History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 73

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

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In that time Mr. Rosenthal had formed a large and favorable acquaintance with the people of our county, and upon retiring from the Adler he established a German weekly, which he named Banner von Berks. It found imme-

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diate favor. He has published it since with an increasing success and enlarging circulation. In 1867 he began the publication of a Sunday edition of this paper, under the title of Die Biene (The Bee), naming it after the sailing-ves- sel which carried him from Hamburg across the Atlantic Ocean to New York, twenty years before. And this was the first Sunday newspaper published in this county, and even in this section of the State. In 1868 he instituted a German daily paper, called the Reading Daily Post, an enterprise in this community, (rapidly growing more and more into English speaking and reading,) which required more than ordinary euergy and ability for its successful establish- ment. He has also published this daily now for seventeen years; and his prominent con- nection with the Order of Harugari led him to issue a fourth German paper in 1869, entitled Die Deutsche Eiche. This is the official organ of this secret society throughout the United States, and it has a large and wide circulation. These publications by him alone in one printing establishment indicate a man of unusual charac- ter, ability and business sagacity.

Mr. Rosenthal has been connected with the building and savings associations of Reading since 1866, either as a director or officer. And besides assisting through them in building up and developing the city of Reading, he, in 1884, erected a row of fine cottages on Mineral Spring Avenue ; and he has taken an active part in the musical and literary societies of Reading. In the twenty-five years that he has lived here, Mr. Rosenthal has become thor- oughly identified with the progress and wel- fare of our community.

REPUBLIKANER VON BERKS .- During the Presidential campaign of 1868 a "German Re- publican Club " was organized at Reading, and, as a means of assisting them in carrying on more successfully their political work in behalf of the Republican party, they instituted a Ger- man weekly newspaper, under the title of Re- publikaner von Berks, and conducted it suc- cessfully, with Arnold Puwelle and Charles W. Guenther as editors, for a period of fourteen weeks, till the close of the campaign. The great work of electing General Grant to the

Presidency was accomplished, and the newspa- paper was then suspended. But its suspension was permitted for only a little while. Daniel Miller, a practical printer of Lebanon, and foreman for a time of the Pennsylvanier (a German weekly published there), came to Read- ing on the 1st of January, 1869, and, taking ad- vantage of the opportunity afforded for a Ger- man Republican weekly newspaper in the field, which had been developed, but not retained, in- stituted a publication-Republikaner von Berks. He issued the first number on Jan. 6, 1869. The size was twenty-four by thirty-six inches in folio, with seven columns to each page. Two years afterward he enlarged the size to twenty-six by forty-one inches, with eight columns to each page. This enlargement of a German newspa- per with Republican principles in a county largely Democratic indicates admirable man- agement, especially when we consider that the older German residents were passing away, and the gradual development of English education was inclining the people generally towards the English language. He has retained his hold upon the field since with increasing influence. The circulation extends throughout the county and into the borders of the adjoining counties.

DANIEL MILLER was born in Lebanon County, Pa., on September 19, 1843. He was raised on a farm, and attended the county common schools till his sixteenth year, when he entered the printing-office of the Pennsylvanier at Lebanon, and learned the art of printing. Upon finishing his apprenticeship he was made foreman of the office, and continued in that position for ten years. On January 1, 1869, he removed to Reading and began the publication of the Republikaner von Berks, a German weekly newspaper. He has continued its pub- lication regularly till now with increasing suc- cess. Besides conducting this newspaper, he has carried on a job printing business, having published a number of books which have had an extensive sale. Prominent among his pub- lications are "Life of Conrad Weiser," Trav- els of Rev. Dr. B. Bausman in Europe, "Sinai and Zion," " Wayside Gleanings," "Life of Ulric Zwingle."

He was married in 1865 to Sarah Keller, of

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Lebanon County, Pa., and they have issue four children-Henry K., Franklin C., George (now deceased) and Mary E.

SPIRIT OF BERKS was an English weekly newspaper begun on May 6, 1876, by Daniel S. Francis, Isaac Mengel and George M. Men- gel. It was a firm .advocate of Democratic principles. These publishers conducted its publication successfully till April 13, 1878, when the Mengel brothers withdrew and Mr. Francis became the sole proprietor. The editor of the paper for a time was Garrett B. Stevens, Esq., who was succeeded by J. Lawrence Getz, Esq. Mr. Francis continued to publish the newspaper, with the assistance of Mr. Getz as editor, till November 14, 1881, when he sold it (and the Daily Spirit of Berks, which had been established by him several mouths before), in- eluding the printing materials, to John B. Dampman, who had for a short time filled the position of editor of the two papers. The name was then changed to Weekly Herald.

