History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 46

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 46

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" Mr. Nathanlel Val), of' Goshen, supplies the following additional puur-

" In November, IMBI, was gonnaenced at tionhow the paddleation of the mwst known as the Democratic Standard. Hu olto won't. W. Dorman and 11 Vall, On the 54th of Jans of the following year Don- ovno notred, and the paper appeared with a new hend- the Gunheu "love and became a ' freeroll publication. The founding local Dom- 4.tale of the soft shell' or ' bass-twitter' portion of the party who wore KUNtalning the enterprise worn bolddun 6, Vall, Ana D. Jannen, James HI. Jansen, Jolts H. Booth, and Hector Vall, of Goshen, Marit. H. Cash, of Mitblick, and Francis Tabell, il Chester, Judge Booth falling In 1416, the publication dovolved on the Valls, and on the death of Jobbjun 1 .. , In 1×19 (whome nomme had laom pointantly at His head), his youngest execu- tor dneovering that he had oyunuled upwards of twenty-five hundred dollarn In the publiention, took stops to discontinua the same, which was elected June 14, 1410."

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THE PRESS OF ORANGE COUNTY.

succeeding, and while the Republican was under charge of Mr. MeNally, had free use of its columns to urge the Wallkill Valley Railroad project upon the attention of the publie. I might add here that my father, Rufus Drake, lived neighbor to Timothy B. Crowell, proprietor of the old Orange County Patriot and Spirit of Seventy-Sir, and it was in Mr. Crowell's office that I first learned to set type."

One of the methods of circulating newspapers in early times was by what were called post-riders, who would convey the papers to subscribers, in some cases carrying a route from Goshen to Newburgh of Goshen issue, and returning with Newburgh issues. It was a most interesting service viewed from the stand-point of present facilities for reaching patrons through the mails. Coming into use before the days of a post- office system, it came to be blended with it, the mail- carrier and the post-rider being frequently one and the same person. This method of transacting business is shown by the following advertisement :

" IMPORTANT NEWS. - Those persons In Ulmter atul Orange, who have been supplyed with the CorHYN RiportoRy, by the summerllas, are in- for med that the present paper completed one your afour he has rode point. He wishes thomas gentlemen who me jo acteur, to make payment is moon un possible, as his engagements with the printer oblige him to exact the mont pum tual settlementa Jor tbo Inst year's farmers. Those who find it miont convenient, may linve the money nt the place where their papers h''o Jull. JONATHAN BELUBER.

Noah Carpenter was another post-rider ; he was also a mail-carrier. He was a lame shoemaker, and lived at the two-mile stone on the La Grange road. "Hle was a man of a high degree of intelligence, of strict. moral character, and highly respected wherever known. His route was from Goshen to Blooming- burgh, and through the towns of Wawayanda, Green- ville, Minisink, and Warwick, He was," says Mr. Drake, " a communicant of the Presbyterian Church, and lived an unsullied life by never being a candidate for office. Through the intercourse with the people which his occupation gave him, he became one of the most respected and influential men in the county. Clergymen, politicians, lawyers, and professional men early learned to pay due respect to his opinions, For months together he would be the only man from the outside world who was seen in many neighborhoods, and his coming was an event that was greeted with ; pleasure. All kinds of business was intrusted to him, -deeds to be recorded, money to be collected, notes to be paid, and store-goods to be purchased. Wells, when he introduced the express business, had not far to go for his idea, -- it was but the continuance of the old post-rider system under another name. When Hector Craig gave the only electoral vote from the State of New York, in the Electoral College of 1821, he was sustained by Noah Carpenter, and that was enough."

l'erhaps there were other post-riders equally worthy of notice ; but our purpose is served by what has been written.

