History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 39

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592

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General Carbery.

J. Major Biggs.

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P. S .- I will thank you to have advanced $2,000 for Mr. Reagan as soon as possible, and have sent to the Treasury of the United States at Philadelphia one of them to keep up my note to the Miami Exporting Company, payable the 4th of March next, otherwise it will be pro- tested-and I want all the money to come through your hands and paid to my friend Major Biggs except the first $2,000. J. SMITH.

General Carbery.

His resignation must have taken place soon after the above letter was written; possibly his failure to secure the evidence he was seeking was the reason for the sudden abandonment of his defense and retirement from public life.

The following succeeded Senator Smith from Hamilton county: Ethan Allen Brown, 1822-25; William Henry Harrison, 1825-28; Salmon P. Chase, 1849-55, 1861; George E. Pugh, 1855-61; Stanley Matthews, 1877-79; George H. Pendleton,. 1879-85-eight in all, or nearly one-third of the entire number from the State. Senator Trimble died in 1822, and Ethan Allen Brown was appointed by the gov- ernor to fill the vacancy caused by his death, and the Legislature subsequently elected him to fill the remainder of the term of six years to which Trimble had-been elected. Gen. Harrison resigned in 1828, to accept the office of minister to Colombia, and was succeeded by Jacob Burnet. Senator Chase resigned in 1861 to become Secre- tary of the Treasury under President Lincoln.

REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS.

Statistician W. A. Taylor, of Columbus, says that during the ninety years-the time Ohio has been a State-Hamilton county has sent thirty-two different men to Congress. The first congressman, Morrow, came from Hamilton, but subsequently he was legislated into a new county, Warren. Up to the year 1821 Hamilton was districted with other counties, and the only citizen of the county that represented it in Congress between 1813 and 1823, was William Henry Harrison. Between 1823 and 1853 Hamilton county constituted the First District of the State. Since the latter date it has composed the First and Second Districts.

The list of representatives in Congress from Hamilton county, with the number of terms and length of service, is as follows: Jeremiah Morrow, five terms, 1803- 1813; William Henry Harrison, one term and fraction, 1816-19; James W. Gazley, one term, 1823-25; James Findlay, four terms, 1825-33; Robert T. Lytle, one term, 1833-35; Bellamy Storer, one term, 1835-37; Alexander Duncan, two terms, 1837- 41, 1843-45; Nathaniel G. Pendleton, one term, 1841-43; James J. Faran, two terms, 1845-49; David T. Disney, three terms, 1851-57; John Scott Harrison, two terms, 1853-57; Timothy C. Day, one term, 1855-57; George H. Pendleton, four terms, 1857-65; William S. Groesbeck, one term, 1857-59; John A. Gurley, two terms, 1859-63; Alexander Long, one term, 1863-65; Benjamin Eggleston, two terms, 1865-69; Rutherford B. Hayes, one term and fraction, 1865-68; Samuel F. Carey, part of term, 1868-69; Peter W. Strader, one term, 1869-71; Job E. Steven- son, two terms, 1869-73; Aaron F. Perry, part of term, 1872-73; Milton Sayler, three terms, 1873-79; Henry B. Banning, three terms, 1873-79; Benjamin Butterworth, four terms, 1879-83, 1885-89; Thomas L. Young, two terms, 1879-83; John Follett, one term, 1883-85; Isaac M. Jordan, one term, 1883-85; Charles Brown, two terms, 1885-89; John A. Caldwell, three terms, 1889-95; Bellamy Storer, two terms, 1891-95.

Changed while in office .- The fractions of terms came about in this way: John McLean, of Warren county, resigned his seat in Congress in 1816 to accept the office- of Judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio, and William H. Harrison was elected to succeed to the vacancy.

In 1867, shortly after the beginning of his second term in Congress, Rutherford B. Hayes resigned to become governor and Gen. Samuel F. Carey was elected to the vacancy, which was practically the full term.

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In 1872 Aaron F. Perry resigned his seat in Congress, and Ozro J. Dodds was chosen to succeed him.

In October 16, 1834, Robert T. Lytle, to demonstrate that he had been unjustly criticised by some of his constituents, resigned his seat and stood for re-election, which he secured on the 8th of the ensuing November.

