USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 34
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Next followed a series of newspapers, living for brief periods to be merged into a common center. In 1830 the American Citizen, of which George S. Wil- son was the head in its brief career, led the way to the Sentinel and Gazette. William Tracy in 1832 made like transfer of the Intelligencer, six years old. The Elucidator followed these examples in 1834; it was begun in 1829 by Beriah B. Hotchkin for the Anti-Masons, passed in 1830 to William Williams,
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and then with the others to Rufus Northway. All these represented the sev- eral elements of the Whig party, and naturally the consolidation was christened Oneida Whig, May 20, 1834. For a few months in 1831 the Co-operator by Quastus Graves preached co-operation.
The Democrats were not without an organ after January 27, 1817, when the first number of the Utica Observer appeared as a weekly. In a couple of years as the Oneida Observer it was printed in Rome, but after a few months came back to its first home and title. Eliasaph Dorchester was editor and proprietor, and was rewarded for his services by appointment as county clerk. He showed skill as an editor, and as a school teacher has a place in the local annals. Augus- tine G. Dauby, in 1823, a printer in the office, became publisher and editor, under the auspices of the partisan leaders, and he won high credit as a writer. About September 18, 1834, a daily issue was put out from the Observer office, for campaign purposes. Eli Maynard became his partner in 1826, and after a time became proprietor of the paper, while Mr. Dauby was made postmaster by President Jackson and served from May, 1829, until May, 1849. After Mr. Maynard followed John P. Bush and John F. Kittle, and then Arthur M. Beardsley became the editor, whose memory is among the leading writers.
Copies in the public library prove that in the second year after its first charter the infant city had three rival daily papers. The first number of the Daily Observer was followed by the Oneida Whig, a sprout of the weekly of the same name, which came from the press September 25. It was called out in the keen canvass for governor between William H. Seward and William L. Marcy, and was like the Observer, a sheet of 181/2 by 24 inches, with four pages divided into four columns each. On September 30 of the same year Robert B. Shepard brought out the Morning Post, half the size of the other dailies, and offered it for $3 a year or a cent a copy, while the Whig and Observer sold for $5 a year each, or two cents a copy. The Post devoted itself to literature and news, leaving politics to the Whig. An early death was the fate of all these ambitious aspirants for daily existence.
In 1833 the Oneida Standard was begun in Waterville and changed its of- fice to Utica, where its style was the Standard and Democrat. In 1835 it aroused anger by taking part with the abolitionists and favoring the anti-slavery state convention held here, so that its office at Liberty and Seneca streets was mobbed. John G. Floyd, noted as representative in Congress, brought out the Utica Democrat in 1836, which passed through the hands of several publishers to DeWitt C. Grove, who, in 1852, merged it into the Observer, and in 1853 John B. Miller took the editorial chair. Mr. Grove was head of the concern until 1883, taking in as a partner in 1867 E. Prentiss Bailey, as the firm of Grove & Bailey, and later the corporation of E. P. Bailey & Company took control, and Thomas F. Clarke became part owner. Mr. Bailey succeeded Mr. Grove as editor with a series of assistants and reporters, of whom in 1911, W. W. Canfield is chief, with Lansing and Prentiss Bailey, sons of the senior.
After the experiments of Thomas Walker and E. Dorchester, Rome waited for a newspaper until 1825, when Lorin Dewey set up the Rome Republican, to which a rival Republican and a Telegraph were added after a while, and in 1838 the title Democratic Sentinel was adopted by R. Walby, with Calvert Com-
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stock as editor. In 1845, after changes of managers, the style was simplified to Rome Sentinel. Calvert Comstock and Elon Comstock became interested with A. J. Rowley in 1847, but three years later Mr. Rowley became sole proprietor. The first number of the Daily Sentinel was issued July 15, 1852, by Calvert and Elon Comstock. In 1854 Daniel E. Wager and D. C. Rowley bought half of the establishment. From 1861 to 1863 Wood & Larwill were the publishers, who were succeeded by Warren & Beers. From June, 1864, the present owners, Franklin B. Beers and Augustus C. Kessinger, date their long and successful career. In 1893 they formed a corporation with Mr. Kessinger as president, Mr. Beers as secretary and treasurer, and Albert R. Kessinger as vice president, who for fifteen years has been managing editor.
