History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 31

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288

USA > Pennsylvania > Mercer County > History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present > Part 31

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The severe treatment bestowed upon the publisher of the Public Adver-

233

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

tiser, the paper in which the celebrated "Letters of Junius" began to appear in 1767, indicates the difficulties through which journalism had to struggle to reach its present disenthralled and exalted position. The caustic manner in which Junius flayed public functionaries for their gross dereliction in official duty would, had his identity been known, have subjected him to assassination, and resulted in the confiscation of the press which dared to give his effusions publicity. The extreme precaution necessary to shield the writer has left his identity a question of impenetrable doubt to the present time.

Even so late as the close of the eighteenth century the English press was greatly hampered. Sydney says: It is always considered as a piece of imper- tinence, in England, if a man of less than two or three thousand a year has any opinions at all upon important subjects; and in addition, he was sure at that time to be assailed with all the billingsgate of the French Revolution." The good work continued, however, until England was given the boon of a free press.

France has had a bitter experience in liberating the press. During the reign of Louis Napoleon there were 6,000 prosecutions of publishers, but persistence and heroic courage on their part ultimately prevailed, and France to-day can hear from her peasants sentiments which, formerly, the throne did not dare to utter. Not by German battalions only was Napoleon overthrown; he was shot through and through by the paper bullets of a justly hostile and terribly outraged public press.

The first newspaper published in America was entitled "Public Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick." It was issued in Boston, Thursday, Septem- ber 25, 1690, by Benjamin Harris, a copy of which is still preserved in the Colonial State Paper Office, in London. It is printed on the first three sides of a folded sheet, two columns to a page, and each page about seven inches by eleven in size. One of the objects of this pioneer journal, as expressed in the preliminary announcement, was a worthy one, and is commended to the attention of modern journalists. It is: "That something may be done toward the curing, or at least the charming, of that spirit of lying which prevails among us; wherefore nothing shall be entered but what we have reason to believe is true, repairing to the best fountains for our information. And when there appears any material mistake in anything that is collected, it shall be corrected in the next."

This paper was too pure to live. The legislative bosses, four days subse- quent to the first issue, spoke of it as a pamphlet issued contrary to law and containing "reflections of a very high nature," and absolutely forbade any- thing in print without license first obtained from those appointed by the Govern- ment to grant the same."

The first religious newspaper in America is supposed to have been the Her- ald of Gospel Liberty, started by Elias Smith, at Portsmouth, N. H., Septem- ber 1, 1808. It began with 274 subscribers, which number in seven years was increased to 1,500.

The emancipation of the press in America has progressed until journalism is recognized, not only as an important, but an honored and professional call- ing. Its work is systematized, and its usefulness constantly enlarging.

In 1886 there were, in the United States and Territories, the following publications: Dailies, 1,260; tri-weeklies, 46; semi-weeklies, 152; weeklies, 10,979; bi-weeklies, 50; semi-monthlies, 186; monthlies, 1,401; bi-monthlies; 33; quarterlies, 93; miscellaneous, 7; total, 14,207.

234

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

MERCER NEWSPAPERS.

The history of the press in Mercer County begins with the Western Press, one of the oldest newspapers in Western Pennsylvania. The Western Press began its existence in Mercer on Wednesday, February 21, 1811. Its proprie- tor and editor was Jacob Herrington. He brought with him, from Meadville, the materials which had been used for two years previous in publishing a small paper in opposition to the Crawford Messenger, edited by Thomas Atkin- son. Owing to the condition. of the road, which lay through a comparative wilderness, the trip required four days. The ox team of that period did not move with the ease and rapidity of the iron horse of the present.

With Mr. Herrington came William C. Keen, as his printer, and two ap- prentices, Robert Burchfield and John Evans. Keen remained in Mercer until the close of the War of 1812, and then removed to Vevay, Ind., where he published a paper. He subsequently became a major-general of militia among the Hoosiers, and also held the important position of postmaster.

Having served their apprenticeship with Herrington, Burchfield and Evans started out to see the world; in other words, went on a tramp as journeymen printers, but returned after a brief absence. The first was stricken with con- sumption, and died shortly afterward. Evans resumed work in the Press office, and remained until about 1822, when he went to Franklin and estab- lished the Venango Herald, the first newspaper in Venango County. He be- came a prominent man in public life, and died the 30th of November, 1871, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. From him Mr. W. S. Garvin received his instruction as a printer, and acquired the "art preservative." About the year 1815 another apprentice served in the Press office, David Crawford, founder of the first paper published in New Castle.

