History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 53

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nection with the school conducts an Employ- ment Service Department. This department since its organization in 1889 has secured em- ployment for upwards of twelve thousand young men and women.

The dominant influence and guiding force of this institution have been, from its inception, those of its founder and president. Ably second- ed as he has been by a large staff of others, Mr. Dorney has, with the genius of true leadership, supplied his coadjutors with his own unfailing energy and enthusiasm, and the school is, to-day, a monument alike to his public spirited zeal and to his administrative ability and unwearied con- centration of purpose.

CHAPTER XIII.

NEWSPAPERS.

The oldest paper in the county is the Unab- haengiger Republikaner (the "Independent Re- publican"), established two years prior to the formation of Lehigh county by Christian Jacob Hütter, who was also the publisher of a German and an English paper at Easton. The first num- ber appeared on July 27, 1810, the size being seventeen by twenty-one inches. It was con- ducted by Charles L. Hütter, a son of the pro- prietor. The paper always has been and is to- day, Democratic in its politics, but in order to ex- plain its peculiar title, it is necessary to state that at the time it was established the new Dem- ocratic party was named the Republican or free government party, while the opposition party showed some loyalty to the British government. In his salutatory to the readers of the paper, the editor said :

"I am a Republican in the strongest sense of the word; I love liberty, my country, and its laws, and despise all despotism. I shall act independently in all things, but shall obey all laws made by the rep- resentatives of the people. All strict partisans I shall follow with a watchful eye, for they are either men who do not think for themselves or are office- hunters. I shall oppose all men who, under the mask of Federalism, promote the interests of the king of England; and finally, I will not take a man for what he pretends to be, but will judge the tree by its fruit."

Charles L. Hütter conducted the paper until July 24, 1812, when he became the proprietor, as his father, Christian J., who was captain of a military company, was called into active serv- ice in the war between the United States and Great Britain. On the 9th of September, 1814, the editor made the announcement that he and two of his employes had enlisted in the military service, and would leave for the seat of war, in consequence of which the paper would only be issued in half-sheets, until their return.

Mr. Hütter retained the proprietorship of the paper until November 2, 1820, when George Hanke became the proprietor of the establish- ment. . He died January 26, 1824, and the paper was published by his widow until June 17, of the same year, when Mr. Hütter again assumed control, and continued to be its editor and pro- prietor until his decease, which occurred Sep- tember 21, 1830. His son, Edwin W. Hütter, then left school at Nazareth, and at the age of seventeen, on October 14, 1830, took the editor-

ship of the paper and continued its publication for a number of years.

He subsequently became one of the leading ed- itors of the state, private secretary to James Buchanan, while Secretary of State, and after the death of his two sons, his only children, de- voted the remainder of his life to the ministry and became a prominent Lutheran divine.

From the time of its establishment the paper was printed with large type on coarse, dark paper, but in 1834, better paper was used. It was enlarged to twenty-one by twenty-eight inches and the general appearance of the paper assumed a more modern style. On March 27, 1839, Reuben Bright became the proprietor and published the paper until December 1, 1841, when it was purchased by James W. Wilson, an uncle of Edwin W. Hutter. In June, 1849, Mr. Wilson enlarged the paper to twenty-two by thirty-two inches, and in January, 1853, to twen- ty-four by thirty-eight inches and made other marked improvements.

August 2, 1854, Reuben Bright and Ephraim B. Harlacher purchased the paper and it was published by them until January 6, 1858, when Mr. Bright withdrew from the firm and was succeeded by Benjamin F. Trexler. On July 7, 1858, Nelson Weiser became a partner and the firm name was Trexler, Harlacher and Weiser. The subscription list of the paper had now so increased that the hand press, on which it had been printed for so many years, was too slow to supply the demand, and a power press was substituted in its place.

Mr. Trexler withdrew from the firm on July 19, 1867, and Messrs. Harlacher and Weiser continued the publication of the paper. In 1869 it was enlarged to twenty-eight by forty inches and otherwise improved. Mr. Weiser withdrew March 4, 1874, and Edwin J. Young and Lewis P. Hecker became members of the firm. Mr. Hecker withdrew shortly after and the paper was published by E. B. Harlacher & Co., until September 30, 1874, when Mr. Young withdrew and Mr. Harlacher became the sole proprietor until July 1, 1875, when he sold it to E. E. Rinn and William F. Schlechter. In March, 1878, the paper was enlarged to thirty by forty-five inches. Messrs. Rinn and Schlechter published the paper until March 3, 1886, when Mr. Rinn retired from the firm and William F. Schlechter

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

became the sole owner and editor and is to-day, after thirty-eight years of editorship on this paper, the oldest active newspaper editor in the city.