Vernon in 1835 started a paper, the Vernon Courier, which in 1840 was re- moved to Rome, and from it arose the Roman Citizen as a Whig paper, then Republican, with C. B. Gay as editor and H. N. Bill as proprietor. Of seven who in course shared in control before Alfred Sandford became owner in Oc- tober, 1854, J. P. Fitch, A. D. Griswold and G. H. Lynch may be mentioned. From 1866 to February, 1884, E. E. Carr was associated with Mr. Sandford, who then gave way to Ernest F. Byam, and in 1887 Clark Briggs took the place of Mr. Carr, when the firm became Byam & Briggs until January 1, 1896, and then Mr. Byam retired and Mr. Briggs became sole proprietor. In July, 1899, he sold out to A. C. Ross, but in February, 1903, Mr. Briggs was compelled to take the paper back. Finding that it was no longer profitable he discontinued the publication in April of that year.
Rome was presented with a third weekly in 1881 by J. J. Guernsey under the title of Rome Republican. This was issued tri-weekly in 1895 and since. Mr. Guernsey has become (1911) the dean of publishers in his city.
Besides the regular weeklies, keen contests at elections gave birth to docu- ments of various sorts and to campaign papers. The most notable marked the year 1840, when Richard U. Sherman and William Allen in the Democratic Rasp printed by R. W. Roberts advocated the claims of Harrison and Tyler, while the Sledge Hammer struck its blows in behalf of Martin VanBuren. The latter was issued from the Observer office, and Luther R. Marsh and Jarvis M. Hatch were supposed to be the writers, although no editors were announced. These papers were types of the full developments of the partisan controversy of the period spiced with personalities.
Religious publications from an early day had their full share of the field. The Christian Monitor and Sunday Morning Repast, issued in Waterville in 1814, head the list, merged in the Civil and Religious Intelligencer by Joseph Tenny, and moved to Utica in 1833. The Christian Magazine was conducted by Congregational and Presbyterian ministers in 1814 and 1815. In 1822 the Christian Repository came from the press of William Williams under like in- fluences. Then was the Western Recorder, which began its career with Thomas Hastings as editor. After nine years in that post he was called to New York, where he won note as a leader and author in church music.
Revs. E. F. Wiley and Elon Galusha in 1824 set on foot the Baptist Regis- ter, of which Alexander M. Beebe took editorial charge in 1825 and served until his death. Dolphus Bennett and Bennett, Backus & Hawley were publishers
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for quite a period, and Edward Bright acquired an interest, who in 1855 trans- ferred the publication to New York City. In 1826 and the next two years the Western Sunday School Visitant appeared. The Universalists in 1827 were represented by the Evangelical Magazine, conducted by Rev. Dolphus Skinner, and later by Rev. A. B. Grogh ; the Gospel Advocate, brought hither from Buf- falo, was joined to it in 1830. The Gospel Messenger, official organ of the Episco- palians, which was started in Auburn in 1827, and removed to Utica in 1839 under Rev. John C. Rudd. On his death Rev. W. A. Matson conducted its col- umns from 1848 to 1860, and he was succeeded by Rev. W. T. Gibson until 1872, when the publication was transferred to Syracuse by Bishop Hunting- ton. Dr. Gibson in 1873 brought out the Church Eclectic, a monthly.
Besides periodicals the earliest issues from the local press noted are a fourth of July oration by Thomas Moore, published at Whitestown in 1797 by Lewis & Webb, and next in June, 1803, by Thomas Walker at Utica, a Vindication of the Administration of President Jefferson written by Gideon Granger under the pen name of Algernon Sidney, and a treatise on Infant Baptism also ap- peared in that year. The same year Merrell & Seward began a series of al- manacs, and added a spelling book and selections for reading by Noah Webster, with three or four religious works, and the Gamut, a book of music. Seward & Williams published The Farmer's Calendar for 1808 and following years, and issued also several sermons, Divine Songs by Isaac Watts, an edition of Livy, Murray's English Reader, a collection of church music entitled Musica Sacra, Thayer's Geography, the New England Primer and A Wanderer in Switzer- land, and the list might be prolonged.
William Williams became the sole imprint first on the Utica Directory of 1817. As a boy of 12 years he worked on the first newspaper in the county under his brother-in-law McLean. He was connected as editor or publisher with three of the branches grafted into that tree, and as partner he had been active in setting forward an active book publishing business. He engraved illustra- tions first in this part of the country which appeared in 1810 in the New Eng- land Primer. Circulating notes issued by the village of Utica in 1815 were adorned by his cuts.