To return to the origin of the Press, it began as a four-column folio, size 10x16 inches. In the sixth issue of volume 1, dated March 29, 1811, the earliest paper seen by the writer, occurs the remark-" printed by David Flemming for the proprietors." Whether the plural form, proprietors, was used because of the excessive modesty of publishers in those days, or because the ownership was vested, not in a corporation, but in several individuals, is not known. It is probable that John Hoge had, at even that early date, some pecuniary interest in it; for on the 15th of October, 1827, he became sole pro- prietor and editor. Mr Herrington, on that date, issued a card in which he said: "Having retired from the editorial desk, I now want to have all out- standing accounts settled, of whatever kind they may be. Grain will be taken in payment at liberal prices, but must be delivered in November and December ensuing."

At the time of which we are speaking (October, 1827) the paper was called the Western Press and Mercer County Gazette. The Press had just absorbed its first competitor in the county, the Mercer County Gazette. It was a small journal published by James Nelson. "The type," says Wm. F. Clark, Sr., in a letter to the writer, dated December 12, 1887, "was inked with puff-ball, and the impression made, one page at a time, with a screw press manufac- tured by Adam Ramage, of Philadelphia." This press is now the property of Mr. E. L. Garvin, and is stored away on the third floor of the A. J. Mckean building in Mercer. The cumbersome annex, Mercer County Gazette, was dropped prior to 1830, when Mr. Garvin became the nominal owner and active manager of the paper. For nearly a year and a half Mr. Hoge was still interested in the journal. A standing announcement at the head of the first page was: "Published by William S. Garvin; " and at the head of the editorial page : "Edited by Hoge and Garvin." It is understood, however, that Mr.

235

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

Hoge's real estate and legal interests required about all his time and efforts, so that Mr. Garvin was the real power behind the throne. At the age of twelve Mr. Garvin began to learn his trade at the Press office, entering as an apprentice in 1819 and remaining until 1825, when he left for New York and other fields. He was absent until 1830, when he returned to take charge of the paper. His sketch in detail will be found in another part of this history.

About the time Mr. Garvin left the Press office, in 1825, John Bigler, subsequently governor of California, at the same time his younger brother was governor of Pennsylvania, became an apprentice, remaining for a brief period, but completing his trade with John McFarland, of Pittsburgh, at that time a Democratic editor of considerable ability.

On the 14th of May, 1831, Mr. Hoge published a card as follows: " Hav- ing disposed of all interest in the Press, it is necessary that those indebted to me should settle and arrange their accounts. During the three years the establishment was owned and conducted by me, no one indebted to it was either dunned or sued-now it is hoped that all accounts contracted during that period will be promptly closed." A publisher like Mr. Hoge, who neither dunned nor sued his patrons, would be welcomed by some modern subscribers, who imagine that printers subsist and grow fat on fame and an occasional piece of musty wedding cake. Mr. Hoge was wealthy, and could afford to be lenient.

The position thus vacated by Mr. Hoge was held by Mr. Garvin, with brief interruptions, until the time of his death. "During two years (1836-38) it was in the hands of J. M. Keuster." J. W. S. Chappell, now residing near Sandy Lake, in his seventy-eighth year, came to Mercer on the 15th of June, 1837. Being a young lawyer he was admitted to the Mercer bar on the motion of Hon. William Stewart. Scarcity of money compelled him to do something, meanwhile, to replenish his depleted exchequer. For about a year he worked as editor of the Western Press, then under the management of J. M. Kuester. At the expiration of this time Chappell bought the paper on three years' time, and continued the publication a part of 1838-39. He sub- sequently sold the plant to a Mr. Bagley, who controlled it for a time, Mr. Scott acting as editor. This arrangement continued but a short time, when the management again fell into the hands of W. S. Garvin, its former owner and editor. While Mr. Garvin was a member of Congress the office work was done by Wm. Donnelly, the editor-in-chief sending editorial matter regularly from Washington. In 1855 William McKnight became editor, and continued to hold the position until about the breaking out of the great rebellion, when his associate and lessee of the paper, Thomas Mckean, son of William McKean, took it in charge, and Mr. McKnight became editor of the Demo- cratic Register.

When Thomas Mckean became sole manager of the Press he at once began advocating a more vigorous prosecution of the war. He issued it in half sheets, twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, to give the latest war news. This he continued to do until the 10th of September, 1861, when he entered the army as an officer of the Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and left the paper in the editorial hands of James A. Stranahan, "a young man in whose abili- ties and political position he had the fullest confidence."