VICTOR M. DRAKE WAR born at Milford, Pa., March 20, 1813. His father was Rufus J., a son of Francis Drake, of Blooming-Grove, the Goshen Drakes being among the oldest in the county ; and all his ancestors by the name of Drake lived in Goshen or Chester from the beginning of the seventeenth century. Ilis great-grandfather, Joseph Drake, was supposed to be a lineal descendant of Sir Francis Drake, of England, who died in that country in 1794. His grandfather, Francis Drake, had nine children by his three wives, his father, Rufus J. Drake, being the only one in the male line by the last wife, Rebecca Clark, His mother's name was Rhoda Pierson, who was a dangh- tor of Rachel Bull, whose mother was a DeWitt, and sister of Mary DeWitt, De Witt Clinton's mother. Thus Mr. Drake is descended from the earliest settlers of the county by four different lines, -the Drakes, Piersons, Bulls, and De Witts, all of whom were dis- tinguished for their devotion to the cause of the colo- nies at the time of their separation from the English crown in 1776. His grandfather, Francis Drake, was taken prisoner when Fort Montgomery was captured by the British in 1779. He served in Col. Drake's regiment. Capt. Cromsud Drake, of Goshen, was a distinguished patriot and friend of Henry Wisner, who championed the Revolutionary canse in Congress in 1776, and the first congressman that represented Orange County. His father, Rufus JJ. Drake, served two years in the army as a volunteer in the Eighty- first Pennsylvania Regiment in the war of 1813. He died poor in 1828, leaving a widow and five children, -two sons and three daughters. His mother, Rhoda Pierson Drake, died in 1866 ; and during the thirty- eight years she remained his widow she uniformly de- clined to apply to the government for a pension. Victor M. Drake's life has been spent mainly in Orange Co., N. Y., and the adjacent county of Sussex, N. J. At the age of eleven years he was placed in a printing-office, where he received about the only schooling that he ever obtained. He served eleven years in the office of the Independent Republican in the various capacities of apprentice, journeyman, editor, and proprietor. In 18-16 he removed to Sus- Hex Co., N. J., settling in Newton, where he was con- neeted with the New Jersey Herald until 1871 in the capacities of reporter, editor, and proprietor. During his carly connection with this paper it became un influential journal in the politics of New Jersey, and had a direct influener in procuring the nomination and election of four Governors of the State,-viz., Daniel Haines, of Sussex ; George F. Fort, of Goshen; Rodman M. Price, of Hudson ; and Gen. Joel Parker, of Monmouth. These men were all elected on the questions of a reform of the old State constitution, equal taxation, free schools, and the election of county officers by the people, a power previously invested in the old Council of Appointment, principally controlled up to this time by the East and West Jersey proprie- tors, Mr. Drake originally devised the system of rail-

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

M Drake

way improvements that have become a distinguish- ing feature of both counties. When he began printing in Sussex County he had to wagon his paper over the Jersey mountains sixty miles. He also carried the mails on five Star routes, covering five hundred miles each week for the distribution of his newspaper. Ile had previously done the same thing in Orange County. The farmers received their newspapers direct at their houses instead of through the post-office, and for this purpose he always kept three or four fleet horses. In this way he increased the circulation of his newspaper and distanced his competitors. In politics Mr. Drake has always been a pronounced Democrat. In early life he hurrahed for Gen. Andrew Jackson, and cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren for President, and each of his Democratie successors until the renomi- nation of James Buchanan. He supported Andrew Johnson and defended Abraham Lincoln when the rebels attempted to usurp the government. He has lived an industrious life from a boy, having in turn been a printer, editor, farmer, and gentleman at large. Now, in the eighty-sixth year of his age, he has rarely been sick during his life, never having used liquor, tobacco, or other stimulants, and in 1881 he is able to do an average day's work either in the printing-office or on the farm. He erected the first brick buildings

built south of Goshen court-house, in 1841, and has taken an active interest in all local improvements wherever he has resided.

CHARLES MEAD .- His paternal grandfather, Mat- thew, was a colonel in the Continental army during the Revolution, and was on very intimate terms with Gens. Washington and Lafayette, as his private papers indicated.

After the close of the war he refused an assignment of land in the Connecticut Valley, the soldier's right, and never received a pension. He resided at Wilton, Fairfield Co., Conn., where he reared a family of sev- eral sons and daughters, of whom Xenophon was father of our subject, and was born in the town of Wilton, June 12, 1779.

He was a merchant in Newburgh, N. Y., for several years, subsequently a farmer in Warwick, afterwards resided for a time in Mobile, Ala., and finally removed to Ohio, where he died Dec. 29, 1847.

His wife was Abigail, daughter of Moses Burr, who was born June 3, 1778, and died Aug. 22, 1857.

Mr. Mead's maternal grandfather, Moses Burr, re- sided in Fairfield Co., Conn. ; was a relative of Aaron Burr; was a soldier in the Continental army, and at the burning of Norwalk. His wife was Mabel Banks, whose family was noted for great longevity, one mem-

Charmeado

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THE PRESS OF ORANGE COUNTY.

ber having reached the great age of one hundred and two years, and several others to the very advanced age of over ninety years.

The children of Xenophon Mead were Louisa, born June 20, 1802, widow of the late Nathaniel Webb, of Goshen ; Aaron Burr, born Dec. 2, 1803, removed to Ohio, where he died; Norman, born May 17, 1808, for a time resided in Ohio, but died in Goshen, N. Y. : Edwin, born Dec. 17, 1812, of Santa Cruz, C'al. ; and Charles.

