USA > Ohio > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Ohio : her people, industries and institutions > Part 13
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THE FARMERS BANK OF JEFFERSONVILLE.
The Farmers Bank of Jeffersonville is an unincorporated concern, or- ganized or established in 1893, with a capital of $20,000, same as it is now carrying ; the surplus, however, is now $20,000. The deposits amount to (in October. 1914) $207,850.53. The amount of loans were $197,232.65.
The organizers of this bank were Henry L. Hire, J. R. Vanorsdall, Ira D. Booco, Nathan Creamer, Eli Mock, James P. Font, Eli Smith, Jacob Bush, John A. Parrett, D. W. Kessler, A. R. Creamer. At first the officers were elected as follows: J. R. Vanorsdall, president; Ira D. Booco, vice- president : S. M. Taggart, cashier. The officers are now : Nathan Creamer, president : Eli Mock and J. R. Vanorsdall, vice-presidents; G. H. Garlough, cashier ; Louis A. Kessler, assistant cashier. The banking house is situated on the corner of Main and High streets and is a brick structure. A few
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years since it suffered loss by a fire, which destroyed the large plate-glass front windows. This institution is in a flourishing condition and has the confidence of the entire community, both in and outside the village of Jeffer- sonville.
CITIZENS' BANK OF JEFFERSONVILLE.
The Citizens Bank was organized at Jeffersonville in the autumn of 1906, with a capital of $25,000, the same as it now has. Its surplus is now $5.000 and its deposits amount to $175.000. It was the first banking con- cern in Fayette county to establish a savings department, which today is a prominent feature of its business transactions. This bank was organized by Ira D. Booco and Silas M. Taggart. The original officers were: Ira D. Booco, president : E. L. Janes, vice-president ; Joseph Straley, vice-president ; Silas M. Taggart, cashier. The officers in 1914 are: President, Joseph Straley ; vice-presidents, N. C. Wilcox and Frank Snodgrass; cashier, Silas M. Taggart.
The latest report on this bank shows that it is flourishing and its com- mercial and savings departments are operated in an up-to-date manner. The efficient cashier, Mr. Taggart, has been engaged in banking at Jeffersonville for thirty years, and has trained several young men in the business who now hold excellent positions of trust in various cities of the country.
THE FARMERS BANK OF GOOD HOPE.
The Farmers Bank of Good Hope was organized as a state banking concern in 1910 by William Thomas Steers. Its first officers were: Presi- dent, E. D. King; vice-president, Isaac Cory ; second vice-president, S. B. Hoppes; directors, George T. Moore, W. T. Stears, R. J. Holdren, S. E. Boggs, A. H. Taylor.
The 1914 officers and directors are: E. D. King, president ; William Thomas Steers, cashier ; directors, S. B. Hoppes, H. D. Johnson, W. T. Steers, R. J. Holden, H. C. Smalley, S. F. Boggs.
The original and present capital stock is $25,000. It was chartered in 1910 under the laws of Ohio. It owns its own fine brick banking house, erected at a cost of about $3.700. The condition of the bank today is ex- cellent. From August, 1913, to August, 1914, there were seventy-two new accounts opened in this bank. Safety deposit boxes are for rent.
Three per cent. per annum is paid on deposits left at this place for a stipulated time. The August 4, 1914, statement, as shown in the reports
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made to the state banking department, shows this bank to have had at that date resources and liabilities amounting to $95,818.83. The loans and dis- counts amounted to $78,668.41 : deposits, $65,069. 84.
THIE MILLEDGEVILLE BANK.
The Milledgeville Bank, located at Milledgeville, Jasper township, was organized in 1903. Its first officers were: C. E. Ford, president; W. E. Smith, cashier. There were twenty stockholders, with a personal responsi- bility of $500,000. The officers at this date ( fall of 1914) are: R. H. Fichthorn, president; W. E. Smith, cashier, with Fern Fichthorn, assistant cashier.
At first the capital was $4,125, which has been increased to $20,000. It is purely a private banking house. It suffered loss by a fire that occurred in the town April 13, 1912, but immediately resumed its business.
PEOPLES BANK OF BLOOMINGBURG.
This is a private concern, and did not see fit to furnish the author with data. It made a showing of resources and liabilities in 1912 of $110,196.
THE 1912 FINANCIAL SHOWING.
