History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 40

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

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OTHER JOURNALS OF THE LONG AGO.

In 1823 the celebrated Sol. Smith, the actor, established the Independent Press, which attracted much attention on account of its satirical sketches and witty say- ings. Its career was a short and merry one.

On the 25th of August, 1826, a new candidate for public favor, called the West- ern Tiller, was issued by James W. Gazlay. It expired some time in 1827.

Some time in 1829, E. S. Thomas commenced the publication of the Daily Com- mercial Advertiser in connection with his son Thomas. The career of the paper

was brief. In 1834 the elder Thomas, in association with John B. Dillon and L. S. Sharp, began the publication of the Democratic Intelligencer, a daily, tri-weekly and weekly, supporting Justice John McLean for the Presidency. Mr. Dillon after- ward became the distinguished historian of Indiana. Like the Advertiser, the Intel- ligencer had a brief career. In 1835 the Thomases are found conducting a new daily, called the Evening Post. It obtained some celebrity on account of its notes on arts and artists, but it was discontinued in 1839.

During this period many papers appeared, and almost as quickly disappeared. Among them we find the National Reporter, the Pandect, the Sentinel, the Chronicle and Literary Gazette, all weekly; the Ladies' Museum, semi-weekly; the Western Review, and the Western Journal of Medical and Physical Science, monthly.

The Cincinnati Mirror, started in 1831 by John H. Wood, was edited by a well- known literary character of his time, W. D. Gallagher. It was a neat little quarto of eight pages, and appeared semi-monthly. It built up a large circulation in a short

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time. At the beginning of its third year Thomas H. Shreve became joint owner and assistant editor. In November, 1833, it was enlarged and changed to a weekly. Its circulation was greatly increased, but financially it was not a success. In April, 1835, the Chronicle, then under the management of James H. Perkins, was consoli- dated with the Mirror, which was now owned by Gallagher, Shreve & Perkins, and published by T. H. Shreve & Company. The paper was kept up to the end of this year, when it was sold to James B. Marshall, who changed the name to the Buckeye, maintained it three months, and then sold it to Flash, Ryder & Company. They restored the old name, and retained the editors. Gallagher and Shreve soon drew out, when J. Reese Fry took the editorship for a few months, when he in turn aban- doned the sinking craft. Its subscription list was transferred to the Weekly Chronicle, and that was the last of the Mirror.

AN OFFICE MOBBED AND DESTROYED.

The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society. formed in 1834, authorized the publication of a paper called The Philanthropist. It was started at New Richmond that year by James G. Birney, but met with strong opposition and threats of mob violence from the start. On the encouragement of friends it was moved to Cincinnati, the head- quarters of the society, in the spring of 1836. At a meeting of pro-slavery citizens. held in July, it was "resolved that no Abolition paper should bes published or dis- tributed in the town." On the 14th of that month, the publication of The Philan- thropist still continuing, the printing office was violently entered by a mob, and the press and materials, which were the property of Mr. A. Pugh, the printer, afterward of the Chronicle, were defaced and partially destroyed. Even this did not daunt the fearless editor, and the publication went on. On the 23d a great meeting of citizens was held at the Lower Market, "to declare whether they will permit the publication or distribution of Abolition papers in this [Cincinnati] city." A com- mittee was appointed, which requested the executive committee of the Anti-Slavery Society to stop the publication. They refused, much to the chagrin of the mob- ocrats, whereupon the committee published the correspondence, adding remarks which deprecated a resort to violence, but which really still further inflamed public sentiment. Previous to this-April 11th-there had been a mob, which rose against the colored people, and fired a number of their houses in a locality known as "The Swamp," just below Western row, now Central avenue, at the then foot of West Sixth street. From that time up to the 30th of July the volcano had been slumber- ing. On that day, which was Saturday, another mob assembled at the corner of Main and Seventh streets, held a short consultation, then marched down to the office, only two squares distant, effected an entrance and again seized the press and materials, which they carried into the street. The type were scattered broadcast, the furniture smashed, the press broken, and a part of it dragged to the foot of Main street and thrown into the river. The mob then visited the house of Mr. Pugh in search of other materials, supposed to be there, but finding none, offered no violence. The dwellings of Birney, Donaldson, and other prominent Abolitionists were visited, but no mischief was done. Returning to Main street, a proposition was made to make a bonfire of the inflammable materials of the office, but the fear of endanger- ing other property caused the mob to desist. Threats were then made to mob the Gazette, whose editor, Charles Hammond, had not pleased the malcontents by his fearless course toward them in his paper; but better counsels prevailed, and the office was not molested. After further noisy demonstrations, when the houses of several blacks were damaged, the mob dispersed in disorder. Thus was this outrage against. "free thought, free speech and a free press" consummated, and Editor Birney driven into exile.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

EARLY GERMAN NEWSPAPERS.

