USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 29
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THE PRESS OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
partnership commenced November, -, 1845, and expired November, 1847. His next partner was A. J. Hemphill, another native of the place and practical printer, and extended from November, 1847, to sometime in the fall of 1849. Clark Wilson, present proprietor of the Mckean Democrat, became part owner in the spring of 1852, continuing for a little more than two years, when his partner (Moore) became sole owner for the fourth time. In the fall of 1856 the establishment was leased to Major J. Harvey Larrimer and R. F. Ward, the former an attorney-at-law from Bellefonte, who was killed in the late war, and over whose remains a handsome monument now adorns the cemetery at Clearfield ; while the latter (Mr. Ward) was a graduate of the office, and re- cently died in New York. As showing what the newspaper business was in Clearfield county at that time as a financial investment, the terms of the lease to Larrimer & Ward secured to the lessor one-third of the net profits. Mr. Moore now says he has the documents to show that, without ever having re- ceived a single dollar on thelease, he paid out for stock, material, etc., during the three years, nearly one thousand dollars. In the spring of 1860, Moore sold half the establishment to George B. Goodlander, which firm continued until July, 1864, when Goodlander re-sold his interest to Moore, who thus became sole owner for the fifth time, and after running it for another year, until the close of the war, in July, 1865-which he claims was the only year it ever fully paid expenses during his connection with it-he sold the whole establishment to his late partner, Mr. Goodlander, who has continued either sole or part owner ever since, having in the mean time as partners, at least nominally, first, George W. Snyder, a practical printer from Bedford county, and now a respected citizen of West Clearfield; and second, George Hagerty, a graduate of the office, a young man of much promise, whose health failing, sought relief in Colorado, but there died. We thus find that in all the Republican has had seventeen owners or part owners, including two lessees, as follows: Christopher Kratzer, George S. Irvin, Thomas Moore, S. Townsend Shugart, Joseph M. Martin, William L. Moore, Matthew Brown, Levi L. Tate, D. W. Moore, H. P. Thomp- son, A. J. Hemphill, Clark Wilson, J. Harvey Larrimer, R. F. Ward, Geo. W. Snyder, George Hagerty and George B. Goodlander. Of these twelve were practical printers, to wit: Irvin, Shugart, the three Moores, Tate, Thompson, Hemphill, Wilson, Ward, Snyder and Hagerty, and of the whole seventeen only six are now living, to wit: Kratzer, Shugart, D. W. Moore, Wilson, Goodlander and Snyder. The Republican, being the oldest paper in the county, and recognized as democratic in its political sentiment-the county being largely democratic-has always been a leading, well patronized and influential journal in the county, and is now one of the best equipped, both as to presses and type, among country newspaper establishments.
The Clearfield Democrat .- The second newspaper that appeared in the county was established in 1834, by ex-Governor Bigler, now deceased. Mr.
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Bigler was a practical printer, having learned the art with his brother, John, in Bellefonte. It was, as its name indicated, democratic in its political bias, and ably edited. After some two years or more its proprietor, entering into the more lucrative business of lumbering, soon to become the famous "raftsman of the West Branch,"-and afterwards State senator, then governor, and lastly United States senator-allowed his paper to die a natural death, and most of the material was sold to William L. Moore.
The Clearfield Whig .- The third newspaper venture in Clearfield made its first appearance about the time the Democrat ceased to exist. John R. Edie, at that time in charge of the Clearfield Academy, and still living, a distin- guished member of the bar in Somerset, was its founder. He was followed by Samuel H. Tyson, an attorney at law, now deceased, and brother of the then distinguished Job R. Tyson, of Philadelphia. Tyson was succeeded by Samuel T. Williams, a practical printer of Bellefonte, who had charge of the paper for a few months. As indicated by the name, it was an organ of the Whig party, and soon after the election of Governor Porter, in 1838, it suspended, and most of the material was transferred to W. L. and D. W. Moore, Mr. Williams, some years afterwards, migrating to California, where he died. The Whig was a fairly well equipped office for the time, was well printed, and its general appearance much superior to its neighbor, the Banner.
