History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 61

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 61

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

(See Frederick P. Hall in biographical volume).

JAMES ALONZO CLARY was born in Hendersonville, Mercer county, Penn., May 16, 1859, the youngest son of Joseph and Patty Armstrong Clary. When he was five years of age the family moved to Sandy Lake, a larger village in the same county, the father at that time being in the service of his country in the Civil War, as a mem- ber of Company G, 100th Pennsylvania Veteran Volun- teers.

James A. Clary attended the public schools at Sandy Lake until sixteen years old, when he entered the office of the "Sandy Lake News" to learn the trade of printer, also taking private lessons in certain branches of study with Rev. L. I. Crawford, the editor of the paper. After serving an apprenticeship of three years he became asso- ciated with Willis R. Eckles in the publication of the "Sandy Lake Local." Severing his connection with the paper a year later, he entered a general store at Jack- son Center and served as deputy postmaster of the village.

Within another year he returned to the "Sandy Lake News" office, taking complete charge of the mechanical department of the paper for two years, coming thence to Jamestown in the spring of 1882, where he was em- ployed on the "Chautauqua Democrat" as a typesetter, later taking the position of foreman of the "Sunday Leader." On the suspension of "The Leader" he took a position as a compositor on the "Jamestown Journal" on January Ist, 1884, and has been connected with the paper from that time until the present, being advanced from the position of compositor to that of foreman of the composing room, and later to the city editorship of the "Evening Journal." On the retirement of Major Fred. W. Hyde as managing editor of "The Journal," Mr. Clary was advanced to that position, which he still holds (1920). When the Journal Printing Company was incorporated he was one of the stockholders. was elected a member of the board of directors of the company, and is now vice-president.

Mr. Clary has always taken an active interest in the organized labor movement. He was chosen the first president of the Jamestown Typographical Union when it was organized in 1882, and was its first representative in the International Union held in 1885 in New York City. He was a member of the Knights of Lahor, hav- ing been at the head of the organization in Jamestown in 1886, and representing the various assemblies of West- ern New York in the National Convention of that order in Richmond, Virginia, that year.

Mr. Clary was elected a member of the common coun- cil of the city of Jamestown in 1892, and before the expi- ration of his two-year term of office was appointed by Mayor Price to fill a vacancy on the board of supervisors of Chautauqua county, as a representative of the First, Second and Fifth Wards of the city, a position he held for ten years, having been repeatedly elected with little or no opposition. Since his voluntary retirement from mem- bership on the board of supervisors in 1905, he has been the journal clerk of that body, never having had opposi- tion to his election to that position. He has been actively identified with the Republican party, and a recognized leader in its management in Chautauqua county. He was appointed chairman of the Chautauqua county Home De- fence Committee by Governor Whitman, serving in that capacity during the participation by the United States in the World War. In 1912 Mr. Clary was again elected a member of the common council of the city, and was chosen president of that body, declining reelection two years later.

On March 14, 1883, Mr. Clary was united in marriage with Elizabeth Eberman, daughter of Captain William S. and Isabelle Walker Eberman, of Sandy Lake, Penn. Four children were born to this union: Albert B., Alice Fay, Frederick E. and Rebekah, all deceased except Fred- erick E., who is a law student in the University of Mich- igan at Ann Arbor.

CAPTAIN E. B. BRIGGS, the city editor of the "James- town Journal," was born in Jamestown, May 12, 1881, and attended the public schools of that city, graduating from the high school in 1899. He entered the employ of "The Journal" as advertising solicitor the following year and, with the exception of a year during which he was assistant city editor of the Troy (N. Y.) "Record" and three years in the United States army, he has served that paper continuously. He was in the advertising depart- ment for a year and then became a reporter. In 1907 he was promoted city editor to succeed James A. Clary, the latter becoming managing editor on the death of Edwin A. Bradshaw.

Captain Briggs has always been interested in military matters, and was for twelve years connected with the

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Jamestown company of the National Guard of New York. He went to the Mexican border in July, 1016, as a private in Company E, 74th New York Infantry, and returned home the following February as one of the color sergeants of the regiment. When the 74th was again called into the federal service a short time later, he was .stationed at the regimental headquarters in Buffalo, and while there was appointed by Colonel Ar- thur Kemp as one of forty non-commissioned officers of the regiment to attend the first officers' training camp at Madison Barracks, N. Y. There he was commissioned captain, and assigned to duty at Camp Dix, N. J. After drilling men of the National army for several months, he went to France in command of Company I, 811th Pioneer Infantry, serving abroad for seven months.