As early as 1826, a German weekly called Die Ohio Chronik, appeared, but it only survived a short time. It was followed in 1832 by a campaign paper-whose name has not been preserved-in the interest of the Whig party. On the 7th of October, 1834, appeared the Weltburger, edited by Hartmann, whose energies were first directed against the Democrats, but in a short time it passed into the hands of Benjamin Boffinger, who called it Der Deutsche Franklin, and advocated the election of Van Buren. The Democrats now founded the Volksblatt, which was edited by Heinrich Rodter, who filled that position from 1836 to 1840. Rodter paved the way to a better, more worthy and higher development of the German press in Cincinnati. In 1840 he sold the Volksblatt to Stephen Molitor, and removed to Columbus.

In 1837 another German paper, the Westlicher Merkur, was founded by Christian Burkhalter. It was devoted to the advocacy of Whig principles. In 1836 Burk- halter had taken part with Birney in the publication of the Philanthropist. He conducted his German weekly until 1841, when the name was changed to Der Deutsche im Westen, and was edited by Burkhalter and Hofle. In a few months the paper passed into the hands of Rudolph von Malitz, and was named the Ohio Volksfreund. Burkhalter now retired and became a silent partner in the Cincin- nati Chronicle, edited by Pugh, Hofle and Hubbell. As early as 1837 the Catholics established the Wahrheits Freund, the first Catholic periodical of the country. Its publication was superintended by Rev. J. M. Henni, archbishop of Milwaukee, and it soon attained a large circulation. On the Protestant side appeared for a while Der Protestant, under the supervision of Georg Walker-and afterward, in 1838, Der Christliche Apologete, a Methodist paper, conducted by Wilhelm Nast, whose permanent editor he remained for some time. He also founded the Sonntag-Schule Glocke, a juvenile paper. This learned and eminent theologian went to Germany in 1844 as a Methodist missionary, and labored in that country with good results for his church.

In 1843 appeared the first belles-lettres journal in the city, entitled the Fliegende Blatter, by Emil Klauprecht. He was born at Mainz in 1815, came to the United States in 1832, and in 1837 located in Cincinnati and established the lithographic bus- iness. His literary publication was the first German illustrated publication in the United States. Soon after starting the Blatter he became editor of a Whig paper, the Republikaner, which he made for ten years the principal organ of this party in the western States. He also wrote a number of novels, and an histor- ical work entitled "German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley." It went back to the beginning of the history of the Territories and States of the West. During the years 1856 to 1864 he was engaged on the Cincinnati Volksblatt, and was then appointed consul of the United States at Stuttgart, which position he filled until 1869.

RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

The Baptist Weekly Journal of the Mississippi Valley was founded July 22, 1831, Rev. John Stevens, editor. It was published under his editorial direction for seven years when it was moved to Columbus. In the meantime (1834), a Baptist paper of Kentucky, called The Cross, had been purchased and merged with it. The name was then changed to The Cross and Baptist Journal of the Mississippi Valley, but on its removal to Columbus it was abridged to Cross and Journal, which made it less cumbrous and more popular. About 1850 it was moved back to Cincinnati, and the Christian Messenger, an Indiana Baptist paper published at Madison and Indianapolis, was united with it; hence the present name Journal and Messenger. A number of changes in editorship have occurred in recent years. It is said that there are but five other Baptist publications in the country as old as this one.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

It was in the spring of 1834 that The Western Christian Advocate, that famous: northwestern organ of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was founded by the Book Concern. The editor was Rev. T. A. Morris, who afterward became Bishop Morris. The Concern also founded the Ladies Repository in January, 1841, Rev. L. L. Ham- line, editor; and also the same year The German Advocate, with Rev. William Nast as editor.

In June, 1835, the Western Messenger, a Unitarian publication, under the patron- age of the Unitarians of the West, was commenced. Rev. Ephraim Peabody was the editor, with Shreve & Gallagher as publishers. In its second year it was removed to Louisville, placed in charge of a new editor, but came back in a short time and was taken in hand by the famous Rev. W. H. Channing. It was popular in the denomination, but as it did not pay it was discontinued in April, 1841.

