History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 33

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 33
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 33

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"If mistaken in any statement of fact, he was never ashamed to own it and make needed reparation in the columns of his paper, because it was the truth he was searching for more than to gratify any mere pride of opinion.

" And this brings us to the central fact of his newspaper management, its conscientionsness. The chart of instructions which he prepared for himself and his associates was to stick to the truth as they under- stood it at all hazards. He did not regard his newspaper primarily as a means to make money so much as a vehicle of public instructivo, And thus be championed every good cause regardless of any temporary in- jury. Hts vigorous appeals in behalf of the Law and Order Society were a specimen of this; it would have been much easier to make no enemies by refraining from attacking a powerful interest. Politicully, Mr. Foote had strong and vigorous convictions. While uniformly courteuna on such issues, he called a spade a spade. But he never de- acended to personalities. Ile admitted honest differences of opinion, assaulted the political heresy, but would not throw dirt upon his oppo- ment. lle never neglected his duty as a citizen, and therefore could consistently urge it upon others.

" His effort was to elevate, liberalize, and enlighten through his paper, and not to make it a sewer through which filth, hoth foreign and do- mestic, could run to the injury of the morals and manners of fami- lies. . . .

" So far as local matters were concerned, Mr. Foote'a editorial course was guided by what he deemed the best interests of the city. He had no persutial axe to grind and no enemies to punish. Through all the difficult and trying circumstances through which we are passing, Mr. Foote consistently strove to find out what was the right thing and to advocate it. And when he did so it was in no shilly-shallying way, but with all the earnestness of profound conviction.

" Mr. Foote's view of politics was not a bread-and-butter view. He was not a candidate for public office, although he would not have shrunk from any such duty had it been placed upon him. His idea was that an editor should not compromise his independence by un- worthy compliances, and a plain and honest avowal of one's convictions does not always tend to make friends among politicians. He looked at public affairs from the high point of statesmanship rather than that of personal sell-seeking. And this explains why he believed in occasional

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

friendly criticism of even his own party leaders and advocated a high standard for the civil service. His political utterances and opinions will be noted for thelr consistency and clearness."

" Of the irreparable Joss which his death will cause to his family we cannot speak. There are sorrows too sacred to be more than alluded to. He has died as he lived, in the harness, and before his mental force was abated or his eye more than transiently dimmed. He has been fighting against death for sev- eral years, but never was his editorial work better, never were his views clearer, his line of policy more fixed than they were just as the curtain was about to drop upon his well-spent life.

" Another phase of Mr. Foote's life was the large amount of unrewarded labor he did for others who had no claim upon him. Even to the last, and sick and wearied as he was, Good Samaritan· like, he took the cares and misfortunes of others upon his tired and sore shoulders and did what he could for them. No business anxiety, corporate nor private responsibility could drive them out of his head. And this same ahounding charity he showed to the weak and erring. A gentleman who has known him intimately for forty years told us that he never heard him speak unkindly of any one. He detested the sin, but he pitied the sinner, and he never advocated severe measures against the destitute and the outcast. He had too much the spirit of the Master in him for that.

" We have said thus much in simple justice to our dead friend, but his associates cannot fitly express a sense of their appreciation of his constant kindness to them. The office atmosphere was more like that of a family than of a varied and complicated busi- ness. Never did Mr. Foote fail to do justice to good work done by his associates. He preferred a kindly rivalry with them as to who could push the paper furthest and fastest, rather than a selfish appropria- tion of whatever might deserve praise. In his death his associates lose a kind and considerate friend ; his journalistic brethren one who appreciated his noble profession, and made it his pride to do all he could to elevate it ; his family a devoted husband and father ; the church a tower of strength; the corporate asso- ciations with which he was connected a safe adviser ; and the city a citizen who never shirked any respon- sibility, and who set a highly honorable example to the young."

The Journal is now published for the proprietor by Peter W. Rousse, editor; Charles C. McBride, city editor ; Augustus S. Crane, cashier.

The present members are simply the editorial staff of Mr. Foote, who had been associated with him since the establishment of the Daily Journal.

