History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York, Part 25

Author: Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) cn; Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Ensign
Number of Pages: 1112

USA > New York > Chemung County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 25
USA > New York > Schuyler County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 25
USA > New York > Tioga County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 25
USA > New York > Tompkins County > History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York > Part 25

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).

105

AND SCHUYLER COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

The great fire of 1849 destroyed the Gazette office with its presses and material. Nothing was saved, and there being no insurance on the property, it was a total loss. But the publication was resumed as soon as new material could be proeured, and its pages enlarged to seven columns, and the sheet to 24 by 36 inches. The office was over the store of L. W. Kingman, on the west side of North Avenue, on the ground subsequently occupied by John Barry's carriage-manufactory. Isaac Lillie, soon after the fire, built a brick building on the northeast corner of Lake and Main Streets, now oeeupied by Ely Bros' drug-store, and the Gazette office was, in May, 1850, removed into the third story of that building. In May, 1853, the office was again removed to Patch's Hall, on ground now occupied by L. N. Chamberlain's brick block, on the west side of Lake Street, the hall being the third story of Patch's Block. In September, 1855, the first stcam-power cylinder printing- press used in Owego was set up in the Gazette office. It was a Northrup press, capable of making one thousand in- pressions per hour. The press was run by hand till July, 1856, when a steam-boiler and engine, manufactured in Binghamton, were put into the office. A second attempt to found a daily newspaper was made by Mr. Bcebe, who resumed the publication of the Daily Gazette, Oct. 18, 1855. The paper was a five-column folio, 26 by 19 inches in the sheet. The heading was cut with a knife from wood by Dr. Frank, and afterwards electrotyped. The daily was short-lived, ceasing to appear, for want of patronage, on December 6 following. It was again revived May 27, 1861, the expectation being that the intense excitement occasioned by the war movements, and the eager desire to get the earliest news, would create a sufficient demand for a daily issue to insure its suceess. The sheet was the same size as that of 1855, but contained four columns in place of five as before. Its publication ceased with the issues of the last week in October, the advertising patron- age being too meagre for its continuance.

Deecmber 11, 1862, the size of the Gazette was reduced from thirty-two to twenty-one columns, by reason of the rapid advance in the cost of every kind of printing ma- terial caused by the war, but Jan. 7, 1864, it was restored to its former size. In the fall of 1866, Mr. Beebe built the Gazette Block, on the east side of Lake Street, into which the office was removed in January, 1867. The pa- per was enlarged to its present size-thirty-six columns- Aug. 6, 1868, the date of the commencement of its fifty- sixth volume. In August, 1871, Le Roy W. Kingman purchased a one-half interest in the Gazette, and the paper has been since and is now published by Beebe & King- man. The Gazette, from its first issue in 1813 to the present time, has been unswervingly Democratie in its po- litical sentiments and editorials. Since the acecssion of Mr. Kingmau its columns have been made particularly interesting and valuable by the appearance therein of vari- ous articles on the earlier history of Tioga County and its interests, compiled by Mr. Kingman, who is somewhat of an enthusiast in the history of his native county. This chapter is largely drawn from his history of the press of Owego, which ran through three numbers of the Gazette, May 23 and 30, and June 6, 1878. The history of the

fire department of Owego was compiled also by Mr. King- man, and published in the Gazette, and subsequently issued as a pamphlet, and is a most interesting resume of that feature of the civil history of the village.

The following from the pen of Mr. Kingman is a brief sketch of DANIEL CRUGER, the first printer in Tioga County :

According to the testimony of Mrs. John Carmichael, who came to Owego in 1794, and who knew Cruger well, he was unmarried while in Owego; short in stature, with dark hair and complexion. He removed from Owego to Bath, Steuben Co. He held several public offices, and was a man of considerable prominence in the State. In 1814 to 1816 and in 1826 he was a member of Assembly from Alle- gany and Steubeu Counties, being Speaker of the House in 1816. He represented the Twentieth Congressional District in Congress, 1817-19, and was District Attorney of the Seventh Judicial District from March 17, 1815, to June 11, 1818, and from the latter date continued as such attor- ney for Steuben County until Feb. 19, 1821. He became acquainted, while in Congress, with Mrs. Lydia Shepard, of Ohio County, Va., who was in Washington prosecuting a claim of her dceeased husband against the govern- ment. Mr. Cruger subsequently went to Virginia and married the lady, and gave himself up entirely to agricultu- ral pursuits and the management of his wife's estate. Hc died at Elm Grove, Ohio Co., Va., July 12, 1843, aged sixty-four years nearly, and was buried in Stone Church Cemetery.