THE READING WEEKLY NEWS was insti- tuted by William S. Ritter on August 27, 1881. At this time there were being published at Reading nine weekly newspapers-six German and three English, of both political parties, Democratic and Republican. But Mr. Ritter found a place for the Weekly News, just as he had found a place for the Daily News in 1880, and he has maintained its place since with increasing popularity .- It is the representative organ of the Democratic party, and has a general circu- lation in the city and county. Jacob Weidel, Esq., is editor of the paper.

READING WEEKLY EAGLE is the title of a large and successful newspaper issued by Jesse G. Hawley, Esq., which was substituted by him on September 28, 1878, in the place of the Reading Gazette and Democrat, a weekly news- paper which had been previously published for nearly forty years. He became a joint owner of this well-established newspaper in 1868, and sole owner in 1874. It has a wide circulation, and contains in each issue a large collection of news from all sections and of interesting articles on various subjects. The editorial department is conducted by Mr. John D. Missimer.

READING WEEKLY HERALD is the name of

a newspaper which was substituted in the place of the Spirit of Berks upon a change of proprie- tors, in November, 1881. John B. Dampman, Esq., an attorney of the Berks County bar, then purchased the Spirit of Berks, and, after con- ducting it several weeks, formed a co-partnership with A. C. Buckwalter, a practical and success- ful newspaper publisher and manager at Reading for a number of years. They changed the name, and under the firm-name of Buckwalter & Dampman they have conducted it since with marked ability and success-the former being manager and the latter editor.

A. C. BUCKWALTER was born at Phoenix- ville, Pa., December 4, 1843. He came to Reading in 1850. After attending the com- mon schools for eight years he entered the printing establishment of B. F. Owen, and served an apprenticeship with him. He then worked at the case in the office of the Gazette and Democrat for some time, and afterwards in the office of the Miners' Journal, at Pottsville. During the Civil War, while on his way west- ward, he enlisted at Cincinnati, entering the navy service on the flag-ship "Louisville " in the Mississippi Squadron, and serving till near the close of the war. Upon his return to Read- ing he purchased a half-interest in the Evening Dispatch, and assisted in the publication of this daily newspaper for two years. His energy and ability made this enterprise a success. After an extended trip through the Southern States he bought a half-interest in the Daily Times, and conducted its issue successfully till 1869, when it was sold to J. Knabb & Co. He then started and published for a time the Evening Star, a penny paper. Afterward he became the manager of the Eagle printing establish- ment and continued actively engaged in its suc- cessful management for nearly ten years. In 1881 he became interested in the Spirit of Berks publication with John B. Dampman, Esq. They formed a co-partnership, under the name of Buckwalter & Dampman, and changed the name of the newspapers to Reading Daily Herald and Reading Weekly Herald. He has since that time continued his connection with these papers. His energy and courage are creating for these publications an increasing

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circulation and influence here and in the sur- rounding counties.

JOHN P. DAMPMAN was born July 29, 1851, in West Nantmeal township, Chester County, Pa., and obtaining an education, attended the Chester Valley Seminary, at Coatesville, Pa., Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Mass., and Pennington Seminary, Pennington, N. J. After graduating from the latter he spent a year at Princeton College. He then returned home and taught school for several years in Chester and Berks Counties. In 1873 he removed to Reading, read law for two years with George F. Baer, Esq., and was admitted to the bar Nov. 8, 1875. He practiced the legal profession for six years, and then directed his attention to the publication of a newspaper, having purchased the Spirit of Berks, an English weekly at Read- ing. Shortly afterward he became associated with A. C. Buckwalter, and they together began the publication of the Daily Herald and Weekly Herald, which they have published successfully since.

Other weekly newspapers were started and continued for a short time at Reading, promi- nent among them being, . erks County Legion, Father Abraham, Sunday Dispatch, Saturday Review and Sunday Review.

NEWSPAPERS AT KUTZTOWN.