Joshua R. Giddings, of Ashtabula county, sought a similar successful vindication on April 26, 1842. Daniel Kilgore, of Jefferson county, taking offense at an impi- tation supposed to have been put on him by Edwin M. Stanton, resigned in 1838, but his constituents failed to vindicate him by a re-election. Aside from these three gentlemen, no other Congressmen from Ohio ever resigned in search of a vindication.

Hamilton county can maintain a claim superior to any other county in any State since the foundation of the government. Two men whom it sent to the Lower House of Congress subsequently occupied the Executive chair in the White House-William H. Harrison and Rutherford B. Hayes.

Morrow, the first Congressman for Hamilton county, was United States senator and Governor of the State, and after filling these positions not only went back to Congress, but into the Ohio Legislature.

William Dennison, the nineteenth governor of Ohio, was born in Cincinnati in 1815.

James J. Faran was mayor of Cincinnati, and made a national reputation as a journalist. George H. Pendleton became United States senator and minister to Germany. Milton Sayler was speaker of the House during a portion of the Forty- fourth Congress.

STATE AND NATIONAL CONVENTIONS.

Cincinnati has been selected as the place for holding several State and National political conventions. In June, 1856, James Buchanan was nominated for President, and John C. Breckinridge for Vice-President, by the Democratic National Convention, which assembled in Smith & Nixon's Hall. Early in May, 1872, the National Liberal Convention assembled at Exposition Hall, and on the 3d nominated Horace Greeley for President, and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President. On the 14th of June, 1876. the National Republican Convention met here and nominated Rutherford B. Hayes, a former Cincinnatian, for President, and William A. Wheeler, of New York, for Vice-President. The last National Convention to assemble here was the Democratic, which nominated Gen. Hancock for President, and William H. English, of Indian- apolis, for Vice-President. Among the State Conventions we note that of the Repub- lican, which assembled in Music Hall, June 12, 1878; and the last was the Democratic, which met August 9, 1893, and nominated Lawrence T. Neal for governor.

CHAPTER XV.

THE PRESS OF CINCINNATI.

WHEN THE FIRST PAPER WAS FOUNDED AND BY WHOM-ITS NUMEROUS SUCCESSORS-A LONG LINE OF POLITICAL, LITERARY AND RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS-AN OFFICE MOBBED AND DESTROYED-CINCINNATI DIRECTORIES-NAMES OF ALL PUBLICATIONS IN 1893.

TO 0 write the history of Cincinnati journalism and speak in detail, if it were possible, of every publication, weekly, semi-weekly, daily and monthly, during the past hundred years, would require the space of a large volume. During that period hundreds of publications have existed-some for only a few weeks, others for months and years. The first settlers were a rugged, brainy race of people, and they

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

speedily recognized the importance, if not the necessity, of at once having a news- paper. They clearly foresaw that one of the most potent agencies in the van of civiliza- tion was the Press. And where snch desire existed it did not take long to find an editor. He is ubiquitons. William Maxwell came to the front in that capacity, and being encouraged he straightway " set np" an office. It was a primitive affair, located in a small room in a log cabin, which stood at the corner of Front and Sycamore streets. But it served as the beginning of what has long since grown into a mighty power. The office was little better than a rude improvised affair, as the settlement at that time scarcely consisted of two hundred inhabitants. The outfit was small. All the type, and the Ramage press, fashioned after the one first used by the illustrious Dr. Franklin, could have been carried in a large canoe. It was brought by water from Pittsburgh, having been carried over the mountains on pack horses. Every- thing being in readiness, Editor Maxwell issned the first number of The Centinel of the Northwest Territory, November 9, 1793, one hundred years ago! The title was appropriate, for Fort Washington was virtually the gateway through which the early pioneers, seeking homes in the mighty domain beyond, had to pass. A sentinel therefore on the outer limits to signalize danger, or proclaim "all is well," was of transcendent importance to those who were starting out to lay the foundation of what has proved to be a mighty western empire.

How it appeared. - The Centinel was a weekly, printed on "whitey-brown paper, of half royal size, each page about as large as a small window pane, and the whole no larger than a handkerchief." It bore at its mast-head the following significant motto: "Open to all parties; influenced by none." The first number contained few advertisements, no editorials, or local items. Its news, principally foreign, was very old, but nevertheless it was news to its readers, many of whom had not seen a paper for a year or more. A copy of the issue for April 12, 1794, which has been pre- served, has dates from Marietta only eight days old, New York fifty-six, and from London to the preceding November-over four and a half months before the date of publication in Cincinnati!