Captain Briggs is a member of the municipal civil service commission of Jamestown. He is connected with Ira Lou Spring Post, American Legion; Jamestown Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles; Chautauqua Lodge, Sons of St. George; Mt. Moriah Lodge, F. and A. M .; Jamestown Council, R. and S. M .; and Western Sun Chapter, R. A. M.

VERNELLE A. HATCH, of "The Journal" editorial staff, was born April 30, 1868. He was educated in the James- town High School, taught three terms of district school in Chautauqua county, and January 1, 1888. joined the reportorial staff of the "Jamestown Morning News," then owned by Benjamin S. Dean. He remained with "The News" until 1892, when he engaged in newspaper work in Buffalo, principally in preparing political articles for the "Evening News," although for a short time employed by the Associated Press. In 1893 Mr. Hatch took charge of the "Jamestown Evening All" as managing editor, retaining that position until the paper was sold a year later. In 1896 he was again engaged in newspaper work in Buffalo, and at the close of the cam- paign he entered the law office of John G. Wicks, where he remained four years. In 1903 he returned to journal- ism, and for seventeen years has been connected with the editorial department of the Journal Printing Com- pany, having been city editor of the "Evening Journal," but now associate editor.

For a time Mr. Hatch was acting city clerk of James- town, and during the winter and spring of 1897 repre- sented the Fifth Ward on the city Board of Aldermen. He served three years as a member of the municipal civil service commission, one year as secretary and two years as chairman. He is a member of the Masonic order, affiliated with Mt. Moriah Lodge, F. and A. M.

For seven years Mr. Hatch served in the Thirteenth Separate Company, National Guard of the State of New York, and the same length of time in the Ellicott Hook and Ladder Company of Jamestown, being a member of that company until its disbandment. He is a member of Jamestown Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and of Mount Moriah Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons. During the World War he was one of Jamestown's group of four- minute speakers who were kept busy in the local theatres during the various Liberty Loan campaigns.

Mr. Hatch married, November 24, 1903, Myrtle Rob- erts Abel. at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

EDWARD LISLE ALLEN was born August 14, 1868, at Moscow, Livingston county, N. Y., the only child of Elias and Rose (Sheldon) Allen. His father, a farmer, lived in the town of South Bristol, Ontario cou ity, until the boy was nine years old, when he removed to Rochester, one of the main objects being to secure better educational advantages for his son. In June, 1887, he was graduated from Rochester Free Academy, having shortened his course of study in consequence of the death of his father.

He had previously worked in vacation time as a re-

porter on the "Rochester Herald," and was regularly employed there for the next four years, when he left "The Herald" to take a position on the local staff of the "Rochester Union and Advertiser." He returned to the "Rochester Herald" as associate editor in April, 1892, being at that time one of the youngest editorial writers in the State. On January 1, 1895, he became cashier of the Rochester post office, but his desire for newspaper work led to his resignation in January, 1807, when he accepted a position as editorial writer on the "Buffalo Enquirer." Later in that year he was transferred to the staff of the "Buffalo Courier," when it came under the same management as "The Enquirer," and he remained with the Courier until his removal to Jamestown in 1901.

For some time previous to the establishment of the "Jamestown Morning Post," Mr. Allen had regarded Jamestown as a promising field, for the establishment of a morning daily. He succeeded in interesting several Jamestown gentlemen in the enterprise, and also his former newspaper associate, Robert K. Beach. The Post Publishing Company was incorporated early in 1901, and on September 2 of that year the first copy of the "Morning Post" was issued, with Mr. Allen as its edi- tor. The success of the paper has justified his faith in the project.

During his residence in Jamestown, Mr. Allen has been active in public affairs. He was one of the organ- izers of the Jamestown Board of Commerce, and for its first five years was one of its directors. He was a mem- her of the Charter Revision Commission which rewrote the city charter during the administration of Mayor Weeks, and later served on the Board of Health for three years. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and was for several years a director of the Young Men's Christian Association. He was identified with the direct primary movement during the adminis- tration of Governor Hughes, and helped organize Chau- tauqua county in its support. He has been a delegate to several Republican State conventions, and was the Re- publican Presidential Elector for this Congressional Dis- trict in 1920. He has served as president of the Univer- sity Club, and is a member of the Alpha Zeta fraternity.