NEUTRALIST .- The first newspaper published at Kutztown was the Neutralist. It was a Ger- man weekly, instituted by William Harmony. The first number was issued on the 12th of June, 1833. Its editors were Henry Hawrecht (a native of Berlin, Prussia, and formerly, for a time, editor of the Readinger Adler) and Charles Wink (a practical printer, who served an apprenticeship in the Adler printing-office), and its motto was " Jedem das Seine" (Give to each one his due). These editors conducted the paper successfully till the spring of 1841, when they migrated to Ohio, and its publication was suspended.

GEIST DER ZEIT .- This paper (Spirit of the Times) was begun by Hawrecht & Wink on the 1st of June, 1841, upon their return to Kutztown from their Western trip. Hawrecht dying iu 1859, its publication was continued till 1863 by his widow, when Mr. William Ro-

senthal, of Reading, purchased it together with the printing-office and all its material. It was printed in German and issued weekly.

DER HIRT .- This newspaper (The Shepherd) was instituted and edited by Rev. J. S. Herman. The first number was issued on the 30th of June, 1854, and its publication was continued two years. Its list of subscribers numbered twenty-two hundred. It was published weekly in the German language.

KUTZTOWN JOURNAL was begun on the 3d of February, 1870, by Isaac F. Christ, and edited, successively, by Charles Kolbe (of Doyles- town), - Geiz (of Allentown), F. Konietzks (of Reading), Conrad Gehring (of Reading) and Emil Meister. After publishing the news- paper successfully till March, 1875, he sold it to his (then) editor, Mr. Gehring, and A. B. Urick, of Lebanon, who continued its publica- tion under the name of Urick & Gehring. In September, 1875, they introduced 'steam-power for running their printing-press. The size at first was twenty-four by thirty- six inches. In 1876 it was enlarged to twenty-eight by forty-two, and then it had sixteen hundred subscribers. It is printed in the German language and issued weekly. In 1877 Urick became the sole pro- prietor, and he has published it regularly since.

NATIONAL EDUCATOR .- This newspaper was also begun by Mr. Christ, in the spring of 1872. It was edited for a time by Professor A. R. Horne, advocating principally the inter- est and advancement of the common-school sys- tem of education. It was issued, at first, monthly, and in size it was sixteen by twenty-four inches. Subsequently it was changed to a weekly. In 1876 the circulation was nine hundred.

AMERICAN PATRIOT .- In May, 1874, Isaac F. Christ began the publication of another newspaper, which he entitled American Patriot. It was partly German and partly English. Its size was twenty-four by thirty-six inches. Its publication was placed under the management of Conrad Gehring. In March, 1875, Mr. Christ sold it to Urich & Gehring. In 1876 the circulation was five hundred.

NEWSPAPERS AT HAMBURG.

HAMBURGER SCHNELLPOST is a German weekly newspaper, published at Hamburg. It

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was begun by a firm named John Scheifly and William Shubert, in May, 1841, and published by them till April 12, 1842. Then Shubert sold out his interest to M. A. Sellers, a practi- cal printer of Montgomery County, and the paper was issued by Scheifly & Sellers till December 12, 1843, when Mr. Sellers obtained sole control of it.

It was published successfully by Mr. Sellers till March 25, 1845. He then transferred the newspaper and the printing establishment to Charles Bensaman, a young man who had learned the art of printing under him. Bensa- man carried it on till 1855, when he died, when it was sold to Moritz P. Doering, who has issued it successfully till now. The old hand-press is still used in printing its weekly editions. In poli- tics it has always been Democratic. Its circula- tion is mostly at and in the vicinity of Hamburg.

THE HAMBURG ADVERTISER was the first English paper of general circulation printed at Hamburg. The first number appeared on July 5, 1865. It was a six-column folio sheet, Republican in politics, started by M. H. Shol- lenberger, who was editor and publisher. In September, 1865, he sold the paper to O. A. Richards, who published it about a year and then disposed of it to David Q. Guiger, who changed the name to The Hamburg Herald, and as such issued it for two years, when he removed it to Pottstown. Its publication was there con- tinued as the Pottstown Advertiser.

THE RURAL PRESS was the next venture in English journalism at Hamburg. It was first issued in the summer of 1872 by J. K. & J. G. Smith. Its publication ceased here in May, 1875, when the office was removed to Saline, Ohio, where the paper is now issued by them under the name of Advance. A portion of the paper was devoted to the cause of education and general literature, under the editorship of Pro- fessor H. G. Hunter, who was then the principal of the Hamburg High School. The price was two dollars. The weekly issue numbered five hundred, which circulated at Hamburg and in the surrounding country.

