USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Haverhill > History of the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire > Part 39
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The outspoken criticism of political opponents in which Mr. Reding indulged was not always well received. Caleb Morse, an Adams or Whig partisan was elected representative in 1829 and 1830. In the latter year, previous to the March election, Editor Reding printed some rather unhandsome things concerning Mr. Morse, the result of which was that Mr. Morse brought an action of libel against Mr. Reding at the May term of the Superior Court. The case was tried four times and naturally excited great interest, at least in Haverhill where the parties were so well known. At the first trial the jury disagreed; at the second in November, 1832, a verdict was obtained for the defendant, but the case was carried up to the law term, 1833, on exceptions, but these were overruled, and execution was issued which was not, however, paid. At the November term, 1833, a writ of review was sued out, and the action was continued till the May term, 1834, once again till the adjourned term in October where the jury again disagreed. At the fourth trial in May, 1835, the plaintiff obtained a verdict, with damages assessed at one cent, which must have healed the wounded feelings of Mr. Morse. The counsel in the case for Mr. Morse were Iver Goodall, A. S. Woods and Joseph Bell, for Mr. Reding, Bartlett and Josiah Quincy. In sustaining the verdict of November, 1832, the Law Court held:
Defendant may under general issue give evidence to rebut the presumption of malice. Any voter is justified in publishing for the information of his fellow voters any facts of which he is advised touching the character and qualifications of a candidate for his suffrage. In an action for libel it is no excuse that the publisher received the libel from a third person. In an action for slander the rule is different.
Dr. Reding gave his opinion of the character of the suit in the columns of his paper previous to the fourth trial in 1835. He said:
This, as every one knows, is a political suit, originally intended, undoubtedly, to break us down, and as a certain leading federalist who advised to the prosecution expressed it to drive us from the town. In this they have not yet suceeded-how long it will take
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them we cannot tell. That the expense of prosecuting this suit is borne by the plaintiff on the record we do not believe, and we have strong reasons for disbelieving it.
In a pecuniary point of view, it would, no doubt, have been better for us had the case ended on the first trial, even had it gone against us for there is no pretence that the damage would have been anything equal to what the cost has been to each party since that time. What the cost has been we are at this time unable to determine, but every one at all acquainted with the blessings that result from a law suit, especially a political libel suit, must know, that the expenses of ten terms of court are not paid with a song- especially when a number of the most able counsel to be found, are engaged in it. Well, more or less, it is several hundred dollars and as yet we have fortunately been enabled to face up the expense of the defence single handed, and if the plaintiff has paid up his bills, we have no doubt a purse has been raised for that purpose by those who led him into the scrape.
The political effect of this litigation on the parties in the case differed. Mr. Morse won his suit and recovered his damages, but he did not there- after hold official position, while six years later Mr. Reding was elected to Congress.
In 1839 J. F. C. Hayes began the publication of the Whig and Egis devoted to the interests of the Whig party, but this was suspended in 1842.