The paper is the German Democratic official organ and as it still upholds the principles pro- pounded by the founder of the paper, is true to its name and its mission.

Der Friedens Bote ("Messenger of Peace") and Lecha County Anzeiger was the second paper established in Allentown, and was by a little more than two years the junior of the Re- publikaner, its initial issue being made Sept. 28, 1812. The proprietors were Joseph Ehrenfried and Henry Ebner. In politics the Friedens Bote was independent, but it was opposed to the war which had then opened with Great Britain and hence its name. In September, 1814, Mr. Ehren- fried was drafted for service in the war which he had editorially deprecated, and marched with the militia to Marcus Hook. The paper was from that time conducted by Mr. Ebner alone until June 1, 1821, when Frederick G. Rütze became associated with him, under the firm name of Henry Ebner & Co. On Jan. 1, 1831, the paper was bought by Augustus Gräter and Alexander A. Blumer, who continued to issue it for four years, under the firm name of Gräter & Blumer. On Jan. 1, 1834, the firm became Alexander A. and W. H. Blumer. The paper, which was originally and up to this time a four-column sheet, eleven by seventeen inches, was now en- larged to five columns, making the size of the page fourteen by nineteen inches. The publi- cation-office was removed to the building on Hamilton Street, opposite the German Reformed Church, and one door below the present office. Victor Blumer became associated with his broth- ers on Jan. 1, 1840. A little over two years later, May 4, 1842, Alexander A. Blumer died, and the paper was then carried on by V. and W. Blumer until Jan. 1, 1844, when the firm be- came Blumer and Bush, Victor Blumer retaining his interest and Charles S. Bush buying that of his brother. In 1847, they enlarged the sheet to six columns. E. D. Leisenring entered the firm Jan. 1, 1850, the style becoming Blumer, Bush and Leisenring, and so remaining until July I, 1857, when Mr. Bush withdrew. The paper was again enlarged, and on Jan. 1, 1858, Henry A. Blumer became a partner in the house. On July 4, 1860, he gave place to Eli J. Saeger. Victor Blumer died Aug. 24, 1860, and in the spring of the following year the firm-name was changed to Saeger and Leisenring. On Sept. 6, 1865, Mr. Saeger withdrew, and I. F. Walter and J. T. Colver became associated with the remaining partner, under the firm-name of E. D.

Leisenring & Co. Two years later the paper was enlarged to eight columns, and in 1870 a new firm was formed, under the name of Leis- enring, Trexler Co. Mr. B. F. Trexler brought into the house thus formed the Welt Bote, the publication of which was continued in connection with the Friedens Bote. In September, 1877, J. T. Colver retired from the firm and W. J. Hartzell entered it, but no change in name was made. On Feb. 20, 1882, occurred the death of Mr. E. D. Leisenring, and then the firm be- came Trexler and Hartzell.

Mr. B. F. Trexler retired from the firm in 1893, and his interest was acquired by Wm. F. Weaber, the firm becoming Hartzell and Weaber. The paper was printed from this time on in seven columns, and the firm name became The Welt Bote Publishing Company. Mr. Weaber died in 1905, when Mr. Hartzell be- came sole owner, and still publishes the paper.

The Welt Bote, ("Messenger of the World") was first issued by Benjamin F. Trexler on Nov. 25, 1854, and was printed regularly after Jan. 27, 1855. From 1858 to 1868 it was published in connection with the Republikaner, by the firm of Trexler, Harlacher and Weiser ; then again by Mr. Trexler alone until 1870, when it came under the management of the firm then publish- ing the Friedens Bote. As its name implies, it is a newspaper for the whole world, and it is read wherever there are Germans. It is sent into every state in the union except Vermont, and copies are sent to Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey. The size of the paper is fourteen and one-half by twenty-two and one-half inches, and it is well filled with literary matter and news of especial interest to the Germans of the United States and those of the Fatherland as well.

The Lecha Bote, ("Lehigh Messenger,") was a German local tri-weekly journal, started as a daily by Benj. F. Trexler in 1869, under the name of the Staadt und Land Bote, and its name was changed in 1877. It was published by the owners of the Friedensbote until 1881.

