Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 129

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360

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Mr. Kirk lived to a good old age, was identified with all the prominent local ovements of his day, and was followed to the grave by the respect of all who lew the value of his unobtrusive, but exceedingly useful life.

§ The SPOONER family, so honorably associated with the history of the press in this country, was connected, both by marriage and occupation, with the Greens, of New London, Conn., for several generations prominent as printers and editors in that State. Judah P. Spooner, and his brother, Alden Spooner, early printers in Vermont, were sons of Thomas Spooner |who came from Newport, R. I., to New London, in 1753., and brothers-in-law of Timothy Green. Alden Spooner, so fully and honorably identified with the highest interests and prosperity of Brooklyn, was a son of the first-named brother, and was born at Westminster, Vt., January 23, 1783. Having learned the printing art with his relative, Samuel Green, the well-known printer of New London, Conn., he went to Sag Harbor, L. I., where, 20th of February, 1804, he assumed the charge of the Suffolk County Herald, then in the thirteenth year of its existence, and changing its name to that of the Suffolk County Gacette, published it until 1811, when be was obliged to abandon it. Moving to Brooklyn, which, to his far-seeing eye, already gave promise of its future growth, he purchased the Long Island Star from Mr. Kirk, and with this paper his whole subsequent life was honorably identified. He afterwards conducted for a time the New York Columbian, a daily, and with that zeal for public works which always characterized him, was an early advocate of the Erie Canal, and a great admirer and firm friend of its originator, De Witt Clinton, who once remarked that he " never had so true a friend as Alden Spooner , and what is more (added the Governor , he never asked a favor of me directly or indi- rectly." He indeed avoided public office, until the unfortunate result of certain speculative enterprises, in 1836, induced him to seek the office of Surrogate of Kings county, which was bestowed upon him by Gover or Seward, and which he held for four years. In all that pertained to the welfare of Brooklyn, he was ever foremost and active. He was influential in procuring the village charter, in 1816,

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

after a long and honorable life of over half a century. In polities, it was Federal, Whig, and Republican. In its columns may be found the history of Brooklyn and Kings County for the period of its existence. The only complete set in existenee-the old offiee file-is now among the treasures of the Long Island Historical Society.

The Long Island Patriot was started as a weekly on St. Patrick's Day, 1821, by George L. Bireh .* It was Democratie, and, for a while, sueeess- ful. It was purelased, in 1829, by Sheriff John T. Bergen, and, for a short time, edited by Samuel E. Clements, a Southerner, who had been a journeyman in Bireh's office. In 1832, it became the property of James A. Bennett, who changed its name to the Brooklyn Advocate, and

The Brooklyn Advocate and Nassau Gazette appeared September 13, 1833, as the sueeessor of the Patriot, owned and edited by Bennett & Douglas. It was strongly Democratie and ably edited, and was soon issued in semi-weekly form. In 1836, Mr. Bennett retired, and S. G. Arnold was its editor till its suspen- sion in 1839. During the eighteen years of its exist- enee as Patriot, Advocate and Gazette, Henry C. Murphy was a constant and copious contributor. Mr. Bireh was printer to the New York Common Couneil and the Custom House for many years.

The Brooklyn Daily Advertiser was eommeneed in August, 1834, by E. G. Chase & Co. It was only a little larger than a sheet of letter paper. It was printed in New York, at the same office with Horaee Greeley's New Yorker, and rumor named Mr. Greeley as its editor, and it was frequently mentioned as " Horace Greeley's paper."

In 1835, it was purchased by Francis G. Fish and enlarged. It was first a morning paper, then an even- ing, and again a morning paper. The evening issue

was resumed as a native American organ, under the name of the Native American Citizen and Brooklyn Evening Advertiser; but it went down with the party in all its editions.

The Williamsburgh Gazette was eommeneed on the 25th of May, 1835, as a weekly, by Mr. Fish, who soon left it to the eare of his brother Adrastus. In February, 1838, Levi Darbee beeame its publisher, and pushed it with energy and sueeess. It was independ- ent in polities till 1840, when it was struck with the Log Cabin "boom," and became the Whig organ in Williamsburgh. Its sueeess led to its publication, in 1850, as a daily, and it was edited in part by Rev. Nathaniel N. Whitney. It was suspended in 1854, after a career of nineteen years.

The Brooklyn Daily News was started March 2, 1840, by S. G. Arnold and Isaae Van Anden, with the first named gentleman and Dr. W. K. Northall as editors. It soon collapsed and fell into the Long Island Daily Times.