STEPHEN MACK was born in Massachusetts, March 20, 1766. He was twice married, but we have no record conceru- ing the first marriage save that by his first wife he had four children. At Cooperstown, N. Y., he married his second wife, Mary Sargents, in 1797, by whom two children were born to him. Mr. Mack came to Owego in 1799, and soon became one of her most active and prominent citizens. We find it recorded that " he held the offices of commissioner of highways, assessor, excise commissioner, and constable, and that he represented the town of Owego in the Board of Super- visors in 1807, '8, '11 and '12. He also served several years as justice of the peace." From Nov. 11, 1812, until his death, which occurred at Owego, April 16, 1814, he held the office of First Judge of the Court of Commou Pleas of the " county of Broome," under a commission from Gov- cruor Tompkins.

Some time previous to the year 1807 he became the pub- lisher of the American Farmer, which he continued while he lived; but, in the few copies of this paper that time and fire have spared, we find little or nothing by way of editorial to give a clue to his east of mind, political bent, or literary ability. His paper seems to have been an arena for free discussion of affairs, social, political, and agricultu- ral. His remains now lic, after two removals (first from the old ground on Court Street, and last from the Presby- terian yard on Temple Street), iu the Evergreen Ceme- tery.

His three sons at an early period in the history of Ithaea became permanent citizens of that promising village, and played no small part in moulding and developing her ma- terial interests. Stephen, the eldest, was a faithful mem-

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HISTORY OF TIOGA, CHEMUNG, TOMPKINS,

ber, and able, of the bar of the county; Ebenezer was the chief pioneer of the Ithaca press; and Horace (in the lan- guage of the Gazette of Feb. 27, 1862) " was distin- guished for his moral worth and business capacity as a merchant." He is at present the librarian of Cornell Li- brary, of Ithaca, and is the compiler of the history of the village of Ithaca for this work.

THE OWEGO ADVERTISER*

first appeared March 25, 1836, owned and edited by An- drew H. Calhoun. Till then the Democratic party had held full sway in what had been previously known as Tioga County, and all attempts to break down its influence met with the most decided opposition. The new paper from its inception had a hard road to travel, without political pa- tronage, all the offices being in Demoeratie hands. Yet there were several respectable and influential old Whig fam- ilies in the county who were not willing to imbibe Demo- cratie doctrine or submit to Democratic dictation, and these all supported the Advertiser to the best of their ability. Mr. Calhoun came from Canajoharie to Owego at the ex- press invitation of these old Whigs, and brought his press, etc., on a sleigh. The paper was a six-column folio, the sheet being about 30 inches long by 22 wide. In 1840 it was enlarged to seven columns. Mr. Calhoun was vigorous and indomitable in controversy ; bitter and personal at a time when personalities were the rage in polities. He attacked his opponents in their weakest points in reply to attacks upon the new paper and the party it represented.

Mr. Calhoun made the first attempt at the publication of a daily paper in Owego in 1838, and issued the first num- ber of the Daily News and Advertiser on October 18. It had four pages, of three columns each, the sheet being 12 by 18 inches in size. It was published but a few weeks. The Democratic party, all powerful when united, was frequently rent by factions, which inharmony was made the most of by the Whigs, who did aught else but play the rôle of reconciliation among their political enemies, and thereby secured many a local sugar-plum at the public crib.

In the fire of 1849 the Advertiser office and its contents were entirely destroyed, but as soon as new material eould be purchased the publication of the paper was resumed, the office being in Mr. Calhoun's own building, being the same as is now occupied by W. H. Roche, on Lake Street, as a fruit and confectionery store. After the fire of 1849, Wm. B. Calhoun, eldest son of the editor, became associated in the publication of the Advertiser with his father, which connection eontinued until July, 1852, when William eom- meneed running as mail agent, on a line of steamers plying between New York and San Francisco. In July, 1850, Mr. Calhoun was appointed canal appraiser, having been pre- viously (1848) chosen elerk of the Senate. His official duties of necessity ealled him away from his editorial duties, which were performed by his son, S. Howard Calhoun, but not satisfactorily so to the influential men of the party, who, to restore to the Advertiser its former power and influence, purchased it and its material of Mr. Calhoun in May, 1853. This company consisted of William Smyth, B. F. Traey,

Colonel N. W. Davis, Dr. Arnold, and eight others They sold the paper conditionally to Rev. A. V. H. Powell, a clergyman and writer, from Batavia, and Myron S. Barnes, a practical printer, from Rochester, who changed the name to the