The Family Magazine, a small monthly, appeared in January, 1836. It was con- ducted by Eli Taylor, who was succeeded by J. A. James. It was published for six years. Mr. Taylor was also for a time publisher of the Cincinnati Journal, an anti- Catholic and anti-slavery organ. In July of the same year W. D. Gallagher, as edi- tor, issued the first number of his Western Literary Journal and Monthly Review. Local historians say it was a magazine of considerable pretension and real excel- lence, the largest, till then, established in the West, each number containing seventy- two pages royal octavo. It was published by Smith & Day. In November, 1836, it was consolidated with the Western Monthly Magazine, which had been removed to Louisville and was still under the charge of James B. Marshall. He changed the name to Western Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, retaining Mr. Gallagher as editor, but as it failed to pay it was discontinued in 1837.

The Literary Register, a short-lived folio sheet, belonged to this era. It was pub- lished by S. Penn, Jr., and William Wallace. Also the Literary News, quarto, by Edmund Flagg, editor, and Prentice & Weisinger, publishers. The former afterward became the celebrated poet-editor of the Louisville Journal. In 1839 E. D. Mans- field conducted for a short time a very creditable magazine called the Monthly Chron- icle. Achilles Pugh was the publisher. It devoted much attention to local an- tiquarian subjects, and its files are much sought after by modern local writers.

Another publication called The Chronicle, a weekly, had been started in 1836, with Mr. Mansfield as editor, assisted by Benjamin Drake. It was really a revival of the old Chronicle of 1826, which in 1834 had been merged in the Mirror, and after that was sold to Drs. Drake and Rives, of the Medical Department of Cincinnati Col- lege, partly to become an organ of that institution. The medical gentlemen were unsuccessful, and in 1837 the paper was sold to Mr. Pugh and William Dodd, printers and publishers. Mr. Mansfield was retained as editor, and gave the sheet a distinctive character as an anti-slavery Whig organ, but stopping short of aboli- tionism. In December, 1839, the Chronicle became a daily with the subscription list of the Cincinnati Whig, but its career was short. The Whig had been founded some time before by Maj. Conover, who obtained the services of Henry M. Spencer. In March, 1840, Mr. Drake severed his connection with the paper, when Mr. Mansfield conducted the paper alone till 1848, and afterward resumed connection with it, until 1850, when the Chronicle finally lost its identity in the Atlas, a paper originating with Nathan Guilford, and which survived through three or four years. It is a not- able historical fact that Miss Harriet Beecher's first printed story appeared in this. paper about 1835, during the residence of her father and her prospective husband, Prof. Stowe, at Lane Seminary. Many other brilliant lights honored the Chronicle with their contributions, and added lustre to its name. Several notable editors of the State commenced their career in its columns, Richard Smith, editor-in-chief of the Commercial Gazette, being one of the number. And it may be mentioned that the- first issue of The Price Current, published by Mr. Peabody, was made from the office- of the Chronicle.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.

The leading paper of the city to-day is the Enquirer. It has a long and inter- esting history. In its beginnings it was mainly the creation of Moses Dawson, the editor of an old-time paper called the Phoenix, and the Commercial Advertiser, as early as 1828. In the latter part of the "thirties" John Brough purchased the Phoenix and changed it to the Enquirer. He was a distinguished editor and politician, and his editorials were noted for their clearness, strength and brilliancy. He retired in 1848. In 1863 Brough was elected governor of Ohio, over Vallandig- ham by 101,099, the largest majority ever cast for a governor since the foundation of the State. In early years the Enquirer changed its location many times. During the great fire of 1866, which destroyed Pike's Opera House, the office was consumed. Finally it found a home on Vine street, between Sixth and Seventh, near the great Public Library. In 1844 the Hon. James J. Faran took an interest in the paper ; afterward Washington McLean purchased the interest of Mr. Derby, and became a joint owner with Mr. Faran and Mr. Wiley McLean. John R. McLean, son of Washington McLean, soon became interested, and he and Mr. Faran finally be- came the sole proprietors. Mr. Faran served as managing editor from 1844 to 1867. Among the eminent journalists connected with the managing editorship have been John A. Cockerill and Joseph B. McCullagh. About 1880 John R. McLean became sole owner of the plant, and under his direction it has made rapid advances, and takes rank with the great papers of Chicago and those of other pro- gressive western cities. Its Sunday edition has a wide circulation. Politically it is Democratic.

A DECADE OF ACTIVITY.