Maxwell's Centinel was not only the first paper published in Cincinnati, but the first north of the Ohio river, and the third or fourth west of the Alleghany Moun- tains. It was emphatically a sentinel on the outpost of civilization, and from this humble beginning has developed a local press which now wields a mighty influence among the enlightened and progressive inhabitants of the Queen City. The com- prehensive and significant motto, which the young publisher adopted, has never been departed from by his numerous successors, when viewed in a general sense, the Press of to-day being characterized by a spirit of independence, fairness and liberality toward all, which is truly the secret of its great power and success.

This pioneer editor and publisher hailed from the land of New Jersey, whence so many of the prominent early settlers came. For his enterprise in establishing the first paper he was not forgotten. He was made the second postmaster of Cin- cinnati, and succeeded Abner Dunn, the first, who died July 18, 1794, after being in office but a short time. As Maxwell was the owner of the only printing office in the embryo city, his principal duty was the publication of the Territorial laws; and it is surmised that he gave more attention to this than news gathering, because it paid him better. But being entrusted with office he could not carry on both, and in the summer of 1796 he disposed of the Centinel to Edmund Freeman. What he realized from the sale of his plant history fails to inform us, but the sum was undoubtedly small, when compared with the value of some of the great newspapers of to-day. With this sale the glory of the Centinel departed, for the purchaser, evidently more emulous of fame than his predecessor, immediately changed the name to Freeman's Journal, under which title he continued the publication till the beginning of 1800, when he removed the plant to Chillicothe, which had then become the seat of Ter- ritorial government, and founded the Chillicothe Gazette.

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THE SECOND PAPER.

Drake, in his sketches of the infant city, published in 1815, informs us that Joseph Carpenter founded the second paper, called The Western Spy and Hamilton Gazette, May 28, 1799. As the settlement had had a sentinel it was evidently deemed proper that there should be a spy. Cist claims that this was the first regularly printed journal in Cincinnati. From this remark we infer that he considered it possessed more of the attributes of a newspaper than Maxwell's publication. The latter was certainly the first printed sheet, even if it did devote more space to the publication of laws and ordinances than news.

Mr. Carpenter came from Massachusetts, and was one of the earliest settlers. He became popular in the settlement, and was honored with many small offices, both by appointment and election. During the war of 1812-14 he went out as captain of a company, and for six months served under Gen. Harrison, dying in service from exposure endured during a forced march from Fort St. Mary's in midwinter, 1814. He was buried with military honors in Cincinnati, and his death was greatly lament- ed. Thousands attended his funeral, and many flattering testimonials to his worth and memory were freely bestowed.

That Capt. Carpenter possessed the instincts of a true journalist all the contem- porary accounts agree in stating, and under his management the Spy steadily grew and prospered.

Among the curious advertisements occasionally published about the beginning of the century, one may be noted. In the issue for April 26, 1802, Andrew Jack- son-afterward President of the United States-offers a reward of fifty dollars for the recovery of his negro slave, George, who had eloped from his plantation on the Cumberland river.

The Spy changed hands several times during the first ten years of its existence, but always retained its name until Carney & Morgan became the owners, when its title was changed to The Whig. Only fifty-eight numbers were published, when new parties became the owners and it became The Advertiser, but only existed a short time.

In September, 1810, Capt. Carpenter appeared in journalism again, as editor of a new Western Spy, which was continued under his direction and management until his death. It appears to have been in existence in 1815, when it was conducted by Morgan & Williams. It was also published in 1823, when its name was changed to The National Republican and Ohio Political Register. Notwithstanding the Spy was a bright and aggressive paper for its time, it appears to have had many ups and downs during its career.

THE THIRD PAPER.

On the 9th of December, 1804, the third paper made its appearance. It was called Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Mercury, but the latter half of the title was soon dropped, as it was deemed superfluous. A local historian says that " the Rev. John W. Browne, enterprising editor, publisher of almanacs, etc., preacher, town recorder, bookseller, and occasionally vendor of patent medicines, was proprietor of the new venture, and had rather a troublous time of it, being once or twice person- ally attacked by citizens aggrieved by his sheet." The first number was issued in the loft of a log cabin which stood at the southeast corner of Sycamore and Third streets. Editor Browne, though he at times wielded a caustic pen, did not make a great success of the enterprise. In 1815 it was conducted by J. H. Looker and A. Wallace. This was a book publishing firm, and they doubtless acquired posses- sion of the paper for the purpose of more particularly advertising their business. The paper was now of super-royal size, and had more than fourteen hundred sub- scribers, which was regarded as a good circulation for that time.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

Sometime in June, 1814, an ephemeral paper, called The Spirit of the West, was started, but it only survived through forty-four numbers. The names of its projectors and publishers have not been preserved.