In January, 1882, W. C. Mahurin, who had learned the printers trade with the Redings in 1859 and '60, purchased the material of the Demo- cratic-Republican, and began the publication of the Grafton County Signal, a six-page quarto, neutral in politics, and well supplied with local news. After two years he sold the paper to Joseph W. Dunbar, principal of the academy, who continued the paper at Haverhill for a year, later having it printed at Hanover, then at Littleton, where it was later merged with the Republic-Journal. The Haverhill Herald, later called the Advertiser and Budget of Fun, were published for a short time at Woodsville, by A. W. Jones, but was short lived, as was also a little sheet published at East Haverhill called the Oliverian. The Woodsville Enterprise was established in 1883, by W. H. Pringle, and the Grafton County Register by the Bittinger Brothers, which made its first appearance at Haverhill January 1, 1886. The Bittengers, Joseph F. and Frederick W., sons of the Rev. J. Q. Bit- tinger, were graduates of Dartmouth, and who, as proprietors of the Cohos Steam Press with its excellent outfit and machinery, had a con- stantly increasing business. They purchased the Enterprise and in 1890 consolidated it with the Register, and published the consolidated paper under the name of the Weekly News, the first number appearing August 22. The Cohos Press was moved from the Corner to Woodsville into a building which they had erected, known as Bittinger's Block and where the News is still published. The Weekly News was neutral or independent in politics, though, as the proprietors were both Democrats, it was some- times accused of having Democratic sympathies. It was a four-page, five-column sheet, bright, breezy and enterprising, and had a growing
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circulation, with job work up to the capacity of the office. About 1898 the Bittingers purchased the Memorial Press at Plymouth, Mass., and sold the News to William F. Whitcher who had come to Woodsville from Boston in 1898. He had been for eighteen years on the editorial staff of the Boston Traveller and Advertiser, for several years editor-in-chief of the former paper. He took possession November 1, 1899, enlarged the paper to a six-column quarto, and January 1, 1900, changed its name to the Woodsville News. He made the paper aggressively Republican in its politics, and gave special attention to its editorial columns with the result that no weekly newspaper was more widely quoted throughout the state. Besides giving attention to local news, and matters of local inter- est, he also gave much space to articles of local historical interest. He conducted the paper as sole editor, proprietor, and manager till March 1, 1916, when he sold it to the Woodsville Publishing Company and, under the editorship and management of one of the company, F. E. Thayer, who had been foreman of the composing room for four years previously, the News, now neutral in politics, is energetically devoting itself to the local interest, and has a deservedly growing circulation and patronage. Mr. Whitcher, in taking leave of his readers to devote himself to historical work, said:
With this week's issue of the News the connection of owner, editor and publisher for the past sixteen years and more, closes, and the paper will hereafter be issued under its new ownership and management. That it will merit the confidence and the patronage of the public we have no doubt. The value of the weekly newspaper to a community is one of the things not appreciated. Like air and sunlight it is too common. Like the weather it is the subject of adverse criticism. There is complaint concerning the things printed, there is forgetfulness of gratitude for the things not printed.
Gratefully appreciating the patronage of subscribers and job customers for the past sixteen years, the retiring editor asks not for the same but also better patronage for his successors. He has endeavored to work for the interests of Woodsville, with malice towards none and charity for all and wherein he has failed and needlessly offended-and for which he is sorry-he is willing to be forgiven. In taking leave of his thousands of readers, he has this word: Patronize your weekly paper, and protect your own interests and happiness thereby.
The newspaper history of Haverhill is certainly marked by numbers and variety, but the two that stand out prominent for permanency and influence are the Democratic-Republican and the News.
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LIBRARIES
The early attempts to establish libraries for the general use of the public were not crowned with large success. These attempts were nat- urally made at the Corner. In 1801 "the Social Library" was incor- porated with Charles Johnston as prime mover, and associated with him were John Osgood, Israel Swan and John Page. In 1812 the name was changed to the "Aurelian Social Library." In 1829 the libraries were char- tered, one called the "North Social Library" and the other the "South Social Library." Bittinger thinks that these were continuations of the original "Social Library," and that it is more than probable that another library which came into existence in 1845 was a reorganization of these of 1829, since this was also called the "Social Library," and some of the books belonging to the earlier libraries probably formed the nucleus of this last. The number of volumes in it was about 250, while the number contained in the earlier ones was doubtless smaller, though in 1827 the number of volumes in the "Aurelian Social" was stated to be 314, with a library fund of $200. There was also a circulating library established by S. T. Goss at his printing office and bookstore November 12, 1823, and continued later under the name of "Haverhill Circulating Library," by Samuel C. Stevens at his bookstore. Subscribers entitled to two volumes at a time paid $5 per year in advance, or $2.50 for six months, $1.50 for three months, or 50 cents for one month. Books could not be detained for longer than three weeks, and could not be changed oftener than once a day. Non-subscribers paid 6} cents per week for each vol- ume taken out, except for octavos, and for these 10 cents per week.
