USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > History of Huntingdon County, in the state of Pennsylvania : from the earliest times to the centennial anniversary of American independence, July 4, 1876 > Part 10
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William R. Smith, one of the editors, was a gentleman of superior literary attainments. He was a lawyer by profes- sion and a scholar from taste, speaking several languages, and being especially fluent and eloquent in his mother
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tongue. In person he was dignified and noble, and in man- ners polished and affable. The magazine, nearly every month during its existence, contained poetical productions from his pen. The titles of some of his poems are, " Lines Addressed to a Young Lady on her Birthday," "Poor Mary," " The Maid of the Vale," "Sonnet," "National Song," "Sonnet to Hope," and "Ode to Friendship." From these pieces, I select the one first named, not because it is better than the rest, but for the reason that it is the briefest exam- ple of his style among them.
LINES ADDRESSED TO A YOUNG LADY ON HER BIRTHDAY.
Time's swiftly running glass at length has sped, And blushing eighteen lights upon thy head ; Thy youthful charms evince in early hour The budding beauty of a future flower,
When thrice thy present years time will have told, And e'en thy friends pronounce thee growing old, Then though the roses of thy cheeks be flown, And all the graces of thy youth be gone, Thou still shalt please ; thy tender loving heart Shall shine alone when fleeting charms depart. As when the sun his drooping splendor laves At time of eve beneath the western waves, And though his glory sinks conceal'd from view, His mid-day beams absorpt in twilight dew, Yet still the welkin streak'd with gold remains, And every cloud his brilliant tinge retains ; So thy affection shall in life's last stage Charm, when thy sun of beauty sets in age.
Mr. Smith erected the stone building at the northeast corner of Third and Allegheny streets, now known as the " Morrison House," and lived in it during his residence in Huntingdon.
There were other contributors of original articles to the Literary Museum, the most frequent of whom were J. N. Barker and Charles J. Cox. Their contributions were all poetical.
The name of Moses Canan, Smith's co-editor, does not ap- pear to any of the articles ; but he also was a man of literary
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talents, and may have written some of the prose which is published anonymously.
The selections for the Museum were of a high order, and many periodicals of less merit have been more successful. We will not enter into a statement of the circumstances under which it existed, some of which were so favorable as to induce the undertaking, and others so contrary as to lead to its early abandonment. At the expiration of the first year, the editors closed their magazine with an address "to the public," giving their reasons for its discontinuance. They say that, " with the exception of some pieces of poetry, from several gentlemen in Philadelphia, and an essay on the early poetic writers, the editors have received no original matter, and they are compelled thus publicly to state, that a work of the nature of the Literary Museum cannot suc- ceed at this time, as there certainly appears no disposition to assist by original communication." The first volume was therefore the last one. It was printed by John McCahan, of the Gazette.
The " Republican Advocate " was established in 1829-the first number being dated February 24th, of that year-by Robert Wallace. This gentleman was an Irishman by birth, and had studied law with Elias W. Hale, of Lewis- town. He came to Huntingdon about the time of starting his paper. While residing there, his son, William A. Wal- lace, at present a United States Senator from Pennsylvania was born. After conducting the paper three or four years, Mr. Wallace disposed of it, and removed with his family to the town of Clearfield.
He was succeeded in the editorship of the Advocate by Thomas P. Campbell and George Taylor, who were then law students in the office of General A. P. Wilson. They were Democrats and admirers of David R. Porter, whom they supported as a candidate for Governor. Taylor, however, changed his sentiments towards the latter after his election, and left the Democratic party.
Campbell had previously been editor of the "Aurora," at Hollidaysburg. In 1850 he was the Democratic competitor
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of his former editorial colleague, George Taylor, for the President Judgeship. He remained prominent in his party until the beginning of the Rebellion, when he became a Re- publican, and was afterwards appointed Assessor of Internal Revenue, which office he held for several years. He is now a resident of Davenport, Iowa.
Williamı R. McCay followed Campbell and Taylor. Dur- ing or previous to his management of the paper, its name was changed to the "Advocate and Sentinel." In April, 1841, there was another change of proprietors and name, or, rather, the Advocate passed away and a new paper took its place. The " Watchman" was established by E. V. Ever- hart.
