History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 70

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

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For the purpose of affording an idea how the first newspaper of Reading was conducted, the

contents of No. 1, issued May 7, 1796, are pre- sented-

Page 1-Announcement of Publisher to the Public in reference to publication.

Pages 2, 3 and part of 4, part of charge of Hon. Jacob Rush, president judge of Berks County, ad- dressed to grand jury at Reading on April 4, 1796 (conclusion appeared in No. 2).

Remainder of page 4 was taken up with-

1. Vote of Congress on the question whether the Treaty with Great Britain should be executed.

2. Notice of the sheriff of Berks County that a Court of Nisi Prius would be held at Reading on May 24, 1796.

3. Advertisement of Jesse Pearson, a silver-smith and whip-maker.

4. Advertisement of notice by George Kemp that he had found a saddle-bag, with contents, on the road between Kutztown and Klein's Tavern.

Gottlob Jungman was the first postmaster of Reading. He held the office from the time of its establishment on March 20, 1793, till October 1, 1801.

THE IMPARTIAL READING HERALD was an English weekly newspaper. It was begun on June 22, 1796. The first publishers were J. Schneider & Co. On the 14th of October fol- lowing the firm comprised Jacob Schneider and George Gerrish. The size of the sheet was sixteen by twenty inches, with four columns to the page, and the price was two dollars per an- num. It is not known how long the firm or the publication coutinued ; but it is probable that the firm discontinued the Herald upon hav- ing begun Der Readinger Adler, a German weekly, in the month of November following.

It has been stated that the first publication at Reading was a German weekly newspaper bearing this name, the German title having been Die Neue Unparteiische Readinger Zeitung. The first number is supposed to have appeared in 1789;1 but this statement is founded upon supposition alone, there being no copy of the paper in existence from which to obtain any facts that relate to it. Another statement ap- peared in the Berks and Schuylkill Journal, in 1855, represeuting that this German newspaper was instituted by John Gruber, of Germantown,

470.

1 Rupp's " History of Berks and Lebanon Counties," p. Issued by Messrs. Johnston, Barton & Johnston, 18th February, 1789.

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and Gottlob Jungman, of Reading, in 1793, and that within a year afterward Gruber returned to Germantown, leaving Jungman as the sole publisher. Gruber died at Hagerstown, in Maryland, on January 5, 1855, aged ninety years. It is possible that this latter statement is correct, which would lead to the belief that the Herald was begun three years afterward as an English weekly and published by a different party. If this be so, the Readinger Zeitung was the first newspaper which was published at Reading.

DER READINGER ADLER .- The Readinger Adler was instituted Nov. 29, 1796, by Jacob Schneider and George Gerrish. It was the first newspaper printed in the German language at Reading. The title at first was Der Unparthey- ische Reading Adler, with the cut of an eagle between the last two words carrying a scroll with the motto, " Freedom." It was a folio sheet, six- teen by twenty-four inches, with three columns to each page. The second number was issued on Tuesday, January 10, 1797 ; and cach succes- sive number of the paper has been issued regu- larly every week, on the same day, without a single omission, till now,-a period covering eighty-nine years. It is now the oldest Ger- man newspaper published in America. In the third number, issued on January 17, 1797, the word " Reading " was changed to " Readinger ;" and, on January 6, 1801, the word "Unpar- theyische " (impartial) was omitted.

The parties named continued to issue this paper till June 29, 1802. John Ritter, a nephew of the senior member and a practical printer, was substituted in the place of Gerrish, with the next number, issued July 6, 1802, and the firm-name became Schneider & Ritter. The business was conducted by them till 1804. Then Schneider withdrew, and Carl A. Kess. ler (a Saxon) was introduced, he having mar- ried Ritter's sister. The firm-name thence, till 1857 (excepting from 1824 to 1827), was John Ritter & Co.1 Kessler died in October, 1823. The surviving partner alone conducted

the publication for several years, then admitted Mrs. Kessler, the widow, as a partner. Dur- ing that period it was conducted with great suc- cess. In December, 1840, the Berks and Schulkill Journal (a cotemporary newspaper at Reading) gave the Adler the following friendly editorial notice, and, coming from the indepen- dent and vigorous young editor, John S. Rich- ards, Esq., it was certainly complimentary :

"The Adler, at its commencement and for some time after, advocated the principles of Democracy, but within the last twelve or fifteen years has sadly fallen off from Democracy, as we understand, having given a cordial support to Jackson and Van Buren. The paper merits commendation for the gentlemanly tone which usually characterizes its articles ; and the editor, Mr. Ritter, is universally esteemed in his pri- vate relations. Although we differ considerably in politics, we are willing to award him the credit of being honest and sincere in his views, which is a good deal more than we can say of some of his political friends and rivals."

