USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio, from 1808 to 1908, Vol. I > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59
266
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
John Y. Glessner, who for over forty years was the editor and proprietor of the Shield, was one of our best known citizens and no one was more generally known and respected and loved. In 1871, the Shield office was destroyed by fire, and the files of the paper which contained so much of the history of Mansfield, were thus lost.
The Hon. C. N. Gaumer represented Richland county for two terms in the State legislature. John Meredith, who organized the Shield and Banner in 1836, was elected probate judge in 1858 and was re-elected in 1861. after which he removed to Shelby, where he died in 1895. He was buried in the Mansfield cemetery.
The Shield and Banner has had the longest existence of any of the Richland county newspapers. The Shield has always been a Democratic paper. In 1838, a Whig paper was started by Moraine & Devine, called the "Richland Jeffersonian," which they conducted one year and then sold out to J. C. Gilkinson & Sons, who after nine years sold the plant to Mathias Day, Jr., and E. W. Smith. Day & Smith changed the name of the paper to "The Mansfield Herald." In 1852 Mr. Day purchased Mr. Smith's interest and continued the publication of the paper.
In 1854, upon the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the slavery question came to the front, and the old political parties were more or less disorganized and disintegrated, and a new party composed of anti-slavery Democrats and anti-slavery Whigs came together in 1855, as the people's party, and in 1856, it became the Republican party; old questions went to the rear, the only bond of union was opposition to the extension of slavery, and recruits from all the old parties were welcome.
I was then a young lawyer in active practice and a zealous Free Soil Democrat and naturally took to the new movement. The Herald was its organ in Richland county, its editor and proprietor, Mr. Day, was indisposed by illness and went away on sick leave. Before going, however, he requested me to take the supervision of his editorial columns, which I did, with no idea of it being more than a temporary arrangement. Mr. Day's illness was protracted until he felt compelled to dispose of the Herald property. In 1855, in company with James G. Robinson and David Locke, of Plymouth, I purchased the entire Herald establishment.
I was the political editor of the Herald. Robinson and Locke were practical printers and took charge of the mechanical department. Locke was foreman and city editor. We put in steam presses and a book bindery, and enlarged the establishment in other directions. At the close of the first year, Mr. Locke being unable to meet his payments, he sold out to his partners, and later we sold a one-third interest to Mr. Day, who had recovered his health. Later on Mr. Robinson and Mr. Day went out and I became sole owner. I conducted a prosperous business until 1859, and then sold out to the Myers Brothers and returned to my profession.
As to my career as an editor, I have only to say that my files for four years, in four volumes, were bound and can be seen in the Memorial library, and those who read them can judge for themselves whether I held my own in the political controversies of that period. In those controversies I am
267
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
glad to say that Mr. Glessner, the editor of the Democratic Shield, and I were always personal friends and in our business relations were always helpful to each other. We often borrowed type of each other and sometimes exchanged matter. Mr. Glessner and I never deemed it essential to indulge in personal abuse or to befoul a candidate or an office holder, simply because he did not belong to our political party, and I am very sure an example of that kind of political warfare, now almost universal, can not be found in the files of the Mansfield Herald under my administration.
I am also glad to say that my relations with my partners were always friendly. Mr. Robinson was a man of high character and excellent business ability, and after leaving me he became the proprietor of the Bucyrus Journal, in which he was joined by Mr. Locke. They conducted a prosperous business for a number of years.
Mr. Locke later became famous as "Petroleum V. Nasby," in the Toledo Blade, which brought him fame and fortune.
Mr. Locke wrote a series of humorous papers for the Plymouth Adver- tiser, and later for the Herald, which were as funny as any he ever wrote, and if any one has preserved them I would be glad to see them again. Those in the Herald files were cut and stolen.
Mr. Day was born and reared in Mansfield and was a worthy citizen and a genial friend.
My successor, the Myers Brothers, after successfully conducting the Herald for fifteen years, sold the plant to George U. Harn & Brother, who conducted the Herald with various mutations for about ten years, but in an evil hour they started a morning daily in opposition to the Evening News, then recently established. The venture was a failure, and put the Herald into bankruptcy and final dissolution.