The Williamsburgh Democrat was started in June, 1840, by Thomas A. Devyr and William II. Colyer, as a weekly, and lived for eight years.

The Long Island Daily Times was issued Octo- ber 19, 1840, as a daily morning paper, by F. G. Fish & Co., and edited by Dr, Northall. It was Whig in its polities. It absorbed the Daily News, and contin- ued under the title of

The Brooklyn Daily News and Long Island Times, first number Mareh 2, 1841, as an afternoon daily. Dr. Northall bought out Fish and took John C. Watts as a partner. Watts soon retired, and Northall, in 1842, sold to John S. Noble. In Jannary, 1843, its title was abbreviated to the old name of Brooklyn News, and it was issued as a morning paper, but it died in December of the last named year.

and in promoting its incorporation as a city, in 1834. He was one of the founders nnd trustees of the Brooklyn Apprentices' Library, and was Second Lieutenant in the Fourth Regiment of the Fourth Brigade of N. Y. State Artillery, in 1810; Quartermaster of the Thirteenth Regiment, N. Y. State Artillery, in 1819; Cap- tain of the same, in 1819, and Colonel of the same, in 1826, lle was one of the founders of the Lyceum of Natural History, and of the Female Seminary of Brooklyn, and the noble free school system of our city is deeply indebted to his ardent championship. "It was his unfaltering energy and perseverance that secured to the city the Fort Greene property as a public park. It was not his fault that the entire of the beautiful Heights was not laid out as a park, to be free to the inhabitants as a place of resort and recreation forever. The old man wrote for it, talked for it, alinost begged for it-all in vain." At an age when he utight reasonably have sought for retirement and repose, he was yet active in works of public utility. For the last two years of his life, he was earnestly engaged in organizing a company for lighting Brooklyn with gas, and on its incorporation, was nnanimously chosen its President. In agriculture, Col. Spooner took a deep and active interest, and was especially urgent in calling public attention to the feasibility ol improving the vast sand and pine barrens of Long Island , and to lom we are mainly indebted for the introduction of the Isabella grape. Ilis little treatise on the cultivation of the grape, which passed to a second edition, is per. haps the best extant. His life realized the ideal of a model citizen, whose place was not easily filled. In private life, "a simplicity, cheerfulness, and genuine kindness endeared him to every one, " his integrity was spotless ; he was haberal to the utmost extent of self-sacrifice, and foremost in acts of benevolence, As a politician, he endeavored to divest partisanship of its bitterness and illiberality . as an editor, he was plain spoken, yet eminently courteous.

Ile died on the 24th of November, 1848, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, being then, with one exception, the oldest editor in the United States.

* GEORGE 1 .. Bikcu, born in Limerick, Ireland, August 15, 1787 : came tt. country in 1798, with his parents, who settled first in Providence, R 1., ten in Brooklyn. After completing his education, he was bound apprenti e to Mess. Arden & Close, shipping merchants of New York ; afterwards became ak keeper for a large distiller, and then first clerk in the Columbian Insuran . C pany. At the dissolution of this company, he became the cashier aud bus es manager of the National Advocate, a leading Democratic newspape, by the late M. M. Noah, in partnership with whom he afterwards started a jointi . office. Shortly after, he became printer to the Common Coune'l and te th Custom llonse, both of which positions he hetel until 1828. In i, he ws an active member of the Kings County Agricultural and Domestic Manul. 1 1 g Society, and, on the 17th of March, 1821, he issued the first number of the Ling Island Patriot, a weekly family newspaper. In October of the same yer h joined the fire department, with which, as foreman of Engine No 2, I w tified for a long period. On the 31st of December, 1821, he received theent ment of Postm.ister of Brooklyn, which office he occupied for four years, bing succeeded by Thomas Kirk. In 1822, he established a monthly, the M "a. New York, and during this year, at his suggestion, a branch of the ( Am Order, or Tammany Society, was established in Brooklyn, lle was a me == r f the Mechanics' and Tradesmen's Society of Brooklyn, the Mechan Suity of New York, and was also largely instrumental in the orgaminen oft 6 1 Sunday school in the village : the Erin Fraternal Association, th Ap Library, and various other valuable institutions, which have gr ty to the welfare of Brooklyn. In 1829, he received an appointment in the Com Hlousc, and sold out the Patriot. In 1843, he became the custoden and li ol the U. S. Naval Lyceum, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which per retained until his death, which occurred on the 27th of July, 1 4. In al hu rila. tions of life, he was respected and beloved.

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THE PRESS.

