USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 22
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Leon L. Brockway, another job printer, issued the first number of the Owego Advertiser November 23, 1889. It lived but a few weeks.
The first attempt to establish a daily newspaper in Owego was made by Andrew H. Calhoun, publisher of the Advertiser, who issued the first number of the Daily News and Advertiser Oct. 18, 1838. It was published only a few weeks, owing to insufficient patronage.
The second attempt to establish a daily newspaper in Owego was made by Mr. Beebe in 1848, the year of the French revolution. The telegraph line had just reached Owego, and the publication of the Daily Gazette was begun in March of that year. The paper existed only from March to June.
Another attempt was made by Mr. Beebe to establish a daily edition of his paper in 1855, the first number appearing October 18. Its publication ceased with the issue of Dec. 6 of the same year, the patronage being insufficient to sustain it.
Mr. Beebe's last attempt to established a daily edition of the Gasette was made in 1861. He believed that the anxiety of the people to obtain the latest news from the war between the north and the south, would create a demand for a daily paper sufficient to ensure its success. The first number was issued May 27. The news from the seat of war gave the paper a fair circulation, but it did not receive sufficient advertising patronage to make its pub- lication profitable, and it was accordingly discontinued during the last week in October, 1861.
The next attempt to found a daily newspaper in Owego was made by Dorsey B. Gibson. When the Workingman collapsed, the wife of Dr. Elias Seymour took possession of the plant, by virtue of a chattel mortgage. Gibson, who had been a printer in the Review office at Waverly, came to Owego and hired the old Work- ingman plant of Mrs. Seymour. His paper made its appearance August 4, 1879. It was called the Daily Owegoan. It was a poor thing and expired with its issue of Oct. 7, 1879.
November 4, 1882, Captain Gere, publisher of the weekly Blade, began printing a daily edition called the Owego Daily Blade. The daily and weekly Blade were published until April 23, 1887, when
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both were discontinued, and the presses and material were sold and removed from Owego. The publication of the paper might have been continued indefinitely, as it was backed by ample capi- tal, but it had been a losing venture from the outset, and when the publisher became tired of journalism he discontinued the paper.
The next daily in Owego was issued by Scott & Watros, pub- lishers of the Tioga county Record. The first number of the daily edition was issued December 20, 1886, and was called the Owego Daily Record. It is still published by Scott & Watros, and is a good local paper, enjoying a fair measure of success.
The first number of the Owego Daily Press was issued December 3, 1896. Its publication was begun by C. E. Greenwood, R. P. Hogan, W. H. Smullen and C. N. Forsyth. It was discontinued with its issue of April 17, 1897.
The first paper printed in Waverly was the Waverly Luminary, established October 3, 1851, by Thomas Messenger, with an office on the second floor of the Spaulding block. After an existence of ten months the Luminary ceased to illuminate. The press and material were sold to Francis H. Baldwin, who, September 17, 1852, issued the first number of the Waverly Advocate, a weekly newspaper which subsequently became republican in politics and is still published. In 1853, the paper was sold to M. H. Bailey, but in 1854 Mr. Baldwin, in company with William Polleys, re- purchased it and continued publication until December 1, 1860, when Oliver H. P. Kinney purchased the Baldwin interest. Bald- win retired permanently from journalism. He died in Waverly, April 19, 1890. He was born at Groton, Conn., July 4, 1812, and came to Factoryville in 1845. When Waverly was incorporated, in 1854, he was elected member of the board of trustees, and was the first president of the village. His sons are Albert and Hugh J. Baldwin. Polleys & Kinney published the Advocate until 1883, in which year both died. After their death George D. Genung, who had been for about a year the editor, continued publication for the administrators until April, 1884, when legal questions arose regarding the settlement of the estates, and the office was closed. J. C. Shear subsequently bought the Kinney interest, and on July
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15, in the same year, E. M. Fenner purchased the entire establish- ment and publication of the paper was resumed. January 1, 1885, Fenner's father became nominally associated with him under the firm name of E. M. Fenner & Co. Mr. Genung was engaged as manager and editor, which position he filled until June 15, 1885, when the Advocate was sold to Wellar & Shear, who continued it until November 1, 1885, and then sold to E. L. Vincent. In 1889 Francis M. Perley purchased the paper and conducted it five years, until his death, August 26, 1894. Then Frank E. Perley, a re- porter on the Buffalo Express, conducted the paper until Novem- ber, 1894, when he sold it to Charles E. Currie and Harry W. Romer, of New York city. This partnership continued until Au- gust, 1896, when Mr. Currie purchased his partner's interest.