The Social Libraries contained a less proportion of fiction and lighter reading than the public libraries of the present day, and the volumes consisted in the main of standard works, such as Dwight's Theology, 5 volumes; Scott's Works, 6 volumes; Life of Brainerd; Cases of Conscience; Vicar of Wakefield; Doddridge's Rise and Progress; Spring's Essays; Scott's Essays; Reign of Grace; Don Quixote; Chalmer's Discoveries; Edwards on the Affections; British Poets, in 15 volumes; Blair's Phil- osophy; Life of Franklin; Whelpy's Compend of History; Northern Trav- eller; Beauties of Shakespeare; Kenilworth; Scottish Chiefs, 3 volumes; History of New England; Napoleon in Exile, 2 volumes; Revolution in in South America; The President's Tour; Nicholl's Recollections During the Reign of George III. Books such as these were the standards of the time. It is not perhaps to be wondered at that the library was not gen- erally patronized, and that some of the books which have come down to the present are in good condition. If they have ever been used, the use has been most careful.
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The list of books in the circulating libraries includes those of a lighter vein and fiction predominated. These were the works of Walter Scott; Charlotte Temple; Arabian Nights; Young Grandson; Gulliver's Travels; Sons of Whitefield, General Putnam, Commodore Perry, General Marion, General Jackson, Lord Nelson; Roderick Randem, 2 volumes; Heiress of Desmond; Count Fathom; Adventure of Caleb Williams; Elizabeth or the Exile of Siberia; The Saracen, 2 volumes; Portraiture of Shakerism; Annals of the Parish; Sarah, or the Exemplary Wife; Paul and Virginia; Merchant's Widow; Spanish Daughter, etc. These are for the most part but names. Small wonder that libraries did not flourish. Besides these mentioned there was a People's Circulating Library Association. This was in existence in 1861. The membership fee was $1; G. F. Hook was librarian.
The first step in the direction of securing a library of educational value, of furnishing books which would be read, was taken in October, 1880, in the organization of the Haverhill Library Association. Mrs. Augustus Whitney was the prime mover in the plan of furnishing not only useful but attractive reading for the young people. Her plan at first embraced not only books, but also a reading room, but this latter project was aban- doned. The association consisted of women; and the original officers were: President, Mrs. Charles B. Griswold; vice-president, Mrs. George F. Putnam; librarian, Miss Kate McJohnston; committee on books, Mrs. Griswold, Mrs. Stephen H. Cummings, Mrs. Whitney, Miss Johns- ton. The library opened in November with ninety volumes of new books to which were added about one hundred and fifty volumes from the "Social Library" of 1845. The library was established in the old academy building now Pearson Hall, anyone could become a member of the association and continue so by the payment of one dollar initiation fee and a yearly tax of fifty cents. It has had a steady growth, and has at the present time (1916) about 5,000 volumes. After the act of 1901 creating a division of the town library fund, it became and still remains a part of the free town library system.
The library has an income besides its proportion of the annual appro- priation made by the town, from funds received since 1901, from the following named estates: Mrs. Salome D. Cummings, $100; Amos Tarle- ton, $315.29; Mrs. Sarah A. Carleton, $3,558.56; Mrs. Ellen M. Page, $100. After occupying the rooms in Pearson Hall for nearly twenty years, the library, in the summer of 1916, moved into the old county office building on Court Street, and occupied the rooms which were formerly the office of the register of deeds. The present officers of the Library Association are: Trustees, Peabody W. Kimball, Charles P. Page, Mary E. Flanders; president, P. W. Kimball; vice-president, Mrs. Mary L. Stearns; secretary and treasurer and librarian, Miss Mary E. Flanders.
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This system was inaugurated by an act of the legislature of 1891, which created a state board of library commissioners which was "authorized and directed to expend upon the application of any town owning no free public library owned and controlled by the town, a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, for books for such town entitled to the benefit of these provisions, such books to be used by the town for the purpose of establishing a free public library." This was conditioned upon the town having accepted the provisions relative to free public libraries at a regular called town meeting, and also having provided in a manner satisfactory to the commissioners for the care, custody and distribution of the books furnished. It was also provided that any town accepting these provisions should "annually appropriate for the use and maintenance of its free public library, a sum not less than fifty dollars, if its last assessed valua- tion was one million dollars or upward, or a sum not less than twenty-five dollars if the valuation was less than one million, and not less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, or a sum not less than fifteen dollars if the valuation was less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
An article was placed in the warrant for the annual town meeting of 1893 to see if the town would accept the provisions of the library act, but it was voted to pass the article, and it was not till 1898 that the town voted to accept the provisions in question, chose three trustees and voted an appropriation for a free town library.