SOUTHERN TIER TIMES,

the first number with that name being issued June 3. At the termination of one year, Powell & Barnes failing to pay the amount stipulated for the first installment, the company dis- possessed the firm, and took the paper into its own manage- ment. Hon. Wm. Smyth, the present proprietor, who had been the principal of the Owego Academy since 1848, owing to ill health was forced to relinquish the duties of his calling, and consequently, on June 1, 1854, purchased the interest of his associates and assumed sole management and control of the establishment. The new proprietor found his purehase more noted for what it laeked than for what it possessed. The type and other material were old, worn, and worthless. The press, an old one, had passed through the fire of 1849, and, though repaired, was a clumsy, heavy machine, and, taken as a whole, the investment looked far from promising. The Advertiser, in its best days under Mr. Calhoun, never had four hundred bona fide subscribers, the Democrats still controlled the county patronage, and dividends from the investment were not disecrnible, eveu with the eye of faith of the most sanguine ; but Mr. Smyth resolved to make the best of his (so thought) bad bargain. He purchased in New York an entire new outfit for his paper, and issued the first number of the Owego Southern Tier Times on June 22, 1854. In the issue of June 7, 1855, the words "Southern Tier" were dropped, and the present naine,

THE OWEGO TIMES,

was placed at its head, the editor saying, " By a glance at our first page our readers will observe a slight change of name. The words ' Southern Tier' are omitted. This change, we think, is for the better. It localizes and indi- vidualizes. The Southern Tier Times did the one, but left the other undone, while the whole name was long enough and assuming enough for a Spanish grandec. For the southern tier of counties we shall continue to write as often and as well as we can, but will not assume the ex- clusive right to what is a duty common to many other journals, several of which are equal and some superior to the Owego Times."

The Times rapidly increased its eirculation, and in 1856 its political influence was acknowledged. The Republican party had sprung into existence, and almost in its cradle had grappled with slavery in all its formns. The Demo- eratic party was pro-slavery in its sympathies and in its po- litieal action, but there was a powerful element therein opposed to slavery extension, if not to the system itself. This element united with the equally powerful element of the old Whig party, and the union constituted the Repub- liean party in this county, which, under the lead of the Owego Times, soon gained the ascendency. From 1856 to the present time Tioga County has been Republican, and has been represented in the Assembly and Senate by Re- publican legislators without a single exception. During

# Contributed by Hon. William Smyth,

167

AND SCHUYLER COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

all those years the Times has not faltered or failed as the standard-bearer of the party.

In February, 1860, the paper was first printed on a power-press, and was enlarged to its present size (folio, nine columns to the page, sheet 29 by 42 inches) June 3, 1868. Until 1872, Mr. Smyth eondneted the Times alone, but during that year he admitted his son, Wm. H. Smyth, as a partner in the establishment, sinee which time the paper has been published under the firm-name of Win. Smyth & Son, the elder Smyth being the editor-in-chief, and the younger local editor and eashier.

The eireulation of the Times is larger than that of any other paper in the county, and its readers are among the most intelligent class of population.

From 1853 to 1869 the Times was published in the third story of a briek building on the northwest corner of Main Street and North Avenue. In the last-named year the office was removed to the four-story brick building on Main Street, opposite Lake, where the Owego Times print- ing-house is situated. This house has no superior in the county. Located in the centre of business in the village of Owego, it is supplied with all the modern improvements- steam-presses, cutting-machines, ete .- required by a first- elass office. In connection with the printing-house the proprietors have in this present year (1878) established a well-equipped book-bindery, with paging- and numbering- and ruling-machines complete, capable of turning out any kind of work usually done in first-elass binderies.

THE TIOGA COUNTY RECORD.

On Nov. 30, 1867, Charles H. Keeler started a job- printing office in the second story of what was known as Leahy's Block, a wooden building standing on the site of the present bloek on Main Street, opposite Lake. Here he issued the first number of the Owego Trade Reporter, a neat monthly quarto publieation, in Mareh, 1868, eireulat- ing 3000 copies gratuitously, as an advertising medinm. On the night of Dee. 12, 1868, the office was destroyed by fire, ineurring a loss of $500 above insurance, and absorb- ing the limited capital of the founder. By the assistance of friends a new start was made, in two or three weeks, in the building known as the steam bakery, North Avenue, since destroyed by fire also. The fire, which at first seemed a disaster to the young publisher, proved to be a financial benefit, his presses being kept running night and day for a year or more on job-work for sympathizing friends. In fifteen months all losses were made up and a goodly sum saved besides. At the beginning of the year 1871, believ- ing a neutral paper, devoted exelusively to live local news, would be appreciated and supported, Mr. Keeler, on the 18th day of March, issued the first number of the Tioga. County Record, a six-column folio, which proved to be a sueeess financially from the initial number,-the first year's business yielding a handsome profit above expenses. Busi- ness men patronized its columns largely for advertising, and the farmers and publie generally subseribed liberally to its eireulation. In two weeks 500 subseribers were on the books, in six months 850, the number varying sinee then from that figure to 1500. On Jan. 6, 1872, the paper was enlarged to a seven-column paper, which is its present size.