The reports of the various banks in Fayette county in 1912 made the following showing: Total amount in resources and liabilities, $3,487.712.40. This amount was divided among the banks as follows: Midland National Bank, $645,096; Commercial Bank, $557,275; Washington Savings Bank and Trust Company, $402,166; Fayette County Bank, $545,767; Peoples and Drovers Bank, $681,087; Farmers Bank of Jeffersonville, $206, 112; Citizens Bank of Jeffersonville, $169,552: Peoples Bank, Bloomingburg, $110,196; Farmers Bank of Good Hope, $73,172.
CHAPTER X.
THE NEWSPAPERS OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
The newspaper press is universally conceded to be one of the greatest civilizing influences in the world. This is more especially true in modern years, since the daily papers and the magazines and all descriptions of class journals have so greatly increased in numbers. Today the farmer in remote portions of the country may have, and, if an intelligent, reading, thinking man, usually has, his daily paper delivered at his very door by the govern- ment's free rural delivery carrier system. By this means he is as much in touch with the great busy world about him as though he lived in the town or city. He keeps well abreast with the markets, the war news and important events in all parts of the world, for the telegraph, cable and wireless now send news from the furtherest parts of the globe. Things happening in China and Africa are printed in American newspapers the same day or the day following on which they occur. In the early history of Fayette county this was not possible. The weekly paper was lacking for a decade or two after the county's organization, and when one was established it was a far different sheet from the fresh, newsy paper that greets the eye of the present- day reader. Really, the news columns were very old and uninteresting, for events happening one month were not made known to the people on the other side of the globe until the month following, as such news had to be sent by sailing boat from one country to another in those days. But now the intelligence is flashed by electric current over the submarine cable, in al- inost a moment's time, and is then quickly put in type by type-setting ma- chines and run off into printed pages by means of rapid steam presses, with paper-folder and mailer attachments. Vast has been the change in fifty years in the art of printing, especially as relating to the publication of news- papers.
Fayette county's first newspaper was issued Saturday, February 21. 1829, by Joel S. Bereman, who styled his pioneer journal Freedom's Advo- cate. Mr. Bereman came here from Highland county, where he had been taught the printing business, as known in those times. He conducted an out- and-out Whig political paper and thoroughly believed in the teachings of
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that party, which later was superseded by the present Republican party. This paper would not be called much of a newspaper today, but at that time was welcomed with delight at the firesides of this county. Its subscription was usually paid in rags, feathers, bees-wax, tallow, flour, sugar, bacon, oats, wheat, and deer-skins, at the rate of two dollars per year. Thirty-odd years ago the only known copy of this paper (which was established eighty-five years ago, before a mile of railroad was built in this country, but in which paper the Baltimore & Ohio railway was being talked of ) was in the hands of Mrs. M. V. Logan, a daughter of the proprietor of the Advocate. It had been preserved carefully under a glass frame, and of course was highly prized.
FURTHER NEWSPAPER IIISTORY.
From old historical works of this county and from well-written accounts of the various newspapers by the ready pen of M. Hebert, a resident of the county, we are permitted to draw for an account of all the earlier publications in Fayette county, which here follows :
The second newspaper venture was that of the paper styled the People's Palladium (meaning "safe-guard of liberty"), which was launched some time in 1831, by Arthur Critchfield, who had purchased the pioneer paper of which mention has already been made-the Bereman paper. It now became a Democratic journal and nothing further is now known of its history, other than that in the autumn of 1832 the office was sold, passing into the hands of S. F. Yoeman and S. Lydy, who immediately commenced the publication of the Washington Herald, which was still a Democratic organ, Mr. Yoeman doing most of the editorial work. For a time the paper had the double name of Herald and Fayette County Register. The name of S. Lydy appeared at its head as proprietor, while that of William Hill appeared as printer and publisher. Its columns were very short of news items, but well filled with sundry kinds of advertising. In one of its issues an account was given of the exhibitions of the Siamese twins at Stockdale's inn, Washington C. H. In June, 1834. it was in the hands of Hill & Baird as publishers and they were champions for the Whig cause. It gave an account of big Whig mass-meet- ings at the old court house. In November, 1834, the Herald ( third volume) was in the hands of Robert R. Lindsey, as publisher and printer. It was still a Whig organ. It continued publication until about 1835 and then suspended.