The Raftsman's Journal .- The Journal first appeared on the 15th of June, 1854, with the late Hon. H. Bucher Swoope, a young and talented lawyer, then recently from Huntingdon, as editor and proprietor. The paper made a good appearance, was well printed and ably edited, making a reputation that has well been sustained ever since. The Journal commenced its career just at the period of the dissolution of the old Whig party, and the organization of the American, or Know-Nothing party, and from its first appearance until Mr. Swoope retired from its control, it was edited with marked ability and gained a high rank as a party organ. But Mr. Swoope was nothing if not radical in whatever position he filled ; so that, with all his energy and talents and untiring industry, he failed to make any strong impression on the public mind, for the people of Clearfield-after the Know-Nothing craze of 1854-continued to vote as they had been doing in former years. Mr. Swoope was succeeded January 2, 1856, by S. B. Row, esq., a practical printer, and latterly proprietor of the Lloyd House in Philipsburg. This being about the period of the organization of the Republican party, the Journal became at once one of its most active advocates, as it has been ever since. Mr. Row was a complete printer himself, and by giving his personal attention to his business, he pub- lished one of the most creditable of the country newspapers in the State. In- deed the Journal, so far as concerns its mechanical execution, always did, and does now, surpass any of its competitors in the county. On the 27th of March, 1861, S. B. Row, having been appointed special agent of the post-office de-
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THE PRESS OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
partment as successor to D. W. Moore, sold the establishment to his brother, S. J. Row, also a practical printer, who still resides in Clearfield. He con- ducted the establishment until February 17, 1875, when he sold a half-interest to his son, A. M. Row, a graduate of the office, and from that time until the present it has been the property, and under the management of S. J. Row & Son. As a printing-office, the Journal is very complete, both as to presses and type, the latter having been selected with much judgment and taste, and capable of turning out a superior style of job and fancy work.
As far as regards the journals of Clearfield heretofore noticed, all of them printed their editions on clean white paper-that is, neither of them practiced the modern style of procuring their supply of paper already printed on one side, but did their own selection and composition of matter to fill their col- umns. Recently, however, we believe they have adopted a system of procur- ing stereotyped matter on blocks at so much per foot, or yard.
The Clearfield Citizen (now) Democrat .- This paper was established in 1878, by John Ray Bixler, now on the editorial staff of the Sun and Banner, at Williamsport, Pa. It vigorously advocated the doctrine of the Greenback party. Within the next year or two the editor, seeing his party growing " small by degrees and beautifully less," and with the hope of finding better pasture in the Democratic camp, severed his connection with the Greenbackers, and ever since the paper has been recognized as an advocate of democratic principles. Mr. Bixler was an excellent practical printer, and a capable editor, though not a success on questions affecting partisan politics. In 1884, J. F. McKenrick, then district attorney, and still practicing law at the Clearfield bar, purchased a half-interest in the establishment. His career as an editor was brief, and he retired. In 1885, the name was changed to that of Democrat, which it still retains, and Allison O. Smith, an attorney at law, secured an in- terest therein. The partnership existed until March, 1886, when the estab- lishment was purchased by John F. and W. A. Short, and published under the firm name of Short Brothers. In the following June W. A. Short retired, selling his interest to his brother, who, about the Ist of February of the pres- ent year (1887), in turn, sold it to his brother, W. A. Short, who is now the owner. The Democrat is an eight-page paper, with patent inside, and is well patronized.
The Multum in Parvo .- The last venture in the newspaper business at the county seat was that of the eccentric Dr. Sweeney, with his little patent-sided Multum in Parvo. Its first appearance was some time in 1883, but it did not live very long, long enough, however, to become quite distinguished, and to get its worthy founder into the Quarter Sessions on the charge of libel, con- vincing him that it was really permultum in parvo, and soon thereafter it ceased to appear.