Oliver Hazard Perry Kinney was a man of fine abilities. He was born December 15, 1819, at Sheshequin, Pa. His grandfather, Joseph Kinney, a revolutionary soldier, came to the Wyoming val- ley from Vermont soon after the massacre and settled there. After having studied in the Towanda academy two years, Mr. Kinney became a student in David Wilmot's law office. He was admitted to the bar in 1844, and began law practice in Towanda. In 1858 he was elected a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, and was re-elected the next year. He came to Waverly in December, 1860, and became one of the owners of the Advocate. He was elected to represent Tioga county in the assembly of this state in 1868 ; was supervisor of the town of Barton from 1874 to 1877, inclusive. He was also active in local affairs, and was three years chief engineer of the Waverly fire department. In 1876, he was appointed post- master of Waverly, and held the office at the time of his death, September 25, 1883. Mr. Kinney was prominent as a Spiritualist and Free Thinker. He also took great interest in local history. He was a prominent Odd Fellow and served two terms as deputy grand master of the district comprising Chemung, Schuyler and Tioga counties. He was a man of rugged honesty and a speaker of ability, aggressive and convincing.
William Polleys was a practical printer, born at Malden, Mass., August 18, 1816. When ten years of age he removed with his parents to Towanda, Pa., where his father worked as a shoemaker.
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In 1834 he entered the Elmira Republican office as an apprentice, and after completing his term remained in the office as compositor until 1840, when he and Alvah S. Carter purchased the paper and conducted it until November, 1845. It was then sold to S. B. and C. G. Fairman and the name changed to the Elmira Advertiser. Mr. Polleys remained in the office as foreman until 1854, then removed to Waverly and entered into partnership with Francis H. Baldwin in the publication of the Advocate. He was postmaster of Waverly fourteen years, from 1861 to 1876. He died in the village June 26, 1883.
The publication of the Waverly and Athens Democrat was begun at Waverly by David P. Schultz in the winter of 1867. A year afterward Samuel C. Clisbe became his partner, but remained only a few months. The paper died a natural death in 1870, and the printing material was sold to the Advocate.
January 7, 1863, Francis H. Baldwin began publication of the Tioga and Bradford Democrat at Waverly. It was continued four years, after which the press and material were removed to Port Jervis.
Frank T. Scudder, a practical printer, started the Waverly Enterprise October 15, 1867. It was neutral in politics. At first it was a monthly paper, but December 15, 1869, was changed to a semi-monthly. January 1, 1871, it was again changed to a weekly. July 1, 1874, Phineas C. VanGelder, who had been the business manager of the Elmira Advertiser, purchased a half interest in the paper. Mr. Scudder was in poor health, and on that account sold his entire interest in the Enterprise to Mr. Van Gelder January 1, 1875. Mr. Scudder died November 14, 1875, aged 28 years. Mr. VanGelder published the paper until January 1, 1876, when he sold a half interest to Amos Roberts, of Rathboneville, N. Y. July 1, 1876, Mr. VanGelder, on account of ill health, leased his interest in the paper to J. A. Fraser, of Athens, Pa., after which Roberts & Fraser continued publication until October 5, 1876, when the office was burned. The presses and material were in- sured for $5,000, which about covered the loss.
After the destruction of the Enterprise office, its former foreman, James B. Bray, who had been conducting a job printing office in
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Waverly, purchased the subscription list and good will of the con- cern and began printing a new independent republican weekly called the Waverly Free Press. The first number was issued No- vember 22, 1876. In December, 1877, Mr. Bray sold the paper to Cyrus Marsh, who, after two weeks' experience as a publisher, allowed it to go back into the possession of Mr. Bray, who sold the paper November 3, 1890, to Benjamin F. Gordon and George G. Pendell. Mr. Gordon sold his interest to his partner April 1, 1892, and Mr. Pendell sold the paper to George D. Genung and Clayton A. Smith, the present publishers, October 20, 1894. The Free Press is one of the best newspapers in Tioga county, and is devoted specially to Waverly interests.