From 1843 to 1847 the senior member of the firm, John Ritter, was the representative of

ADLER BUILDING.

this county in Congress. He died on Novem- ber 24, 1851, aged nearly seventy-three years. His straightforward, truthful and honorable course in the publication of the Adler had won for him the highest regard of his fellow-citi- zens, and for his paper the title of "Berks County Bible." The confidence of his patrons in its reliability had become so entire that they were willing to " swear by " all its reports and opinions. They knew that he was a most con- scientious man in respect to truthfulness on the one hand and to carefulness on the other.

In December, 1852, steam-power was intro- duced for printing the issue every week. This was the first practical application of steam for this purpose in the county. Formerly the printing was done by means of a hand- press.1 The labor of running off an edition

1 Ritter & Co. published an English weekly, entitled Berks and Schuylkill County Messenger, in February, 1816. When it was begun, or how long it was continued, I could not ascertain.

1 The power-press was introduced about that time.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

of five thousand four hundred copies by this slow and tedious process can be readily im- agined. The introduction of steam for the Adler was therefore a great step forward in this branch of industry. It saved much labor and shortened the time of producing the issue for readers at home and abroad. This same power was used for some time in printing the Berks and Schuylkill Journal and the Reading Gazette and Democrat.

Charles Kessler became the exclusive owner of the Adler on August 1, 1857, he having pre- viously obtained his mother's interest, and on that day the Ritter interest. The Ritter family had a continuous interest in the publication from 1802 for fifty-five years. Kessler conducted it successfully till April 1, 1864, when he transfer- red it to William S. Ritter and Jesse G. Hawley. He had been connected with it for forty-four years, having begun as an apprentice in the office in 1820, and advanced through a journey- man printer to editor, part owner and eventu- ally sole proprietor. His long connection with this great and well-established newspaper em- braced a very important period in the history of the country. He was a stanch Democrat. At the outbreak of the Rebellion and during its progress he advocated the principles of the Democratic party with zeal and courage.

Shortly after retiring from the Adler he was nominated for the office of associate judge of the county and elected, filling the term from 1866 to 1871. He was recognized as a man of undoubted integrity and impartiality in the per- formance of his official duties.

Ritter and Hawley resumed the old firm- name of "Ritter & Co." which had been iden- tified with the Adler for over half a century. On January 28, 1868, they instituted a daily English newspaper, called the Daily Eagle, and shortly afterward purchased the well-known and established Reading Gazette and Democrat, an English weekly. They carried on these three publications and also a large general book and stationery store with great success till November 13, 1874, when they dissolved partuership. In the dissolution, Ritter took the Germau Adler and Hawley the two English newspapers and the store. A prominent publication by the

proprietors of the Adler since 1806 was an an- nual almanac in the German language, entitled " Der Reading Kalender." In the dissolution Mr. Hawley, strange to say, retained this Ger- man almanac, for the newspapers taken by him were English. He has published it since.

During the year 1876 Mr. Ritter erected the first imposing, substantial four-story brick printing establishment in Reading, at the south- east corner of Sixth and Court Streets, in which to accommodate the publication of the old and well-supported Adler, and he took possession on January 1, 1877. He conducted this German publication alone for nearly six years ; then, on May 1, 1880, he instituted a daily English newspaper, called the Reading Daily News, and on August 27, 1881, also a weekly English newspaper, called the Reading Weekly News. These three newspapers have been published by him successfully since, with increasing patron- age and area of circulation from year to year. In 1878 he began the publication of a German almanac, entitled " Der Neue Readinger Adler Kalendar." A large book and stationery store is conducted by him in the same building. His father was a brother of John Ritter. The present size of the Adler sheet is twenty-nine by forty-two inches, with eight columns to each page.