This completes the history of the newspapers in the county so far as the
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
county seat is concerned. Those published elsewhere in the county are of comparatively recent origin. Curwensville, however, being the next oldest village in the county, very appropriately had the honor of leading the way with the third newspaper then in the county with
The Clearfield County Times .- During the summer of 1872, a stock com- pany was formed in the borough of Curwensville consisting of W. and Z. Mc- Naul, E. A. Irvin, Samuel Arnold, A. H. Irvin, W. C. Arnold, Faust & Good- win, John P. Irvin, John Patton, T. W. Flemming, N. E. Arnold, J. R. Jenkins, Edward Livingston, J. F. Irwin, John Irvin, and L. B. V. Soper, for the pur- pose of establishing a weekly newspaper and doing job work. The paper was named the Clearfield County Times, a seven-column folio, all home work, and published by Tolbert J. Robinson. The editorial committee consisted of Daniel Faust, W. C. Arnold, J, P. Irvin, John Patton, jr., and Edward Liv- ingston. The outfit was entirely new, and the first number of the paper ap- peared the 10th of September, 1872, and during the memorable Grant-Greely campaign of that year the Times vigorously supported the Republican Na- tional and State tickets. On July 15, 1873, R. W. Brainard became editor, proprietor, and publisher, and in December, 1875, adopted a patent side, John H. Patton and L. J. Laporte, employees under Brainard, assisting him part of this time as publishers and local editors. On June 10, 1882, W. F. Whittaker and John R. Fee, under the name of Whittaker & Fee, became publishers, and as Mr. Fee was a Democrat, and Mr. Whittaker a Republican, the Times became an independent, or rather a neutral paper. They don't appear to have tried to follow the example of Brown & Moore with the old Banner, at Clearfield, some fifty years previously, and try to sustain both parties in a single paper. A few months later R. R. Stevenson became the purchaser, and soon after G. M. Bilger became associated with him. In a few weeks thereafter Mr. Bilger dropped out, and Stevenson again became the sole publisher. During this period, that is to say, from June, 1882, the Times kept up its claim to independence, or neutrality, and saving its patent outsides, kept up its high standing among the country newspapers of the State. On, or about January 1, 1885, John P. Bard purchased the paper, added considerable to the stock, made it an all home-work, enlarged it to an eight-column folio, and christened it The Curwensville Herald. Mr. Bard, as editor and pro- prietor, issued a handsomely printed, wide-a-wake Republican paper; the circulation rapidly increased, and the Herald seemed to be firmly established, and on the high road to prosperity, when on January 12, 1886, Mr. Bard re- tired, and R. R. Stevenson took charge as lessee. On March 4, following, the Herald stopped-like grandfather's clock, never to go again. The material was all sold and removed from the county.
When the Times was started, Edward Livingston and T. J. Robinson were the only practical printers. Brainard, John H. Patton, Laporte, Whittaker, and
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THE PRESS OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Stevenson were also practical printers. All of these gentlemen are still resid- ing in Curwensville, except Mr. Patton and Mr. Whittaker. Mr. Patton is now residing in Iowa, and Mr. Whittaker resides somewhere in the eastern part of the State.
The County Review .- During the year 1881, Professor C. C. McDonald, a teacher of music, established a neat little six-column folio, called The Ancillia, at Curwenswille, devoted principally to the science of music. In January, 1882, however, he changed it to a sixteen page monthly, and the name to The County Review. It was independent in politics, and devoted to industrial interests, historical and biographical sketches of prominent families, societies and orders. It was handsomely printed, and a very creditable production. In November, 1883, it was changed to a quarto and issued weekly, and in January, 4, 1884, R. H. Brainard succeeded Mr. McDonald as editor and publisher, and in whose hands it has continued without any change up to this time, other than the adoption of a patent side. Although not a practical printer, McDonald was an experienced newspaper man, and is now understood to be connected with the Associated Press, and resides in Buffalo, N. Y.
The next newspaper started in the county was in the next year following the establishment of the Times at Curwensville, at the flourishing town of Osceola.
The Osceola Reveille .- This paper was established January 1, 1873, by George M. Brisbin and his two brothers, the former of whom is still living and in active life at Osceola. The Reveille was a very complete printing office of its class, the presses and type all new and selected with excellent taste, and the proprietors being practical printers and complete masters of the art, enabled them to present to the public one of the cleanest and neatest newspapers then in the county-a reputation it has well sustained through all its vicissitudes up to this date. The Reveille claimed to be strictly independent in politics, and was really, or as nearly so as could be reasonably expected under three ram- pant democratic editors in an era of hot political warfare. On January I, 1876, at the end of three years from the establishment of the paper, the Bris- bins retired, and the Reveille was supplanted by the Independent World, under the management of O. E. M'Fadden, and in nine months thereafter it was changed to Campaign World, and after three issues preceding the November election of 1876, under this title, its original name of Reveille was restored by J. B. M'Fadden, J. W. Scott, editor, and published for five years, or until the beginning of 1882, when, Mr. Scott retiring, it was continued by Mr. M'Fad- den for three years, say January 1, 1885, when R. A. Kinsloe, a good, practi- cal printer, came into possession, and still continues it as an independent democratic journal, "giving special attention to the coal interests of the Clear- field region."