There had been an attempt to start a library at Woodsville in the early seventies, and the association then formed collected a number of volumes. The association was named the Ladies' Charitable Society, organized for charitable work, January 4, 1871, with the following officers: President, Mrs. Betsey Evans; vice-president, Miss Sarah Chamberlain; secretary Miss Lizzie A. King; treasurer, Mrs. Marian Drake. The ladies met once in two weeks to sew for the poor, and each member was to pay into the treasury five cents at each meeting. . Under the rules no refreshments were served. On June 28, 1871, it was voted to buy books for the use of the association with the money on hand, and Charles B. Drake, a druggist, was chosen librarian. In October, nearly $75 was expended for the beginning of a library. The last meeting of which there is any record was held January 8, 1874. There were additional purchases of books, and such volumes as had been preserved were turned over to the Woodsville Free Library when that was established in 1894.
In the winter of 1893-94 Ira Whitcher who had come to Woodsville in 1870, and had since been actively engaged in business, recognizing the desirability of library privileges and advantages, erected on a lot in the square fronting the school building, a substantial brick building with granite basement, designed for library purposes, at a cost of upwards of six thousand dollars and on the 16th day of May, 1894, conveyed the
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same with such fixtures and appurtenances as he might in his lifetime add thereto, by deed of trust, to Dexter D. Dow, clerk of the Superior Court of Grafton County, Maude Kimball, Annabel M. Sloan, Fred W. Bit- tinger, Mary E. Whitcher Abbott, Alzina M. Griswold, Charles R. Gibson, Charles C. Whitcher and Oliver D. Eastman, trustees, the conditions of the trust being the following:
Said trustees shall hold and control said estate and other property to and for the uses of a public library open at all reasonable times and under such reasonable rules and regulations as said trustees may prescribe to all citizens of the said (Woodsville Union High) school district, provided however that such trustees by major vote may extend the privileges of said library to any worthy and deserving person not resident in said district; or they may by major vote enlarge the limits of such use and privilege. The trustees named shall elect a president, clerk and necessary committees in the month of May in each year and shall become incorporate. Said Dow shall hold office until another person is chosen or appointed clerk of the Superior Court for Grafton County and that person shall be his successor in this trust; said Kimball shall hold office until the next annual meeting of same school district, when said district may choose his suc- cessor, and continue to do the same annually; said Gibson and Whitcher shall hold office for four years; said Griswold for three years; said Abbott and Bittinger for two years; and said Sloane and Eastman for one year; and upon the expiration of their terms the remaining trustees shall choose their successors for the term of four years. All trustees shall hold office until their successors are chosen, and the trustees are empowered to fill vacancies, arising from death, resignation, permanent removal from the district, or any other cause; the trustees shall report to the proper state officers as in case of institutions of a similar character.
The following memoranda by Mr. Whitcher was filed with the deed:
Memoranda of cost of Library Building and furnishings conveyed by me in trust for the purpose of a Free Public Library in Woodsville:
The cost of excavation, foundation, stone work, building material, construction, grading, furniture and fixtures, etc., was six thousand fifty-two dollars and seventy-one cents.
In addition to this I also placed in the building, in connection with William F. Whitcher and Mary E. Whitcher Abbott, books to the value of upwards of a thousand dollars, it being the understanding that a like amount should be raised by the citizens of Woods- ville to be expended for books to be placed in the library previous to its being opened for use."
The sum of six hundred dollars was raised by citizens and expended for books in pursuance of this understanding.
The trustees met for organization, July 16, 1894, and chose: President, Dr. C. R. Gibson; secretary and treasurer, Charles Whitcher; committee on purchase of books, D. D. Dow, F. W. Bittinger, Mrs. Griswold, Mrs. Abbott, Mrs. Sloan. New books were purchased and the library was opened for the public in the following October. The district at first appropriated $150 a year for the support of the library which has since increased nearly to $300. The town appropriation for the use of the Woodsville library was at first $66.66, and this has been increased so
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that in 1916, it was $200. The library opened with upwards of 2,000 volumes, and it has at the present time on its shelves about 7,000 volumes. The first librarian was Charles B. Griswold. He was succeeded July 29, 1901, by Mrs. F. A. Gray, who was in turn succeeded in June, 1905, by Mrs. S. M. Chamberlain. The library organization at the present time (1916) is: President, W. F. Whitcher; secretary and treasurer, S. M. Chamberlain; librarian, Mrs. S. M. Chamberalin; assistant librarian, Miss Luvia E. Mann; committee on purchase of books, W. F. Whitcher, S. M. Chamberlain, Norman J. Page; executive committee, D. D. Dow, J. F. Leonard, Joseph M. Howe.