The Daily News, the survival of the conflict, is one of the most creditable and prosperous of the Republican newspapers in the state.
Of the Myers Brothers, who succeeded me, George, the oldest, died in about a year. Lorenzo went into the army as quartermaster of the Sixty- fourth O. V. I., and after the close of the war he settled in Columbus and served as postmaster for four years, later he became interested in the job printing business which he conducted very successfully. Wesley, the youngest of the boys, remained in Mansfield for a number of years in charge of the Herald, but after disposing of the plant he removed to Toledo and became secretary of the National Union, a life insurance company. He is now dead.
In addition to the papers I have named there have been a number of others. First in point of time was a Democratic campaign paper started in 1844, by Wiley & Tidball, and called "The Morning Pennant." During the same year a Whig campaign paper was published by William Johnston, called "The Richland Bugle and Independent Press." Both these papers were suspended after the election. Johnston was an erratic genius, a scholarly man and an orator. During the Civil War Mr. Johnston was elected to Congress as a Democrat. He died soon after the expiration of his term.
In 1852, the Rev. Edward Smith, a noted Wesleyan Methodist minister, came to Mansfield and with h's son-in-law, the Robert MeCune, established
268
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
the Western Branch Book Concern. Mr. McCune was a practical printer and took charge of the mechanical department of the same. They located in the brick building on the west side of Main street, between First and Second streets, and started the Christian Statesman, a weekly newspaper published as the organ of the Wesleyan denomination. They also did book work, and printed "The Unjust Judge," a book of three hundred and fifty pages, written by William Stevens, then a Mansfield lawyer. The Christian States- man was an anti-slavery paper. Messrs. Smith & McCune later moved their printing establishment to the second story of the Mansfield Herald office, in order to get their printing done on the Herald's steam presses.
Mr. Smith died a few months later and the paper was suspended. Mr. McCune re-entered the ministry. He is now dead.
"The Ohio Liberal" newspaper was started in 1873 by General R. Brink- erhoff. Nominally, it was published by a stock company, in which the Hon. M. D. Harter and W. S. McMillen were interested. The paper was intended to represent the views of the liberal Republicans, as this was the year following the Horace Greeley campaign. General Brinkerhoff was the editor-in-chief and was assisted by Messrs. Harter and McMillen. The paper made things lively politically, and to the surprise of the promoters it paid expenses from the start. A. J. Baughman was the "field man" for the first year and secured a large subscription list, after which he became the city and desk editor. Since then Mr. Baughman has had many years of service in the newspaper business. After a short time the Liberal became my personal perquisite, and I continued its publication successfully for several years. In 1876 I championed the candidacy of Samuel J. Tilden for the presidency. In 1877 I sold the plant to Henry Foulk and his brother Charles, practical printers, who continued the publication for eight or ten years and then sold the same to W. S. Cappeller, who consolidated it with the Mansfield News. Charles Foulk died in 1882, and Henry, after disposing of the plant, removed to Missouri and engaged in job printing.
The Liberal was really a very lively sheet and was never a financial weakling, and more than paid its expenses from beginning to end.
I am not ashamed of the files of the Ohio Liberal and invite an inspec- tion of them in the Memorial library.
'The only German newspaper in Mansfield, so far as I can remember, is "The Mansfield Courier," which was established in 1872, by August Selback, who conducted it for a short time, after which it passed into the hands of John B. Netscher, who, in January, 1874, sold the plant to Killian & Kuebler. Mr. Killian died within a year or two, after which his interest was sold to Albert Wolfe. Later Mr. Kuebler bought Mr. Wolfe's interest and became sole proprietor, in which capacity he continues its publication to-day.
In June, 1876, the first Sunday newspaper made its appearance in Mansfield, called "The Sunday Morning Call," a seven column folio. It was established by A. J. Baughman and was devoted principally to local news. In fact, it was the first newspaper in Mansfield which made a specialty of local happenings and had a decided influence in stirring up the staid old
269
.