The Brooklyn Daily Advertiser was started on the Ist of January, 1844, by H. A. Lees and William A. Foulkes, with Dr. Northall as editor. In 1846, Mr. Lees became its editor, and was succeeded for a year by W. J. Bryce; and afterwards, in 1850, Mr. Bryce resumed the editorship, and the paper was enlarged and improved; but, in 1851, he left the paper, and it fell off in circulation and influence. After Mr. Lees' death, it was sold at auction, in 1853, to David A. Bokee, a prominent Whig, who had been State Sena- tor, Naval Officer of the Port of New York, and Mem- ber of Congress, succeeding Henry C. Murphy, 1849- '51. For a time it was edited by Jolın Lomas. In 1854, it was purchased by R. D. Thompson, formerly of the Troy Daily Times, with John N. Tuekcr as its editor, and came out as the organ of the Know-Noth- ings, with a corresponding change of name to United States Daily Freeman; but, in the same year, its editor went down in disaster with the paper.

The Brooklyn Morning Post made its appear- ance October 25, 1844, under the management of Jolin F. Birel, a son of George L. Birch. It was a Demo- cratic shect, printed at Mr. Birch's printing establish- ment in New York, but issued in Brooklyn at the cor- ner of Atlantic and Columbia streets, and lived only for a few months.

The Brooklyn Saturday Evening Bee was started in 1847, by A. Spooner & Son, as a family paper, made up from matter of the Daily Star. It lived for a year or two.

The Brooklyn Freeman was started April 25, 1848, by Judge Samuel E. Johnson, as a Free Soil paper, with Walter Whitman as cditor, and in a few months was published as a daily morning paper. Mr. Whitman was succeeded by Samuel F. Cogswell, and the paper was published in the Freeman buildings, in Fulton street, near Myrtle avenue. Mr. E. R. Colston became its owner, and several able writers were en- gaged on it. It met with rapid success, and became the largest penny paper in the United States. It pro- fessed to be independent in politics, but espoused the cause of Conklin Brush for Mayor of Brooklyn, and became identified with the Whig party. Its rapid suecess led to its early destruction; and, in 1852, it fell into the hands of Sheriff Hodges, who kept it alive several months, issuing only about a dozen copies to complete the publication of some advertisement, and then let it drop into its early grave.

The Independent Press, a daily paper, was started in Williamsburgh, in 1850, by the Municipal Reform Association. It was afterward sold to Conrad Schwackhamer, and later to Bishop & Kelly, and an establishment was erected for it, at present the Times building. It also issued a weckły edition. It was Democratic in its later years. It was suspended in 1857.

The Independent, a weekly paper, was started in 1851, by George Hall, Secretary of the Municipal Re-

form Association, printed by William H. Hogan, and edited by Mr. Shannon. It lived three or four years.

The Brooklyn Standard commenced in the fall of 1859, by James Del Vecchio, was a Douglas Demo- cratic paper, but afterward supported Abraham Lin- coln. It kept its place for thirteen years.

The Brooklyn City News, commenced November 29, 1859, by William G. Bishop, rose rapidly and seemed destined for permanent success; but suspended Novem- ber 10, 1863, and was merged into the Union.

In June, 1861, Mr. Del Vecchio started a Daily Stand- ard, but it died in six months.

December, 14, 1861, Harry C. Page started the Era, as a literary paper, and virtually a revival of the New York City Metropolitan Era; but not thriving in Brooklyn, it was transferred to New York, where it was published as the New York Era.

Quite a number of periodicals, daily, weekly and monthly, were started in Brooklyn, but most of themn had such a short-lived existence that they scarcely im- pressed themselves on the public mind and left no history. Among these we may simply mention, with names, dates and editors,

The Brooklyn Monthly Magazine, 1835, by Rev. Gilbert L. Hume.

The Tyro, a child's paper, 1841. "Joe" Howard, Jr. The Age, 1844. James G. Wallace and General Sutherland, the Canadian patriot.

The Greenpoint Advertiser, 1847. L. Masqueria. The Orbit and Excelsior, 1848.

The Messenger Bird, 1849. Edited by the Alumni of the Brooklyn Female Academy (Packer Institute) and T. D. Smith.

The Kings County Chronicle, 1851. E. R. Swackhamer.

The Union Ark, 1851. J. Schnebly.

The Daily Journal, 1852. Joseph Taylor and J. M. Heighway.

The Brooklyn Morning Journal, a continuance of the foregoing. By Joseph Taylor and William H. Hogan.

The Long Island Family Circle, 1852. By J. E. Gander, for C. S. Schroeder & Co.

The Brooklyn Atheneum Magazine, 1854. Mr. Marsh.

