USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 36
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During the existence of Smith's Mountain Echo the paper, to use that gentleman's facetions expression, had been fre- quently threatened by the Tribune with the specter of an Alle- gheny Mountain Voice. This phantasm at last took shape in the founding of a paper by a number of persons to politically oppose the Echo's editor. of whom H. A. Boggs was one of the leading spirits. If we are to judge by an item in the Tribune of April 17, 1858, the "publishers, proprietors and editors" re- mained incog., but to a certain John MeCormick, a school teacher by profession, was given the credit of writing the lead- ing editorials.
The first issue of the National Democrat appeared in Johns-
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town on September 21, 1857, in opposition to the Echo, which was an anti-Lecompton organ. A. J. Hite was the publisher. Joseph Young was the reputed editor of this publication and of the Herald, a German paper of the same proclivities that appeared about the same time. As Lecompton Democrats were not very plentiful in Johnstown, the paper did not long survive.
The Johnstown Herald, according to the Echo of that time, was a German sheet printed in Pittsburg in 1857 on the press of Victor Seriba, of the Pittsburg Democrat, at the instigation of National Democrats, headed by General Bowman, of Bedford, to fight the regular, or Administration, ticket in Cambria county. Joseph Young was the reputed editor.
Mountain Echo No. 2. In 1870, after Henry D. Woodruff had accepted the nomination for Assembly on the Removal ticket, the friends of Ebensburg started a paper (the Mountain Echo No. 2), in opposition to the Democrat and the Tribune, both of which favored the removal of the county seat. and George Nelson Smith was placed in control as editor. He was succeeded successively by Thomas E. Myers, Casper W. Easly and D. W. Hite.
The Voice and Echo was a weekly paper started in opposi- tion to the Tribune a short time before the inauguration of the Daily Voice. James F. Campbell, Sr., was its editor. Its name was probably a compound of the Allegheny Mountain Voice and the Mountain Echo.
On July 2, 1872, J. B. Campbell, Jr., and brother started the Daily Voice in Johnstown. After an existence of two years this paper suspended. This was the first attempt at establish- ing a daily newspaper in Johnstown.
The Sunday Times was published in Johnstown for a short time in 1879-80. James F. Campbell, Sr., was the editor. The demand for a Sunday paper did not justify the expense of publication, hence it was discontinued. MePike in the Freeman facetiously alluded to the cause of its demise in the following:
"Dimes and dollars, dollars and dimes,
The want of money, the worst of crimes,
Was what was the matter with the Sunday Times "
The Ebensburg Local News was a Republican paper ostab- lished by S. E. Humphreys in 1887. Its publication was suspend- ed in 1890.
The South Fork Courier was ushered into existence by S. E. Humphreys after he had discontinued the publication of
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the Local News in Ebensburg, and was by him conducted for several years, when he sold the press and good will of the paper to the proprietors of the Record.
The South Fork Record succeeded the Courier in 1894, with John L. Sechler as one of its first editors. On August 13, 1897, W. I. Stineman became the editor and proprietor, with Otis C. Lloyd as manager. On August 8, 1898, it was moved into its own building. H. C. Stineman is the present editor and publisher. It is a folio, twenty by twenty-six inches, issued on Thursday, and has always been a Republican journal.
The U. B. Conference Journal began publication in 1888, Rev. W. H. Mingle being its editor and Rev. L. W. Stahl pub- lisher. It is a monthly journal devoted to religions intelligence, dated at Johnstown.
Thompson's Mountaineer was founded in Ebensburg in opposition to the Cambria Herald by W. R. Thompson and J. L. Sechler, June 18, 1891, but in October of the same year Mr. Sechler retired, leaving the paper in control of the senior editor, whose name continued at the head of its columns down to the merging of that paper with the Herald, and still appears at the head of the Mountaineer-Herald. The consolidation took place in April, 1898. The Herald had been an eight-column folio, but since the consolidation it has been one of six columns of eight pages, twenty inches in length. It is well equipped, having a Cottrell drum cylinder press and a Mergenthaler double- magazine linotype, which were introduced in that year. The machinery is run by electricity. Eighteen hundred copies are issued every Thursday. It is the only Republican paper in the county seat, and Mr. Thompson is editor and owner.