In October, 1898, an association was formed and chartered at North Haverhill under the title of "The North Haverhill Library Association," with the following members named in the charter: Mrs. Mary A. Benton of Boston, Mrs. Ellen B. Fisher, Mrs. Mary L. Southard, May E. Peters, Mrs. Kate C. Meader and Henry W. Keyes. Hon. Josiah H. Benton of Boston, chairman of the board of trustees of the Boston Public Library, showed his interest in the association by giving the use of the front room of the Dr. Watson house then owned by him for library purposes, and this was furnished by Mrs. Benton, who was a frequent summer visitor, at her own expense, and who also donated five hundred volumes as a nucleus of the library. Indeed Mrs. Benton may be regarded as the prime mover in founding the library. There was an informal opening of the library October 21, 1898, about fifty being present, most of whom joined the association, paying the prescribed fee of one dollar. A constitution and by-laws were adopted, and officers were chosen: President, Henry W. Keyes; librarian, Mary L. Southard; assistant librarian, Ellen B. Fisher; secretary, Kate C. Meader; treasurer, May E. Peters; book committee, Mary A. Benton, Katherine Morse, Emma Weeks. Funds for the purchase of books were provided by the annual membership fee, and from the proceeds of various entertainments given under the charge of the chairman of the executive committee, an office held for several years by Mrs. Fisher and later by Mrs. Henry W. Keyes. By the gift of books and magazines from friends, of funds from the Village Improvement Society and the Dramatic Association, the library contained 1,600 vol- umes in 1905, and there was in the treasury the sum of $180. The library availed itself of participation in the town appropriation for free public libraries by formally accepting the provisions of the act of 1901, and Ezra B. Willoughby, Moses A. Meader and Dr. W. B. Lawrence were elected library trustees.
In April, 1912, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fisher gave a fine lot for a library building on Main Street, and a committee consisting of Rev. A. M. Mackey, Mrs. H. W. Keyes, Miss Annie Filley, Miss Ida Tragausa and L. M. Kimball, was appointed to solicit funds for the erection of a building.
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They met with a gratifying response from friends and former residents of the town, and later reported the sum of $1,946 as having been raised, the largest gift being from Mrs. Annie Cotton Thyng, in memory of her father, Joseph B. Cotton, a former merchant in the village. The town, by two appropriations, one in 1913, and another in 1915, added $1,000 to the fund. A beautiful brick building, well furnished and well equipped with library conveniences, was opened and dedicated September 15, 1915, the exercises being held in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the dedicatory address was delivered by Dr. G. M. Watson of Manches- ter. The plan was furnished by F. Lyman Clark, architect of Brookline, Mass., and the contractors were the Cummings Construction Company. The total cost was $4,728.97, not including pictures, reading table and chairs, the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Benton, and the librarian's desk, the gift of the Village Improvement Society. The building committee were Messrs. Willoughby, Keyes, Dr. Lawrence, Mrs. Fisher and Miss Morse.
At the annual meeting in January, 1916, there were reported 2,047 volumes on the shelves, besides files of magazines and the library was out of debt. The library is open to the public each Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon. Branch libraries have been established at East Haverhill and the Center and boxes of books have been sent out as called for. Officers at present (1916) are: President, H. W. Keyes; vice-presi- dent, E. B. Willoughby; secretary, Kate C. Meader; treasurer, Ida M. Tragausa; librarian, Mary L. Southard; trustees, E. B. Willoughby, Dr. W. E. Lawrence, L. M. Kimball; chairman executive committee, Mrs. H. W. Keyes; book committee, Mrs. Benton, Mrs. Southard, Mrs. Keyes, Miss Morse, Mr. Kimball.
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