The Signal, a daily; 1855. By Smith & Co.

The Brooklyn Independent, 1855. By Jolin II. Tobitt, who sold to Thomas A. Devyr, who changed its name to the Brooklyn Taxpayer, and then discon- tinucd it.

The Leuth Thurm, 1856. Charles Henseler.

The Kings County Advertiser and Village Guardian, 1857. Published in East New York, by C. Warren Hamilton.

The Ecclestonid, 1857. James S. Rogers.

The Portfolio, a child's monthly magazine, 1858. By Master Robert Buckley.

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

The Brooklyn Volks Blatt, 1858.

The Brooklyn Daily Transcript, 1859, a Re- publiean campaign sheet, South Brooklyn.

The Literary Casket, 1860. Issued two numbers. The Neophyte, 1861. (Paeker Institute for young ladies.)

Der Apologet, a Catholie weekly, 1861. John Meserole.

The Once a Week, 1863. Wmn. G. Bishop.

The Drum Beat, published, under the editorship of Rev. Dr. R. S. Storrs, during the great Sanitary Fair.

The Brooklyn Monthly, 1869. Horace W. Love. Issued four numbers.

The Brooklyn Daily Register, 1869.

The Index, 1869. A. H. Rome & Brother.

The Packer Quarterly, 1868-'9; Paeker Insti- tnte for young ladies.

The late J. J. O'Donnell published for some time The Brooklyn Standard, as a campaign paper.

The Brooklyn Argus. In 1866, John P. Kenyon, a native of England, residing in Williamsburg, started a weekly paper under the above name. It was inde- pendent in politics, and devoted to reform. Daniel Donovan was associated with Mr. Kenyon, and Ilenry

MeClosky was for a time its editor. It had a fair local reputation. In 1873, Demas Barnes, who had previously been a Member of Congress from Brooklyn, bought the Argus, and on the 15th of September of that year, started it as a daily paper, Mr. Kenyon eontinning on the editorial staff. The equipment of the paper was complete in every particular. It was published in the building adjoining the Post-office, with new type, in- proved presses, and a strong editorial eorps, with Mr. Barnes at its head, who pushed it with his characteristic energy and a lavish expenditure of money. It attained a large eireulation and apparent prosperity, but on the 17th of February, 1877, it was suspended; and, in the same month, the entire establishment was sold to the Union, which then assumed the name of The Union- Argus. It had attained a large cireulation, nearly eqnaling the Eagle. Augustus Maveriek, who had been early connected with the New York Tribune, and after- ward with The New York Times, Brooklyn Eagle and New York Commercial, was managing editor; St. Clair MeKelway, now of the Albany _Irgus, its chief editorial writer; with George D. Bayard, De Witt G. Ray, Chester P. Dewey, George F. Williams and Wil- liam Herries at different times upon its staff.

HON. DEMAS BARNES.

HON. DEMAS BARNES was reared amid the privations of a frontier life, which doubtless aided in developing the keen intellect, indomitable will and individuality which, since childhood, have characterized his life. We find him a farmer

eleven years of age; a merchant at twenty; associated in several institutions soon thereafter; and a member of Con- gress at thirty-nine. His father was a New Englander, who settled in Western New York when that section of the state was principally covered by forests. He took up eighty acres of land, subject to a mortgage of three hundred dollars, five miles from Canandaigua, Ontario Co. The house wasof logs. Hlere three children were born, two girls, and the youngest of the three, the boy, who is the subject of this sketch. The father died when the son was little more than a year old. Four years thereafter, the mother married a neighbor whose farm joined her own. It was a mile and a half to the dis- trict school, where the Barnes children received their prin- ciple education. In the summer time, the lad worked in the fields; and, ambitions to keepup with the men, hoed alternato hills each way. As a chikl and boy, he was no more idle than he has been as a man. When not otherwise ocenpied, he was damming the brooks, building mills, looking after his ducks, hens and rabbits, gathering nuts, grafting trees, cul- tivating flowers, or in doing something which exhibited in- dustry, mechanical ingenuity, or horticultural taste. Ilis first money was earned by raising corn upon shares und by building, for the neighbors, stacks of grain, in which art he excelled. His step-father, who was fondly devoted to the boy, soon became an invalid, and when young Barnes was eleven years old, he was regularly carrying on the two farms of 240 acres.

