USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including > Part 25
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The Venango Democrat was the second journalistic venture. The date of the thirty-sixth number of Volume I was November 2, 1824, and if issued regularly the initial appearance occurred in March previously. George McClelland & Company were the publishers; the senior member of the firm was county treasurer at that time, and probably found his paper a convenient medium for the advertising connected with that office; the.
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junior member was John Little, to whom the mechanical department and general management were intrusted. Although the Herald was also Demo- cratic, the Democrat seems to have been recognized as the party organ in this county; it was continued under that name, and finally merged into the Spectator in 1849.
The Democratic Republican, notwithstanding its ambiguous title, was the organ of the opposition, the first in this county. The following is a description of the issue of February 6, 1830: "The Republican is about two inches larger each way than the Herald, and printed on paper some- what lighter in color, but not at all white. The texture is coarser than that of the cheapest wall paper now made. The Republican also calls itself the Anti-Masonic Examiner. There is not a line of editorial in the number, and nothing to indicate its politics but its title of . Anti-Masonic' and a call for a meeting to elect delegates to the approaching Anti-Masonic state convention. The publishers were Little and Tucker." In the twelfth number of Volume II, under date of February 15, 1831, "Farmers' and Mechanics' Register " is substituted for "Anti-Masonic Examiner" in the caption. The paper was started in the autumn of 1829.
No complete file of any of these early newspapers is extant, and even single copies are rare. Their subsequent history is therefore involved in obscurity. Alexander McCalmont, brother-in-law to Evans, became finan- cially interested in the Herald in 1822; it is said that John Little was also associated with Evans at one time, but this cannot be positively stated. William Connely, Jr., also a brother-in-law to Evans, learned the printing trade under him and seems to have published the paper, or at least con- ducted it, immediately prior to its final suspension. He was a young man of versatile accomplishments, but found life in the quiet country town irk- some and left to embark on a whaling voyage. Subsequently he published a paper at Cape Colony, South Africa, and was residing there at the time of his death.
John Little, who has been mentioned in connection with the Democrat and Republican, also had a slightly erratic career. Newspaper work at such a place as Franklin in those days was not of a character to satisfy either the literary ambitions or the pecuniary requirements of an aspiring young man; and so, with the evident purpose of seeking a more apprecia- tive constituency, Little quietly took his departure, leaving his paper, with all the assets, liabilities, and hereditaments appertaining thereto. It was no uncommon thing for an issue to be delayed or omitted, but when neither the paper nor the printer put in an appearance public attention was aroused and inquiry developed the fact that Little had taken a walk down to the river, hailed a passing raft, and taken passage for parts unknown, even to himself in all probability, without the formalities editors usually ob- serve on such occasions. He was next heard from at Butler, where he was
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connected with different papers, and died at Pittsburgh, one of the oldest printers in the state at the time of his death. Among his apprentices here was John Coxson, the painter, afterward a Methodist preacher at Punxsu- tawney.
The Democrat, although marked by greater permanency than its con- temporaries, experienced frequent changes in ownership and management. It was not issued with any degree of regularity until 1828, when a new series was begun. About that time it was acquired by John Galbraith and published in his interest by different persons, eventually absorbing the Herald and reaching a condition of comparative prosperity. Mr. Galbraith was born at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in 1794, and reared on a farm near Butler, when he learned the trade of printer in the same office with James Thompson, afterward chief justice. He was admitted to the bar at about the age of twenty-four, and early in 1819 removed to Franklin, where he rose rapidly in his profession and in popular esteem. He was elected to the legislature in 1828 and thrice re-elected; in 1832, 1834, and 1838 he was elected to congress. He removed to Erie in 1837, and practiced law until 1851, when he was elected president judge, and was acting in that capacity at the time of his death, June 15, 1860.
Among those who published the Democrat in the interest of Mr. Gal- braith were Sylvester W. Randall, John Warden Hunter, and Jonathan Ayres. Randall lived near the outlet lock, and boarded the apprentices in his office, among whom were John S. McCalmont, of Washington city, afterward president judge of this county, and William A. Galbraith, after. ward president judge of Erie county. Hunter was a young man from Mercer county; he succeeded Randall in 1835 and was followed in 1836 by Ayres, a connection of Galbraith's from Butler, who afterward practiced law at Franklin a short time and then removed to New Castle. Randall was also a lawyer, and located at Joliet, Illinois, after relinquishing the printing business. There he rose rapidly in his profession and became judge.