The Lecha Patriot, a German paper, origin- ally an Anti-Masonic and then successively a Whig and Republican journal, was started in 1827 or 1828 by John D. Roney, who came to Allentown from Bucks county and who practiced law here some years. After Mr. Roney had con- ducted the paper about two years it passed into the possession of Alexander Miller. Subse- quently it was owned and managed by G. A. Sage, Reuben Guth, Edwin Keiper, and Solomon Gross. While owned by Messrs. Gross and Keiper, the Patriot office was located on the south side of Hamilton street, between Hall and Eighth streets, and was burned out in the great

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NEWSPAPERS.

fire of June 1, 1848. The firm's loss was esti- mated at $1,200, with no insurance. The paper passed through many different hands, among those associated in the ownership and manage- ment being John H. Helfrich, Charles Keck, William S. Young, Benjamin J. Hagenbuch, Tilghman V. Rhoads, Joseph Young, and Eph- raim Moss. The last persons who were proprie- tors of the Patriot as a separate and distinct property were William H. Ainey, John L. Hoff- man and Edward Ruhe, who sold it in June, 1872, to Robert Iredell, Jr., who merged it with the Lehigh Register in December, 1872.

The first English paper in the county was the Lehigh Centinel, established in June, 1817, by Charles L. Hütter. It was a small five-column sheet, of Democratic proclivities, and bore the brave motto:

"Here shall the press the people's rights proclaim, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain."

On November 6, 1820, it was announced that Charles L. Hütter, having been elected sheriff of Lehigh county, and having therefore relin- quished the printing business, the Centinel would be published by the editor of the Easton Centinel, Christian J. Hutter. The paper was continued only two or three years, as there were not a sufficient number of English readers to give it requisite support.

The Allentown Democrat began life as the Lehigh Bulletin, in 1837, and is now the oldest English newspaper in the county. John Royer, the founder of the Bulletin, issued a specimen sheet on a Wednesday in January, 1837, and cir- culated it gratuitously. He said, editorially, "Being sensibly aware that many who have an inclination to subscribe for an English paper to be located in Allentown would prefer seeing its number, size, quality, and probable contents. Un- der these impressions we present you with this sheet, fondly hoping that it may meet with your approbation and support."

Mr. Royer proposed to issue the paper "as early in the spring as it was possible for him to bring his printing-office from Philadelphia by canal." The first regular issue was made April 26, 1837. The paper was a very fair specimen of the "art preservative of all arts," and was a six-column quarto. The subscription price was two dollars per annum, which, in proportion to size and quality, was dearer than twenty dollars would now be for the Democrat. In his salu- tatory Mr. Royer forecasts the policy of the paper as follows:

"Aware of the futility of promises, it is the in- tention of the subscriber to make as few as the na- ture of this prospectus will admit. Let it suffice, then, to say that the Bulletin will be conducted on

firm and decided Democratic principles; and when public men and measures are noticed, it will be in a spirit of moderation and candor. We shall always give the earliest foreign and domestic intelligence. The proceedings of Congress and our State Legis- lature will receive our early attention. The ap- proaching convention for the purpose of altering and improving our State Constitution, which has created much anxiety among the people, their pro- ceedings, speeches, etc., we shall give at length. Edu- cation and agriculture will receive a conspicuous share of the paper. A reasonable portion of its columns will be devoted to jocularity, morality, satire, sportive notes, anecdotes, physic, philosophy, history, poetry, etc., in short everything which can interest or amuse the hearts and minds of this great, free, and reading nation. A number of the above- mentioned subjects will be occasionally illustrated by splendid cuts furnished by an able artist."

Mr. Royer, after conducting the Bulletin a few years, changed its name to the Democrat, and in August, 1847, a little over ten years from the time he had established it, he sold the prop- erty to James Rafferty and Mifflin Hannum. In August, 1850, Mr. Hannum purchased his part- ner's interest, and he then carried on the Demo- crat as sole proprietor until July 1, 1859. Upon that date C. Frank Haines and Augustus L. Ruhe bought the paper, the latter being a silent partner, though he took a prominent part in the business and editorial management. The paper had deteriorated in quality and lost patronage, both from that reason and the additional one that the editor had not been in accord with the pre- vailing sentiment of the party. The new pro- prietors began the arduous task of building up a reputation for the Democrat, and by judicious management and industrious application succeed- ed not only in regaining all that had been lost but in advancing the paper to a condition of prosperity far beyond any before attained. On July 1, 1865, Augustus L. Ruhe sold his interest to his son, Werner K. Ruhe, who was associated with Mr. Haines under the firm-name of Haines and Ruhe, until his death on Feb. 6, 1904.