Mr. Allen married, December 4, 1895, Martha C. Van De Vyver, of Canandaigua, New York, and they are the parents of Marjorie, Edward, Robert and Elizabeth Allen.

ROBERT KING BEACH was born Septemher 22, 1865, at Albion, Orleans county, New York, son of Calvin Gil- bert and Juliette (Heyward) Beach. The family is one of the pioneers of Western New York, coming from Vermont with those who cut a pathway into the wilder- ness. After completing his education, he, following the precedent established by his two older brothers, entered the office of the "Orleans Republican," a weekly news- paper which for more than half a century has been owned by his family, and learned the printer's trade. In 1883 he went to Middleport, New York, where for a year he acted as manager of "The Herald," a weekly paper. Going thence to Rochester, he became a reporter on the staff of the "Daily Herald" of that city, and in the fol- lowing years was successively employed in all the various lines of reportorial work on the "Herald," "Democrat and Chronicle" and "Union and Advertiser." In the fall of 1892 he was appointed telegraph editor of "The Herald," and January 1, 1803, was promoted to city editor. Three years later he was made news editor of that paper. In 1899 he went to Buffalo to take the position of news editor of "The Courier," remaining there a year, when he joined the editorial staff of the "Chicago Chronicle." Mr. Beach left "The Chronicle" in the spring of 1901 to aid in the establishment of the "Jamestown Morning

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Post," with which he is yet connected as treasurer and manager. He is a member of the Jamestown Municipal Board of Park and City Planning Commissioners, having served continuously since the creation of the board. In religion Mr. Beach is an Episcopalian.

He married, in October, 1900, Belle, daughter of Charles H. Fleetwood, of Brockport, New York, and they are the parents of two daughters, Evelyn F. and Roberta H. Beach.

GEORGE R. DEAN .- In 1851 George R. Dean came to Chautauqua county, and on Christmas Day, 1854, began learning the printing trade in the office of the "Mavville Sentinel," where he remained until 1862. In 1860 he had editorial charge of "The Sentinel," and was the first printer in the county to report a murder trial in full (that of Martin Battles for killing Cornelius Lynch, near Sinclairville), filling almost the entire sheet with the evidence. In the spring of 1863 he became an editor of the "Buffalo Courier" and the "Evening Courier and Re- public," papers for which he had been Chautauqua county correspondent for several years. From June, 1863, until May, 1866, he was owner of the "Dunkirk Union." In 1867 he bought the Evans farm of sixty-three acres in Mayville, and in the fall of 18'8 began publishing "Rural Miscellany," which he continued for two years. In April, 1871, he moved to Dunkirk to take charge of the "Dunkirk Journal" for Rev. Isaac George. During the year he bought the plant, and in March, 1872, sold it to Willard Mckinstry of Fredonia, now editor of the "Wa- tertown Daily Times." Returning to Mayville, he found employment in the office of "The Sentinel" most of the time for about eight years.

August 30, 1880, he started the "Chautauqua Era," at Mayville, and two years later bought the "Mayville Sen- tinel," publishing both papers until the fall of 1892- "The Era" a Republican organ, and "The Sentinel" a Democratic sheet. January 1, 1898, he bought the "West- field Record," which had been started something like a year before, and continued the same, without paying results, until the fall of the same year, when it was dis- continued. September 18, 1899, he bought the "Sinclair- ville Commercial" and the "Stockton and Cassadaga Spectator." After a year of prosperous business he sold the plant at a fair profit and returned to Mayville. May 6, 1901, he bought the "Silver Creek Gazette," and pub- lished it for three months, when he sold out at a profit- able advance. October 6, 1902, he bought the "Ripley Review."

JULIEN T. WILLIAMS, M. D .- Born in Dunkirk, where his life was spent, Dr. Williams, although a graduate in medicine and long a practitioner, is better known as the able editor of the "Dunkirk Observer," a paper which stands as a monument to his ability as a journalist. He was born in Dunkirk, November 15, 1828, died there April 10, 1905, son of Dr. Ezra and Sarah King (Clark) Williams, his parents coming from Oneida county, New York, to Dunkirk, in 1820.