JOHN RITTER was the son of Francis and Barbara Ritter. He was born in Exeter town- ship, near Schwartzwald Church, February 6, 1779. He had very restricted advantages of education, even in the German ; and instruction in the English language for three months was the sum of his privileges in that line. He con- tinued to labor on his father's farm till his eighteenth year. Then his father bought a half-interest in Der Readinger Adler (a German weekly newspaper, published at Reading), and placed him in the office to learn printing. In 1802 this interest was transferred to him. In 1804 Charles Kessler purchased the other half- interest, and the firm-name became John Ritter & Co. Under this firm-name the publication was continued till his death, and for some years afterward. He died November 24, 1851. Mr. Ritter's private life was exemplary in every respect. He enjoyed the uniform respect and

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confidence of his fellow-citizens through a long life. He was a conscientious editor, and con- ducted the Adler with success. His integrity and exactitude in the publication of local news and of election returns were recognized by the whole community. He represented Berks County as one of the five delegates to the State Constitutional Convention in 1837, and he was a member of Congress for this district for two terms, from 1843 to 1847.

aud contributed liberally towards the support of its public worship.

WILLIAM S. RITTER .- The Ritter family is of German origin. Its progenitor was one of the early settlers of Oley (now Exeter) town- ship. His descendants have been in the same locality till now, a period covering over one hundred and fifty years. Francis Ritter, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, pur- sued farming successfully till his decease, and

pre S. Pletter

In connection with the newspaper he began and published the Neue Readinger Calender, a German almanac, from 1802 till his death. This almanac is still continued, though issued from the office of a different newspaper publi- cation.

In 1803 he married Catharine Frailey, a daughter of Peter Frailey. Three sous sur- vived him, viz. : Joel, Louis and Aaron.

He was an earnest and active member of the Universalist denomination. He assisted this society in the erection of their church in 1830,

left to survive him seven children, - four sons (Daniel, John, Jacob and Samuel) and three daughters (Mrs. Charles Kessler, Mrs. Nicholas Seidel and Mrs. Samuel Christian).

Daniel, the oldest son, was born in Exeter township in the year 1776. He was married to Susanna Snyder, a daughter of Benjamin Snyder, who resided and was brought up in the vicinity, and lived to reach the ripe old age of eighty-four years, she having died in the year 1876. He also pursued the vocation of farm- ing on the old homestead successfully. He

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

died in 1853, aged seventy-seven years. He had nine children,-two died in infancy, and seven survived him, namely : Benjamin, Esther, Dan- iel, Louisa, Ferdinand, William S. and Franklin.

William Snyder Ritter was born in Exeter township on September 13, 1828. He re- mained at home with his father till the age of seventeen years, assisting in the farming opera- tions and attending the schools of the township, when he was apprenticed to his uncle, John Ritter, in the Readinger Adler office, to learn the art of printing. He finished his trade, and continued in the establishment till 1856, at first as a journeyman printer and then for several years as foreman of the office. Subsequently, for eight years, he was engaged in the mercantile business at Reading, the greater part of the time in partnership with David Keiser.

In 1864, Mr. Ritter and-Jesse G. Hawley purchased from Charles Kessler the old and well-established Readinger Adler, and under the former name of Ritter & Co., conducted it successfully for ten years. In 1868 this firm started the publication of a daily evening Eng- lish paper at Reading, which they entitled Reading Daily Eagle, and in the same year they purchased from J. Lawrence Getz the Reading Gazette and Democrat. In 1874 he dissolved partnership with Mr. Hawley, and became the sole proprietor of the Adler. In 1876 he erected the first substantial and extensive printing establishment in Reading, into which he then moved. Shortly afterward he began the publication of a daily evening English news- paper, entitled Reading Daily News, and an English weekly, entitled Reading Weekly News, and a German almanac, entitled, Der Neue Readinger Adler Calendar. He has conducted all of these publications since with success. In politics his newspaper publications are expo- nents of Democratic principles, he himself being a thorough Democrat. In 1875 he was a delegate to the Democratic State Convention, which assembled at Erie, and nominated Hon. Cyrus L. Pershing for Governor.