Mr. Haines died May 12, 1904. The estate continued the publication of the Democrat for a time, when a company was formed consisting of the estate of Mr. Haines, William D. Miers, John T. Kramer, Fred F. Kramer, and Nathan E. Worman, the four gentlemen having secured the share of the late Werner K. Ruhe. This company published the Democrat until Decem- ber 13, 1906, when Charles F. Berkemeyer se- cured a lease on the paper and began issuing it as a daily, the weekly being discontinued. After a checkered career the Daily Democrat passed into the hands of a corporation of which Hon. Fred H. Horlacher, Daniel Erdman, Harry M. Gangewer, Dr. Rein K. Hartzell, and Alfred S. Hartzell were the principal stockholders. Mr.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Erdman was president. Upon his death Demo- cratic County Chairman Jonathan E. Frederick, secured Mr. Erdman's interests and Mr. Gange- wer was elected president and Mr. Frederick secretary and treasurer. In March, 1909, Charles W. Weiser, at that time editor of the Morning Call, became the editor of the Daily Democrat and the paper took on new life and be- came one of the leading Democratic newspapers in Eastern Pennsylvania. In April, 1910, the paper was bought by George H. Hardner, a suc- cessful contractor of Allentown. Mr. Weiser continued as editor, a position he fills at this time. The paper has continued to grow and is one of the most widely quoted newspapers in the coun- try.

The first number of the Daily City Item was issued on Jan. 1, 1878, the paper succeeding the Morning Herald. It was founded by five young men, three of whom were practical printers. Their names were Robert W. Vogt, Chas. M. Kramer, Nathan E. Worman, Oscar Swartz and Cortland D. Boas. It was published from the office of Rinn and Schlechter, publishers of the Republikaner, then located where is now the firm of Peters and Jacoby. Cyrus Kuntz was the editor, he receiving only his board for his editorship. It met with indifferent success in the beginning, and was kept alive with diffi- culty, as the young men who had launched the enterprise were without capital, and were com- pelled to rely upon their business tact and ener- gies to make it a success. The paper being Dem- ocratic, took a leading part in the campaigns that followed, and the importance of having an outspoken and fearless party daily was at once recognized by the prominent Democrats of the city and county. N. E. Worman retired from the business, and was succeeded by Chas. A. J. Hartman.

On the 10th of May, 1880, the interest of Robert W. Vogt and Charles M. Kramer in the paper was purchased by Cyrus Kuntz and Chas. A. J. Hartman, who, together with Oscar Swartz, became the proprietors. Mr. Swartz died Aug. 18, 1885, and his interest was purchased by Messrs. Kuntz and Hartman. Mr. Hartman died Sept. 1, 1890. His interest in the firm was purchased by Cyrus Kuntz who became sole owner. Mr. Kuntz died July 7, 1903, and the paper was conducted by his estate until Jan. I, 1912, when Geo. H. Hardner purchased it. It is now conducted by the Democrat Publishing Company, of which George H. Hardner is Pres- ident, and E. E. Harwick, Secretary and Treas- urer. William L. Hartman and Edw. J. Crader are the editors. Mr. Cyrus Kuntz erected a modern four-story business block at 608-10 Ham-

ilton Street, where the Item was published, but he died on the day bricklaying on the new building commenced. In April, 1912, the business was removed to the northeast corner of Sixth and Linden Streets, in the four-story building erected by Mr. Hardner, where it is now published. It was published as a morning paper until after Nov. 24, 1883, when, having absorbed the Daily Telegram, it was made an evening publication.

The Telegram was started in June, 1882, by two sons of the late Edmund D. Leisenring, the well-known German editor. The paper failed to get such support as was necessary to put it upon a paying basis and after it had passed under the management of three different parties, was purchased by the Item.

The Chronicle and News is the outcome of three distinct journalistic enterprises. Of these the first, chronologically, was the Daily News, established as a neutral journal in 1866 by Peter Correll. It was soon afterwards bought by Harlacher and Weiser, who continued the publication, on South Sixth Street, for a num- ber of years, with Mr. Correll, as editor, and subsequently with Thos. B. Leisenring, E. J. Young and T. F. Emmons in the same capacity. After a short interval of suspension the paper was sold, in 1874, to the Daily News Associa- tion, composed of Adam Woolever, Eli G. Schwartz and Werner K. Ruhe. The paper re- mained under this proprietorship and the ed- itorship of Daniel B. Wood until March 19, 1875, when it was sold to Robert Iredell, Jr., proprietor of the Daily Chronicle, with which it was merged.