He was a graduate of Fredonia Academy, class of 1810. He had previously read medicine, and after graduation from the academy spent two years at Buffalo Medical College. Later he entered Castleton Medical College (Vermont), whence he was graduated M. D. in Novem- ber, 1851.

From 1851 until 1882, Dr. Williams practiced his pro- fession and conducted a drug business in Dunkirk, retir- ing in 1882, after purchasing the plant of the Dunkirk Printing Company. He became editor of the "Dunkirk Observer," and later of the "Grape Belt and Chautauqua Farmer," both papers then and now owned and published by the Dunkirk Printing Company. He was an able journalist and "The Observer" under both Dr. Williams

and his sons has been and is one of the prosperous influ- ential journals of Western New York.

From youth until old age, Dr. Williams was actively interested in public affairs, beginning in 1858, when he was elected a member of the Dunkirk Board of Educa- tion. He represented Dunkirk in the State Legislature in 1865 and 1885, and in 1865 was appointed one of three commissioners to locate and erect Willard Hospital. From 1887 until 1891 he represented Dunkirk on the county Board of Supervisors, while his service on the Board of Education was almost continuous for nearly half a century, beginning in 1856. He was a Republican in politics, his voice a potent one in party councils. He married, in Dunkirk, December 15, 1851, Julia King Thompson. The two sons of Dr. Williams, Henry K. and Gerald B., are continuing the Dunkirk Printing Com- pany and its two newspapers until the present (1920).

Henry K. Williams, son of Dr. Julien T. Williams, was born in Dunkirk, May 8, 1856, and is yet a resident of that city. He was educated in Dunkirk public schools, and Cornell University, class of 1880. He was engineer in charge of the construction of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad between Brocton and Angola, but in 1882 became an oil worker at Bradford, Penn. In 1884 he was elected president of the Bermuda Oil Com- pany, remaining in that position until 1888, when he became associated with his father in the Dunkirk Print- ing Company as general manager. Upon the retirement of Dr. Williams, he was succeeded by his son, Henry K. Williams, now president, treasurer and general manager. The company is highly prosperous, located in its own building on East Second street. The "Evening Observer," a daily, and the "Grape Belt and Chautauqua Farmer," a semi-weekly, issuing from the modern plant of the com- pany.

GERALD BISMARK WILLIAMS, son of Dr. Julien T. Wil- liams, was born at Dunkirk, New York, April 1, 1870. He was educated in the Dunkirk Union Schools, and at the age of nineteen entered the employ of the Dunkirk Printing Company, a corporation controlled by his father and brother. He became a member of the company in 1900, being elected vice-president and secretary. Later he became editor of the "Evening Observer" and the "Grape Belt and Chautauqua Farmer."

JOHN HALE COBB, who spent his active life as a coun- try printer and editor, was born in Sinclairville, New York, in 1842, and passed away at his home in Brocton, Chautauqua county, May 19, 1903. He was in the West for a time, then published a newspaper at Ripley, Chau- tauqua county, finally moving to Brocton, where he pub- lished the "Brocton Mirror" until his death. He was more than an ordinary writer. His clear thinking and strong convictions were added to an ability to express himself in a pungent, entertaining way, which his readers found very interesting.

HUGH W. THOMPSON .- For thirty-one years (1889- 1920) the destinies of the "Westfield Republican" have been controlled by Hugh W. Thompson, He was born at Westfield, New York, October 2, 1858, son of Hugh W. and Eliza (McDowell) Thompson, his parents born in County Down, Ireland. In 1851 they came to Westfield, where the father followed the carpenter's trade until his death, March 28, 1896.

Hugh W. Thompson attended Westfield Academy until eighteen years of age, then began learning the printer's trade in the office of "The Sentinel," at Mayville. From July, 1885, until May 13, 1889, he was a compositor on the "Westfield Republican," a journal which he purchased from Alfred E. Rose on the latter date. "The Republi- can" was then in its thirty-fourth year, having been founded April 25, 1855, by a company including George

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W. Patterson, William H. Seward, Alvin Plum and Austin Smith.

Mr. Thompson, an Independent in his own political opinions, conducts "The Republican" along the same lines, proclaiming it on the title page-"An independent Re- publican paper." As a newspaper it has always been above sordid considerations, and as edited by Mr. Thomp- son commands the respect and support of the business and reading public it designs to serve. A modern plant has been built up, and the surroundings of "The Repub- lican" are in keeping with the high purpose of the editor.