The first number of the " Huntingdon Courier and Anti- Masonic Republican " was issued May 29th, 1830, by Henry L. McConnell. Its avowed object was the extermination of Free Masonry. In 1832, McConnell and McCrea-the latter having become associated in its publication-disposed of their interest to J. Melville Beckwith & Co., and from that time it bore the title of the "Huntingdon Courier and National Republican Monitor." It was the first paper es- tablished in opposition to the Democratic party, to which the Gazette and Advocate belonged, and advocated Henry Clay for the Presidency.
Like the paper of which it was the namesake-the Courier of 1797-its existence was one of struggles, and ended by sinking beneath them, The materials with which it was printed passed into the hands of William Orbison, esq., the owner of the building from which it was published, who re- tained them for arrears of rent.
The following are other papers that were published at various times, and that have gone out of existence :
The Huntingdon Messenger, by George W. Whittaker and George Raymond, in 1847 and '48.
The Standing Stone Banner, at Huntingdon, by J. Simp- son Africa and Samuel G. Whittaker; first number issued June 14th, 1853; name changed to The Standing Stone, at nd of first year, and discontinued at end of second.
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The Shirleysburg Herald, at Shirleysburg, by John Lutz; published several times, suspended and resumed.
The Union, at Huntingdon, by R. Milton Speer; Demo- cratic in politics ; first issued in August, 1859 ; discontinued in January, 1861.
The Broad Top Miner, at Coalmont, by A. Tyhurst, be- ginning in February, 1861.
The Workingmen's Advocate, at Huntingdon, by W. F. Shaw and B. F. Miller ; first issued in March, 1861; was to be the organ of a party which an effort was then being made to organize, but the party always being weak, the paper was published but a few months.
Young America, at Huntingdon, by O. O. Leabhart, from August 18th, 1875, to May 5th, 1876. On the 1st of June, of the latter year, Mr. Leabhart commenced the publication of the Business Journal, which rendered necessary the dis- continuance of his former enterprise.
The American and the Republican, both of which were published at Huntingdon, the former by J. A. Nash and the latter by Theo. H. Cremer, are mentioned in the succeeding chapter in connection with their consolidation with the Journal.
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CHAPTER XVII.
NEWSPAPERS OF THE PRESENT-THE JOURNAL-A. W. BENEDICT-THEO. H. CREMER-JAMES CLARK-J. SEWELL STEWART-J. R. DURBORROW-THE GLOBE-WILLIAM LEWIS-A. L. GUSS-THE MONITOR-DESTRUCTION OF THE OFFICE BY THE SOLDIERS-S. E. FLEMING-M. M. M'NEIL-THE LOCAL NEWS-HUGH LINDSEY-MOUNT UNION TIMES- THE HERALD-THE LEADER -THE PILGRIM- THE YOUNG DISCIPLE.
The oldest of the newspapers now existing in Huntingdon county is the Journal, first issued by A. W. Benedict & Co., September 23d, 1835-John Boyle being a partner. They bought from William Orbison, esq., the press and materials of the Courier, which had come into his hands, as stated in the preceding chapter. From the beginning, the entire edi- torial management had devolved upon Mr. Benedict, and in April, 1836, he became the sole proprietor by the retirement of Mr. Boyle from the firm.
The Journal was started in the midst of an exciting political campaign, and was the second effort to establish a paper in opposition to the party then in power. It was du- ring the administrations of President Jackson and Governor Wolfe. The latter was a candidate for reelection, and was supported by the Advocate, while the other Democratic paper-the Gazette-favored the election of Henry A. Muhlenberg, the candidate of another wing of the party.
The advent of Mr. Benedict to Huntingdon, and to the editorial profession, was not announced by his brethren of the press in the polite manner that is customary among journalists of the present time. The Advocate introduced him thus :
" IMPORTANT .- A Strolling Yankee patriot has arrived in this town, we understand, for the purpose of putting in operation the old 'Courier' establishment until after the election. The public may expect to see an issue in a week or two. The people of Huntingdon county are highly honored by foreign dictators, when they have a renegade unknown, sent to tell them how to act and vote."