The Teachers' Advocate was an educational paper first issued in January, 1867, by J. Frank Condon and T. J. Chap- man. Its subscription price was seventy-five cents per annum, with a circulation of about five hundred copies. In January, 1868, Mr. Chapman retired and was succeeded by A. C. John- son. Four months later the proprietor sold to George W. Cope, who moved the paper to Ebensburg. In December, 1869, the Advocate again changed owners, George J. Akers and David W. Hite assuming control, with T. J. Chapman as editor. Johns- town again became the place of publication, and the Advocate took the shape of a pamphlet, but its publication was given up in the year 1870.
At the beginning of the year 1873 George W. Wagoner, now
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a physician in Johnstown, started in this place a weekly paper called the Literary Herald, whose life went out at the end of a year. It was 13 by 26 inches in size. Dr. Wagoner, at the time of its publication, was but seventeen years of age, having pre- viously worked a couple of years at the printing trade in the Tribune office.
The Gallitzin News was published for a short period prior to the founding of the Vindicator. J. T. Campbell was its ed- itor, but he soon became convinced that the position of mail agent on the Pennsylvania railroad was more remunerative than that of editor of a paper on the mountain top.
About the beginning of 1887 Mr. James W. Kilduff, who in his youth had been a miner by occupation, and had taken a conspicuous part in the Greenback-Labor movement and in the United Mine Workers and Knights of Labor organizations, projected the Gallitzin Vindicator and Industrial Liberator as the official organ of the United Mine Workers of America of District No. 2 and of the Knights of Labor and other labor organizations of this county, and afterward of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. While the circulation was large, many of the subscribers did not pay, with the result that the paper had to succumb to the inevitable. The press and office fixtures were sold, and on them the Gallitzin Times was printed.
The Gallitzin Times was started in 1894 to succeed the Vindicator. W. S. Strickland was its editor and publisher. It suspended publication in the summer of 1906.
The Gallitzin Item was established in November, 1906. Charles Platt is the editor and proprietor. It is exclusively a paper for local events.
The Carrolltown New's was established in 1879 by T. Seott Williams, who was succeeded by T. W. Letts and W. H. Waltz as publishers. It was afterward edited by J. S. Foley, when it. had passed into the hands of Joseph A. Gray. It was for a time edited by Joseph E. Farabaugh, and then became the property of sons of Joseph A. Gray. It has always been Democratic in politics, and is a six-column, eight-page paper, issued on Fri- day, G. E. Hipps being the editor and publisher.
The Johnstown Daily News was a venture of John E. Strayer in 1888, a short time before the establishment of the Daily Democrat. It was for a time fairly successful, but Jack of sufficient capital to carry on as expensive an undertaking
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as the publishing of a daily paper caused its suspension. The first issue was on February 20.
Johnstown Herald, Weekly and Daily, was started in April, 1891. It was published by the Herald Publishing Com- pany, Frank C. Hoerle being the editor. The daily was a four- page, seven-column paper, published at first for $5 per year. A weekly paper was also published at $1.50 per year, being established previous to the Daily. This was afterward, in Jan- uary, 1894, changed to a semi-weekly at the same price, at which time the price of the Daily was reduced to one cent per copy. This effort to secure patronage, however, did not meet with success, and the result was the suspension of the paper.
The Hastings Herald and Tribune was started at Hastings with the assistance of General D. H. Hastings, who donated a lot on which to build an office for a paper for the then new town, the first number appearing February 7, 1889. The paper was ostensibly independent, with Republican proclivities. R. M. Huston was its editor. R. J. Kaylor purchased the plant August 1, 1890, and when appointed postmaster in 1893 leased the paper to G. A. Gill, who conducted it for one year, when he relinquished the paper to its owner, who thereafter, until the summer of 1898, continued its publication. In the latter year, believing there was an opening for a Democratic paper at the county seat, Mr. Kaylor endeavored to buy the Freeman in Ebensburg, but the owner-Mr. Hasson-being unwilling to sell, the plant of the Hastings Tribune was moved thither, and on June 1, 1898, with R. J. Kaylor and H. G. Kaylor, of Johnstown, as editors and publishers, the first issue was put out under the name of the Cambria Tribune. The Tribune was changed from a seven-column folio to a six-column, eight-page paper, columns eighteen inches. On June 1, 1903, Louis E. Kaylor purchased the plant. Since June 1, 1906, it has been a seven-column, eight- page paper, with a circulation of 1,800. R. J. and H. G. Kaylor then organized the Journal company in Johnstown.