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
weekly competitors to activity along local lines. In 1884, after a successful run of eight years, the Call was changed to the Mansfield Democrat, and made a six-column quarto. The publication of a Democratic newspaper was better suited to Mr. Baughman's taste than was delving into local matters, which were often more or less sensational. Mr. Baughman's sister, Miss Sade E. Baughman, also a printer, was associated with him on the Democrat, and in the spring of 1885, Mr. Baughman was appointed to a clerkship in the United States Senate and Miss Baughman to a clerkship in the treasury department in Washington, D. C., and gave up their newspaper work in Mansfield and entered the government service at the National Capital. They are now, and have been for a number of years past, engaged in historical work.
In calling the roll of Mansfield newspapers, it would hardly be fair to onit the name of "The Daily Chronicle," notwithstanding the brevity of its existence. It was started by Charles Grant Miller, in August, 1895, as a morning journal. It was bright and newsy, but for want of support it lasted only about six months. Mr. Miller was a gifted writer, with considerable fame as a journalist, but was a failure as a manager.
THE MANSFIELD PRESS AND ITS PEOPLE.
The following paper was prepared for, and read before a recent meeting of the Mansfield Lyceum, by A. J. Baughman :
"Sketches have been given of the Mansfield newspapers of the past and of the graves of a number of them. This, however, deals with the men who had their entrances and their exits upon the newspaper stage of Mansfield in the years gone by. Perhaps there has been a greater change in the news- paper business in the past third of a century than in any other line of pursuit. In newspaper publishing there are two prominent features-the business management and the literary or editorial department. In the past, back before the Civil War, news was not as prominent a feature in a publication, as it is to-day, and the business and editorial departments were recognized as one. Now they are separate and distinct. A newspaper is now conducted and its policy largely controlled from the counting room by the business manager, and that is why there have been fewer gravestones put in recent years in newspaper graveyards. Nature seldom gives a man more than one gift. A great writer is seldom, if ever, a master of finance, and but few of the great business men of the country have reputations as writers.
"A story is told of two men who were graduates of Harvard and were close friends. One went to California and became successful in mining operations. The other went to New York City and engaged in newspaper work. After a separation of twenty years, the Californian returned to the East and visited his friend in New York. Each had become a millionaire. One day while lunching at Delmonico's, the New Yorker called his friend's attention to a gentleman who was sitting at another table, and remarked, "There's the man who ruined me.' The friend remarked that he did not know he had been ruined, and said, 'You have health and a million, what
270
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
else do you want?' The New Yorker explained that when he went to New York he had hopes of becoming a great editor, but, getting acquainted with the man to whom he referred, he had imbibed his business ideas and had become so absorbed with the monetary affairs that he gave up his newspaper work and engaged in financial pursuits. The new path was for awhile very alluring to him, and within ten years he became a millionaire. But he had starved both his soul and his mind in his mad pursuit for wealth, and now was dissatisfied with the result-that he would now willingly give his millions to be a great editor. But it was too late to retrace his steps; the demon of finance had entered his soul and had changed his whole course in life. To be successful in any line of endeavor should be gratifying to every one, even if the topmost round of one's ambition should not be reached. The man had aspired to a literary career; wealth seemed to him as but 'the husks which the swine doth eat.'
"As this sketch is reminiscent, it must be more or less personal. I write only of those with whom I was personally acquainted. And first upon this list was the Hon. James Purdy.
"The first newspaper in Mansfield was established in 1818, and has been published continuously ever since, with the exception perhaps of a few weeks in its early history, and for the past seventy years has been called the Shield and Banner. The late Hon. James Purdy, who had located in Mansfield to practice law, purchased this paper in 1823, gave the office a better equipment, made the plant self-supporting and published the paper for about nine years. Locating here and casting his fortunes with the new town he wished to see it grow and prosper, and to this end he was willing to devote both time and money in the publication of a newspaper, without which he knew no town could succeed. Mr. Purdy's vocation was the law, his avocation the press-publishing a newspaper for the benefit of the town. In 1832, Mr. Purdy sold his newspaper plant to Thomas W. Bartley, then a prominent and gifted young lawyer of Mansfield. Mr. Bartley later filled offices of honor and trust. He was a state senator and later was governor of Ohio, and still later was one of the supreme judges of the state. Judge Bartley edited his paper from his law office and was never engaged in newspaper pub- lishing business, but as a side line to further the interests of his town and of his party.