But the city and country were filling up rapidly with settlers, and others became ambitious to embark in journalism. On the 13th of July, 1815, a new paper called The Gazette was started by Thomas Palmer & Company, and on the 11th of Decem- ber following Liberty Hall was purchased and consolidated with the new enterprise, under the title of Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Gazette. This was the beginning of the great daily of to-day known as the Commercial Gazette. Early writers inform us that it was the first paper in town with column-rules and other marks of modern typography.

In November, 1819, Joseph Buchanan started a new weekly paper of a somewhat distinctive character, called the The Literary Cadet; but after twenty-three numbers had been issued it was merged in another paper, which added the name to its own in the compound title of The Western Spy and Literary Cadet. Mr. Buchanan con- tinued as editor, and made his paper quite popular with those of literary tastes. The date of its discontinuance is unknown.

This year (1819) the papers of Cincinnati were the Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Gazette, semi-weekly and weekly, published by Morgan, Dodge & Company; the Western Spy and Cincinnati General Advertiser, weekly, issued by Mason & Palmer; and the Inquisitor, also weekly, by Powers & Hopkins. All were imperial sheets, with six columns to the page, and they were larger and contained a greater variety of matter than any others in the State. Good book and job offices were attached to each.

EARLY BOOK PRINTING.

Cincinnati early became the center of active book printing. In 1811 twelve dif- ferent books, besides many pamphlets, had been published. These books averaged more than two hundred pages each, and were bound. From that time to the pres- ent there has been a steady growth in the book publishing business, and it is- doubtful if in this line of work it is excelled by any western city. At first the- paper for both newspaper and book work was obtained from Pennsylvania, partly from the mills at the Redstone Old Fort, on the Monongahela, which were started in 1800, and later from Georgetown, Ky. In 1803 the Spy got out of paper, and several numbers appeared upon a variety of sizes and tints. An old German paper- maker named Waldsmith, who had settled on the Little Miami, near where Camp Dennison was afterward established, was prevailed upon, about this time, by the publishers to start a paper-mill on that stream, which he did. It was a crude affair, but proved a success, and the pressing needs of the printers and publishers were relieved.

After 1820 there was a rapid growth of journalism, and periodicals, weekly, semi-weekly and monthly, rose and fell with astonishing rapidity. This was largely caused by the rapid increase of population and the development of trade and com- merce on the river. So numerous were the publications, and as many were short. lived, it were a waste of time and space to attempt an enumeration of all. From 1815 to 1820 there had been at different times but one semi-weekly paper and five weekly papers in the city, but the next decade ushered into existence a large num- ber, because of the influences spoken of above. Between 1820 and 1830 the long and honorable list of Cincinnati magazines and literary publications had their begin- ning. In the early part of 1821, a semi-monthly, in quarto, called the Olio, was started by John H. Wood and S. S. Brooks, editors and publishers. It only sur- vived about a year, but during that time it afforded a medium for the publication of the contributions of such industrious collectors of local history as Robert T. Lytle, Sol. Smith, Dennis McHenry, John H. James, Lewis Noble and a number of other well-known writers of that time.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

MONTHLY AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS.

Medical journalism had a beginning in 1822 in the Western Quarterly Reporter which was published by John P. Foote, and edited by Dr. John B. Godman. In a short time the editor removed to Philadelphia when the publication was discontinued. In 1823, John P. Foote projected the Cincinnati Literary Gazette. It was a weekly, and soon attracted attention from the character of its literary contributions. Among other things discussed in its columns was the " Symmes theory of concentric spheres." This was a new topic, and occupied public attention for some time. The two vol- umes of the Gazette, that were issued, contained much valuable matter relating to local history. In its columns appeared the first articles of Benjamin Drake, who proved himself one of the most industrious local writers of the time, and his contri- butions are eagerly consulted by historical gleaners of the present time.