The Central New Jersey Herald .- Established first as the Argus in 1861, changed to the Constitu- tionalist, then to the Union County Herald, and finally to its present name in 1870. From 1868 to the autumn of 1880 the establishment published a daily edition called the Elizabeth Daily Herald, which was discon-

tinned at the commencement of the Hancock cam- paign. The first publishers were Drake & Cook, then the firm changed to Drake, Cook & Hall, and is at present Cook & Hall, steam printing-house, Nos. 105, 109, and 111 Broad Street.

Among those who have at various times been edi- tors, outside of the proprietors and employés of the office, are M. L. Marks, now of the Art Amateur, New York, who remained on the paper several years. He was succeeded by William Black, and the latter by Col. Morris R. Hamilton, who was followed by John B. Pick. Subsequently Horace F. J. Drake was edi- tor, and also member of the firm till the autumn of 1881. The subscription price of The Central New Jersey Herald is two dollars a year.

Elizabeth Freie Presse, a German semi-weekly newspaper, was established in 1870. Proprietor and publisher, Charles H. Schmidt. Subscription, three dollars per annum. Published in the rear of 1173 Elizabeth Avenne.

Elizabeth Freie Zeitung, German weekly. thirty cents per annum. Established in 1874. Editor and proprietor, L. Bauerband & Co., No. 33 First Street.

The Bridgetown Museum and New Jersey Ad- vocate first appeared as a weekly, printed on Saturday, July 13, 1822. Smith Edgar was the proprietor, and the office was on Main Street, but the printing was done at Elizabeth. The terms of subscription, two dollars per year. In the fifth number of the paper, which appeared on the 10th of August, the name was changed to The Rahway Museum and New Jersey Ad- vocate. The paper had but five columns on each of its four pages, making twenty in all. Under its head- ing was a motto extracted from one of Shakspeare's plays, "Nothing extennate nor set down aught in malice." The paper was far from being white, but was as good as that on which the majority of journals published at that day were printed. On the first page a story entitled "Iolanda, or the Court of Love," a tale of the fourteenth century, translated from the French, was commenced ; it was finished in the second number. Besides the story there were given in the first number several poetical selections under the head "Garland of the Muses." In the first column on the second page appeared an article on some then recent instances of "Turkish Barbarity." In the editorial column the editor offered an apology for the delay that had occurred in bringing out the first issue, which he explained was on account of unavoidable obstacles in getting out a new paper. He also gave notice that a celebration of the national anniversary had taken place in New York on the 4th of July, when there was a greater parade than had been wit- nessed there for years before, and when a new drama, entitled " The Battle of Lexington," was performed, and was received with unbounded applause. “In our own neighborhood," says the editor, "universal exertion was made to celebrate the day, and Milton shone foremost in its endeavors."

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PRESS OF UNION COUNTY.

Then, as now, distress in Ireland existed, and from the columns of the first number of the paper we learn that heartrending accounts were received of events transpiring in the Emerald Isle. At a village in County Clare the death of three persons from starva- tion was reported, and subscriptions were being raised for the large numbers who were in great destitution.

In a literary article mention is made of Washington Irvine (Irving), the novelist Brown, the plays of Dunlap, and the poems of Percival, Judah, and Bryant. The longest article in the number was a re- view of a poem entitled " Odofreide, the Outcast," with two columns of extracts from it. In the second num- ber a review was given of Cooper's novel, "The Spy," and of Milman's poem, "The Martyr of An- tioch."

In the second number of the paper appeared the call for a meeting to be held with a view to change the name of the town from Bridgetown to Rahway. This meeting was held at the Peace Hotel, on Main Street, where Lafayette was entertained when he visited Rahway in 1824. It is the house in which Mr. Jonathan Woodruff now resides.

By the issue of August 31st we learn that consid- erable damage to the crops had resulted by the excess of dry weather that had prevailed for two weeks. The foreign news in the issue of the above-named date was nearly two months old, the London and Paris dates being July 13th and 14th, and from some of the United States it was still older, being dated so far back as July 9th.

In the issue of September 14th the editor, who was a bachelor, in one article, in answer to a correspond- ent, spoke what he said he knew to be the voice of the whole society, that " beauty will command ad- miration when uncontaminated by affectation," and advised his fair correspondent to " follow the conquest of her eyes by the politeness of her manner, conscious that when once the truant glance of beauty passes on the heart a modest gracefulness and manner and con- versation will remain fixed forever." This was writ- ten in reply to a young lady who had asked his opinion in regard to her bowing to a young gentle- man to whom she had been introduced the night before while she was walking on the street with a lady cousin. The cousin had thought her imprudent, and in her own case thought it not genteel to bow to a gentleman unless she was quite intimate with him, or had been introduced to him three or four times.