On the 1st of April, 1872, the office was moved into a small store in the new Buckbee Block, on Main Street, where it remained until Nov. 25, 1876, when it was re- moved to rooms on the first floor in Ward's new brick block on Lake Street, fitted up especially for the Record, where it has sinee remained. The block is one of three stores, is three stories in height, and has been christened the " Rc- eord Block." Mr. Keeler has been the sole proprietor of the Record during its entire history, no one else having aught to do with its management save during the first few months of its existence, when O. S. Webster was connected with Mr. Keeler as assistant editor. Mr. Webster is now editor of the Westfield (Pa.) Idea. The Record is now in its eighth year, is in a prosperous condition, has a large and inereasing subscription list, a liberal advertising and job- bing patronage, and enjoys the good wishes of the public generally.

THIE WORKING MAN

was established in Owego, Nov. 2, 1877, by M. E. Web- ster and B. B. F. Graves, in the interest of the "Green- back" party, for the fall campaign. At the close of the campaign the party prospeets had assumed such flattering proportions as to warrant the enlargement of the paper from its first size, of a folio of three columns to the page, to a twenty-four column paper. On the 1st of January, 1878, the paper was issued under the proprietorship of the Workingmen's Publishing Company (Webster, Graves & Jordan).

THIE WAVERLY ADVOCATE

is the lineal sueeessor of the Waverly Luminary, which rose upon the world of newspaperdom on the 3d of October, 1851, Thomas Messenger being the prime mover to that end. " Briek" Pomeroy learned the printing business under Mr. Messenger, and it is said at an early age developed those peculiar traits of character which have subsequently made him notorious. The Luminary shone but about ten months, when it was eelipsed by the departure of its pub- lisher and the appearance of the Advocate under the man- agement of F. H. Baldwin, the initial number appearing Sept. 17, 1852.

M. H. Bailey succeeded Mr. Baldwin in 1853, and ran the paper for a few months, and in 1854 F. H. Baldwin and William Polleys bought out Bailey, and continued the publieation under the firm-name of Baldwin & Polleys till December 1, 1860, at which time O. H. P. Kinney purchased Baldwin's interest, and Polleys & Kinney have published the Advocate to the present time, Mr. Kinney appearing as editor. In 1868 a power-press was introduced, and the paper enlarged to its present liberal size. Its present eireulation is 1200 copies weekly, and it ranks as one of the leading Republican journals in Southern New York.

THE WAVERLY FREE PRESS

was the legitimate suceessor of the Waverly Enterprise, which latter journal was first issued by Frank F. Scudder, as a semi-monthly, Oct. 15, 1867. Its size was 12 by 18 inelies, which was doubled Dee. 15, 1869. It was first issued as a weekly Saturday, Jan. 1, 1871, and contained twenty columns, being a folio, size 20 by 28 inches. On July 28 of that year it was enlarged again by the addition of

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HISTORY OF TIOGA, CHEMUNG, TOMPKINS,

one column to each page, and Jan. 1, 1872, received another addition of four columns. A year later still another addition of a column to each page was inadc. On July 1, 1874, Mr. Scudder sold half of his interest in the paper on account of ill health, and continuing to grow worse, on the 1st January following he disposed of the balance of his interest to his partner, P. C. Van Gelder, of Elmira. Mr. Scudder died Nov. 14, 1875. Mr. Van Gelder continued the publication until Jan. 1, 1876, when he sold a half-interest in it to Amos Roberts, of Rathbone- ville, N. Y., and the paper was again enlarged another column per page, making it a nine-column folio, one of the largest in the county. On July 1, 1876, Mr. Van Gelder leased his remaining interest to J. A. Fraser, of Athens, Pa., and Roberts & Fraser continued the publication until Oct. 7, 1876, when the establishment was destroyed by fire.