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In his reply to the Advocate, Mr. Benedict did not deny his Yankee origin. He said, "we do claim that honor." In fact he referred to it during his whole life with pride. He was not, however, a native of the New England States, as we usually understand here by the term that was applied to him. His father was a Presbyterian clergyman, belonging to a family of some distinction, who removed from Norwalk, Connecticut, to the State of New York, where his son Adin W. was born. The latter learned the art of printing with Harper & Brothers, in New York city. In 1830 he married and went to Philadelphia, where he was engaged as compos- itor, publisher and editor, until 1835, the year in which he came to Huntingdon. After relinquishing the editorial charge and publication of the Journal, he read law, was ad- mitted to the bar, and practiced in the courts of this county until the time of his death, which occurred April 28, 1867. He was chosen to fill several positions of trust, both by election and appointment. In 1836, and for a year or two afterwards, he was collector of tolls on the Pennsylvania canal at Huntingdon ; in 1843 was appointed County Com- missioner by the Court, to fill a vacancy ; was Deputy Sec- retary of the Commonwealth during the administration of Governor Johnston; was elected a Representative in the Legislature in 1862, and was subsequently elected and re- elected Clerk of the House of Representatives at Harris- burg, and held that office when he died.
Whilst residing in Philadelphia, Mr. Benedict took an active part in the politics of that city and county, and brought with him to Huntingdon considerable expe- rience in political warfare. " The Journal at once took a high rank among the papers of its party in the interior of the State. With a little experience in editorial life he soon became a vigorous and adroit writer, and the files of the Journal show that he had many a sharp passage with his editorial cotemporaries of the Advocate and Gazette, in which he utterly vanquished his adversaries. In 1838, David R. Porter, 'our own Davy R.,' as the Huntingdon Democrats delighted to call him, became the Democratic candidate for
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Governor against Gov. Ritner. The bitter contest which ensued brought the Journal to the front still more promi- nently, and its circulation during the campaign extended to all parts of the State, and its editorials were copied into other papers very extensively. In that contest Huntingdon county gave Ritner a majority of 926. Mr. B. continued to publish the Journal till January, 1842, six years and about four months, when the paper may be said to have been fully established."
It was then purchased by Theodore H. Cremer, a young gentleman of about twenty-five years of age, who had come to Huntingdon with Mr. Benedict in 1835. He had assisted in getting out the first number of the Journal. In 1836 he commenced reading law with Maj. James Steel, but before completing his studies went to Williamsport and published the West Branch Republican, a campaign paper, during the Porter-Ritner contest of 1838. There he continued the study of the law, with James Armstrong. In December, 1839, he returned to Huntingdon, and Major Steel having in the meantime been elected Prothonotary, entered that office as clerk. The following year he went to Carlisle and attended the law school of which John Reed was principal. He was admitted to the bar at York, his native place, then came again to Huntingdon, and was admitted there in August, 1842. He served two terms as Prothonotary, be- ing elected in 1848, and reëlected in 1851, and one term as District Attorney, to which office he was elected in 1856.
Mr. Cremer conducted the Journal three years and seven months, retiring from it on the 13th of August, 1845. Under his charge the mechanical appearance of the paper was im- proved and its circulation and reputation maintained.
James Clark was the purchaser from and successor of Mr. Cremer. Some of the events of his life, the facts relating to his connection with the Journal, and the cause by which it was severed, are stated in the following extract :
" Mr. Clark was born in Dauphin county, Pa., on the 9th day of February, 1818, and was, on the day of his death, aged 33 years, 1 month and 14 days. He learned the art and
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mystery of printing in Harrisburg, under the instruction of his elder brother, Samuel H. Clark, esq. In August, 1845, he removed to this place and became the editor of the Journal, and continued such until the time of his death. As a mark of confidence and esteem, he was, on the 11th of January, 1849, appointed Aid-de-Camp to Governor John- ston, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As conductor of a political paper, Mr. Clark had few equals in the State, and the readers will bear witness that justice was done to all their interests, so far as it is in the power of a newspaper to do so."
The death of Mr. Clark occurred on the 23d day of March, 1851. His successor was W. H. Peightal, who continued the editorial duties but a short time, however, as the paper passed into the hands of J. Sewall Stewart, esq., about the first of August of the same year. In May, 1862, J. A. Hall purchased an interest from and became associated with Mr. Stewart in the proprietorship, and subsequently became the owner of the entire establishment.