Beulah had its Sky printed in Philadelphia, and Johnstown had its Herald printed in Pittsburg; so likewise Ebensburg had its Democrat printed in Patton on the press of the Herald in 1898. The first issue was also the last.
The Johnstown Daily Tunes, a four page, eight column daily paper, was started in December, 1895, by F. W. Clark. In conjunction with this paper Mr. Clark continued the publi-
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cation of the Morrellville Times, which he had run as a weekly paper for several years previous to coming to Johnstown.
The Lilly Signal was started in December, 1896, by a stock company, the late James W. Kilduff being employed as editor, who was succeeded by James McCann. The original company was named the Signal Publishing Company, but Mr. McCann changed the name to the Lilly Publishing Company. It has now a subscription list of thirteen hundred, and circulates in every mining town in the county. It is a folio 17 by 24 inches. While not an official organ of the miners from choice it nevertheless publishes the official mining news of District No. 2, U. M. W. of A., and is considered an authority on mining matters in this region.
The Johnstown Presbyterian was a monthly paper, pub- lished, as the salutatory of the editor-the Rev. Dr. C. C. Hays -stated, to keep the somewhat scattered members of that de- nomination informed with regard to church services, works of benevolence, and so forth. Its first number made its appear- ance in February, 1894, when the congregation had two chapels. The publishing company was composed of Messrs. Campbell Rutledge, John P. Lloyd, Charles H. Alter, H. V. Smith, Charles W. Horrell, and William Boyes. The paper was well edited. It was printed on the Theocrat press, and the sub- scription was twenty-five cents per year. After five years, publication was suspended, the want which called the paper into existence having passed away when the members in the sub- urbs organized independent churches.
The Aloysian is the euphonious name of a quarterly pub- lication edited by the pupils of Mt. Aloysius Academy, Cres- son. It is devoted to college news, essays, poems, etc., the liter- ary productions of the pupils, and was started about 1899.
The Neue Welt was the name given a German paper, or New World, in the English signification of the term. After a few months Otto Nickel bought out his partner Paul Schmidt. It suspended May, 1901. The Neue Welt was an eight-page, six-column paper.
After the Neue Welt had been established the company that had formerly published the paper for Mr. Nickel continued the publication of the Neue Zeit with Lonis Golder as manager. This arrangement, however, was not of long duration and ceased in 1899.
The Patton Courier was established in 1893 by the Patton
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Publishing Company. E. Will Greene was its editor. It is in- dependent in politics, and is devoted principally to general and local news and literary selections. It is an eight page weekly, 15x22. R. E. Decker is the editor.
The Patton Herald was a Democratic paper started in Pat- ton by R. A. Kinsloe, Jr., as editor and publisher in 1898. Its life was not of long duration.
The Johnstown Theocrat was a religious and temperance paper started by the Rev. M. L. Weaver. Barring temporary suspensions on account of adverse circumstances it was pub- lished weekly until it was discontinued in.
The Spangler Sentinel was a Republican paper established at Spangler in 1893. Milton Spencer was the editor and the Spangler Printing Company the publishers. About 1900 it was removed to Barnesboro and became the Barnesboro Star, published by the Star Publishing Company, as independent in politics. It contains 8 pages, 15x22, and is issued on Fridays. Mr. Spencer is the editor.
The Morrellville Journal was the first paper started in Morrellville, the first issue bearing date of January 4, 1895, and the last January 17, 1896. It was a neat four-page, five-col- umn paper, and was devoted to local and general news. C. E. Hurrell was its editor.
The Item was a small paper published in Johnstown about 1891 by J. Morrell Goughnour. It came out Saturdays, and devoted its space to sporting and society news. It lived only through a few issues.
The Cresson Record was established in 1895 by Joseph E. Farabaugh, who bought the plant of the Cherrytree Record and moved it to Cresson. After a short time he sold out to Swope Brothers, A. H. Swope being the editor. At this time F. N. Harrington is the editor. It is Independent in politics, and has four pages, 17x24, published on Friday.