He was chief of the pioneers of the press not only in Oneida county but in all this region, and by far the most prolific publisher outside the largest cities, and deserves comparison with the foremost of them anywhere. Measured by the scantiness of the neighboring population and the meager means of distribu- tion the products of his press were marvelous in number, variety and import- ance. Between 1817 and 1821 they counted no less than 51 books and pamphlets, and included the Greek Testament, Morse's Geography and a spelling book in the Iroquois language. From the latter date to 1838, when he retired from busi- ness, he issued as many as 130 publications. Among them were a quarto Bible, a Welsh hymn book, four tracts in Chotaw, a Hawaiian grammar, and the Douay version of the New Testament, printed at the instance of Nicholas Dev- ereux, a prominent Catholic of Utica. Light on Masonry, an octavo of 582 pages, was a cause as well as an effect of the anti-masonic excitement of 1829. An edition of the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, begun in 1814 in connection with a Philadelphia house and running on for twenty years, brought heavy loss, and was a large factor in the reverses which clouded his closing years.
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Other publishers were busy in this period. Ira Merrell put out a volume of sermons by Benjamin Bell in 1813. The name of Asabel Seward is im- printed as early as 1811 and in following years. An Astronomy by M. R. Bart- lett was issued by Colwell & Wilson in 1825. Hastings & Merrell and Gardner Tracy published books. O. Hutchinson in 1840 and following years, in the in- terest of the Universalists, published several volumes, among them A Voice to Youth in 1841. Dolphus Bennett and Bennett & Hawley in the same year pub- lished an Arithmetic by Professor George R. Perkins and an Algebra by the same author followed in 1845. R. W. Roberts in 1848 brought out an English Grammar by Solomon Barrett and Sermons by Seth Williston.
The Oneida Whig had for editor for some years Theodore S. Gold, and Feb- ruary 4, 1842, a daily was issued from its office, the Utica Daily Gazette, edited at first by Richard U. Sherman, then for two months by Ezekiel Bacon.
Alexander Seward became a partner with Mr. Northway May 1, 1843, assum- ing the editorial chair; with him Dr. H. C. Potter became associated in 1847, and later was sole editor, after Mr. Seward was called to conduct the Albany Register. The establishment was sold October 12, 1853, to Lyon & Arthur, who made both daily and weekly democratic organs of the compromise school under the editorship of Joseph M. Lyon. In July, 1856, N. D. Jewell became pro- prietor with C. J. Radford as editor, and the political leanings were diverted to the Native American party. On January 29, 1867, the subscription list was bought by Ellis H. Roberts, and the Daily and Weekly Gazette were absorbed by the Utica Herald.
The Oneida Morning Herald was projected to maintain the growing anti- slavery sentiment, and appeared November 1, 1847, under Roberts & Sherman, with whom Edwin R. Colston was a partner for a few months. Robert W. Rob- erts was trained as a printer in the office of William Williams, and succeeded that veteran in job printing. Richard U. Sherman had edited the Gazette and was active in politics. In 1850 he was elected clerk of the New York Assembly, and his vacant chair on the paper fell to Ellis H. Roberts, who, when Mr. Sher- man withdrew the next year, became proprietor, and soon localized the name to Utica Herald. With an interval of two or three months owing to factional strife in 1854, Mr. Roberts was head of the concern, and the paper led in advocacy of the Republican party ; in April, 1889, he was appointed by President Mckinley Assistant Treasurer of the United States in New York. He gathered a strong staff about him, and the paper gave voice to the intense popular loyalty in the period of the war for the Union. In 1872 he formed a corporation and ad- mitted as stockholders with himself George L. Roberts and S. N. D. North, under the style of Ellis H. Roberts & Co. In October, 1890, the Utica Herald Publish- ing Company acquired possession with Joseph R. Swan as president, F. H. Winke business manager, John H. Cunningham editor, and William E. Weed and W. H. DeShon among his assistants. The company next chose Titus Sheard as president, and a receiver took control in a few months.
The Utica Morning News preceded the Gazette as a daily, but was published for only about three months in 1842 by Lyon & Arthur with C. Edward Lester as editorial writer.
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The Morning Herald from 1847 forward appealed to the constituency of the early day in all of Central New York. The Observer began its daily issue April 27, 1848, as an afternoon paper.
In 1849 Thomas L. James, afterwards postmaster general, promoted the Central City Cadet by Lewis & James, as a temperance advocate.
The Evening Telegraph was conducted from May 1, 1851, to 1863, by T. R. McQuade & Co., with James McIver as the first editor. F. A. Crandall and D. F. Ritchie were successive managers until the publication ceased in 1875.