The retiring editor, Mr. Stewart, was born in West town- ship, this county, on the 1st day of May, 1819. He was educated at and graduated with distinction from the college at Meadville, after which he came to Huntingdon, read law with Major James Steel, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1843. From that time he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1848 he was appointed District Attorney, and was twice elected, continuing in that office until 1856. He was appointed Assessor of Internal Revenue for the 17th District of Pennsylvania in 1865, and acted in that capacity until his death, February 6, 1871. His character is so well described in an obituary notice which appeared in the Journal, that it may very appropriately find a place here :
" As a member of the bar, he established a reputation for scrupulous honesty and fidelity in watching the interests of his clients. Having strong self-control, he was rarely thrown off his guard in the trial of causes, and in his demeanor to- wards the Court, witnesses and opposing counsel, was
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always respectful and gentlemanly. Mr. Stewart was a stu- dent by nature, and in addition to a well-stored legal mind, he had traversed the fields of literature and science so suc- cessfully that his opinion was generally sought after by our citizens on all questions of a scientific nature. He gave much time to literary pursuits, and some of his writings, es- pecially his poems, have had a wide circulation. With the kindliest feelings towards mankind, he was an earnest ad- vocate of every scheme calculated to elevate and advance the interests of his fellow-creatures of every race and tongue and color, and the principles of his life appeared to be to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number."
Mr. Hall disposed of the Journal to Samuel L. Glasgow in 1852 or 53. The latter occupied the editorial chair about two years, being succeeded by Dr. William Brewster, in April, 1854. Messrs. Glasgow and Brewster are yet living, all of their predecessors, except Mr. Cremer, being num- bered among the dead.
In December, 1859, the Journal, which then passed into the hands of Samuel G. Whitaker, and the American, pub- lished by John A. Nash, were consolidated, and appeared under the combined names of the two former papers-the Journal and American. On the 13th day of December, 1865, Mr. Nash and Robert McDivitt, the latter having purchased the interest of Mr. Whitaker, entered into partnership under the firm name of J. A. Nash & Co., and published the paper until the first day of May, 1867. The firm was then dis- solved, and Mr. Nash became sole proprietor. On the first of January, 1871, the Republican, the materials of which had been purchased from Mr. Cremer by Joseph R. Durbor- row, was consolidated with the Journal and American, and on the 4th day of that month the HUNTINGDON JOURNAL appeared, and is still published by that name.
Joseph R. Durborrow, the present editor of the Journal, was born at Chambersburg, Penna., October 23d, 1835. On the 1st of. January, 1850, he went to learn the trade of a printer with David Over, editor and publisher of the Bed- ford Inquirer. In 1852 he became a compositor on the
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Mountain Sentinel at Ebensburg. While so engaged he commenced the study of the law with Col. Michael Hasson, of that place. In August, 1853, he undertook the publica- tion of the Alleghenian, of which Charles Albright and A. C. Mullen were editors. The following June he purchased that paper, and in a short time afterwards failed financially, there being but little support in a region such as Cambria county then was for any other than a Democratic newspaper. After a trip to the West, during which he worked at Cleve- land, Detroit and Pittsburg, he returned to Bedford county, and resumed the occupation of a school teacher, at which he had been employed at intervals before taking charge of the Alleghenian. On the first of April, 1862, he became editor of the Bedford Inquirer. In the meantime he had been reading law with King & Jordan, and was admitted to the bar in 1863. On the 28th of April, 1865, he and John Lutz purchased the Inquirer, which they edited and published until the 18th day of July, 1868, when Mr. Durborrow retired from it. He continued to practice his profession at Bedford during the succeeding eighteen months, and came to Huntingdon at the time of assuming the editorship of the Journal,
The Huntingdon Globe has not had so varied a history as the Journal, because it has not passed through so many vicissitudes. It has existed during a period of nearly thirty- three years, the first number bearing the date of November 22d, 1843, and in that time has had but few changes of own- ership and management. L. G. Mytinger and G. L. Gentzell were the original proprietors. For several years before the establishment of the Globe, the Journal had been the only paper published in Huntingdon. There had been a com- plete revolution, and Mr. Cremer had obtained sole posses- sion of the field. At first all the papers were Democratic. The attempt to found the Courier, in opposition to that party, in 1830, was unsuccessful. The Journal followed, and not only proved permanent, but outlived all of its prede- cessors. The Democrats were therefore without a paper in the county to support their cause, a party organ being a J
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necessity that has always been recognized by political parties. The prospects were encouraging when Mytinger and Gentzell became the occupants of the editorial chair. The latter, however, soon retired from it. A notice of the dissolution of the partnership appeared in the Globe of July 17th, 1844. Mytinger continued its publication.