Mr. Stranahan continued to edit the paper from September 10 to Novem- ber 1, 1861, when the lease expired. The history of the paper is thus filled in by Mr. W. S. Garvin in an editorial published in the Press of January 6, 1871: "At the beginning of the war the Press establishment was in the hands of Mr. Thomas McKean, who chose to put it into the support of the

236

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

war. The Register, a rival Democratic paper, took what we believed to be the true ground, in entire opposition to the war. When McKean's lease expired, and the property came back to our hands, we decided to stay out of business rather than enter into rivalry with a paper that was supporting our views, and thus was left to Mr. McKnight a clear field for the Register. For some cause it did not prosper, and eventually went down, leaving the Democracy of the county wholly without a paper. The party that owned the Register print- ing establishment, near a year afterward, induced Mr. C. W. Whistler to take it and commence the publication of a Democratic paper. With our consent and approbation he called it the Western Press, and thus was resumed the publication of a journal, the first started in the county, the name of which was familiar to all of the 'manor born.' Not meeting with the support he felt himself entitled to receive, at the end of a year and four months he abandoned its publication and surrendered the property to its owners. It was then (January, 1867) that its use was offered to and accepted by us, and that our pledge was given to the Democracy of Mercer County that so long as life lasted they would never again be without a party organ."

In January, 1867, Mr. Garvin again took charge of the paper. It was then a small, six-column sheet. At the opening of 1868 it was enlarged to seven columns. At the beginning of 1871 it was still futher enlarged to an eight-column sheet, and a new press from the manufactory of Potter & Co. added to the outfit. During this period the name of the firm was W. S. & E. L. Garvin, the junior partner being the son of the senior. They contin- ued to manage the paper until January 1, 1882, when Mrs. L. L. Garvin, wife of the junior member, became proprietor, and T. W. McClain editor and business manager. On October 6, 1882, the plant was bought by A. J. Palm, R. J. Zahniser and W. B. Bard, and published under the name of the Demo- crat Printing Company. It was thought wise to change the name from Western Press to the Mercer County Democrat, but loud and numerous pro- tests from old-time patrons and friends prevented the desecration of the familiar title. For a time after this last purchase the editorial duties were performed by W. H. Griffith and T. W. McClain, Mr. A. J. Palm being then county superintendent of public schools. Subsequently, the interests of Zahniser and Bard were bought by Messrs. Palm and McClain, the present proprietors.

One peculiarity of the early days of the Western Press, and in fact of all newspapers of those times, was almost the entire absence of local matter. Long editorials upon political questions, full proceedings of legislative and congressional bodies, excerpts from city journals, giving the latest intelligence from foreign countries, and the annual messages of the governor and Presi- dent, were deemed the kind of food most palatable to the average backwoods reader.

The Western Press has during all the changes through which it has passed been the exponent and defender of Democratic principles. When the anti-Masonic excitement was at its height the Press, under the vigorous man- agement of Mr. Garvin, espoused the cause of the persecuted Masons against the Luminary, the organ of the opposition. Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson- ian Democracy were the ideals which the distinguished and able editor constantly held before his readers. Under Mr. Palm's editorial management the paper has lost none of its former vigor.

The Mercer Luminary was established in 1830 by William and James Moorhead. It was an anti-Masonic paper, and was first published in a two- story log building which stood on the southwest corner of the diamond, on the

237

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

site of the present Anderson grocery. In 1833 it was purchased by William F. Clark, who removed the outfit to an office on East Market Street, the struc- ture standing on the lot now occupied by Dr. A. I. Hoon. Mr. Clark con- tinued it as an anti-Masonic sheet until that party dissolved, when it and most of the other anti-Masonic papers went into the ranks of the Whig party. It continued as the exponent of Whig principles until the Presidential campaign of 1844, when, refusing to support Henry Clay, it hoisted the banner of Hon. James G. Birney, the Liberty candidate for the Presidency. In 1848 it sup- ported the Free-soil Democratic candidate, Martin Van Buren. The last issue of the Luminary occurred July 3, 1850.

It was changed to the Free Presbyterian, the publishing being done by William F. Clark, but the editorial work by Rev. Joseph Gordon. After two years the Presbyterian was transferred to a society who removed it to Cincinnati, Mr. Gordon becoming a corresponding editor from Cleveland, to which place he had meanwhile removed.