The first number of the paper had in all three and one-half columns of advertisements. The longest advertisement was that of John C. Morrison, who occupied a column of space in giving an account of his stock of drugs and dye-stuffs. Among the other advertisers were Vail, Thorp & Co., who dealt in dry- goods, clothing, hats, shoes, china, earthen, hollow, and hardware, tea, sugar, coffee, and liquors. Thomas Laing advertised dry-goods and groceries at his new store opposite the office. Michael Brown, one of his

advertisements 'states, dealt in cider, spirits, hams, cheese, mackerel, pork, flour, beet, etc., and the other informed the public that his store was two doors north of the post-office, and that he kept a stock of dry-goods and groceries. Two establishments adver- tised boots and shoes; the keepers were in one case Benjamin S. Force & Co., in the other J. H. Ran- som. Peter Morgan & Co. advertised their hat-store, Meeker & Clarkson their furniture warehouse, Jacob Parker his lumber-yard, and James Edgar wood for sale. All these parties except the last named were no doubt well-known residents within the thickly- settled portions of the town, for with the exception of the instances above noted none of them mentioned where their places of business were located. Mr. Edgar informed the public that he was near Rahway. One advertiser, John Steen (whether he was a resi- dent of the town or not we cannot say), had his place of business at No. 161 Fulton Street, opposite St. Paul's churchyard, New York. His trade was in looking-glasses. The wants of the traveling public at about the period of which we write were attended to by Smith Freeman, who kept the Bridgetown Hotel, and by Joseph Varry, the proprietor of the Six Roads Tavern, which had previously been kept by Freeman. Communication with the outside world was of course carried on by stage, steamboat, and sail, and the advertising columns of the early num- bers of the Advocate inform us that the Bridgetown packet plied twice a week between the dock in Bridgetown and Whitehall Slip in New York ; also that the steamboat " Atlanta" was running between Elizabeth Town Point and New York, the fare be- tween the two places being thirty-seven and a half cents, and that the Rahway stage left Rahway at six o'clock every morning for Elizabeth Town Point, and arrived there in season for passengers to take the eight o'clock steamboat for New York, and return at 12.30 noon.

Among the advertisements to be found in some of these early numbers was that of Peter Cohen, who kept a woolen-factory near Barnett's Mills. Its loca- tion was within the present bounds of Clark township, and not a vestige of the structure, we are informed, now remains. From his advertisement we learn that Mr. Cohen was engaged in the manufacture of black and blue broadcloths and satinets, and manufactured wool to order for his customers.

Before the paper had reached the close of the first volume the name was again changed, its title now having become the New Jersey Advocate and Middle- sex and Essex Advertiser, and Tuesday was the pub- lishing day instead of Saturday. It had six columns to the page, and had more than two pages of adver- tising. James A. Bennet was the publisher, and the office was at the corner of Front and New Streets, one door above the post-office, now the corner of Main and Lewis Streets, opposite the Melick House. Mr. Edgar, the first proprietor, who lived out some four

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

or five miles on the Plainfield road, is still remem- bered by some of the older citizens. They deseribe him as a short, stout man. He has now been dead for something more than fifty years; but he may have been alive when the transfer of the paper was made to Mr. Bennet. The latter condueted the paper for several years, and then sold it to Thomas Allen Green. Green after a time, the precise date we have not the present means of verifying (probably about 1837 or 1838), sold the paper to a Mr. Patton, of Newark, with the distinct understanding on the part of both that the former would not again engage in the news- paper business in Rahway. This fact and others that we state in this connection we have from Mr. Lewis Moore, who now resides on Milton Avenue, and who, at the period of which we speak, was an apprentice . in the office of Green, and continued in the same position after the sale of the paper was made to Patton. Green, we are informed, was a very pithy writer of short paragraphs and a man of convivial habits. He no doubt loved to wield the pen, for, notwithstanding the tacit agreement he had made with Patton, he in a few months started a little news- paper in opposition to the Advocate, which he called The Rahway Herald und New Jersey General Advertiser. Patton, however, indueed him in a very short time to give up the enterprise, buying the new establishment and merging it with the Advocate.