The Daily Chronicle had been started by Mr. Iredell, March 3, 1870, in response to requests from many local leaders of the Republican party, who saw the necessity of having a journalistic champion of the principles of Republicanism. It was at first a five-column sheet, and was sold at ten cents per week, but this price was subse- quently reduced to six cents per week, for the purpose of extending the circulation of the paper. This measure proved a wise one, and considerably enhanced the value of the property. The effect of merging the News with the Chron- icle, in 1875, was to increase the circulation to eighteen hundred copies. The paper was en- larged and the price was then raised to ten cents per week.

In November, 1877, the Daily Morning Her- ald was purchased and merged with the Chron- icle and News. This was a paper which had been started upon an independent platform in Sep- tember, 1873, by a company composed of T. F. Emmons, Alex. C. Brooks, and D. D. Holder, with Mr. Emmons as editor and Allen T. Fred-

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NEWSPAPERS.

erick as reporter. The Herald published for a short time a Sunday edition, the first Sunday newspaper issued in Allentown.

The Herald soon became Democratic in poli- tics, and Robert E. Wright, Jr., Edward Harvey, Esq., J. H. Holmes and Tinsley Jeter became in- terested in its ownership. Considerable money was expended in the effort to sustain the Herald, and had it not been absorbed by the Chronicle and News, it would probably have soon suspend- ed publication.

The Chronicle and News is a strong exponent of Republican politics as well as a valuable med- ium for the dissemination of local and general news. The editors of the paper have been Thomas F. Emmons, Joseph L. Shipley, Daniel B. Wood and Frank J. Sherer. The present editor is George Zimmerman. The founder, Mr. Iredell, died October 22, 1893, and the business was managed by his estate until it was incorporated March 1, 1912, under the name of The Chronicle and News Publishing Company, with Rodney R. Iredell, as president and busi- ness manager, and Mrs. Florence Iredell Berger, as secretary and treasurer, son and daughter, re- spectively, of the founder. The mechanical equipment of the plant has been improved, the paper has increased its volume of advertising and it has now the largest evening circulation in the city.

The Lehigh Register was established by Au- gustus L. Ruhe, in October, 1846, and was car- ried on by him very successfully as a neutral newspaper until 1854, when he sold it to C. Frank Haines and David K. Diefenderfer. It was by them made a Whig paper, and in 1856 became a supporter of the Republican party. Mr. Diefenderfer soon sold his interest to Peter Huber. The paper was published by Haines and Huber until 1859, when Mr. Haines sold his interest to John H. Oliver, Esq., an able and popular lawyer, who became a candidate for Congress in 1870, and almost succeeded in over- coming the large Democratic majority of the district. Huber and Oliver continued in part- nership until 1861, after which date Mr. Oliver conducted the paper alone for a short period. The paper was then owned successively by Wil- liam H. Ainey, Ephraim Moss and Elisha For- rest. 'Mr. Forrest sold the paper in December, 1868, to Morgan R. Wills and Robert Iredell, Jr., proprietors of the Norristown Herald and Free Press, and in May, 1869, Mr. Iredell be- became the sole owner. In December, 1872, the Lecha Patriot was merged with the Register which is still published as a weekly, being the only English weekly newspaper in Allentown

and is published under the same management as the Chronicle and News.

The Allentown Morning Call, while not the oldest of the city's newspapers, has the largest circulation in the Lehigh Valley and is thus a paper of great influence. It was founded May 26, 1883, as The Critic, by Samuel J. Woolever. He conducted it as a weekly and then as quite a successful Sunday paper until December 7, 1888, when he launched it as a five column daily morning paper. At that time the field was more limited both as to the gathering of the local news and the distribution of the finished paper than in these days and they were years of poor support and hard struggling. In 1894 Mr. Woolever sold the paper to Werner K. Ruhe, who asso- ciated with himself C. W. Weiser and K. W. De Belle, who each secured a quarter interest, Mr. Ruhe retaining a half interest. In January, 1895, the name was changed to The Morning Call. Mr. De Belle retired in the spring of 1895, and David A. Miller, who was a reporter on the paper from June, 1894, purchased his interest and became the business manager. In 1904 Mr. Miller became the sole owner of the paper, and to his successful management the great success of the paper is largely due.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158