The Enterprise was not again revived, but James B. Bray procured the subscription list and good-will of it of Mr. Van Gelder, and on the 22d of November, 1876, the first number of the Waverly Free Press appeared, a six-column folio, independent Republican in politics, as was the Enter- prise before it, but making a specialty of local news, in which it exeels, and is largely sought for by reason thercof. Mr. Brady's health failing, he sold the Press to C. March, who was in possession but two weeks, when Mr. Bray re- purchased it, and still continues its publication.

THE REVIEW

was started at Waverly in 1876, by Ira S. Wales, the first number appearing Friday, February 11, in the interest of the Tilden campaign. It is 26 by 40 inches in the sheet, 32 columns, Democratie in politics, but devoted mainly to local news and general miscellany, and has a circulation of about 1000 copies weekly.

THE ECHO

was established as a daily in the fall of 1876, and discon- tinued in February following. It was the last venture in daily journalism in the county, was a five-column folio, and had a eirculation of 500 copies.

THE CANDOR INDEPENDENT

is the lincal suceessor of three predecessors in the village of Candor, and was established Oct. 14, 1876, by T. H. Pride, and has a circulation of 1000 copies weekly. The first venture in journalism in Candor was made in 1867, by Clizbe & Mandeville, who issued the Candor Press for a time, and sold it to Benjamin Graves, who continued its publication under the name of the Candor Free Press (22 by 32 inches) for some time, and then discontinued it. In 1872, Wales & Cameron issued the Candor Review, Ira S. Wales succeeding; and in the fire of 1873 the office was burned, and the publication of the paper discontinued. The Independent was the next in order.

THE TIOGA COUNTY HERALD

is published in Newark Valley, by C. L. Noble, who founded it March 4, 1876. It is independent in polities, and has a circulation of about 600 copies weekly.

THE PRESS OF THE PAST.

The Owego Free Press was published by Stephen S. Chatterton, in 1828 (the first issue being of September 2), in the interest of the Democratie-Republican party, or of John Quincy Adams, in opposition to Jackson, for the pres- idency. It was 21 inches long by 25 inches wide, and was a five-column folio. The paper ceased its issue with the compaign resulting in Jackson's eleetion.

The Tioga Freeman was issued first, May 2, 1848, as the county organ of the Free-Soil Democracy. It was owned by a stock company, comprising Judges Avery and Farrington, John J. Sackett, Gideon O. Chase, and one or two others. John Dow was the publisher and Chase editor. It was a seven-column folio, size 24 by 36 inches. The prospects of the financial success of the Freeman, though most fair, were not realized, and in 1850 it was sold and re- moved to Port Jervis, where it became known as the Tri- States Union. In the great fire of 1849, which destroyed the Gazette and Advertiser offices, the Freeman cscaped unscathed by removing its presses and material to a safe dis- tance from the destroying flames, and hastily arranging its cases and presses, struck off extras, reporting the progress of the destruction, while more than one hundred buildings were still smoking and burning. The Gazette filled the un- expired subscriptions on the Freeman's list at its suspension.

The St. Nicholas, a monthly magazine, was commenced in April, 1853, by a number of young men. Its pages were a little smaller than those of the old Knickerbocker Magazine. It was printed in the Guzette office, and continued one year. There are but few complete sets of the numbers now in existence. The prominent feature of the St. Nich- olas was the series of papers, by Judge Charles P. Avery, on the early history of the Susquehanna Valley, the facts of which, being drawn from the earliest settlers by Judge Avery himself, give these papers a historic value of great moment at the present day. A pleasant feature of the St. Nicholas was " Our Stocking," a medley of criticism and anecdote, which closed the articles each month, written by Thomas C. Platt, in his peculiar vein of clever and gossipy humor. Among other contributors were the late Charles A. Munger, Esq., G. Hinch Avery, George S. Leonard, and Charles T. Ransom. Mr. Munger, besides other contribu- tions, wrote a serial novel, " Francis Felton," and some papers after the manner of Izaak Walton, called "The Sus- quehanna Angler." It was discontinued with the double number of February-March, 1854.

The Owego American was a " Know-Nothing" organ, issued by Andrew H. Calhoun, the first number appearing Aug. 23, 1855. It was a seven-column folio, 38 by 26 inches sheet. Its business office was in Owego, but the paper was printed in Ithaca, at the office of the American Citizen. Mr. Calhoun was the " Know-Nothing" candidate for State senator, and being defeated, the paper was discon- tinued after the fall campaign.

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History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler counties, New York, Part 25

Author: Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) cn; Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Ensign Number of Pages: 1112

Author: Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) cn; Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Ensign
Number of Pages: 1112