In view of the contemplated removal of Galbraith from Franklin, a number of leading Democrats, prominent among whom was Doctor George R. Espy, consummated the purchase of the paper in the summer of 1836.
The next change of proprietorship introduces an interesting personality upon the field of local journalism-John W. Shugert. The manner in which he was induced to come here, and the circumstances under which his work was done for several years, are thus described in his own words: " In the fall of 1836 I met Doctor George R. Espy in Harrisburg, who gave me the most flattering accounts respecting the prospects for a printer in Ve- nango county, and was strongly solicited by him to abandon a situation I then had engaged in one of the northeastern counties, and remove to this place [Franklin]. He informed me that himself and some others had pur-
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chased the Venango Democrat from Mr. Galbraith, and that I should have it for the same amount that they had paid for it, and my own time to do it in. With these assurances I came to Franklin and agreed to take the old establishment of the Democrat at four hundred and fifty dollars (it was not worth fifty). I then returned to Lewistown, at which place I had prev- iously resided, and brought from thence my printing apparatus. The old press was thrown into the street and permitted to rot down. With the new one I proceeded to publish the Venango Democrat four years through oppo- sition of the fiercest kind from the enemies of the Democratic party, and encountered difficulties in a pecuniary way which none but those who are determined to succeed in defiance of every obstacle can withstand."
Upon his election as sheriff in 1841 Shugert leased the Democrat to John E. Lapsley, who afterward purchased an interest. His death on the 15th of January, 1842, left the ownership of the paper in dispute, Shugert claiming that the terms of the purchase had not been complied with, and that he was still the rightful possessor of the establishment. John Haslet, as administrator, had become the publisher, however; he continued the paper until June, 1845, when it was sold to certain leading Democrats, Ar- nold Plumer and Doctor George W. Connely being most largely interested.
The Democratic Arch, of which the first number was issued July 11, 1842, by James Bleakley and John W. Shugert, became at once the organ of Doctor Espy's political opponents and of the personal animosity of Shu- gert toward the publisher of the Democrat and his supporters. The Arch was a six-column folio, not burdened with local news, but read with an avid- ity and interest that only an editor with the ability, aggressiveness, and sar- casm of John W. Shugert could have created. Its platform seems to have embraced but two propositions-national and state supremacy for the Demo- cratic party, and the utter annihilation of the opposing faction of that party in Venango county. Column after column was devoted to the most merci- less polemics journalism in this county or in this part of the state has ever known. Bleakley retired in 1843 or 1844; the paper was continued by Shugert individually until 1846, when it was acquired by Doctor. George W. Connely, Morrow B. Lowry, and others. The Democrat was absorbed and George F. Humes became editor and publisher. He was a well known char- acter, popular with a certain class of people, but not calculated to restore the Democratic party organ to that respect and influence it had previously enjoyed. After leaving this place Mr. Humes went to Harrisburg. He died in Indiana.
John W. Shugert was born near Muncy, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1804. His educational advantages were exceedingly limited and at an early age he was apprenticed to learn the trade of printer. While engaged in the printing business at Lewistown, Pennsylvania, he became interested in the authorship and publication of the "Narrative of Charley Ball, a Black
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Man," a noted anti-slavery book which created almost as much interest as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" at a later date. It was from Lewistown that he came to Franklin, and at the latter place the journalistic and political work of his life was principally done. He was elected sheriff of the county in 1841; in 1846 he went to Uniontown, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and became editor of the Genius of Liberty, one of the oldest papers in that part of the state. During the Mexican war he was commissary to a Pennsylvania regi- ment and at its close returned to Venango county, from which he was elected to the legislature in 1851 and 1852. For a time he was associated with R. L. Cochran in the publication of the Spectator, from which he re- tired in December, 1854, to accept a position in the office of the commis- sioner of patents at Washington, continuing in the government service with the exception of a brief period during Lincoln's first term until his death, April 23, 1871. In many respects he was a typical editor of the period in which his first connection with the press of this county began. A man of strong personality, utterly destitute of physical fear, keen of perception and safe in intuition, he plunged into political or personal controversy with an ardor, courage, and relentlessness unrestrained by any considerations of fu- ture consequences. Skillful in the use of epithet and innuendo and a man of vast vituperative resources, his denunciations of men or measures were characterized by a satire and sarcasm to which few opponents were able to reply. As a writer his style was concise, clear, and incisive. Although a man of strong antagonisms and keen in his resentments when pitted against power, he was equally strong in friendship and unswerving in adherence to the party he supported. In politics he was a trusted lieutenant of the Cameron interest, and in his case Cameron sustained his reputation of never repudiating an early friend. At the time of his death his liberality and charity had outlived his resentments by many years, and late in life he united with the Methodist church.