In the beginning of the "forties," journalism was in a flourishing condition. There were six English dailies and eight weeklies. The German weeklies numbered five, with one daily, The Volksblatt, founded in 1838, after running two years as a weekly. During much of its later and more important history it was under the editorial management of the Hon. Frederick Hassaurek. At this period there were also a number of book publishing houses, and all signs pointed to prosperity in the publishing line.

Mr. Cist in his annals for 1841 refers to these publications: The Gazette and Liberty Hall, Whig, issued 900 daily, tri-weekly, 400, and weekly, 800. The Ad- vertiser and Journal, Democratic, issued 400 daily, tri-weekly 150, and 1,600 weekly. The Times, a neutral evening paper, circulated 1,500; the Public Ledger, a neutral evening penny sheet, 1,400; the Volksblatt, Democratic, claimed a daily issue of 312, and a weekly of 1,400; the Unabhaengige Presse, likewise Democratic, 250 tri-weekly; the Deutsch Im Westen, 1,500; Wahrheits Freund (Roman Catholic), 1,050; the Apologete (German Methodist), 1,000-all weekly; and the Licht Freund, a Universalist semi-monthly, 500.

Besides these publications, the Western Christian Advocate, Methodist weekly, had a circulation of 14,000; the Cincinnati Observer, New-School Presbyterian, 1,300; the Western Episcopal Observer, 500; the Catholic" Telegraph, edited by Bishop Purcell, 1.100; the Star in the West, Universalist, 2,300; Western Temper- ance Journal, 6.000; the Ladies' Museum. 1,200; Ladies' Repository, 7,000; West- ern Messenger (Unitarian), 1,000; Christian Preacher (Disciple), 2,500; Precursor (New Jerusalem), 400; the Evangelist (Disciple), 1,000; Family Magazine, 3,000; the Counterfeit Detector, 750; and there was one other periodical, the Western Farm and Garden, the circulation of which is not given. We are particular to give the circulation of the foregoing papers and periodicals at that time, for the purpose of enabling the reader to contrast them with the publications of to-day. The majority of them have ceased to exist, or lost their individuality by being merged in other publications, whilst many new ones have appeared.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

In the fall of 1843 a new weekly literary venture appeared under the name of the Western Rambler. It was published by Austin T. Earle and Benjamin St. James, under whose auspices it flourished for a short time and then disappeared.

It was during this year (1843) that the Cincinnati Commercial, one of the ablest and most influential morning journals, was started by Curtis & Hastings. During its brilliant career of forty years, until its consolidation with the Gazette, many changes took place in its editorial and business departments, but it was ever aggres- sive, able and influential. In 1853, Murat Halstead, one of the most distinguished journalists of the day, became connected with it, and remained until the union with the Gazette, having been editor-in-chief since 1866. In 1879 a reorganization of the firm took place, and a joint-stock company was incorporated. The capital stock was fixed at $235,000.

Another candidate for public favor appeared in 1848, called The Great West. . The title was as captivating as it was suggestive of a wide field. It was started by Robinson & Jones, with a strong corps of Cincinnati editors, and all prominent writers throughout the Mississippi Valley were engaged as paid contributors. With this strong array of journalistic and literary talent the enterprise was kept going for nearly two years, when, in March, 1850, it was consolidated with the Weekly Columbian, as the Columbian and Great West, published by E. Penrose Jones and edited by William B. Shattuck. The celebrated Celia M. Burr (Mrs. Kellum) was the literary editor for a time. A daily Columbian was also started, but it broke the establishment down, and all failed together in August, 1853. The mistake was in trying to cover too great a territory, and then in loading the enterprise with a daily to quickly sap its remaining vitality.

MORE LITERARY VENTURES.

In 1850 the local chroniclers inform us that there were nine English and four German dailies in Cincinnati, most of them with weekly and some with other editions. Altogether there were eleven English and four German weeklies, with two semi- monthlies, which shows the rapid progress that was being made in the diffusion of literature for the masses.