In May, 1846, Lyons Mussina commenced a " new series," and with Vol. I. No. 41 thereof, dated March 11th, 1846, the paper passed into the hands of William Lewis, where it re- mained but a few months less than twenty-five years.
Mr. Lewis was born at Pottstown, Montgomery county, Pa., September 10th, 1814. He learned the art of printing at Norristown, in the Free Press office, Robert Iredell, pub- lisher. From that place he went to Harrisburg and worked at his trade ten years. His removal to Huntingdon took place at the time he became proprietor of the Globe. He remained a Democrat until the secession of the Southern states, after which he vigorously supported the Government in its efforts to suppress the rebellion. His paper then be- came Republican, which character it has since maintained.
The present editor of the Globe is Prof. A. L. Guss, who purchased it from Mr. Lewis, and took charge of it January 1st, 1871. It is published in a new building erected for the purpose, at No. 411 Allegheny street.
Prof. Guss was born in Juniata county, Pa., August 21st, 1834, At the age of seventeen he entered Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, and remained there until he had passed through the Preparatory Department and all the classes up to and including the Junior, a period of five years. Having then married, he removed to Johnstown and taught school, the first year in the "Johnstown Gym- nasium," and the second in the public schools. He then re- turned to Gettysburg, entered the Senior class in College, and graduated in 1859. With the design of becoming a Lutheran minister, he attended for one year the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and was licensed to preach by the Central Synod of the Lutheran Church, which met at Dun- cannon, in 1860. The following year he resided and preached
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at Centreville, Dickinson Post-office, Cumberland county. In July, 1862, he bought the Juniata Sentinel, of Mifflin- town, the only Republican paper in Juniata county, of which he continued to be the editor and publisher for three years and three months. He relinquished it on being se- lected as Principal of the Soldiers' Orphan School, which he opened at Cassville, this county, on the 6th day of November, 1865.
The revolt of 1861 caused many minor revolutions. It changed the political views and course of a large number of those who had acted with the Democratic party, the party that had been defeated in the Presidential election of the preceding year, and to which belonged the mass of those who, making the success of the Republican party a pretext, sought to dissolve the Union. Among the changes thus brought about, as heretofore stated, was that of the Hunt- ingdon Globe, leaving the Democrats again without a paper in the county. To supply the want thus created, the Moni- tor was started in 1862, the first number appearing Septem- ber 3d of that year. The editor was Albert Owen.
This paper, during the first year of its existence, suffered much from the animosities of the times. We do not mean to say that the intensely bitter feeling which led to its de- struction was entirely on the part of those at whose hands it became a victim. The paper itself entertained and expressed the most ultra views of its party.
On the evening of the 19th and the morning of the 20th of May, 1863, the 125th regiment of Pennsylvania volun- teers, four companies of which, numbering about four hun- dred men at the time of their enlistment, were from Hunt- ingdon county, returned home on account of the expiration of their term of service. While in camp, some three months previously, they had passed resolutions, “ declaring their in- tention, should they live to reach home, of demolishing the Monitor newspaper establishment," alleging as their reasons therefor, "its hostility to the government," and its publica- tion of "denunciatory articles concerning themselves." At 10 o'clock on the latter day, a committee of members of
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the 125th called upon the editor of the Monitor in regard to the grievances charged against him, and their interview not being satisfactory, a soldier cried out, "Roll in, 125th !" This was the signal for a rush upon the office, and, as described in the only account of the affair prepared at the time we have been enabled to obtain, " soon cases, stands, tables, type, rollers, &c., were flying through the air thicker than shot and shell at Antietam." The printing press was taken from the building at the front door, thrown upon the pavement below, broken to pieces with axes and hammers, and thrown into the canal near the Jackson House. The types were scat- tered through the streets, and after the material and furni- ture had been completely destroyed, the office was swept with a broom. Nothing remained upon which further damage could be done, the editor having disappeared. As to the time, place and manner of his exit, there are conflicting reports.
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