The Genius of Liberty, a Democratic paper, was established in Wash- ington C. H. in 1834, by J. M. Morgan. Its issue in November, 1834, glori- fied the result of the fall election, the main issue being the re-chartering of
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the United States Bank, which had been favored by the Whig party in that campaign. Papers of those days seemed not to think about local news, but lived on the political campaigns, and mourned when election was over be- cause they were schooled to think politics was all the people cared to read about. In May, 1835, the paper bore the immense title of Genius of Liberty and Democrat Republican and had for its sub-head motto, "Unawed by the influence of the rich, the great or the noble, the people must be heard, and their rights vindicated." At that date the names of J. Jamison and WV. Loof- borrow are given as proprietors, and William Hill as printer and editor. Its tone, politically, was then Democratic.
A SPICY CAMPAIGN PAPER.
The Political Hornet was the name of a political organ established for campaign purposes in 1836, and supported Gen. William Henry Harrison for President. Robert Robinson and J. S. Bereman were editorial con- tributors. Up to 1836 Fayette county had always gone Democratic, but that year was changed to Whig, which party elected every officer.
The Circulator, another publication, printed its first number January 20, 1838. It was "published simultaneously in Washington C. H. and London, in the legislative district composed of Fayette and Madison," being delivered in London, by private express, on the same day of issue. It was then the only paper published within the limits of the district. Elisha Williams Sex- ton was its proprietor. While it was a Whig organ, it was quite independent and neutral in politics, generally speaking. This paper spoke of printers being so scarce in Ohio that many young girls were being taught to set type, including one in the Circulator office. April 14, 1838, there appeared an item concerning an "Act to abolish imprisonment for debt" in the state of Ohio. About that date this paper had the following notice: "No man, henceforth, can be heard through our columns unless he be a yearly subscriber. Some of these times we will publish a communication precisely as it is sent to us." It is not known how long the Circulator continued to circulate !
The Fayette Republican was established in December, 1839, by R. R. Lindsey and was published in Wilmington, Clinton county. It was a radical Whig organ. In writing of a new publication at Louisville, Kentucky, the editor of this paper remarked, "The publication of a new paper called the Whiskey Barrel is soon to be established at Louisville; its object is to make war upon all temperance laws and temperance societies." He then adds "Wesley Roberts & Co. will preside over the bung-hole and spigot."
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FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
The Washingtonian was established in July, 1840, under the editorship of J. S. Bereman and E. W. Sexton, who opposed the bill then before Con- gress creating two hundred thousand militia. The point was made that it was not democratic and must not be tolerated. It supported Tom Corwin for governor of Ohio, the ticket being surmounted by a log cabin, with a "hard cider" barrel alongside. Later, this paper was edited by Harvey C. Blackman and he supported Henry Clay for President. It passed through several men's hands and was published from 1840 to 1847, and then sus- pended. John W. Poff was its last proprietor and editor.
The Star Spangled Banner was established in the autumn of 1846, by W. H. H. Thompson, who in its first issue mentions the then newly published work, Henry Howe's "Historical Collections of Ohio." This paper plant employed much of the printing office material formerly used by the Wash- ingtonian, above named.
John L. Scott published a newspaper in this county some years prior to 1849, but its name is now forgotten.
The Fayette New Era was established in the spring of 1850 by Editor George B. Gardner. Its local columns spoke of the first sewing machine ever brought to Fayette county, as having been the Wilson machine, brought to Washington C. H. in May, 1852, by Clarence Parin, a tailor. The Era was published until the spring of 1855, and was succeeded by the Washing- ton Register, under E. B. Pearce and J. C. D. Hanna, who issued the first number of their paper March 15, 1855. It was "independent in all things and neutral in nothing." This was the first attempt, in this county, to pro- duce a first-class local news page, and the files of the paper show how well the editors succeeded. Mr. Hanna sold the paper to his partner in 1857, and Pearce continued it till his death in 1864.