Mr. Ritter represented his ward in Common Council three terms-1861-62, 1864-65 and 1874-76. He was president of this branch during his second term, and took an active part

in the proceedings of Councils which resulted in the purchase of the Reading Water-Works. And he served two terms as a prison inspector, from 1877 to 1882, filling the office of presi- dent during the entire time. In these positions he won the high esteem of his colleagues by a quiet, straightforward and impartial course in the discharge of his official duties. In matters of public interest and general improvement he ever displayed a spirit of progress ; and these have his constant recognition in his several publica- tions, as a means of developing and enriching our community.

The Agricultural Society of the county has received his earnest encouragement for many years. He is the treasurer of the society, hav- ing filled this office very acceptably for the last twelve years. He has now been in active public service, of one kind or another, for up- ward of twenty years, without compensation. His selection, in this time, for official positions attests for him strongly the unusual degree of confidence and popularity which he enjoys in this community.

He was married, in 1853, to Julianna Shearer, daughter of Jonathan Shearer. He has seven children,-two daughters and five sons, all of the latter being practically engaged in the printing business with him. They are named Milford Newton, Jonathan Shearer, William Clinton, Francis Daniel, Henry Sny- der, Laura (intermarried with William F. Shaneman), and Annie.

BERKS AND SCHUYLKILL JOURNAL .- This newspaper was founded by George Getz.1 The first number was issued on June 8, 1816, in folio form, twenty by twenty-four inches, with four columns to each page. It was then the only English newspaper in the county. In 1818 a column was added to each page. Getz con- tinued to publish it for over seventeen years. His last number was No. 29 of Vol. 17, issued on December 1, 1832. He then transferred it in a flourishing condition to David F. Gordon, a lawyer who had settled in Reading at 1824.

Gordon was a Whig. In announcing his

1 He announced his determination to begin the publica- tion of a weekly newspaper by a notice in the Weekly Ad- aertiser on March 30, 1816.

NEWSPAPERS.

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principles, upon assuming control of the paper, he said, among other things,-

"This paper is steadfastly devoted to the interests of our Republican Institutions ; and decidedly opposed to any measure having the remotest tendency to violate the constitution, to infringe upon the rights of conscience or to lessen the sovereign authority of the people."

And he paid a high compliment to Mr. Getz by saying publicly that " his predecessor had conducted the paper with a sedulous attention

TIMES

1857

TIMES AND JOURNAL.

BOOK & JOB PRINTING

TIMES AN JOURNA

ELECRAPH OFFICE

TIMES AND JOURNAL BUILDING.

to the admission of such matters only as might be circulated without injury to the public morals or offense to the interests of religion and virtue, for which he was given liberal and extensive encouragement." It continued under his man- agement for six years, with increasing patronage. During that time he advocated the political principles of the Whig party.

On January 6, 1838, Henry Rhoads and John S. Richards, young attorneys of the Berks County bar, obtained control and increased its size to twenty-four by thirty-four inches, with six columns to each page.

They were introduced to the public as " staunch Whigs, who will keep unchanged the

political principles advocated by the paper." They together published it for one year, when Rhoads withdrew to resume his law practice. Richards issued the publication till December 28, 1844. It was under his direction a strong advocate of the principles of the Whig party, and it espoused the cause of the common-school system of education in a manner as remarkable for its boldness, surrounded, as it was, by ob- structionists and a large majority against the system, as for its sound perception and good sense. The policy of "protection to home industry " found a devoted friend in the Jour- nal. In this respect it pursued a course directly opposite from that of the Adler.