"In 1836 John Meredith bought the Shield and continued its publication until 1841. He later became probate judge of the county, and after his term of office had expired he removed to Shelby, where he resided until the close of his life. Judge Meredith is best remembered by the people of to-day as a member of the Old Folks' Singing society, of which he was a prominent member, and one of the best singers of that organization.
"Rev. Edward Smith established a weekly newspaper in Mansfield in the '50s called the Christian Statesman, which he conducted for several years until his death. This paper was conducted principally to promulgate Mr. Smith's views on the slavery question and other so-called reforms. In this work he was assisted by his son-in-law, the Rev. Robert McCune, who left Mansfield some time after Mr. Smith's death. I remember of having
271
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
seen Mr. Smith, but I had no personal acquaintance with him, as I was then a boy. He was a large man, a fine speaker and a born disputant. During the agitation of the slavery question, a number of persons seceded from the M. E. church at Little Washington, and formed an anti-slavery organization, and Mr. Smith preached for this congregation. He may have been its regular pastor. He was an Abolitionist and labored fearlessly to create an anti-slavery sentiment in the North. He aimed to labor for the betterment of society. His paper was issued from the office of the 'Western' Branch Book Concern of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America, then located in the Drackert building on South Main street, where Mr. Helt now conducts a boarding house. From this office William Stevens published his book called the 'Unjust Judge.'
"I have been connected with the Mansfield press for many years and in various capacities, and I have owned and published newspapers of my own in Mansfield and other places. My first work in the newspaper line was done on the Shield and Banner for the late John Y. Glessner. I have known the 'ups and downs' of the business for the past forty years and have had my share of them. In my retrospections I recall both the clouds as well as the sunshine of the past, but do not remember that I ever went out of my way to avoid either of them.
"Of the newspaper men of Mansfield during my connection with the press, Mr. Glessner is the first of whom I now write. He came to Ohio from Somerset, Pennsylvania, where he had served an apprenticeship to the printing business, and after removing West was engaged in publishing a paper in St. Clairsville for a few years, later became manager of the Ohio Statesman at Columbus, then came to Mansfield in 1841, bought the Shield and Banner, which he owned, edited and published for over forty years. and until his death. But few men, perhaps, have lived such a blameless life as did Mr. Glassner, and but few men left so many friends and so few enemies. A full sized portrait of Mr. Glessner adorns the counting room of the Shield office, and persons frequently in looking at it speak kindly of their remembrance of him. While Mr. Glassner never aspired to be known as a great writer, he was a very capable newspaper man and an excellent citizen.
"General R. Brinkerhoff entered the newspaper field in Mansfield in 1854, and published the Mansfield Herald for a number of years. He also gave some attention to the practice of the law. Later he went into the army where he won the star of a brigadier, and remained in the service until after the close of the Civil War. Upon his return to Mansfield, he resumed his law practice and later newspaper work as the editor of the Ohio Liberal. For the past thirty years he has been in the banking business, and is now president of the Mansfield Savings bank. But in whatever pursuit he never neglected his literary work and his contributions to the literature of the country have been both interesting and valuable. He wields a facile pen and is a fluent speaker. Having been more or less intimately associated with him in newspaper, literary and historical work for the past forty years, I know whereof I speak.
1
272
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
"General James S. Robinson, when a boy, served an apprenticeship in the Herald office, he later read law, removed to Kenton and became distin- guished both in civil and military affairs. He was a general in the army during the Civil War, and later served several terms as a member of Congress and two terms as secretary of state. He is now dead.
"D. R. Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby) was associated with General Brinkerhoff on the Herald for a year or two, and later attained fame as a writer. J. M. Robinson was also associated with General Brinkerhoff on the Herald for some time. He went from here to Plymouth, where he published the Advertiser for several years, and later removed West. William Johnston published a campaign paper here in 1844. He was a lawyer, a scholarly man, a fluent speaker and wielded a trenchant pen. He represented this district in Congress a term during the Civil War. He is now dead.