DER HAMBURGER BERICHTER was estab- lished in 1872 by William F. Tyson. It was a folio German paper with seven columns to a

page. After two years of publication it was discontinued and the material removed to Reading.

HAMBURG WEEKLY ITEM was instituted by Samuel A. Focht on April 17, 1875, in the form of a folio sheet, three columns to a page. The place of publication was in the country, three miles from Hamburg, where Mr. Focht engaged in this enterprise as a novice. He had never learned the art of printing, and had scarcely seen the inside of an office before he opened his own. Yet he succeeded in laying be- fore the public a neat and readable sheet. The issue was weekly at fifty cents per annum. It was printed on a Cottage press. In March, 1876, the office was removed to Hamburg and the size changed to a five-column folio, the sheet being eighteen by twenty-six inches. On April 15, 1882, the size was again increased to twenty- four by thirty-six inches, with seven columns to a page. The subscription price was advanced to one dollar per annum. In this form the Item is now issued by the original proprietor, from a well-equipped office on Main Street, with a growing patronage.

NEWSPAPERS AT BOYERTOWN ..

THE BOYERTOWN BAUER (Farmer) was a German newspaper, instituted at Boyertown by O. P. Zink in 1858. It was a folio, in size twenty by twenty-eight inches. He continued its publication for two years and then sold it to Samuel Leaver, and Mr. Leaver published it till 1868, when he sold it to George Sassaman. Its title was then changed to Boyertown Demo- crat.

THE BOYERTOWN DEMOCRAT was published as a German newspaper for a period of ten years from 1858 under the name of Boyertown Bauer. It then passed into the ownership of George Sassaman, who substituted the name of Boyertown Democrat and enlarged the size to twenty-four by thirty-six inches. Its start and continuance under the new name were not very successful, for in one year afterward it was sold by the sheriff and purchased by William B. Albright, ex-sheriff of Reading. Mr. Albright carried on its publication for only a year and then sold it to Charles Spatz. Mr. Spatz taking hold of it with energy in 1871, he soon awakened

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new life in its feeble publication and won favor and patronage from the public. In 1876, find- ing a demand for English reading matter, he introduced the English language, making the newspaper half English and half German. He conducted its publication successfully till his death, in 1884, and left it to his estate with a circulation numbering thirteen hundred sub- scribers. It has been carried on since by his estate, with his son, Charles Spatz, as editor and manager. From the beginning till now it has been a stanch advocate of Democratic prin- ciples and the Democratic party.

NEWSPAPERS AT WOMELSDORF.

WOMELSDORF GAZETTE .- In April, 1847, Samuel Mowry began the publication of an English-German weekly entitled Womelsdorf Gazette, and continued it for nine months, when he sold it to Fasnocht Brothers. It was pub- lished by them for a year and then removed to Myerstown. Its news department was entirely local.

WOMELSDORF HERALD was instituted by Michael K. Boyer, an enterprising young prin- ter from Reading, in September, 1879. It was an English non-partisan weekly paper. He continned its publication till May, 1880, when Joel Weidman became the proprietor. Several months afterward Mr. Weidman was compelled to suspend its publication for want of patronage.

WOMELSDORF NEWS .- In March, 1882, Joel Weidman encouraged himself to start again in the newspaper enterprise at this place, and then issued the first number of a small weekly en- titled Womelsdorf News, with its subscription price at fifty cents per annum. In 1884 he took a partner, enlarged the paper, increased the price to seventy-five cents per annum, and under the name of Weidman & Engle, contin- ued its weekly publication till April, 1885, when it was suspended.

NEWSPAPERS AT BIRDSBORO'.

BIRDSBORO' PIONEER was an English weekly begun by B. F. Fries on April 24, 1873, at Birdsboro', and continued till January, 1876. It was a folio, size of sheet twenty-four by thirty-six inches. Its subscription list included five hundred subscribers. Upon its discontin-

uance at Birdsboro' it was transferred to Read- ing by Mr. Fries, where its title was changed to The Industrial Pioneer, and became the recognized advocate of the interests of the work- ing people. ' Several months afterward a con- pany was organized at Reading, called the " In- dustrial Publishing Company," by which this newspaper was then purchased and published as a daily under the management of John Tom- linson, but it was discontinued after a struggling existence for four months.

DAILY NEWSPAPERS.

