con- tains: first, a household department on pages two and three, containing receipts of all kinds, hints for housekeepers as to economy, decorations and comfort of the house; health notes, now occupy nearly a column of each issue; the children's de- partment is made not only attractive but instruc- tive. Pages six and seven are devoted to a full price list of all kinds of staple and fancy groceries, and is corrected the first week of each month, when it is issued. Its circulation is 2,000 copies per month, and finds its way all through Minne- sota, Dakota and Northern Wisconsin. The sub- scription is but fifty cents per year, which is only a nominal sum for the amount of real worth the paper contains.
Other journals issued in St. Paul are: The An- cient Order of United Workmen, 30 Minnesota street; issued monthly in the interest of the order in Minnesota and Wisconsin, by John J. Lemon. The building Association News and Real Estate Investment Guide; published monthly by News and Guide Company, No. 43 East Third street. The North-western Reporter (Law), Homer C. Eller, editor; published every Saturday by the West Publishing House. The North-western Newspaper Union and the St. Paul Newspaper Union, furnish auxiliaries for country newspa-
pers; both are controlled and operated by the Pioneer Press Company.
ST. PAUL SCHOOLS.
In 1847, under the auspices of the Board of National Popular Education, with a commission which covered the entire extent of territory "between Wisconsin and the Rocky Mountains, north of Iowa down to the North Pole," Miss Harriet E. Bishop opened what is believed to have been the first regular English school in St. Paul. She thus describes her primitive school- house:
"On a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi river, with nothing to obstruct the vision, on a point which is now the corner of St. Peter and Third streets, thirty-four years ago, stood a log hovel with bark roof and mud chinkings, in size 10x12 feet; a limited space in one corner was occupied by a stick chimney and a mud fire- place.
"This room had, in its early days, served con- secutively the triple use of dwelling, stable and blacksmith shop, and, from its antiquated be- tokenings, was honorably entitled to the dignity of Old Settler. When the shaky door swung back on its wooden hinges to admit the week day school, the Dakotahs at once complimentively dubbed it good book woman's house.
"An unsophisticated hen at once jumped the claim of its pre-occupant, a harmless milk-snake, and 'filed right' as 'actual settler,' of which she daily made vociferous proclamation, Sundays not excepted. A loose board floor, with mother earth for support, was one descriptive feature deserving note, inasmuch as various reptiles de- murred at the innovation, and in due time sought more quiet retreats; at least as many as were not thwarted in design by the sure arrow of an In- dian pupil. An old pitcher, minus handle, was made the receptacle of wild flowers for the rickety, cross-legged centre table. From roof and walls came fragrance of cedar boughs, which had charmed hideousness into a rural arbor.
"On three sides of the interior of this humble log cabin, pegs were driven into the logs, upon which boards were laid for seats. Another seat was made by placing one end on a plank between the cracks of the logs, and the other upon a chair. This was for visitors."
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SAINT PAUL-SCHOOLS.
The school opened with nine pupils, but two of whom were white, and most of the nine wore blankets. When those in attendance numbered forty, only eight of them were what is usually called Americans.
In 1848, by the aid of citizens and resident officers of Fort Snelling, a small but neat school- house was erected on the second lot west of what is now the old brick church, at the corner of St. Peter and Third streets, which for a long time served the purpose of a church for the various denominations. Having become the property of the school district, and a debt of eighty dollars incurred in its construction, remaining unpaid, through the negligence of the citizens in paying school-tax, this building was sold for debt.
The legislative assembly of 1849, enacted a law for the establishment and support of common schools, but owing to the fact that the citizens failed to elect school trustees at the general elec- tion, no organization, according to law, was ef- fected that year.
The first meeting of citizens in reference to ed- ucation, held in St. Paul, was on the evening of December 1, 1849, at which a provisional commit- tee on schools was appointed, consisting of Wil- liam H. Forbes, Edmund Rice, E. D. Neill, J. P. Parsons and B. F. Hoyt. This committee engaged Rev. Mr. Hobart to teach a school for boys, in the Methodist church, on Market street, beginning December 10th. Miss Bishop was engaged to teach on Bench street, (now Third street) and Miss Scofield was engaged to teach in a school building to be erected in lower town, and both the latter to open their schools December 24th. These teachers were engaged "until such time as a legal organization of one or more school districts shall take place, but not to exceed three months." The compensation allowed, was "three dollars per scholar by the quarter."
The provisional committee on schools resolved, "that the necessary fuel for the several schools be obtained by subscription, and when delivered, that the young men of the place be requested to meet at a given time and cut the same for use."
On the west side of Jackson street near Sixth street, may be seen a one-story frame building, eighteen feet by thirty-six, now used by Mr. Hill as a second-hand furniture store. This unpre- tending structure was built for school district
number two. Funds for the structure were raised by subscription, and the lot was the gift of Wil- liam II. Randall. Miss Scofield, as before stated, was engaged to teach the school during the win- ter of 1849 and '50, but, as the building was then unplastered, it must have been anything but comfortable.
Miss Julia A. Barnum, subsequently Mrs. S: P. Folsom, taught the school in the summer of 1850. She is said to have been an excellent teacher, much beloved by her pupils as well as by all who knew her. She died of consumption, March 1st, 1860, " as beautiful a day as the sun ever shone upon ; not a particle of snow was upon the ground."
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