The Houtzdale Squib .- This paper was started in August, 1878, by L. A.
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Frazer, on a sheet nine by twelve inches. In November of the same year it was enlarged to a four column quarto sheet with patent inside, and called the Houtzdale News, W. R. and L. A. Frazer publishers, continuing until January 13, 1880, when it expired.
The Houtzdale Observer first made its appearance December 15, 1881, as a five-column quarto, by the "Observer Publishing Company," and published until April, 1882, when W. R. Frazer took charge, enlarging it to a six-column quarto, running it until December, 1882, when L. A. Frazer again stepped in and published it until March, 1883, then transferring it to B. W. Hess. At the end of two weeks he was succeeded by B. F. Difibough, who shortly after- wards turned it over to White Nixon, who is now its publisher and part owner. The Observer has always been a well conducted and well printed sheet, with patent outside.
The Houtzdale Mining Record was commenced in April, 1886, by Kinsloe & Kinsloe, as publishers, and D. St. George Frazier, a mining engineer, as editor. The Record is a six-column folio, all " home work," and specially devoted to the mining interests of the Houtzdale region. It started and was published for about three months as a weekly paper, when it was changed to a semi-weekly, and still continues as such.
The Du Bois Courier .- This paper made its first appearance January 15, 1879, Butler & Horton editors and proprietors. The paper, a seven-column folio, with patent side, was well printed on good type, and independent in political sentiment. In June, 1882, J. A. Johnston succeeded Butler & Hor- ton, and the following spring dispensed with its patent attachment, and in one year thereafter enlarged it to an eight-column quarto, thus placing it among the foremost papers of the county. In October, 1884, E. W. Gray purchased a half interest of Mr. Johnston, and under the firm of Johnston & Gray the Courier was published for about two years, or until October, 1886, when it was sold to R. L. Earle, who changed it to a full-fledged and radical Republican organ, and it is now recognized and valued as such.
The Du Bois Express .- The Express was established October 12, 1883, as an independent paper, by H. C. Wilson, B. S. Hoag, and Frank M'Michael, a four page, eight-column folio, on good clean type, and with patent outside. The Express, like the Courier, seems to have been well patronized locally, and has always presented a creditable appearance. Mr. Hoag retired January 14 of the present year, transferring his interest to the present firm of John P. Wilson, C. A. Read, H. C. Wilson, and Frank M'Michael, and to be known as the "Express Publishing Company." All the members of this firm are active, intelligent, and enterprising practical printers, and promise to give the Express a prominent place among the country newspapers of Pennsylvania, and with this hope in view have recently put in new presses and material preparatory to enlarging it to a six-column quarto, and to make it all home work, or at
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THE PRESS OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
least to dispense with their patent outside; and as all the members of the firm are Democrats, and the Courier has been recognized as a Republican paper, and the population of that section of the county pretty equally divided be- tween the two great political parties, the preponderance being slightly in favor of the Democrats, the proprietors of the Express seriously contemplate the propriety of dropping its neutral or independent character, and making it an advocate of democratic principles, not an "organ," but a free and independent democratic newspaper. Judging by their columns, the Du Bois papers are the best patronized of any in the county, and where advertising is extensively fol- lowed, job work will flourish also.
The Enterprise though scarcely entitled to be ranked among newspapers, as understood at this day, it would be unfair to fail to notice the publication of the Enterprise, a monthly sheet of four columns to the page, printed at Du Bois by P. S. Weber, editor and proprietor. It claimed to issue 2,000 copies, which will surprise no one when it is told that its subscription price was, "The only compensation asked is-read it carefully." Its columns were crowded with advertisements, and in fact its character was more that of an advertising ex- periment than a newspaper ; and after appearing consecutively for four months, June, July, August, and September, 1876, the proprietor issued proposals to enlarge and change it to a weekly journal, and give it all the characteristics of a first class country newspaper, and had made many of the necessary arrange- ments to do so when he was tempted to embark in the mercantile business, and his Enterprise was abandoned.