Jacob Knabb then assumed the editorial management of the newspaper and issued the first number of a new year on January 4, 1845. He had entered the printing establishment of George Getz in 1829 as an apprentice, and, after having completed his term of service, fol- lowed his chosen occupation here and elsewhere during the succeeding sixteen years. In that time he founded and published, with J. Law- rence Getz, the Reading Gazette, and conducted the Clay Bugle, a campaign newspaper, in 1844 at Harrisburg. He entered this new arena with large experience as a practical printer and journalist, and this experience enabled him to take hold of the Journal and direct its publica- tion in the same channel which had heen so ably and thoroughly prepared for it by his pre- decessors. Forty-one years have since elapsed ; but notwithstanding the numerous changes in the community in this long period of time, the Journal continues in the same successful chan- nel. In 1866, Mr. Knabb admitted as partners with him in its ownership and editorship Jacob K. Sterrett and Thomas C. Zimmerman, the former having learned the art of printing under him, and been connected with his establishment for some years previously, and the latter having come from Lebanon a practical printer. In December, 1878, William Sterrett took the interest of his father. The present size of the sheet is thirty by forty-six inches, with nine columns to each page.

The Journal was founded just as the internal improvements of the town began in earnest.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The three turnpikes (with their termini concen- trating at Reading) and the Harrisburg Bridge had been completed shortly before. Then the canals followed, and the railways. Common- school education was instituted. The borough was advanced into a city, with its streets laid out, extended and regulated, its buildings and industries increased and its population multi- plied from four thousand to fifty thousand, and that of the county from forty-five thousand to one hundred and thirty thousand. The

Mexican War was fought and the annexation of Texas successfully accomplished, and the terrible convulsions of civil strife were endured and overcome. The dominant political party in the county maintained its power with increasing strength, aided by almost continuous success in State and national affairs, till 1860. Newspa- pers began, flourished for a time and fell. Panics came and went, but the Journal survived them all-panics and wars, even the weakness of its own local political parties, which were without prestige, patronage or power. And yet in the midst of all these things it advocated common schools and protection to home industry with remarkable courage and persistence, not- withstanding the great majority of the people round about were opposed to these two great policies. The former of these policies is now settled, and has been for thirty years; but the latter is still debated as the one great issue which divides the principal parties here and elsewhere in the country. The Adler and the Journal have now circulated together for seventy years. Both have been successfully conducted from the beginning till now, though in different political channels entirely adverse to each other.

GEORGE GETZ was born at Lancaster, Pa., on July 18, 1789. He learned the printing business in the Lancaster Journal office. At an early age he entered the service of the United States, as a midshipman in the navy. He took part in the memorable naval engagement between the British ship " Peacock " and the United States ship-of-war "Hornet," under Captain James Lawrence, and he also performed active service in several minor naval exploits. Towards the close of 1813 he resigned his post in the navy, and accepted the appointment of lieutenant in

the army from President Madison. He served with credit till the close of the war. In 1816 he moved to Reading, and instituted a weekly English newspaper, entitled Berks and Schuyl- kill Journal. He conducted this newspaper with boldness and success for a period of six- teen years, when he sold it to David F. Gordon, Esq. At the time of founding this newspaper, it was the only English publication in the coun- ty-the Weekly Advertiser having suspended shortly before. It has been continued with increasing success till now-for the last forty years by Jacob Knabb.

Mr. Getz took an active interest in elevating the standard of the volunteer militia at Read- ing. In 1821 he organized a company under the name of the "Reading Guards," and held the office of captain for a number of years. Subsequently, in 1827, he was elected major of the First Battalion of Reading Volunteers, which was composed of the " Reading Artiller- ists " (commanded by Captain Daniel de B. Keim), Lafayette Guards (commanded by Captain Solomon Foster) and the Reading Guards (commanded by Mr. Getz).

In addition to his editorial duties, he edited and published several books of general utility. One of these was a volume of forms in con- veyancing, which passed through several editions, and became popular and widely known in Pennsylvania as "Getz's Forms." The last enlarged edition was published in 1845, and reprinted by a Philadelphia firm in 1850. It is still in use by many of the older conveyan- cers of this State.

After retiring from the publication of the Journal, Mr. Getz traveled for a time in the Western States, and then opened and carried on at Reading a general book and stationery store, in which he continued for some years.

In 1849 he was elected to the office of mayor of Reading-the third official elected since the incorporation of the city in 1847, and he was re-elected three successive times. This re-elec- tion was a high compliment to him as a citizen, and as an official of a rapidly-growing city. He died on February 10, 1853, in his sixty- fourth year, whilst holding this office ; and both branches of Councils assembled in joint conven-

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 70

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418