Ira L. Wales, who had published the Review at Candor, and whose office had been burned, removed to Waverly the material that had been saved from the fire, and established the Review, a democratic weekly paper, the first issue of which appeared Feb- ruary 4, 1876. The paper was published under various adverse circumstances until April 4, 1882, when Mr. Wales discontinued it and removed the material to Binghamton, where he founded Latest Morning News. This, too, was a short lived and unprofitable journal.
The first number of the Waverly Tribune, a weekly paper, neu- tral in politics, was issued April 27, 1882, by William H. Noble and A. G. Reynolds. After three numbers had been printed, Mr. Reynolds sold his interest in the paper to his partner's brother, Albert C. Noble. Noble & Noble sold the paper for $3,500, Jan- uary 26, 1894, to William H. Campbell, who took possession, but paid no part of the purchase money. Mr. Campbell published the paper four months, without paying for its use, and then allowed the Nobles to resume possession of their property. In the meantime Mr. Campbell had purchased in New York on credit a new press and material and had made arrangements to print a new demo- cratic paper in Waverly. The new venture was called the Waverly Democrat. The first number appeared July 4, 1894. Its existence under the circumstances was naturally brief. It was published four months, until the close of the fall campaign, when the bills for material, etc., became due. Its suspension wasannounced the
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week before the election in November. The Tribune was sold in January, 1895, to Stephen W. Alvord, of Towanda, Pa., who pub- lished it until August 9, 1895, then sold to Currie & Romer, under whom it was discontinued.
The first attempt to establish a daily newspaper in Waverly was made by Ira L. Wales, who was publishing the weekly Review. The paper was called The Echo, and appeared November 18, 1876. Its publication ceased in December for want of support, after an exis- tence of a little over two weeks.
The first number of the Waverly Evening Journal was issued August 1, 1895, by a combination of the forces of the Advocate and Tribune. C. E. Currie, of the Advocate, was business manager. It was a four page, six column folio. Mr. Alvord sold his interest to his partners in September, 1895, and the name of the paper was changed to the Advocate. Its publication was discontinued May 29, 1897.
The first newspaper in Candor was established in 1867, and called the Candor Press, the first number being issued October 9. The proprietors were Samuel C. Clisbe and another printer named Manchester, the firm name being S. C. Clisbe & Co. The paper was subsequently sold to Benj. B. F. Graves, who changed its name to the Candor Free Press. The office was burned in the night of April 8, 1873. Nothing was saved from the flames except a paper cutter.
The Candor Independent was founded by T. H. Pride. The first number appeared October 7, 1876. One side was printed in New York and the other in Candor. The paper was sold to W. H. Young, who published it until December, 1879, when he closed the office and removed the material to Owego, where he joined John McCormick in publishing the Owego Blade.
John R. Beden issued the first number of the Candor Standard January 22, 1885, but publication was discontinued in August, 1887, for want of sufficient support.
In February, 1874, Samuel C. Clisbe, then editor of the Hancock Times, returned to Candor and opened a job printing office, with the intention of publishing a newspaper ; but before he could estab- lish it James D. Cameron and Ira L. Wales came from Owego and
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began the publication of the Candor Review. Mr. Wales had begun an apprenticeship to the printer's trade in the Owego Times office, but left before the expiration of his term to publish this paper. Mr. Cameron was a compositor in the Owego Gazette printing office. The first number of the Review was issued March 19, 1874. Mr. Cameron withdrew from the paper in June, 1874, for the purpose of studying for the ministry. In December following Mr. Wales exchanged a half interest in the Review with George Ketchum for a half interest in the Ithaean at Ithaca, where both papers were printed. As Ketchum, who had purchased the Ithaean in June, 1874, did not meet his engagements, the sheriff closed the office in April, 1875, and Mr. Wales again came in full posses- sion of the Review, the publication of which had been once or twice temporarily discontinued. The office was burned in the night of December 18, 1875, and as Wales was uninsured the paper was suspended indefinitely. In February, 1876, Wales removed to Waverly the material he had saved from the fire and began the publication of the Waverly Review. He was afterward publisher of Latest Morning News, in Binghamton, and at the time of his death, January 12, 1891, was editor of the Evening Union in Albany.
The Candor Gleaner was established by Blackman & Co. (Rev. A. G. Bloomfield and Arthur Blackman), and the first number was issued August 11, 1892. It is now published by Arthur R. Bloomfield.