THE JAMESTOWN MORNING POST, the only morning daily published in Chautauqua county, was first issued September 2, 1901, and has enjoyed substantial circula- tion and advertising patronage from the very first. It is owned by the Post Publishing Company, and occupies a modern fireproof building erected entirely for its own use on Washington street, near the Federal building, completed in 1912.

This company was organized May 29, 1901, with the following stockholders, all of whom were named as direc- tors: Cyrus E. Jones, Ralph C. Sheldon, Arthur C. Wade, Robert K. Beach and Edward L. Allen. The officers elected were: President, Cyrus E. Jones; vice- president, Ralph C. Sheldon; secretary, Edward L. Al- len ; treasurer, Robert K. Beach. The officers and direc- tors remained the same until May 7, 1904, when the retirement of Cyrus E. Jones from the company created a vacancy in the office of president, which was filled by the election of Ralph C. Sheldon. Arthur C. Wade suc- ceeded Mr. Sheldon as vice-president. Mr. Wade's death in 1914 left Messrs. Sheldon, Beach and Allen as the only officers and directors of the company.

In view of many previous newspaper failures in James- town. it required considerable faith to launch another newspaper enterprise in that city, but the promoters of the "Morning Post" had a clear perception of the grow- ing need of a first-class morning daily in this corner of the State. With the best of local backing, and command- ing the newspaper experience of men trained in the larger cities, the "Morning Post" was able from the first to give the city and county a newspaper which met the expectations of all the people. It is a member of the Associated Press and receives the complete report of that great news-gathering ageney. It employs a competent local staff to gather the news of Jamestown and its cor- respondents are scattered through Chautauqua and Cat- taraugus counties, beside Warren county, Pennsylvania.

From the founding of "The Post," Edward L. Allen has been in charge of the editorial department, while the business management has been in the hands of Robert K. Beach. The mechanical equipment is modern and complete, including a Hoe 36-page web perfecting press with Koehler automatic electric control, six Mergenthaler linotype machines, and a Ludlow typograph which me- chanically sets large sizes of type, no hand composition being necessary in the production of the paper.

Special features of "The Post" are its fearless, timely editorials on topics of general and local importance, its complete daily market reports, and its large number of correspondence pages classified geographically, making it easy to find a given item. The "Morning Post" is

emphatically a "home paper," Republican in politics, but notably independent in its treatment of public questions. It now has the largest circulation of any paper in James- town or Chautauqua county, approximately 10,000. The list of employees in the office numbers nearly forty men and women, beside a large force of carrier boys. The officers of the Post Publishing Company are: Ralph C. Sheldon, president ; Edward L. Allen, secretary and edi- tor ; Robert K. Beach, treasurer and business manager.

CHARLES EDGERTON SHELDON, editor and proprietor of the "Chautauqua News," at Sherman, New York, for thirty-nine years, was born in Westfield, Chautauqua county, June 7, 1844. His father, Franklin Sheldon, was born in Pawlet, Vermont, and settled near Nettle Hill in 1840, where he died in 1892, aged eighty-three.

Charles E. Sheldon, after completing his school years, engaged in the grocery business with J. S. Dunbar at Sher- man, beginning February 28, 1808, and continuing three years. He then spent three years in the hardware busi- ness with W. R. Reed, losing his entire stock of hard- ware by fire. In 1876 he became editor of the "Chautau- qua News" of Sherman, and for thirty-nine years edited, owned and published the paper. In 1918 he sold "The News" to the Dorman Printing Company, they consoli- dating with it their own paper, the "Sherman Advance."

Mr. Sheldon married Emily M. Wood, of Chautauqua. Their daughter, Nella A. Sheldon, was born September II. 1873. She received her education at the Sherman High School, from which she was graduated in June, 1800, also being graduated from the business department of Bryant & Stratton's Business College, in Buffalo, in May, 1892.

Miss Sheldon at one time enjoyed the distinction of being the youngest editor in the United States, as she was the editor and publisher of "The Sunbeam," a little monthly publication, in 1882 and 1883. She learned the printer's trade when six years old and published a paper at the age of nine. She is now associate editor of the "Sherman News."

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 61

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc. Number of Pages: 649

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649