The Ohio State Register was established directly after the paper last named. It was established by Samuel Pike, who conducted it as a Democratic organ. After six months he sold to W. C. Gould, who continued to advocate Democratic doctrines until April, 1873. In 1871 the name was changed to that of Register and People's Advocate, with the motto, "That nation is most prosperous where labor commands the greatest reward." Its chief hobbies were oppositions to monopolies and middlemen. On April 24, 1873, H. H. Simmons and W. A. Beasley succeeded Gould, and they changed the name back to Ohio State Register and continued to run it as a Democratic sheet. In 1875 Beasley assumed sole management until October of that year, when he died at the old Shaw hotel. The administrator, D. I. Worthington, sold
(10)
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the plant to H. V. Kerr, then a Democratic state senator, who suddenly died in 1881. At the date of his death he was state librarian. The publication of the paper was continued by his son, J. D. Kerr. Later it was owned by Os- wall Smith, then by J. R. Marshall and Robert Palmer. In 1899 it was sold to Barrett & Terry. In 1902 it was sold to Joseph H. Harper, and in 1910 was taken over by the Herald Publishing Company. Its politics is now Demo- cratic. It circulates in Fayette and adjoining counties and is known as an up-to-the-minute local newspaper.
The Fayette County Herald was commenced in December, 1858, by William Millikan, and on November 26, 1868, W. W. Millikan, his son, was admitted to partnership. This was the first regular Republican paper estab- lished in Fayette county, and has been influential with all the passing years in support of the party and the general local upbuilding of the county seat and county.
The New's was established by W. C. Gould and Frank M. Jones in the second story of McLean's block, opposite the court house, June 3, 1874. It claimed to be "independent upon all subjects-opposed to all monopolies." Gould sold his interest to Jones in 1874, and Jones continued until March, 1876, then moved the plant to Mount Sterling, where, after four months, it suspended publication. After the material of the office had been moved to various points, it finally landed at Jeffersonville, this county, where, in Octo- ber, 1880, A. Voigt established the Chronicle, which was the pioneer paper of that place. It suspended publication about 1890.
The Church of Christ Advocate (for the Primitive Christian Union), published at Washington C. H., was established in September, 1907, by J. H. McKibban. It was originally published at Spring Valley, Greene county, Ohio, but removed to its present location in 1909. In 1912 a company was formed known as The Church of Christ Advocate Publishing Company, which is an incorporated concern. It is a six-column, four-page paper, run by electric motor presses. It is strictly a religious newspaper and is the special organ of the Church of Christ. It circulates in all parts of the United States. Its day of publication is Thursday. At this date its corresponding editors are Rev. H. C. Leeth, Rev. G. C. McKibban and Everett A. Keaton.
The Washington Daily Herald was established in 1885 by William Milli- kan & Son. It was published by the Millikan family until 1910, when it was purchased by the Herald Publishing Company. The president of this cor- poration is W. W. Millikan; vice-president and general manager, Joseph H. Harper, with Charles H. Parrott as secretary and treasurer. It is indepen- dent in politics and is the only paper between Cincinnati and Columbus carry-
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FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
ing the Associated Press dispatches. It is a daily, six-column, eight-page paper, using electric motor power. Its job department is especially well equipped for all up-to-date work. It prints all the daily news of Fayette county, the state and the nation, so far as it relates to decent matter. It goes to the home fireside, and is welcomed each day as a real news-letter.
The Horse Journal, of Washington C. H., was established by a company and is a consolidation of the old Kentucky Stock Farm and the Horse Jour- nal, the former of Lexington, Kentucky, and the latter of Jamestown, Ohio. The present journal is one of sixteen pages, issued each week in the year. It has a circulation in all parts of the United States and Canada, as well as in England. It is devoted to horse interests exclusively. It is printed at the Record-Republican office.
The Jefferson Citizen, a Democratic paper, was established in August. 1884, by Dr. L. A. Elster. He was succeeded in 1888 by L. C. Fults, and he was followed for a time by D. W. Callihan in 1896, and in 1903 it became the property of the Citizen Publishing Company. It is a six-column quarto, run on a gasoline-power press and circulates in Fayette, Greene and Madison counties. Its day of publication is Thursday and its annual subscription price is one dollar. A good, modern equipped job department is run in con- nection with this newspaper.
The pioneer paper here was perhaps the Chronicle, that suspended about 1890.
THE RECORD-REPUBLICAN.
The Record-Republican is a semi-weekly paper, published at Washing- ton C. H. Its history runs back many years, and its connecting papers have already been mentioned in this chapter. For a time it was semi-weekly, then changed to weekly, then again went to a semi-weekly publication under its present management in 1913. From what was known as the Record Pub- lishing Company, it was sold to a stock company, incorporated with J. H. Williams as president; A. P. Williams, secretary and treasurer, with other stockholders, E. R. Williams, S. A. Evans and D. E. Warren. This com- pany took the property over in July, 1911. It is now published on Tuesday and Friday of each week and is a six-column, eight-page paper, which often runs twenty pages in busy seasons. Politically, it is Republican. It is run on power presses propelled by gas engines. Its job department is complete in every particular. It also prints the Horse Journal, for its publishers, each week.