Subsequently Green became proprietor of the hotel at the corner of Main Street and Milton Avenue, now known as Crowell's Hotel.

During the Clay campaign of 1844 the paper was purchased from Mr. Patton by an association of Whigs, and Mr. Moore was for a time the publisher, and E. Y. Rogers, a member of the legal profession, now deceased, its editor. In a few months the asso- ciation sold the paper to Mr. E. F. W. Gray, and Mr. Moore started a new opposition paper, but its publi- cation lasted only a few months, Mr. Gray purchasing it from Moore. Gray was still the proprietor of the Adrocate in 1850. Its title in full was The New Jersey Adrocate, a " Whig journal of politics, agriculture, and general miscellany."

John Jackson and John Pierson started the Rah- way Register, an independent sheet, in 1847, and printed the paper in a building on Cherry Street. It was not long after this period when the so-called Native American doctrine broke out in this country, and during a part of the time that that doetrine was rife (we are informed) the paper was printed under the name of the Register and American. It was sub- sequently merged with the Rahway Times.

About 1857 Gray sold the Advocate to Mr. C. W. Haven. This gentleman ran the paper for about a year, when its publication was suspended, and the material of the paper was purchased by Mr. Jose- phus Shann and removed to the Democrut office.

Subsequently Mr. Uzal Osborn started a paper called The Rahway Adrocate, which was afterwards

merged with The Rahway Times, and is still published under the name of The Rahway Advocate.

In 1858 the Rahway Times, a Republican paper, was started by a stock company, and Mr. Walter Graham was made its editor. About four years later Mr. Lincoln appointed Mr. Graham consul to Cape Town, South Africa, and on his ceasing his connec- tion with the paper, about February, 1863, it was merged with the Register. Mr. Uzal Osborn now be- came the owner and editor of the paper. With the retirement of Mr. Graham from the control of the Register, Mr. Jackson became its sole owner. Under a contract which Mr. Osborn made with him the paper until the following January was still run and known as the Register. Mr. Osborn then consolidated it with the Advocate under the name of The Advo- cute and Times. In 1879 the paper came into the pos- session of its present proprietors, Messrs. W. L. Mer- shon & Co., and the name Advocate and Times was retained by them until the paper was made a semi- weekly.

The National Democrat was first issued as the Democratic Republican in 1840 by Josephus Shann. Mr. Shann was born at Bloomfield, Essex Co., N. J., in 1819. He served an apprenticeship to the printer's trade in the office of the Somerset Messenger at Som- erville, N. J., and in 1838 commenced the publica- tion of The Hunterdon Democrat at Flemington N. J., remaining there two years, after which he removed to Rahway and started The Democratie Republican, afterwards changed to The Rahway Re- publican, and subsequently to The National Democrat. Mr. Shann published the paper consecutively for twenty-five years, closing his connection with it in 1865, when Mr. Lewis S. Hyer bought the paper. During this period he was postmaster of Rahway seven years, in the custom-house seven years, and a member of the Legislature for three terms, 1852, 1853, and 1871. For sixteen years since 1865 he has followed the occupation of farming, and for the past two years has been engaged in mercantile business in Rahway, firm of J. Shann & Sons.

Mr. Shann was married in 1842 to Ann, daughter of Stewart Crowell, of Rahway, by whom he has nine children living.

Mr. Lewis S. Hyer purchased the National Democrat, and issued the first number March 30, 1865. He en- larged it from a six to a seven-column paper May 9, 1867, enlarged it again by increasing the length May 4, 1868, and enlarged to eight columns May 6, 1875.

LEWIS S. HYER was born March 1, 1839, at Free- hold, Monmouth Co., N. J. His father was Aaron P. Hyer, and his mother's maiden name was Gertrude Cottrell, both natives of the southern portion of Mon- mouth County (now Ocean County ).

During the war of 1812 his father was employed in coasting, and frequently conveyed kegs of specie to different points from Philadelphia. Some time after his marriage he settled near the town of Freehold, in

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PRESS OF UNION COUNTY.

which vicinity he lived the remainder of his life, the most of the time on a farm a mile from the town, where the subject of this sketch was born.