Charles Mead, son of Xenophon, was born in New- burgh, N. Y .. Nov. 19, 1819, and educated under the well-known teacher, the late Nathaniel Webb, of Goshen.

At the age of fifteen he went to learn the trade of a printer in Goshen, under William B. Wright, editor of the Orange County Patriot, but who afterwards be- came a judge of the Supreme Court of the State. Here he remained until 1839, and for one year follow- ing edited the Carbondale Journal, at Carbondale, Pa., and in 1841-42 he worked on Graham's Magazine, in l'hiladelphia.

He married, May 9, 1842, Caroline A., the accom- plished daughter of Daniel Warden, of Goshen. She was born April 11, 1821, and died Nov. 11, 1880.

After his marriage he came to Goshen, purchased the Goshen Democrat of the heirs of Frederick T. Par- sons, who had recently died, which he has edited and published since, a period of thirty-nine years. From 1843 until 1854 he did the printing for the Erie Rail- way Company, and at the latter date started an office for that company in New York.

During this time, for twelve years, the late Na- thaniel Webb was associated with him in the manage- ment of his paper, and since 1868 his eldest son has been a partner in the concern, under the firm-name of " Charles Mead & Son."

Charles Mead, whose life and family origin have been briefly sketched, it will be seen, has spent almost his whole business career in Goshen.

The Goshen Democrat, of which he has been the proprietor for nearly forty years, has long been recog- nized as a model newspaper. Its conservative and high moral tone has justly distinguished it from its compeers. In the part of political strife an upright and honorable conrse has always been maintained towards its political opponents. Tolerant of the opinions of others, it has never failed to assert its own in a candid and unobtrusive manner.

Mr. Mead's object seems to have been to make his journal a useful, truthful, and unexceptionable family new-paper. From the liberal patronage always ac- corded it, it would seem that the efforts of its pub- lisher had been duly appreciated by the public.

We seldom meet with a journal of this class, and in a county where newspaper enterprise has more than kept pace with the times, where its success is justly a source of congratulation. That it has had its influence in -ustaining the high moral tone of the community

in which it is printed is evident. Whilst it has out- lived so many other journals conducted on different principles, its future career of usefulness promises to be excelled by none. The life and usefulness of such men are seldom estimated at their true worth, whilst the scheming and meretricious too often claim and obtain the applause of the world, which in reality is due to others.

As a man and a citizen, Mr. Mead has always been distinguished for his quiet and unostentatious man- ners and high social position. Ilis intercourse with his friends and neighbors has always been agreeable and pleasant.

His sons, Charles and William B. Mead, are both young men of a high grade of talent, and promise future usefulness.

THE PRESS OF NEWBURGH.

The first paper published in Newburgh was the Newburgh Packet ; it was printed by Lucius Carey in 1795. Carey was the son-in-law of Rev. John Close, Presbyterian minister at Newburgh and New Wind- sor until 1796. It is said that Carey sold the paper to David Denniston in 1797, who changed its name to The Mirror, of which Philip Van Horne (1797) and Joseph W. Barber (1798) appear as printers, the latter saying in his advertisement, " also, Printing and Book Binding carried on by David Denniston." In 1799, Jacob Schultz removed to Newburgh the New Windsor Gazette, the name of which he changed to Orange County Gazette. This paper was purchased by David Denniston and the name changed, it is said, to The Citizen, a point on which there is some doubt, as, while copies of all other Newburgh papers have been pre- served, there is none of this, and as Denniston was, about that time, connected with the American Citizen, of New York, which he circulated from his office. Whatever the facts may be cannot now be ascertained. In 1799 the Rights of Man was established by Dr. Elias Winfield, for whom it was printed by Benoni H. Howell. This paper was also purchased by Dennis- ton, and the Orange County Gazette probably incor- porated with it. Winfield was a physician and drug- gist, and made himself somewhat notorious, in 1803, by his advocacy of the theory that the yellow fever was of "domestic origin," and that it was "not a contagious disease." He subsequently removed to Kingston. The Recorder of the Times was commenced by Dennis Coles, in 1803. The Mirror was absorbed by the Rights of Man, in 1804; and the latter by the Recorder of the Times, in 1805. Ward M. Gazlay, who had been burned out of the Orange Eagle, at Goshen, in 1805, purchased the Recorder in 1806, and changed its name to the Political Inder, under which it was continued until 1829.