The Johnstown Journal is an Independent-Democratic daily, first issued December 5, 1903, from its office, corner Main and Clinton streets, by the Journal Publishing Company, which was incorporated September 27, 1903; H. M. Benshoff, presi- dent; Geo. Wild, vice-president; R. J. Kaylor, secretary, and H. G. Kaylor, treasurer. It is a seven-column, twelve-page morning paper. When the Wild building was destroyed by fire, March 28, 1906, the plant was moved to 221 Franklin street. On June 1. 1906, a new Hoe press was installed. At the
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HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
present time it is made up of from ten to sixteen pages, the columns being twenty-one inches in length. It has no weekly issne. R. J. Kaylor is the managing editor, and H. G. Kaylor business manager. Its circulation in February was 6,900. R. J. Kaylor is a practical printer, having learned the trade on the Freeman, the Altoona Mirror and the Altoona Sunday Morning. January 1, 1889, he became foreman of the Carroll- town News. In '90 he was engaged in the Times Printing Company job office in Philadelphia, owned by John Wana- maker.
The Northern Cambria News is published by the News Publishing Company, at Hastings, with H. E. Williams as edi- tor. It was established in 1902, and now has eight pages, 13 by 20, and is issued on Friday.
The Portage Press was established in 1903, as an indepen- dent newspaper. F. W. Eicher was editor and publisher. It had eight pages, 13 by 20. It ceased to appear in the fall of 1906.
The Conemaugh Valley Monthly was a magazine published in Johnstown by the Conemaugh Valley Publishing Company, the first number appearing in August, 1906. Rufus Hatch Hol- brook was the editor and Benjamin F. Watkins, business man- ager. It was a literary production and especially aimed to portray picturesque views in the valley; the illustrations were taken from very fine photographs. But four numbers of the monthly had been issued when on December 1, 1906, the Satur- day Night appeared in its place. The latter, controlled by the same parties and published by the Conemaugh Publishing Com- pany, was a twenty-page, 11 by 14, illustrated weekly. consisting of general literature, cartoons and portraits, and pictures of local scenery, which suspended publication in March, 1907.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CAMBRIA STEEL COMPANY-ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY OF THE PRES- ENT GREAT CORPORATION.
The Cambria Steel Company, formerly the Cambria Iron Company, the leading manufacturing industry in the city of Johnstown, and which has been such since 1853, is of so great importance, that its early history and a description of the man- ner in which it was originated, should be recorded.
The Pennsylvania system of transportation, consisting in part of the canal from Johnstown to Pittsburg and the Old Portage railroad over the mountains from Johnstown to Hol- lidaysburg, was completed and ready for business in 1834. Its opening was a national event, and it seemed probable that busi- ness would center around Johnstown.
In 1833, George Shryock King, then in the twenty-fourth year of his age. was a merchant in Mercersburg, Franklin county, and his attention was drawn to Johnstown by the pub- lic works. In that year he came here, looked over the situation, and, concluding it was going to be a better place for business than Mercersburg, the following year transferred his stock of merchandise to Johnstown. He bought the lot on the north- east corner of Main and Franklin streets, which then ex- tended up Main street so as to include the Hamilton lot, and erected a store building on the Hamilton portion, at the same time purchasing for a residence the lot later occupied by Dr. S. M. Swan, and several other lots from Abraham Morrison.
Mr. King opened his store and continued in business until 1840, when he sold out to John K. and William L. Shryock, with the intention of going to Pittsburg and engaging in the wholesale dry-goods trade but the effect of the panic of 1837 was so serious that it changed his course. This was the real beginning of the Cambria Iron Company. This panic was the same as all other business stagnations, bringing misery until revival came, and of course there was a scarcity of money as a medium of exchange. It is stated that there was actually no money here. Probably two thousand people dwelt in the com- munity, and Mr. King came to the conclusion that if some
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means were devised by which the natural products of the vicin- ity could be taken to Pittsburg, he could there exchange them for groceries, dry goods, and other articles, besides furnishing employment to a large number of men here. He believed there was sufficient iron ore in the hills around Johnstown to carry out his idea of an exchange in that direction.
A little before this time David Stewart and Samuel Ken- nedy were carrying on a foundry on the "Island," but, owing to the panic, the firm. had dissolved. Mr. King made known
George Shryock King.
his views to Mr. Stewart, a practical foundryman, who favor- ably considered the proposition, and the two started prospect- ing for iron ore in all the hills around Johnstown. The search was continued for a long time before a vein of sufficient size was discovered to warrant the building of a furnace.