After the discontinuance of the Gazette there was a lull in local literature until July, 1827, when the Western Monthly Review appeared with W. M. Farnsworth as publisher, and Rev. Timothy Flint, editor. Although the editor was the author of several books, and an industrious gleaner and writer, the Review did not prove a success, and, after a number of changes in both the editorial and publishing depart- ments, the subscription list was sold in 1835 to James B. Marshall, of Louisville, who removed it to that city. It was succeeded by the Saturday Evening Chronicle. Messrs. Hatch, Nichols & Buxton were the publishers, and it was edited by Benja- min Drake. Strange as it may seem, however, it did not succeed, and was merged in the Cincinnati Mirror, another literary enterprise of the time. The Shield and The Ladies' Museum, also started during this decade, were short lived, the latter only existing but a year or two.

FIRST DAILIES-THE GAZETTE.

The first daily, called the Commercial Register, was started in 1826 by S. S. Brooks, and edited by Morgan Neville. It was not only the first daily in Cincinnati, but the first daily started west of Philadelphia. It was printed on a "half-sheet royal every day but Sunday, at six dollars a year," but it only survived six months. It was resuscitated again in 1828; but only lasted three months.

Soon after its first suspension a party of merchants waited upon the proprietor of the Gazette, then a weekly, and requested him to start a daily. They argued that the times demanded a daily paper, and claimed that it would grow into a great enterprise. Their arguments succeeded, and the second daily came, which still exists, and is recognized as a leading paper of its class in the Ohio Valley. The first num- ber made its appearance June 25, 1827, with an edition of 125. It was printed on old-fashioned hand presses for nearly ten years, the speed not exceeding 250 sheets per hour. Some time in 1836 an Adams press, the first " power-press" brought west of the Alleghany Mountains, was purchased and set up. It was run by hand- power, but the improvement in speed was so great that 750 sheets were turned out per hour. In 1843 a Hoe press was introduced. The first publishers of the daily Gazette were Morgan, Lodge and Fisher, with Charles Hammond as editor.

E. D. Mansfield, in his Memoirs of Dr. Drake, pays a flattering tribute to Editor Hammond. "That the public opinion of Cincinnati was corrected, and the Press maintained its independent position, was chiefly due to the intrepid character and great ability of Charles Hammond," remarks this great writer. He "was the ardent friend of liberty," he continues, " and, being thoroughly acquainted with the laws of the country, fought its battles where only it can be successfully fought, with liberty by the side of law, and rights protected by the constitution."

While editing the Gazette in 1828, Mr. Hammond also conducted a monthly called Truth's Advocate, published in the political interest of Henry Clay, of whom he was a great friend and admirer. Mr. Hammond continued as principal editor

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of the Gazette until his death, which occurred April 3, 1840. He was succeeded by Hon. Isaac C. Burnet, another notable man of that time. He was a brother of Judge Burnet, and first mayor of the city of Cincinnati. In the meantime the death of James Lodge, one of the publishers, had occurred. This necessitated some changes in the publishing and editorial departments, but to follow them in the order of their succession would involve more space than the limits of this work will warrant.

Taken all in all, the history of this great journal is most interesting, both on account of its many changes, and the eminent men who have from time to time been connected with it, up to the achievement of its greatest success. Its final consolida- tion with the Commercial in January, 1883, was one of its greatest triumphs. The latter was established in 1843 by Curtis & Hastings, and after a number of changes the celebrated Murat Halstead became connected with the editorial staff, and finally editor-in-chief. It was the great morning rival of the Gazette for many years, con- sequently the union was for the interest of both parties.

In early days the Gazette was an evening paper, and it continued to be so pub- lished for many years. The public demanded a morning issue, however, and it was so ordered. Being greatly strengthened by its union with the Commercial, its suc- cess has been more marked since that time, and to-day it takes rank with the great morning dailies of the country. In politics it is stanchly Republican. By the terms of the consolidation the title became the Commercial Gazette. The latter had been in existence for more than seventy years, and was able to trace its history back through many changes and titles to the old Centinel of the Northwest Territory, which, as has been shown, was the first newspaper started in Cincinnati. Its two noted editors of modern times, before the union, were Richard Smith and Murat Halstead. Both are distinguished members of the journalistic profession. The latter has been for some years the New York representative of the paper, and the former is still connected with the editorial department in the home office. The paper is published by the " Commercial Gazette Company," which is regularly organized and officered. It is superbly equipped in every department, mechanical and intel- lectual, and presents a strange contrast to the humble outfit of a century ago. It has Sunday and weekly editions.

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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 39

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1592

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592