The Mirror and the Citizen were the advocates of Paine's infidel teachings. The Gazette was anti-infidel. The Rights of MMan was more especially devoted to the interests of that branch of the Republican party of

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

which Jefferson was the representative. The Recorder of the Times claimed to be Republican, but was gen- erally regarded as representing "the Federalists and Burritos." Mr. Gazlay, who was then printing The Friend of Truth, at Goshen, introduced it to his readers (August, 1803) in this language: "The pretended Republicans of Orange County, not satisfied with the Rights of Man, published at Newburgh by Mr. Den- niston, have established a new paper called the Re- corder of the Times." The Political Inder apparently consolidated the interests of the Republican party. It gave a hearty support to the administration of leť- forson and of Madison, and to the war of 1812. Its political articles were mainly from the pen of Jona- than Fick, one of the most able men of the period. It's only competitor was the Orange County Patriot and Spirit of Seventy-Sir, a paper of Federal or anti- war polities, a new series of which was commenced at Newburgh, in 1812, by Lewis & Crowell. It was suh- sequently removed to Goshen, from whence it came.

The Political Inder was purchased, in 1829, by Charles U. Cushman, who changed its name to the Orange Telegraph, and subsequently to the Newburgh Telegraph. It continued under the management of Mr. Cushman until October, 1839, when it passed into the hands of Henry II. Van Dyck, who, finding New- burgh people uncongenial from his course in the Senate on the location of the Erie Railroad, placed the paper, in the winter of IS-40, in the hands of Elias Pitts, who continued it until 1850, when it was pur- chased hy E. M. Rutteuber, Mr. Ruttenber sold the establishment to Joseph Lawson, Oct. 1, 1857 ; repur- chased it May 1, 1859, and sold it in 1861 to E. W. Gray, who sold to George M. Warren (186-1), who sold to Isaac V. Montanye (1861), who sold to E. M. Rut- teuber (1865), who sold to A. A. Bensel ( 1867), who sold to J. J. MeNally ( 1869), who soll to Dr. Cooper (1874), who sold to N. I. Schram soon after. The latter was succeeded by E. J. Horton in 1875, and in 1876 it was again purchased by E. M. Ruttenber, who changed its title to the Newburgh Register. The The- graph, although Democratic at all times, opposed the Albany Regency, a fact which led to its purchase by H. B. Van Dyck, or rather the purchase for him. Mr. Pitts, who had been sent to take Mr. Van Dyck's place, very soon fell into the line of thought of his local supporters, and not only opposed the Regency, but upheld the "Free Soil" banner of 1848 with marked ability. In the subsequent changes and revolutions in polities it has maintained the Democratic faith.

1856, Mr. Gray commenced in connection with it the publication of the Daily News, mainly designed for political purposes, and continued it until December. le again resumed it in January, and in February, 1857, united his establishment with the Telegraph. The Gazette and the Telegraph were continued as weeklies under the consolidation, and the News as a daily, until 1861, when the Gazette was dropped and the title of the News changed to the Daily Telegraph. After a temporary discontinuance during the winter of 1861, the daily was resumed under the title of the Daily Union. In 1866 the title of both the weekly and daily was changed to the Press. The old title of the Telegraph was restored in 1869, but changed to the Register in 1876, of which H. P. Kimber & Co. are now the publishers.

In 1833 or 1834, John D. Spalding commenced the publication of the Newburgh Journal, which he continued until 18443, when he changed the name to the Highland Courier. The Courier was continued by Mr. Spalding until his death, Aug. 22, 1853, and subsequently by his widow, Mrs. E. L. Spalding, who sold it, in 1855, to William E. Smiley. In Au- gust, 1858, Edward Nixon became its proprietor. In 1859, Rufus A. Reed purchased the establishment and changed the name of the paper to the Highland Chief- tain. Mr. Reed sold to Cyrus B. Martin, who re- sumed the title of Newburgh Journal, and commenced, in 1863, the publication of the Daily Journal, The establishment is now conducted by Ritchie & Hull.

In addition to these papers, The Beacon, an anti- Inekson campaign paper, was published in 1828; the late Judge William B. Wright was its editor. In 1834, Wallace & Sweet published the National .Aver- fiser,-subsequently merged in the Gazette. Thomas George commenced, in 1849, the publication of the Newburgh Excelsior. This paper was purchased by E. M. Ruttenber, in May, 1851, and merged in the Telegraph. In 1855 the publication of the Newburgh American was commenced by R. P. L. Shater, and continued three or four weeks. In March, 1856, the Newburgh Times, a temperance paper, was commenced by Royal B. Hancock, as agent for an association of gentlemen. It subsequently passed into the hands of R. Bloomer & Son, who sold to AAlexander Wilson. Charles Blanchard purchased from Mr. Wilson, and commenced (1867) the issue of the Newburgh Daily Democrat, but failed in a few months. The establish- ment was then broken up. The Daily Penny Post was commenced by an association of printers in October, 1875; and the Daily Mail by a similar association in the spring of 1876. The former was discontinued in June, 1876, and the latter merged in the Register in 1877.