In 1840 a crop of ore was found on the John Seigh farm on the Laurel run, above the "Bucket" factory, now in West Taylor township, and to ascertain the thickness and quality of the ore, they sank a shaft thirty-seven feet, and found a fifteen- inch seam. Several tons of ore were taken out and hauled over
Vol. I-26
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the Laurel Hill to the Ross Furnace, in Westmoreland county, to be made into pig metal, for the purpose of testing the qual- ity. The metal was taken to a forge on the Juniata river, in Blair county, and proved very good bar iron, excepting that it was excessively hard or brittle. But the prospectors had con- fidence in the ore and purchased from Mr. Seigh the land on which their first find was located.
The terms for acquiring ore and limestone for Ben's Creek Furnace were as follows:
"We, the undersigned land owners in the Township of Conemaugh and County of Somerset on the Ben's Creek and its waters, do hereby convenant and agree that Geo. S. King of Johnstown, and such other persons as may join with him in Company, shall erect a Furnace on said Ben's Creek for the purpose of making Iron Castings, etc., that in such case, We, the undersigned do hereby grant to him and them the privi- lege of using any Iron ore and Limestone that can or may be found on the Land of all or any of the undersigned, and do hereby grant to him and them the privilege of making immedi- ate examination and search for the same; and shall pay to the person or persons from whose land the ore shall be taken ten dollars a year in advance from the time they commence hauling the same for use. so long as they may continue to haul and use the same; provided always, nevertheless that whatever damage may accrue to the owners of the lands where said ore may be found in raising and hauling the same, by roads, lanes or other wise, the same shall be paid for to the owner of said land by the person or persons using said ore.
"Witness our hands this - March, 1841.
"William McCoy by his attorney in fact, Abraham Mor- rison, grants the above privilege on three tracts, including the forks of Ben's Creek for the names of John Clark, Stephen Clark and James Dalton. Garit Ream."
Mr. King and Mr. Stewart formed a partnership under the firm name of George S. King & Co., and built the Cambria Furnace, on the Seigh tract, which was finished and blown in in 1842, and was the first furnace in this county. They shipped the pig metal to Pittsburg, exchanging it for dry goods, etc., and continued the store formerly owned by Mr. King.
In 1843, Mr. King finding a better vein of ore in Benshoff's Hill, operated it, hauling the ore to the canal, transporting it to the Bucket factory, and then hauling it up to Cambria Furnace. The vein of ore on the upper and lower sides of Hinckston's run was the best in quantity and quality of all those about Johnstown, and was mined for some years after the Cambria
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Iron Company. under the present organization, had control of it. The vein passed through the lands of Peter Levergood, David Prosser, and Judge John Murray, up to East Cone- maugh.
The ore mines on the Millcreek were opened in 1843 or 1844. The Prosser Mine was opened by David Prosser, on Pros- pect Hill. about 1847, and was subsequently purchased by the Cambria Iron Company.
About 1843 Dr. Shoenberger, of Pittsburg. bought the in- terest of David Stewart in the Cambria Furnace and store for $6.000. and on September 24, 1844, Dr. Peter Shoenberger, then of Bedford, George S. King, and John K. and William L. Shry- ock, of Johnstown, entered into a partnership, to operate the furnaces then erected; the first two partners to have one-third interest each, and the remaining third to be a joint Shryock interest. The firm then owned about 10,300 acres of land in Cambria and Somerset counties. On February 9, 1846, the Messrs. Shryock sold their interests therein to King and Shoen- berger for $9,000.
After selling to Shoenberger, Mr. Stewart built the Black- lick Furnace, situated on the Blacklick creek, in Indiana county, about three or four miles in a northeasterly direction from Armagh. Mr. Stewart built a road from his furnace to Ar- magh, and hauled his pig metal to Nineveh, the shipping point by canal. He was not successful at the Blacklick Furnace, and in 1847 King & Shoenberger bought it, and formed a new partner- ship with Michael Berry, for the purpose of operating it; Berry was to have a one-fourth interest and the remainder to be joint between Shoenberger and King.
In 1845-6 King & Shoenberger, with John Bell, of Indiana county. under the firm name of John Bell & Co .. built the Mill- creek Furnace. The same parties, under the firm name of George S. King & Co., built the Benscreek Furnace, which in a short time was operated under the name of King & Shoen- berger. Mr. Bell was a general contractor and did not remain in the firm very long. Selling his interest therein to the other partners, he left Johnstown and went to California, becoming one of the "Forty-niners."
The firm was then operating four charcoal furnaces- Cambria, Bensereek, Millereek, and Blackliek-in this vicinity, and a block coal furnace which they had built at Sharon, Mercer county.
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