The Venango Spectator is the direct successor of the various Democratic newspapers previously published from the time of the Herald's first appear- ance, and during a period of more than forty years has been the only organ of that party at the county seat. The founder and present proprieter, A. P. Whitaker, is a native of Troy, New York. He was educated at Marion Col- lege, Missouri, and came to this county in 1838 to take a business position with A. W. Raymond, who was then extensively engaged in merchandising and in manufacturing iron. His initiative in journalism was an experience of two years, 1842-44, as publisher of the Meadville Democratic Republican in partnership with Samuel W. Magill. Having purchased from Doctor Connely and others the materials of the Democratic Arch he established the Spectator, of which the first number was issued January 10, 1849. James Bleakley became associated in the publication January 30, 1851; his interest was acquired by R. L. Cochran January 1, 1853, who, on the 1st of Decem-
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ber in that year became owner and continued the publication until May 16, 1860, John W. Shugert being connected as editor for a brief space during this time. Mr. Whitaker, with C. C. Cochran as partner, resumed his former position May 16, 1860, and by the retirement of Mr. Cochran February 20, 1860, became individual proprietor. June 29, 1864, R. L. and C. C. Coch- ran became the publishers; the latter again retired November 7, 1865, and on the 20th of April, 1866, R. L. Cochran sold the paper to A. P. and J. H. Whitaker. October 28, 1870, J. H. Whitaker became individual owner by the withdrawal of his father, but the latter again became connected with the publication in his former capacity as editor August 24, 1876, and on the 13th of October in the following year assumed the sole proprietorship; he has continued the publication from that date. The Spectator has been frequently increased in size and is now a large eight column folio. Since its first in- ception it has been a pronounced exponent and defender of Democratic principles and enjoys to an exceptional degree the confidence of the party. Mr. Whitaker is an editor of recognized ability, and in point of service is the senior member of his profession in this part of the state. His style is char- acterized by strength, terseness, and perspicuity; the Spectator has usually sustained well its position in political or other matters of controversy.
The Franklin Intelligencer, the first successful organ of the opposition at the time when the dominant party in the county was the Democratic, was established in July, 1834, by J. P. Cochran, a connection of the Coch- rans of Cochranton. He was an able editor and successfully conducted his paper in a community overwhelmingly of the opposite party until 1842, when he relinquished an unequal struggle that promised neither fame nor fortune to acquire a half interest in the Erie Gazette. The Intelligencer was regarded as a reliable journal and fair exponent of the principles of the Whig party.
The Franklin Gazette was the next Whig paper, and 1843 was probably the year in which it was started-immediately after J. P. Cochran left for Erie. A number of Whigs, prominent among whom were Richard Irwin and John W. Howe, furnished the necessary capital, while John W. Snow was the editor and publisher. The issue of July 15, 1846, the eleventh number of Volume III, is a six column folio, apparently well printed and edited for those days. The paper suspended not long afterward. Snow removed to the West and subsequently published a paper in Illinois.
The Advocate and Journal (Temperance Advocate and Agricultural Jour- nal) was published from 1847 to 1854 by E. S. Durban. Although devoted mainly to the topics indicated in the title, the editor was an ardent Whig and occasionally expressed his views upon political questions. A personal letter from Mr. Durban gives the following interesting particulars regard- ing the manner in which the "art preservative " was acquired in those days and the difficulties under which his paper was established:
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Respectfully your. Samer Bleakley
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I learned the printing trade in the office of the Democratic Union and Zanesville Advertizer, at Zanesville, Ohio, beginning in the spring of 1835. My age theu was thirteen years. I was regularly apprenticed for five years, and received for my serv- ices four dollars per month, without board. My employer sold out before my time expired and I finished with Hiram Robinson, who had been a "jour " in the office and had started the Muskingum Valley at McConnellsville, between Zanesville and Mar- ietta on the Muskingum river. I afterward worked as a journeyman printer at various places, of which my most distinct recollection is Lancaster, Zanesville, Cincinnati, Coshocton, and Marietta, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York. While at the latter place an application came from John W. Shugert, who was then sheriff of Venango county and owner of the Democratic Arch, for a printer capable of taking charge of the mechan- ical department of the paper and doing some editorial work. I responded and took the position, which I held for a considerable time. A consolidation of two Demo- cratic papers threw me out for a while; but afterward I did some work for Johu Has- lct and George F. Humes. I was working for Haslet when I married Miss Amelia T. Dodd, oldest daughter of Levi Dodd, uow deceased. Afterward Humes got the office, and as he could not afford to pay the enormous sum of six dollars a week, I was out of work again, poor and very much discouraged. Finally I determined to start a paper on my own account. But how to do it? I believed in hard work and persever- ance. So I laid in enough provisions to last my little family a week, and started on a Monday morning without a cent in my pocket on foot to canvass the county for sub- scribers, so that I should have enough prospect to warrant somebody who believed in me iu lending me enough money to make some kind of a start .. It was a hard winter and I tramped the county through suow and mud the entire season, coming home very tired Saturday evenings-on one occasion so fatigued that the only way I could get into my own door was to lift one foot on the step with both hands and then get the other up by taking hold of both sides of the door frame. In this way I put in the winter.