The first attempt to establish a newspaper at Newark Valley met with success. March 4, 1876, George M. Jordan, a harness maker who had dabbled in journalism in Owego, removed to Newark Valley, and in company with George Riley, Jr., a practi- cal printer (now editor of the Ottumwa, Iowa, Press) issued the first number of the Newark Valley Herald. The presses and material were brought from Rome, Pa., where an unsuccessful at- tempt had been made to establish a paper. In May, 1876, Riley sold his interest to Henry A. LeBarron, of Union. August 25, 1877, Charles L. Noble purchased LeBarron's interest, and January 1, 1878, became sole proprietor. January 1, 1884, Noble sold an in- terest in the paper to Gilbert E. Purple, and in 1889 disposed of his remaining interest to Samuel P. More, editor of the Great Bend
1
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Reporter. More & Purple published the paper until January 1, 1893, when Mr. Purple became sole proprietor.
May 14, 1874, Otho Hedges, a young man about 19 years of age, who lived on Shepard's creek, came to Spencer and began the pub- lication of the Spencer News. After having published the paper about three months at a considerable loss, and in the meantime having become involved in other difficulties, the venture was aban- doned.
The Spencer Herald was established as an independent newspa- per by F. H. Pride (proprietor) and F. E. Foote (manager), who published the first number August 22, 1878. In November of that year Mr. Pride withdrew from the establishment and Mr. Foote continued the paper until the summer of 1880, when it was pur- chased by J. Leroy Nixon. January 1, 1887, Phineas C. VanGel- der, who had been conducting the LeRaysville (Pa.) Advertiser, purchased the paper and put a steam power press in the office. He sold the Herald August 1, 1890, to W. W. Wisegarver, of Woodbury, Conn., who published it until the following January, when, being unable to meet his payments, Mr. VanGelder resumed possession. April 1, Dr. Paul W. Burge, of Lima, N. Y., ex- changed the Lima Town News with VanGelder for the Herald. In 1894 Dr. Burge changed the name of the paper to Spencer Town News, and in November, 1894, discontinued the publication en- tirely.
Wm. R. Swartout established the Spencer Needle, the first issue of which was dated January 1, 1888. It was neutral in politics, as had been all the other papers published in that village. The Needle was sold, December 1, 1892, to George M. Pashley, (former- ly of the Times, at Elmer, N. Y.) who is still its publisher.
Vol. 1, No. 1, of Progress, a monthly journal devoted to schools, appeared at Spencer in November, 1886. William W. Abbott was "editor-in-chief." It was short lived.
The Nichols News was published at Nichols by N. L. Teeple, of New York, a young lawyer. The first number was issued in Sep- tember, 1890. In its last issue, dated February 19, 1891, Mr. Teeple said he was " completely disgusted with the town," because of the "lack of public spirit," and that he should " shortly remove to a larger town," and he did. This was the first and the last attempt at journalism in Nichols.
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CHAPTER XVII.
EDUCATION IN TIOGA COUNTY.
T HE matter composing an educational history of a county ap- pears to include that relating to the system to which it belongs, the method employed for its supervision, the financial means used to secure results, and that also in which are concerned the schoolhouse, the pupils, branches of knowledge taught, text books used, and the teacher. Such a history is linked inseparably with that of the state.
At the time of the organization of Tioga county, in 1791, it is to be borne in mind that the boundaries then and for some time afterward included a much larger territory than is embraced with- in its present limits. In early records, which do not date back previous to the year 1814, the reports submitted by the school au- thorities of Tioga county came not only from the towns at present composing it, but also from the towns of Elmira, Southport, Erin, Caroline, Cayuta, Veteran, and others now comprised in adjoining counties. In this respect, Tioga seems to have been the original which furnished territory for the growth of other counties.
SUPERVISION AND MAINTENANCE.
The relation between the county and the state was established early, has continued to the present time, and is more intimate now than ever before. The office of state superintendent of com- mon schools, who was the first state educational officer, was created by the legislature in 1813, and was abolished in 1821. During this interval the office was held by but two persons, first by Gideon Hawley, who was succeeded for a few weeks only by Welcome Esleeck. From 1821 to 1854, the secretary of state became ex- officio superintendent of common schools. In 1854, the office of state superintendent of public instruction was created which has con- tinued to the present. Victor M. Rice was the first to hold this office. Provision was made by the legislature in 1856 for the office
*By OSCAR GRANGER, School Commissioner.