In 1852 Mr. Clark began the publication of the American Freeman, and uniting with it the Promulgator, of New Castle, continued it until 1859, when he sold it to E. S. Durban, who changed the name to that of the Courant and removed the plant to New Castle.

In 1857 began a paper known as the Mercer Dispatch. One wing of the old Whig party, now Republican, was pro-slavery in sentiment. Its organ was the Whig. William M. Stephenson, Esq., the leader of the anti-slavery wing of the party, determined to have an organ. He furnished the money for purchasing the outfit of a defunct Democratic paper, and S. T. McClelland, John A. White, William F. Clark, Jr., and S. B. Stephenson became the proprietors. All were practical printers, and young men of energy; hence the name selected. William F: Clark, Sr., was selected as the nominal editor-in- chief. Mr. White, a brilliant thinker and writer, also enlivened its columns with his productions.

In the course of a year or so McClelland sold his interest and went to Pittsburgh. In November, 1862, William F. Clark, Sr., having received an appointment as revenue collector at Meadville, he and his son sold out their interest in the Dispatch to S. H. Miller, who, with the assistance of Mr. White, continued the publication of the paper. White died shortly afterward, leaving Mr. Miller the sole manager of the journal. This position he maintained until March, 1864, when a consolidation occurred of two papers occupying the same field, the Dispatch and the Whig. At this point we halt to bring up the his- tory of the latter paper.

The Mercer Whig began June 15, 1844. The Luminary refused to sup- port Henry Clay as the Whig candidate for the Presidency, and in consequence a company of prominent Whigs from all parts of the county determined to establish an organ of their own, to be known as the Mercer Whig. The outfit was bought in Pittsburgh, and shipped by the river and canal to Big Bend, whence it was drawn by an ox-team to Mercer. At the same time a delegation went to Pittsburgh to secure for its editor John B. Butler, then publishing a campaign paper favorable to the election of Gen. Markle as governor, called the Mississinewa War Club. Mr. Butler conducted the paper until December, 1845, when he sold his interest to William Waugh, of Greenville. Mr. Waugh ran it about two years, when it became the property of William Gregory and D. B. Hays, publisher and editor, respectively.

On the 15th of December, 1849, Mr. Hays, after a service of two years, retired, leaving the editorial chair to be filled by A. H. Snyder, a young attor- . ney of Mercer. (Mr. Hays died 25th of January, 1851, aged thirty-six years.

240

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

it began to "sleep the sleep that knows no waking." Hill was a native of Ireland, but learned printing and book binding in England. He came to Mercer County at quite an early date, and set type in the Western Press office. He subsequently worked at his trade in Warren, Penn., and Ellicottville, N. Y. He died in Greenville in 1841. His daughter, Mrs. Simeon Betts, is living northeast of that borough.

In 1848 J. W. Mason started a paper which he called the Weekly Express. It was subsequently enlarged to a seven-column sheet, and known simply as the Express, and continued independent in politics until 1852.

It was then purchased by Rev. William Orvis, a Congregational minister, who changed its name to Independent Press, and flung to the breeze the then unpopular anti-slavery banner. In a short time it was purchased by William Laird. In April, 1853, J. C. Brown, connected for two previous years with the Jeffersonian Star, at Brookville, Penn., bought the press from Laird, and for a time ran it under the same name. In 1854, Jacob L. Weir became interested as publisher, and the firm was Brown & Weir. This arrangement continued but a short time, when J. C. Brown, having meantime been elected county superintendent, acted only as editor, William S. Finch and J. L. Weir taking charge of the business management.

Before Mr. Brown's term of office had expired the office was purchased by John S. Fairman, late editor of the Coal City Item, of New Castle, Penn. He changed the name to West Greenville Times, and began a new series, issu- ing his first number November 22, 1856. It was then a six-column folio, flew the motto "Independent-not Neutral," and its subscription price was $1 per year, in advance. On the 1st of December, 1856, A. M. Campbell, a druggist of the borough, joined Mr. Fairman in the paper, and the firm became Fairman & Campbell. In April, 1857, H. A. Bowman bought Fairman's interest, and Bowman & Campbell conducted the Times until the following October, when failing health caused Mr. Bowman to retire from the business. He went south, and died in March, 1858. Mr. Campbell contin- ued to publish the paper until October, 1859, when he sold it to Allen Turner, who purchased it for his sister, Mrs. Orpha Hammond. She edited the paper nearly a year, and was then succeeded by W. F. Chalfant. Soon after the war broke out James C. Brown traded to Mr. Turner a piece of land in Crawford County, and again became the proprietor of the paper. He retained the title and management until 1862.