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THE ADVERTISER.
This is a daily journal devoted to local news and business interests of
Fayette county and especially the county-seat town. It was established
about 1905 by Joseph Gest, who, in 1913, sold to the Galvin Publishing Company, who made it a semi-weekly paper, and later a daily. In May, 1914, it was taken over by the Record-Republican Company, who still issue it daily. It was coupled with the Daily News, established October 11, 1913, by Mr. Williams, and hence is known as the News-Advertiser, and is pub- lished by the Record-Republican Company.
On September 17, 1879, T. F. Gardner established The Fayette Repub- lican, as an organ of the Republican party. In its opening announcement it stated, "As a journalist, it shall be the aim to chronicle all the local events of town and county, of which we may become cognizant, be they good or bad."
papers :
Washington C. H. papers-Church of Christ Advocate; established 1906: Rev. J. H. McKibban, proprietor. Fayette Advertiser, daily: Republican; circulation, 3,000. Herald, daily, established in 1885; circulation, 1,527. Horse Journal, Charles Allen, proprietor ; established in 1907: circulation, 6,286. Ohio State Register, weekly: established 1836; Joseph H. Harper ; Democratic; circulation, 2,000. Record-Republican ; established 1879, a semi-
Jeffersonville-The Citizen, weekly: established in 1884; L. O. Fultz;
Democratic : circulation, 800.
184
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152
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Number daily papers in 1909
Number of Sunday papers
Number semi and tri-weekly
Number weekly
Number monthly
Number quarterly
All other publications
Total in state ( 1909)
FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
PRESENT NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY.
A recent newspaper directory gives the following on the Fayette county
weekly ; circulation, 3,500.
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NEWSPAPERS IN OHIO.
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149
FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
THE FIRST PRINTING PRESS IN FAYETTE COUNTY.
In concluding the chapter on the press of this county, perhaps no better, more historic item can possibly be inserted than to give what a former history has published concerning the county's pioneer printing office, its press and material and how they were operated, showing as it will the great change in the "art preservative" that has taken place with the passing of eighty-five years :
"In the old Register office, which paper long ago ceased to be, there stood for some years, after Edgar B. Pearce took editorial control of that estab- lishment, the first printing press brought to Washington C. H. It was shipped from Chillicothe, to which point it had years before been transported from Philadelphia. Its history was known to an old employe of the Franklin Type Foundry, of Cincinnati, who in 1858 happened to see it here while engaged in business pursuit. It was afterward shipped to that institution, and was there many years, possibly still held by their successors, as a price- less printing relic. It was a very quaint looking institution. Its frame was of mahogany. On it Judge Bereman printed and executed, for the time, much artistic work, and from its bed there rose and spread thoughts sarcastic and severe, and many truths which bore good fruit soaring therefrom. Glad tidings, and sad as well, emanated from its platen impress-yea, much of joy and woe, of mirth and sorrow, through its lever power, was scattered.
"On that first printing press used here, it required two pulls to complete the impression of one side of the paper, each page of the form being run under the platen separately. Then two hundred and fifty to three hundred sheets or impressions per hour was considered quite rapid work, but today, in the Herald office, with the power press facilities, one thousand sheets per hour can be printed. The size of the newspapers published here was eighteen by twenty-six inches ; today they are twenty-eight by forty-four inches. Of reading matter one paper of today will contain as much as six did then; yet the subscription price was greater than now."
CHAPTER XI.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
In all ages of the world, among civilized and uncivilized peoples, . the medical profession has been in high esteem, whether it be the learned pro- fessor, who has studied the real science of medicine in all its branches, or the "great medicine man" of the untutored savages, who from actual experience has made discoveries of the healing powers of herbs and roots; honor has awaited them on every hand, while the life and death of every human has been virtually placed in their keeping. The weary patient lying upon a bed of pain, and the no less weary watcher, wait anxiously for the coming of the good doctor, who, upon his arrival, notes every physical indication or expression of countenance for a ray of hope. He administers what his knowledge of medicine tells him is best in the special case at hand. The work of the phy- sician cannot be measured by dollars and cents, and the long years required in preparing himself are all necessary.
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