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of school commissioner, one for each division of the state, as established by the act creating the office and known as a commis- sioner district. Tioga county constitutes one such district. The first commissioner for this county was Dr. Elijah Powell, who was appointed by the board of supervisors, and he was succeeded by Hon. Wm. Smyth who was influential in educational matters. From the commissioner, teachers receive their legal authority un- der rules and regulations prescribed by the state superintendent. Previous to the creation of the office of school commissioner back to 1843, each town had a supervisory officer, known as town super- intendent, by whom teachers were "licensed." This office was abolished in 1856, as soon as the commissioner was appointed and qualified.
Preceding the year 1843, three school commissioners were chosen by each town in conformity with the act of 1795, as suggested by governor George Clinton, and received the reports of school dis- trict trustees, using the same as a basis of apportionment, in the same manner as such information was subsequently received and used by the town superintendents and county school commissioners. From the early beginning, the immediate management of the affairs of school districts was placed under the control of trustees, an arrangement still prevailing. For several years the reports of the town commissioners were made to the county clerk, and after- ward to the superintendent of common schools. Reference is made in these reports to the act of the legislature, presumably that of 1813, entitled " An Act for the establishment of Common Schools," or that of 1814, entitled " An Act for the better establishment of Common Schools." These reports also contain statistics including the number of the district, the time school was kept, the number of pupils instructed, and the number of pupils between five and fifteen years of age, and, later, those between five and sixteen, also vague information regarding inspections. They also certify to the sums of money received from the town commissioners, which was derived from two sources, the town collector and the county treasurer. The former was evidently raised by a town tax, for the act of 1795 had required that a sum equal to one-half that apportioned to each town by the state should be so raised,
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and the act of 1813, as amended by that of 1814, directed that a sunt equal to that apportioned to each town by the state should be raised by the town for school purposes. The money received from the state was to be expended for teachers' wages exclusively, and the balance required for the purpose to be raised by rate-bill. The funds received from the county treasurer undoubtedly consisted of the state apportionment.
The system provided by the acts above alluded to was retained until 1840, and was the foundation of the organized school system, not only of Tioga county, but of the entire state. The state fund, in which this and other counties shared, consisted originally of an annual appropriation of $50,000 for five years, as provided by the act of 1795, which was the first state aid for the maintenance of com- mon schools, to which was added the proceeds of "Literature Lotteries," operated from 1801 to 1821, a part of the revenue of which was invested, and became incorporated into the common school fund ; also, the proceeds of the sale, in 1805, of 500,000 acres of unoccupied lands belonging to the state, the income of which, after amounting to $50,000, was devoted to school purposes.
In 1836, by the distribution of the surplus revenues of the United States to the different states, New York received about $4,000,000, known as the United States deposit fund, in the appropriation of the income of which Tioga county has received its due quota. In 1849, the act making provision for free schools was passed, by which additional financial aid was required by town taxation, the object of which was to reduce the amount raised by rate-bill. The act of 1851 provided for the raising of an annual state tax of $800,000 for distribution to the school districts of the state, in addition to the incomes already mentioned. Local burdens were thus further diminished, but the rate-bill was retained and any deficiencies were levied upon the parents of children who attended school. The effect of this feature of the system was to deprive many children of the benefits of the schools, for the reason of parental inability to meet the requirements of the rate-bill. After an existence of a period of fifty-four years, the rate-bill was abol- ished in 1867, the state tax made one and one-fourth mills on the dollar, provision made for a district tax where the public money
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was found insufficient, and the schools made free to all pupils be- tween five and twenty-one years of age. This arrangement con- tinues in force. It is worthy of note that the report of the town of Cayuta for the year 1835 makes mention of the fact that money for school purposes was received from the overseers of the poor in accordance with the popular vote so directing. It thus appears that the act of 1795 required an amount to be raised by town tax equal to one-half that received by the state, that the acts of 1813 and 1814 directed a sum so levied should equal that received from the state, and that this sumn was further increased by the act of 1849 and then diminished by the act of 1851. While the school district, having as executive officer a trustee (or trustees), has existed since the earliest organization, it has been the unit of tax- ation only since 1867, the year in which the rate-bill was abolished, and the entire property of each district made legally subject to taxation to supplement the sum received from the state. The total amount of such sum in Tioga county for the year 1896 was $48,693.81, and the sum received from the state was $29,947.54.
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