The plant was then purchased by W. F. Chalfant, who changed the name of the paper to the Rural Argus. After a short time, however, he sold it to F. H. Braggins, and went into the army to fight the battles of his country. In 1867 W. H. H. Dumars became a partner with Braggins, and continued in such relation about a year, when he sold back to Braggins, and returned to Erie. In 1869 Braggins sold his interest to Jacob Miller, and went to Mercer to become one of the managers of the Mercer Dispatch. Mr. Miller owned the paper but a short time, when he disposed of it to W. F. Chalfant, who a second time became its proprietor and editor. This relation continued until October, 1871, when he sold it to Harry Watson.

Mr. Watson changed the name to the Shenango Valley Argus, and in the fall of 1875 sold the paper to George Morgan, who ran it until November, 1877, when the paper again became the property of J. C. Brown, by whom it, was finally consolidated with the Advance, Since the beginning of the war it has been a strong Republican paper, and has always supported the measures and candidates of that party.

The Advance was started January 7, 1871, by W. H. H. Dumars, Amos

EngayF.G.Kernan& Co NY.

243

HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

A. Yeakel and W. F. Harpst, as an eight-column folio at $2 per year. On the 15th of the following April Yeakel and Harpst sold their interest to J. C. Brown, and the paper was then published under the firm name of Dumars & Co. On the 23d of September, same year, Dumars sold his interest to Mr. Brown, who then became sole proprietor, and so continued until the 18th of November, when E. W. Lightner bought the complete equipment, good will and all. He ran the paper until the 25th of January, 1873, when Mr. Brown repurchased the paper, and contined to own and run it until November, 1877, when, having also purchased the Argus, the two papers were consolidated under the name of the Greenville Advance-Argus.

The Advance Argus was conducted by Mr. Brown until December, 1878, when Leech & Beachler became publishers, and J. C. Brown, editor. This arrangement continued until December, 1880, when Mr. Brown sold a fourth interest to C. F. Beachler, and the firm name became Brown & Beachler, the former remaining editor-in-chief. On the 14th of December, 1885, Mr. Brown bought back Mr. Beachler's one-fourth interest, and at once sold a half interest to L. Hippee. The publishers since that date have remained Brown & Hippee, the former being editor, the latter business manager. Such is, in brief, the : history of one of the live Republican papers of the county.

The Union Democrat is one of the defunct newspapers of Greenville. It was established by William P. Hanna in May, 1861, immediately after he was. relieved from the postmastership of Greenville, by President Lincoln, and was the first Democratic paper published in that borough. The Democrat was a six-column folio, and its subscription price was $1.50 per annum. Mr. Hanna published the paper until the fall of 1864, when he sold the office to F. H. Braggins, of the Argus, who used the material in the publication of his paper. Mr. Hanna came to Greenville in 1833, and was a resident of the town until his death October 6, 1888.

The Greenville Progress was started as a five-column daily June 1, 1877, by William Orr, Jr., proprietor and editor. It was the first and only daily ever issued in Greenville. On the 21st of July, of the same year, the Weekly Progress began, being made up from the daily. It was issued by Amos A. Yeakel and William Orr, Jr. In the salutatory occurred the sentence: "We are here, a true Jeffersonian Democratic paper, advocating local self- government and honesty in office." A careful examination of the dates shows that this journal had its inception during the stormy days of the great labor strike of 1877, and for a time suffered from the stagnation that ensued. The weekly was conducted for three months by Yeakel & Orr, when (November 3, 1877) Mr. Orr retired and the management consisted of A. D. Gillespie, editor, and A. A. Yeakel, publisher. In their announcement they assert that the existence of two Republican papers in Greenville was regarded a sufficient reason for establishing a Democratic organ. On the 3d of January, 1880, Mr. Gillespie announced the assumption of the entire proprietorship, Mr. Yeakel having retired. W. F. Harpst was at once employed by Mr. Gillespie as fore- man of the office. On the 2d of May, 1881, the paper was bought from Mr. Gillespie by W. F. Harpst and Frank C. Huling, by whom it has since been owned, managed and edited. In December, 1877, the paper was enlarged from a five-column quarto to a nine-column folio, the size which it still retains. The Progress is recognized as one of the best newspapers in the county.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 31

Author: Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1288

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288