"In 1850, Joel Myers and Jacob Reisenger started an independent paper called the Richland County Democrat. It was discontinued at the end of the first volume and the outfit was sold to Mr. Glessner. Mr. Reisenger was postmaster of Mansfield during President Pierce's administration, and Myers was probate judge of the county two terms. The latter was rather a fair editorial writer in a general way. In 1859, Mr. Reisenger and L. C. Kelley started a paper called the Richland Democrat. Mr. Reisenger died about a year after the paper was founded, after which the publication was conducted by Mr. Kelley until 1862. Mr. Kelley was a practical printer and a fair reporter. He is now dead.
"O. H. Booth was one of the proprietors and editorial writers of the Mansfield Herald for several years in the '70s. He was a printer and before coming to Mansfield had been engaged in newspaper work in Wooster. He was the manager of the Western Union Telegraph lines and gave but little time to the Herald. He is now deceased.
"The Myers Brothers conducted the Herald for a number of years, and made it a very readable paper. They were succeeded by the Harn Brothers. who are now out of the business. Harry Wilkinson was an able city editor of the Herald as Frank Ward was also of the Shield.
"Of the Foulk Brothers, who conducted the Liberal for several years, Henry is in the job printing business somewhere in the West and Charley is dead. George A. Holm was the manager of the Liberal for several years and is now in the job printing business.
"Hon. C. N. Gaumer, who so ably conducted the Shield for a number of years has retired from active newspaper work. He served his county faithfully in the legislature, and now holds several positions of honor and trust.
"The 'amenities' of the press were not always as serious nor as cordial as outsiders may have considered them to be, as the following instance will in part show: 'In the summer of 1880, as editor of the Mansfield Democrat, I became involved in a newspaper war with George U. Harn, of the Herald. During that controversy, Mr. Harn and I took a drive in my buggy out through Springfield township. We happened to meet one of his subscribers, who nearly fell off the seat of his wagon when he saw us
273
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
together, laughing and talking in the most social manner. He had taken our quarrel seriously and imagined we were enemies. But where newspaper men are brought in daily contact with each other in business pursuits, their war of words should not be taken in too literal a sense.
"The boys in the office in those days often played tricks on the 'devil.' When the office of the Ohio Liberal was in the Mansfield Savings bank building, Frank Harding and Trav Harbaugh put up a job on Johnny Shaw who was then the Liberal's 'devil.' They sent him to the Shield office with a wheelbarrow to borrow a nonpareil space. They told him that he must take the wheelbarrow into the office and up to Mr. Glessner's desk, so that he could see that he was prepared to give the 'space' safe conveyance. This Johnny did, and as he went rattling up the steps and over the floor, Mr. Glessner exclaimed: 'Ha, Ha, what does this mean?' Johnny stated his case and Mr. Glessner unbent from his dignity long enough to laugh at the joke, recalling the time when he had been a printer's 'devil.' A few days later the 'devil' from the Shield office went down to the Liberal office to borrow their italic shooting stick. But the 'devil' sometimes in after years becomes the manager of a newspaper and then can look back complacently at the tricks played upon him in his youth.
"The daily newspaper of to-day very fully covers the field which its name indicates-a newspaper. It has its finger tips on the public pulse of the nations, and the heart-beats of civilization are counted and the business of the world bulletined in its daily issues.
"Although the Shield was issued under one management for over forty years under the Glessner regime, it has had several changes since Mr. Glessner's death. Some years after the sale of the plant to Mr. Gaumer, it was turned into a stock company and a daily edition issued in connection with the weekly. For a while Charles Grant Miller edited the paper, but it was finally drifted into a larger field, going from here to Memphis, Tennessee. where he became the editor of the Mercury. Mr. Miller's forte, however, was that of a writer rather than that of an editor. As a writer Mr. Miller had a metropolitan reputation.
"The next change in the management of the Shield was when W. T. Alberson, of Ashland, became its manager, but his management was not of long duration. The next was a Mr. MacMillan, a very capable man, but he remained not more than a year until he returned to Portsmouth where he later died.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.