Lewis S. Hyer received a common-school education, but improving his talents he mastered all the usual branches taught in the schools in those days, though after he became large enough he worked on the farm during the farming seasons, and also frequently assisted

Lewis& Payer

the neighboring farmers, working for them by the day.

The 1st of May, 1855, contrary to the expressed wishes of his parents, who wanted him to remain with them on the farm as they were getting advanced in years, he went to the office of the Monmouth Democrat, of which Maj. James S. Yard was the proprietor and editor (as he still is at this time), and commenced to learn the printing business in the usual way, assum- ing the position of office-boy, or " printer's devil," in the parlance of the profession. An aptitude for the business and a close observance of everything con- nected therewith rendered his progress rapid, and long before he reached his majority he was foreman of the office. His employer had great confidence in his taste and skill at job-printing, and particular jobs were always intrusted to him, and seldom failed to give satisfaction.

April 29, 1860, he was married to Miss Jennie Young, daughter of Jacob Young, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, and died only a few months ago, at the age of nearly ninety years; her mother is still living. Mr. Hyer's father died in 1870, at the age of

seventy-six, and his mother in 1878, at the age of nearly eighty. Mr. and Mrs. Hyer have had but one child, Freddie C., who is now seven years old.

When the war broke out in 1861, Maj. Yard went with the three months' troops, and Mr. Hyer had prin- cipal charge of his printing business during his absence, which continued much of the time during the whole of the war.

All of Mr. Hyer's printing and publishing experi- ence up to the time of his settling in Rahway was obtained in the above-named office, except about three months in the office of the New York Journal of Commerce, whither he went in 1863. He only worked one night there at general composition, and was promoted to assistant day foreman the next day, which position he held most of the three months, and was given the charge of the advertising depart- ment. He returned to his former position on the Monmouth Democrat, where he remained until about the 1st of April, 1865, when he came to Rahway, and made an arrangement with the Hon. Josephus Shann, the then owner of the Rahway National Democrat, to lease the paper for one year, with the privilege of buying it at the end of that time.

That was the time that tried the country newspapers generally, just before the close of the war. Mr. Hyer worked day and night for a long time, and with little assistance in any department, to keep the paper run- ning. The war closing shortly after, however, caused the general prospects to brighten, and when the year rolled around he decided to purchase the paper.

Having (contrary to the habit of too many journey- men printers) saved a little money, he had purchased a lot in an eligible position on Main Street, Freehold, and by borrowing the money and giving a mortgage on the premises he erected a fine residence. Shortly after he was married. When he decided to purchase the paper he was not long in finding a customer for his residence, and sold it for more than enough cash above the mortgage to pay for the newspaper estab- lishment, which was his first real estate speculation.

The National Democrat has continued to prosper under his charge, and at this time the circulation is more than three times what it was when he took charge , of it. In 1872 he purchased a piece of property in the centre of the business part of Main Street, and had it fitted up for a printing-office and dwelling, besides stores in the front, where he is still located.

He has always taken a great interest in the welfare of the press of the State, which has been recognized by his brethren, as he has for several years been one of the executive committee of the New Jersey Edi- torial Association, and also upon committees to look after acts in the State Legislature in reference to the press.

Mr. Hver, while not being an office-seeker, has been honored by holding some important ones, both elec- tive and appointed. In the spring of 1874 he acceded to the wishes of his Democratic friends and accepted

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

the nomination for the office of mayor, to which he was elected by a large majority over a popular oppo- nent, though the Republicans had elected their can- didate for some years previous. The same year he was appointed as clerk of the board of chosen free- holders of Union County, which he held for two years, when the political complexion of the board changed. He positively declined to accept a renomination for mayor in 1875, and also resisted solicitations to become a candidate for different elective offices, until in the fall of 1881, when he accepted the unanimous nomi- nation by the County Democratic Convention for State senator, and was defeated by Senator Vail, who had been renominated by the Republicans, though by a majority greatly reduced from that obtained by Mr. Vail over his competitor three years previous, and in the face of many adverse circumstances in connection with the campaign. He was appointed city clerk in May, 1880, which position he still holds, although unsolicited by him. On March 1, 1882, he was ap- pointed one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Union County by Governor Ludlow, which appointment was confirmed by the State Senate on the following day.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 33

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224