At the age of thirteen, Demas left the maternal home to seek his fortune in the larger world. Working his passage to New York on a canal boat, he was landed in Brooklyn with- ont money or an acquaintance. Begging his way across the ferry, he procured employment on a dock and his board on a tow-boat. Ilis first effort at metropohtan amusement was a failure to witness a play at the old Park Theater, for he had not sufficient money to obtain admission. Twenty years after that time, he purchased the Park Theater property, then converted into stores. Young Barnes, however, returned to the country, worked as a mechanic and upon faross summers, and attended school winters, doing chores for his board. While making purchases one evening at the vilige store, the merchant made him an offer of board and fifty dollars a year to enter his store as clerk, At the commonne ment of the second year, he received the largest salary ever paid a salesman in the village, and was the virtual head of the mercantile establishment. During this time, he bronglit around him a class of young men, who, after nine o'clock evenings, carried on a system of readings and various studies. At the age of twenty, he had saved a few Imindred dollar- with which he started business as a merchant at Newark, New York. Two years' experience convinced him that com try villages were not the places in which to make rapid pro- gress. Selling out his business, he moved to New York. Living upon two meals a day, sleeping in his store and work ing early and late, although at that time in poor health, he also managed to carry on the farm in Western New York, upon which his mother, again widowed, was hving lle ehicated his younger half brother and sisters; superintended a manufacturing establishment: carried on an extensive mer

Dernas Dames

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THE PRESS.

eantile business in New York and at San Franeiseo, and sub- sequently in New Orleans; and always devoted two hours out of every twenty-four to literary pursuits. The panies of 1857 and 1861 found Mr. Barnes not only out of debt, but in a position to assist others.

Believing that the South was in earnest in its protest against the nomination of Lincoln and Hamlin on sectional issues in 1860, Mr. Barnes promptly elosed all credits, and was the first merehant in New York who brought business to a net eash basis. When the war finally ensued, he believed that the government eall for twenty-five thousand men was but encouraging the rebellion; and he offercd, at his own ex- pense, to equip a regiment and go to the front, if the govern- ment would send enough men to mercifully and promptly end the conflict. Subsequently Mr. Barnes was invited by the Ways and Means Committee of Congress to assist in de- vising a system of domestic taxation.

Mr. Barnes married a daughter of Judge James Hyde, of Otsego Co., N. Y., and took up his residence in Brooklyn in 1858. With the interests of the city he became promptly identified. Realizing the benefits New York was then de- riving from her great park, he agitated the subject of a park in Brooklyn. Out of this effort grew Prospeet Park. The original charter limited its cost to $600,000. That amount, however, has been exceeded by nearly $10,000,000, the yearly interest upon which equals the first limitation of eost. Mr. Barnes declined the position of Park Commissioner ten- dered to him by Gov. Morgan, but to popularize the park, he donated to it the now well-known bronze of Irving which ornaments the principal drive.

Mr. Barnes was among the earliest advocates and stauneh- est friends of a bridge aeross East River. He assisted the enterprise by writing, leeturing, and a subseription of $10,000. The present bridge was commenced in 1870; but, in 1868, Mr. Barnes, then a Member of Congress, introdueed and carried a bill through that body by which the right was conceded by the government to span the river at this point. He became one of the early trustees of the bridge company, and subsequently caused an investigation to be made respect- ing the expenditures.

In 1865, before any railroad was located between the Mis- souri and Sacramento rivers, Mr. Barnes, being engaged in mining enterprises in the western territories, crossed the continent in a wagon. He advocated the feasibility of a railroad, and communicated the result of his observations through the newspapers.

Mr. Barnes was nominated as Representative in Congress in 1864, but deelined to run. He was again nominated and elected in 1866. He was selected to serve on the important Committee of Banking and Currency, and on Education and Labor. He was no party man. He opposed the radical measures of the Republican party which forced carpet-bag government upon Southern States, disenfranchised the in- telligenee of the South, changed the status of the Supreme Court, and unnecessarily expanded the eurreney of the coun- try. He strongly opposed the attempted impeachment of President Johnson, as well as the extreme ideas of the Demo- cratic leaders as to state sovereignity, restriction of internal improvements, efforts to tax United States bonds, free trade movements, and so forth. He never recommended a man for office, because of mere politieal aptitude, and was among the irst American speakers to recommend a total change in the Civil Service regulations. Serving in the House with Sehuyler Colfax, Oakes Ames, Benj. F. Butler, James Brooks and the atc President Garfield, during the Pacific Railroad and Credit Mobilier legislation, no breath ever tainted the in- egrity of Demas Barnes,

Mr. Barnes retired from mereantile business while still a young man, or when 42 years of age. During the Franeo- Prussian war he spent the summer in those countries, pre- dieting from the first the defeat of Franee, in a series of letters published in the Brooklyn newspapers.

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Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 129

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : Munsell Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360