The Coalport Standard .- This paper was originally started in the spring of 1885, by G. P. Pennebacker, on a small sheet, under the name of Coalport Siftings, as an experiment, or test, and at the the end of three months the proprietor felt so much encouraged that he opened up in good syle, and the Coalport Standard, as a seven-column folio, made its appearance, and is still published. It is well printed, with a patent side, and well patronized. Coal- port is a village of recent growth and full of enterprise, and in a section that is well supplied with railroad facilities, and the population rapidly increasing, all of which should give the Standard a good chance to make its mark in the world.
This, we believe, embraces all the newspapers now published within the limits of Clearfield county, including those that lived for a time and then passed away, with the single exception of a weekly journal that was published at Ansonville for a short time in the summer of 1886, by a Mr. Dillon. It will thus be seen that there are now published within the county ten weekly newspapers, including one semi-weekly, as against only two of fifteen years ago, and thus verifying what was said at the commencement of this chapter, that the progress of the newspaper interests has been fully equal to that of any other enterprise outside of railroad and coal-mining operations.
36
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
In compiling this history of the origin and progress of the press in Clear- field county, it has been our chief aim to embrace the names of all the gentle- men at any time connected with any of the journals, either as editors, proprietors, or publishers, rather than to be scrupulously exact as to the dates or length of time of such connection. Possibly there may be omissions, but we think not. There were preserved tolerably complete files of the old Ban- ner from its origin in 1827, up to 1839, which were sent to W. O. Hickok, at Harrisburg, about 1840, to be bound, but a few days after their receipt the bindery with its contents was totally destroyed by fire, hence it is impossible to be perfectly accurate as to the dates of the several changes in that paper that took place during this period.
We have taken no account of the terms or price of subscription at which the several journals were published, or their cost to the publisher. The Ban- ner, in 1839, was published at "$2 per year, or $1.75 if paid in advance." By the annexed statement of the terms of the several papers now published in the county it will be seen that the price has varied but little. It is true that the sheets are larger now than they were then, and that where patent sides are used more reading matter is furnished; and it should also be considered that dollars were not so plenty then as they are now, that millionaires were very scarce, perhaps not a half a dozen in the State, whereas now there is scarcely a county in the State that cannot furnish one or more, while Phila- delphia and Pittsburgh can each furnish scores of them ; and further, that the price of the white paper now, which is from five to seven cents per pound, as compared with ten and twelve cents then, goes far towards accounting for the apparent cheapness of the country newspaper of to-day as compared with what they were forty and fifty years ago.
Ayers & Sons' " Newspaper Register " for 1886, furnishes the following list of newspapers in Clearfield county, with the number of copies issued by each, to which we have added their terms of subscription as found in their latest issues:
Clearfield Republican,
1,848 copies,
$2.00 per year.
Raftsman's Journal (at Clearfield)
1, 100 66
1.50
Clearfield Democrat,
1,200
1.50 " "
County Review, at Curwensville,
1,496
5 cents per copy.
Osceola Revielle,
600
not given.
Du Bois Express,
960
1.50 per year.
Du Bois Courier,
1,100
1.50
Houtzdale Observer,
575
1.50
66
Mining Record at Houtzdale,
not given,
1.00
Coalport Standard,
not given,
1.50
.. ..
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
DEVOTED TO A REVIEW OF THE ORIGIN, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.1
THE circumstances which have most influence on the happiness of man- kind, the changes of manners and morals, the transition of communities from poverty to wealth, from ignorance to knowledge-these are, for the most part, noiseless revolutions. Their progress is rarely indicated by what historians are pleased to call important events. They are not achieved by armies or en- acted by senates. They are sanctioned by no treaties, are recorded in no archives. They are carried on in every school, in every church, behind ten thousand counters, at ten thousand firesides." In the study of the important events in the world's history, the places where these events have culminated, or in which valorous deeds have been accomplished, are second in interest only to those events or deeds; they " remain hallowed to all time." There is no event in the play of man's life more important than that when he completes the first act and ends the first age.
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