The first number of the Cenhadwr Americana, idd., an octavo monthly, was issued January, 1840, from the office of Robert W. Roberts, by Rev. Robert Everett, a Congregational minister. Mr. Everett was the best educated of the Welsh preachers who up to that time had migrated to this region, and wielded a wider influence with his pen than in the pulpit. He had already in 1839 published a collection of Welsh hymns for church use printed by Mr. Roberts. After two or three years Dr. Everett transferred his magazine to Steuben, where he resided, and published there editions of his hymn book and other religious works. He kept his press busy there until his death in 1875, and it was con- tinued by his son Lewis and his daughter Miss Mary for six years. The Cen- hadwr was bought in 1881 by Rev. Edward Davis, who after awhile took it to Waterville. On account of his failing health Hugh Hughes became practically the manager, and the magazine was discontinued in 1902.
The Cyfaill, another Welsh monthly, was begun under the auspices of the Calvanistic Methodists in Utica in 1857. Rev. William Rowlands was the editor for many years, succeeded by Rev. William Roberts, and later for a long period by T. Solomon Griffiths. In 1811, the editorial mantle passed to Rev. Joseph Roberts of New York.
The Welsh Baptists for two decades gave support from January, 1876, to Y Wawr, also a monthly, conducted by Rev. Owen Griffiths, and discontinued August, 1896.
The physicians of the Utica State Hospital started in 1844 the American Journal of Insanity, an octavo quarterly, in which contributions by Dr. Amaziah Brigham, Dr. John P. Gray and other alienist experts have for two generations commanded the attention of the profession. The Opal was also issued from the same institution for the patients from 1852 to 1857.
Y Drych, Welsh weekly, is the consolidation of four papers from several quarters. Started under that name in New York in 1851 by J. M. Jones, from 1854 it was conducted by J. W. Jones, and was brought to Utica in 1860, where it was soon bought by J. Mather Jones. In 1860 John C. Roberts was charged with the management, and in 1874 by purchase Thomas J. Griffiths assumed the responsibilities of proprietor.
In the meanwhile Y Gwyliedydd, edited by Lewis Jones for a company headed by William M. Owen and printed by R. W. Roberts ran its career at the middle of the century and gave up the field. Mr. Griffiths in 1877 brought hither the Baner America from Scranton; in 1890 Y Wasg from Pittsburg, and in 1894 the Columbia from Chicago.
The circulation of Y Drych extends to many states, and now (1911) continues with Thomas J. Griffiths as proprietor and John C. Roberts as editor. Mr.
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Griffiths also publishes since 1886 the Cambrian, which was started in Cincin- nati in 1880 in English, but appealing to the Welsh people.
October 22, 1877, to promote the partisan interests of Roscoe Conkling, Lewis Lawrence promoted the Republican, a daily paper, with Dennis T. Kelly as publisher. Of its editors John F. Mines was the best known. The last number appeared February 4, 1879.
In 1846 Clinton had its first paper, the Signal, of which the initial number was dated July 10. L. W. Payne was publisher. After two years the title was changed to the Radiator, and the publication stopped in 1852. The Oneida Chief soon took its place under L. W. Payne and Ira D. Brown. In 1856 Fran- cis E. Merritt became proprietor, who the next year sold out to Glen H. Osborne, who named it Chief and Courier, and in 1859 M. D. Raymond became proprie- tor, and so continued until 1875, when J. B. Sykes bought the property, styled the paper Clinton Courier, and J. B. and H. B. Sykes have been publishers for a quarter of a century. In 1899 the Clinton Advertiser entered the field in charge of H. Platt Osborne, and it was merged with the Courier in March, 1911. J. B. Sykes has retired, and H. B. Sykes is now the publisher.
The genesis of Boonville's papers dates from March, 1852, when James H. Norton started the Boonville Ledger and soon sold it to E. Kent. L. C. Childs & Company bought the office in 1855, and rechristened the paper Black River Herald. In 1862 H. P. Willard assumed control as editor and publisher. On his death his sons took up the work, and since 1891 Garry A. Willard has con- ducted the paper, localized as the Boonville Herald, and advocating the Repub- lican cause.
As a Democratic weekly in 1892 C. J. Donnelly brought out the Boonville Record, which in 1895 he transferred to H. H. Griffith and I. G. Sawyer, who continue the publication.
The record of papers in Camden is extensive for a village of its size. The Camden Gazette by E. C. Hatton appeared in 1842, who passed it over to E. M. Higbie, under whom it died. Ira D. Brown in 1852 kindled the Northern Light, and after half a year passed it on to Merritt & Stone. The Camden Courier by E. O'Farrell followed in 1853, which after a short life left the field to the Camden Freeman by Wesley Henderson, which suspended in 1863. The Journal under Jairus H. Munger from 1864 to 1878 was a notable publication. In 1885 W. C. Stone, who had founded the Advance in 1873, merged the Jour- nal with its rival under the title of the Advance Journal, and it continues, a credit to the town and the publisher.