The publication of the Newburgh Gazette was com- menced by JJohn D. Spalding, June, 1822. 1ts sub- sequent publishers were as follows : Spalding & Par- menter, from 1825 to 1832; Knevels & Spalding, 1832 to 1836; Knevels & Leslie, 1836 and 1837 ; Wal- There have also been several religious publications. In 1824, the Rev. J. R. Wilson commenced the pub- lication of a monthly magazine of forty-eight pages, under the title of the Brangelical Witness. It was lace & Sweet, 1837 and 1838 ; Samuel T. Callahan, 1838 to 1852 : William 1. Allison, 1852 to 1855 ; Royal B. Hancock, 1855 to February, 1856, when Eugene W. Gray became the proprietor. In the summer of . devoted to the exposition of the faith of the Reformed

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THE PRESS OF ORANGE COUNTY.

Presbyterian Church, and was continued four years. It was succeeded by the Christian Statesman, which lasted only one year. On the Ist of March, 1836, by the appointment of the Synod of that church, the Rev. Moses Roney commenced the publication of the Reformed Presbyterian, a monthly magazine of thirty- two pages. Mr. Roney removed this magazine to Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1849. Here he published it until his death in 1854; it was subsequently continued there by Mrs. Roney, and is now conducted by the Rev. Thomas Sproul. In October, 1859, the Rev. David 1. Proudfit commenced the publication of the Family Visitor, a monthly quarto, which he continued one year. In 1845 he published the first number of the Christian Instructor, a monthly magazine of thirty- two pages, which he continued for two years. It was then sold to the Rev. J. B. Dales, who removed it to , of strong character, and a radical in religion as well Philadelphia. In 1856 the Catholic Library Associa- I tion commenced the publication of the Catholic Li- - brary Magazine, John Ashhurst, editor, which was continued monthly until August, 1860.

Literary serials have been numerous, but without permanency. In May, 1832, John W. Knevels issued the first number of a monthly quarto called Tablets of Rural Economy. It was only continued for a few months. In 1855, R. B. Denton commenced the Lit- erary Serap-Book, a monthly magazine of forty-eight pages ; but it failed in a short time. The Acorn, a small monthly, was commenced by an association of students of Mr. Domanski's school, in 1857, and was discontinued in 1859. The title was subsequently re- sumed in a publication by the students of the New- burgh Institute, under the auspices of Mr. Siglar. In 1867, S. S. Wood commenced the publication of the Household Advocate, an eight-page monthly. Having secured a large circulation, he changed the form and the title to Household Magazine, the circula- tion of which at one time reached sixty thousand. The publication failed in 1874. Meanwhile Mr. Wood, who retired from the old publication in 1874, prior to its failure, endeavored to introduce a larger magazine, but without success. In 1869, A. A. Bensel started the Home, Farm, und Orchard, an eight-page weekly, and ran it until the spring of 1876. The Musical Bulletin, a monthly quarto, was issued by Demorest & Burr during the years 1872 and 1873.

The list of publications is substantially completed with the titles of a series of what were known as ""amateur newspapers," from 1865 to 1873: the Union Jack, by Master A. Ludlow Case; the American Eagle, by Frank S. Hull ;" the Comet, by Henri Ge-

* The American Eagle, Published every two weeks at 285 Grand Street, Nowlargh, by Frank S. Hull. Age at time of fast is de (June 24, 1865), twelve years. Printed on "press" of editor atul publisher's own con- struction, The first twenty-two numbers were two columns, on ono sido only of a sheet seven by eleven inches. No. 23 appeared printed on both sides of the sheet, thus increasing it to four columns. No. 34 WAA en- larged to twice the size, or four pages, eight columns, on a sheet eleven by fourteen inches. No. 61 was inerensed in size to twelve columns,- three on a page. Simme interruption to the regular puidication of the

rard (1871); the Inder, by J. Walker F. Ruttenber (1871) ; the Collector, by D. W. Jagger (1871) ; the Pucket, by W. II. Wood and D. W. Corwin (1872) ; the Laurel, by A. Milligan (1872); and the Amateur Herald, by T. R. Balf (1872). The Inder survived its contemporaries, and closed its life in the hands of D. W. Jagger.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 46

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1336

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336