It is claimed that one of the finest publications of this era was a monthly quarto magazine, embellished with fine steel engravings, which was published by R. E. Edwards, in connection with the Arts' Union Gallery. In January, 1853, a weekly magazine of sixteen octavo pages, of somewhat similar character, called the Pen and Pencil, was started by William Wallace. It only survived about a year. Next came the Genius of the West, a bright and promising monthly of thirty two octavo pages, started in October of the same year by Howard Dunham, who had been conducting for some time a semi-monthly musical and literary journal known as the Gem. It started with a vigorous life, and embraced among its contributors Miss Alice Cary, and a number of other writers of note. About the middle of 1854 Mr. Dunham took into editorial partnership Coates Kinney and Charles S. Abbott, but soon with- drew to start another periodical of like character, which he called The Western. His venture proved a failure at the end of three numbers. In the following August we find W. T. Coggeshall engaged as a co-editor of the Genius. The next month Mr. Abbott withdrew, and Mr. Kinney in July, 1855. In the latter part of this year Mr. Coggeshall disposed of the magazine to George K. True, a young poet and essayist of Mount Vernon, who bravely maintained it for six months, when it went to join the innumerable caravan of literary failures. It was a very excellent maga- zine while it lasted, and had many friends, but at no time more than paid expenses of publication.

Dailies :- At the close of 1859 Mr. Cist enumerated the dailies as follows: Gazette and Liberty Hall, Enquirer, Times, Commercial, Volksblatt, Volksfreund, Republikaner, Penny Press, Law and Bank Bulletin.

Weste. E.Al Pub Co

E. R. Komfort

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

Weeklies :- Western Christian Advocate, Presbyter, Central Christian Herald, Journal and Messenger, American Christian Review, Western Episcopalian, Star of the West, New Christian Herald, Catholic Telegraph, Christian Leader, Sunday- School Journal, Wahrheits Freund, Christliche Apologete, Protestantische Zeitblæt- ter, Horwachter, Scientific Artisan, Journal, Helvetia, Israelite, and Deborah.

Semi-Monthlies :- Type of the Times, Presbyterian Witness, Sunday-School Advo- cate, Lord's Detector, United States Bank Mirror, White's Financial and Commer- cial Reporter, and Counterfeit Detector.

Monthlies :- Repler's Bank Note List, Ladies' Repository (discontinued in 1880), Masonic Review, Odd Fellows' Casket and Review, Lancet and Observer, Medical News, Cincinnati and Eclectic and Edinburgh Medical Journal, College Journal of Medical Science, Physio Medical Recorder, Sonntag-Schule Glocke, Young People's Monthly, Youth's Friend, Sunbeam, and Dental Register of the West.

ANNUAL PUBLICATIONS-DIRECTORIES.

The first publication, entitled "Pictures of Cincinnati," was by Drake, in 1815. The first city Directory was published by Oliver Farnsworth, in October, 1819, and included an almanac for 1820. The printers were Morgan, Lodge & Co. The Directory, only about two hundred pages in size, contained 1,693 names. The sec- ond Directory, by Harvey Hall, appeared in 1825. Among its unique features was an analysis of the nativities of the inhabitants. It showed a very large percentage of Pennsylvanians and Jerseymen in the population, 394 of the names given being those of natives of the Keystone State, and 324 of New Jersey birth. Ohio was only able to show 52 natives. It contained 2,600 names, and the number of houses was given at 1,663. In 1826 Drake published his history of Cincinnati, in which he gave the population at 16,230. The next Directory appeared in 1829, by Rob- inson & Fairbanks. It contained 4,563 names. In 1834 E. Deeming published a Directory which contained 6,354 names. The record does not show any new Directory until 1836, when J. H. Woodruff appears to have published one. It con- tained 6,500 names, showing that the city was slowly advancing. Some time in 1839 a book entitled "Picture of Cincinnati" was published by Glezen & Shep- herd, but it was not a regular city Directory. In 1840 D. H. Shaffer came before the public with a Directory, in which he gave the number of names at 9,170. Cist's Directory appeared in 1841, and he published one annually until 1843. The last one contained 13,625 names. In 1844 R. P. Brooks issued a Directory, but it was simply a reprint of Cist's last one, with one thousand new names added. Rob- inson & Jones came to the front in 1846 with a Directory, which contained 14,600 names. In 1848 C. S. Williams published his first Directory. It contained 320 pages and 21,545 names, besides much valuable historical data, from which the fore- going facts have been deduced. Mr. Williams continued to issue a Directory annu- ally until 1861, when he disposed of the business to Americus V. Williams & Co., the present firm, who have continued the publication annually up to the present time. Compared with the Directory of 1819, that of June, 1893, presents a wonderful con- trast. The latter contains 2,130 pages and 147,500 names, from which the pub- fishers estimate the population of the city at 332,000. Another curious fact in con - nection with these veteran Directory publishers should be noted, viz .: No relation- ship existed between C. S. Williams and Americus V. Williams, the superintendent of the present publishing house.

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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 40

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