Weekly newspaper publications were carried on in Reading for fifty years before a daily was thought of-at least before a public proposition to this end was made. Many weeklies had been instituted in that time ; but they all suspended excepting two, and these two are worthy of es- pecial mention for their energy, success and lon- gevity: the Adler and the Journal-the former a German publication founded in 1796, and the latter an English publication founded in 1816. The population was certainly here to support a daily newspaper. The rapid increase of the peo- ple would seem to have warranted-if it did not inspire-such an enterprise in that period of time. Education was quite general, though stimulated with marked public energy after 1834 ; and the English language was growing gradually into favor. The railroad was con- structed, varions shops and factories-especially for the manufacture of iron goods-were erect- ed ; even English churches were founded. The borough was promoted into a city. All these things came to pass, and yet the daily newspa- per had not yet arrived. The second period of Reading was unusually prolific in producing great things for the common progress of its cit- izens. In 1840 the population was eight thou- sand four hundred and ten, and in 1847 it was about twelve thousand ; and in the respective years named the entire county had about sixty- five thousand and seventy thousand. The railroad extended through the entire Schuylkill Valley to the north and to the south, but nowhere else from Reading. The stages, however, ran daily in every direction. These means facilitated the distribution of newspapers, and, indeed, encour-

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aged the spirit of publication. And yet there was no daily newspaper. The third period- the city-came. Then there were seven weekly newspapers carried on successfully, -- Adler, Jour- nal, Berks County Press, Liberale Beobachter, Alt Berks, Jefferson Democrat and Reading Gazette. They were issued upon different days in the week, but mostly on Saturday. Naturally, this number was sufficient to discourage the thought of a daily publication. But the spirit of enter- prise was working its way wonderfully through the people in different channels. Buildings were multiplying, trade was growing, population was increasing and many strangers were coming and locating here permanently. The daily events necessarily grew with the general growth, and the disposition to know them at once was pre- paring the way for a step beyond the weekly publication ; just as the stage-coach and canal- boat, through the energy of trading, were found · to be slow and had to make way for the steam- car, so the weekly newspaper was coming to be late in communicating news, the feeling against the delay was growing stronger and stronger, and public eagerness was clamoring for an im- provement, for a step beyond the days of de- cades before. Of course, this had to be satis- fied-this feeling, this eagerness, ay, this curi- osity. And in time it was.

READING HERALD .- Reading was incorpor- ated as a city in March, 1847. Three months afterward Abraham S. Whitman, a practical young printer of Reading, took the first step beyond a weekly publication by instituting and carrying on a tri-weekly newspaper, which he entitled The Reading Herald. His energy was strong and his spirit young. These gave hin boldness to encourage the project. Within two months he enlarged its size and improved its appearance. What a conception this was to awaken enthusiasm in the master-public pat- ronage! But he soon found that he had stepped -if not run-beyond his time, beyond the pub- lic; and, realizing that discretion would be to him the better part of valor, he stepped back to the plane of his cotemporaries and issued The Reading Herald as a weekly newspaper.

READING GAZETTE .- About the same time J. Lawrence Getz, publisher of the Reading

Gazette (weekly), made the editorial announce- ment that he was encouraged to undertake the publication of a daily newspaper, and on the 10th of July, 1847, he stated that he would issue the first number on the following Monday (the 12th of July), his proposals having met with favor during the previous month in a can- vass of the city for subscribers. But he took the precaution to say (26th June) that if support could be obtained for the publication "well and good, we shall go ahead forthwith ; if not, well and good again, we'll wait a little longer." He issued the daily ; but "it lived exactly nine days, and then went quietly out of existence." The price was two cents a copy or ten cents a week.

These first efforts were in 1847. Ten years elapsed. In that time two new railroads were extended from this natural centre for en- terprise and population in amongst the hills of South Mountain, one to the west through Lebanon Valley, the other to the northeast throngh East Penn Valley. From twelve thousand the population in the city increased to twenty thousand, and from seventy thousand the population of the county increased to ninety thousand. The post-offices round-about in the connty multiplied from forty-one to seventy- truly a wonderful increase in this valuable de- partment of the public service. The added wealth to the community from all sources was estimated not by the thousands of dollars, but by the millions, and the hand press-that la- borious time-server in running off the issues of newspaper publications-was supplanted by the steam-press. Surely, under these inviting circumstances, the time would appear to have come for a certain step in advance of the days of 1796, of 1816, of 1847.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 73

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