Besides the earliest publications which, as has been mentioned in this chap- ter, were transplanted to other soil, Waterville had the Advertiser in 1851, the Journal started in 1855 and stopped the next year, and in 1857 Mckibbin & Wilkinson established the Waterville Times. J. H. Yale followed them in 1860, and R. S. Ballard in 1866. James J. Guernsey was proprietor from 1870 to 1881, and Frank J. Cutter, for a year as partner of W. L. Histed and then alone, conducted the paper until 1887. W. S. Hawkins in that year added the Reflex, which had been run three years by Loftus and Barnum, and has given the Times character and influence up to this day. He also issues a poultry paper.
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After the Vernon Courier was transformed into the Roman Citizen, the next paper in the former village was the Central New York Journal, projected in 1851 by John R. Howlett, who gave it the name of the Vernon Transcript in 1855. Forty years later Rev. H. A. Howard brought out in December, 1895, a monthly called the Search Light, and a dozen numbers were printed. In May, 1896, Curry & Murphy started the Vernon Times, which appeared for some years.
Oriskany Falls has had a local weekly, the News, for forty-two years, since May, 1869. W. E. Phillips is editor and publisher.
Notable publications in Utica before 1850 were the Friend of Man, by Wil- liam Goodell, radical abolitionist, and the Liberty Press, by Wesley Bailey, which gave way to the Teetotaler. For awhile about the same time the Uti- carian by Squires & Soliss attracted local notice.
In the same era O. B. Pierce issued the Rome Vigilant, and N. D. Jewell the American Courier in Utica. About 1855 appeared the New York Farmer in Rome by Wager & Rowley, and the Northern Farmer in Utica by T. B. Miner, and the Rural American in Clinton also by T. B. Miner, which in 1887 he took away to New Brunswick, N. J.
Hamilton College during all its history has allied itself closely to the print- ing press. The anniversary addresses and reports of notable occasions have been presented in pamphlets often of many pages and of especial value. Pro- fessor Henry Mandeville's book on Reading and Oratory, half a century ago when it came from the press of Rufus Northway, made a deep impression and has inspired all the classes to excellence in elocution.
The German speaking population in 1853 felt the need of a- paper using their own language, and a stock company was organized to print the Central New York Democrat, with Dr. Soden as editor. Two years later Paul Keiser became proprietor, and rechristened it the Oneida Democrat. John C. Schreiber took editorial charge in 1860, and became proprietor in 1865, adding Utica Deutche Zeitung to the title. In 1891 the control passed to a stock company with John C. Fulmer treasurer and Mr. Schreiber president, who remained editor until his death in 1910. He was followed in that capacity by Otto Poepel. The president of the company is Jacob Agne. After two decades of labor in that capacity Mr. Fulmer resigned as treasurer in March, 1911, and Richard Metzler was chosen his successor.
The Utica Volksblatt was conducted as a Republican German weekly by Henry Kruempel from 1887 for about ten years.
Bare mention can be made of issues about 1847, of the Central Washingtonian News by Baker & Sanford in Utica; the Christian Contributor by Rev. C. P. Grosvenor, and the Gomerian Sun by Evan E. Roberts. To this list may be added about 1857 the Central Independent by G. W. Bungay and Ansel K. Bailey, which Mr. Bungay removed to Ilion. The paper was later merged with the Utica Weekly Herald. In 1868 the Temperance Patriot was started by William M. Ireland; somewhat earlier was the Model Worker by Samuel W. Green. Later the Women's Christian Association produced the Christian Worker.
In 1870 Thomas F. Baker and Benjamin L. Douglas found the field of daily
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newspapers in Utica tempting and added to it the Utica Bee, an afternoon issue. Their experience did not satisfy them, and they passed it over to Seth Wilbur Paine the next year and he dropped it. Another short lived daily was the Utica Union, of which the first number came out October 12, 1895, started by a company of printers and sold for one cent. Andrew Keiner was president and then C. N. Gaffney, with E. L. Mainwaring manager.
The Sunday Tribune owes its origin to Thomas F. Baker and Dennis T. Kelly, who founded it in May, 1877; they transferred it to H. E. Devendorf in 1883. He was followed by Patrick E. Kelly, who sold the establishment in December, 1895, to Jacob Agne and John C. Fulmer. They acted for the Utica Sunday Tribune company, which was incorporated January 31, 1896, and Jacob Agne was chosen president and John C. Fulmer secretary and treasurer, who both continue to serve as such. The Sunday Journal entered into competition in October, 1894, and was bought and absorbed by the Tribune company March 4, 1907.
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