In the spring I had, by hard work, secured about three hundred subscribers, none of whom paid in advance, so that I still had no money. The next thing was to secure means to buy something with. I had spoken of that to some during the winter. One very particular friend had said: " O, you go ahead; a man who works as hard as you do will find plenty of friends to furnish funds. I have money!" I knew he had, and was much encouraged by his words. Another friend, who was uot a moneyed man, but a true friend, when I spoke to him about the probability of borrowing money, said: "Well, Durban, I have been thinking of that and saving what I could; I have twenty dollars, and I wish it were five hundred. But you are welcome to it." This was entirely unexpected, and the exhibition of genuine friendship affected me deeply. Another came to me, unsolicited, with eleven dollars, all he had. Then there were fifty dollars in the hands of some one as academy funds which they wished to loan. Doctor N. D. Snowden went security for that and I got it. Some other small sums were secured, and still my liberal friend, who had so kindly informed me that he "had money," had not been called on; I was saving him for a grand dash on the home stretch. At last I went to him and was blandly informed that all he could possibly do was to lend me five dollars in county warrants (then worth about seventy-five cents on the dollar), and take a judgment note for five dollars with interest.
I secured one hundred and six dollars, all told, and all borrowed. I did not con- sider it my money, to pay expenses with, so I made an arrangement with steamboat captain Hanna to take me to Pittsburgh and back, and I would pay for it in advertis- ing his boat after the paper started. In Pittsburgh I bought some second-hand type and rules and a small font of wood type for a head for the paper.
After returning I offered a stock company, who owned the plant of the Gazette, to take care of their type if they would let me use thc press. They accepted; I had the
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use of a double-pull wooden Ramage press with a stone bed, and started up. My office force, type-setters, pressman, and cditorial staff, consisted of one small boy and myself. I worked eighteen hours a day, and did editorial duty at the case, setting up my edi- torials without writing.
Finding the labor of working the old screw press very hard and slow, I got my father-in-law to make a wooden platen, full size, to take off half the work. It did reasonably well while warm weather lasted; but when winter camc it was almost impossible to make a good impression, and many numbers were sent out that could not be read at all.
This was disastrous. When April came again everybody who came in to pay ordered the paper stopped. At last a week came when nearly every one who came in was a subscriber who wanted to pay up and stop. More than one hundred stopped that week and there were less than one hundred names left on the list. Saturday night I locked the door and felt a relief in the fact that one day intervened before any more could get away. I told no one, not even my wife, of the calamity. I went to church the next day but didn't hear the sermon. Knowing I was broken up, I debated with myself whether to try to go on or not. About the time the doxology was sung I had determined to " dic game." At the rate they had been going, there were not enough to last one week; but till they were all gone I would be therc. I went to the office as usual before six o'clock Monday morning, looking as cheerful as I could. About nine I sat down to the table, and soon heard a step coming toward the door. I listened, and sure enough the latch clicked, and some one came in. I did not look round, but said: "Well sir, what's your name?" He told me. "What postoffice?" He told me. I looked. "Why sir, there is no such name on my list at that office!" "I know it," said the man, "I have called to have it put on."
This was a new sensation. I looked at the man. He seemed to be sane, so I put his name on and actually took his money. The weather was warmer and the paper had become readable. That week not a man discontinued and thirteen new names were added to the list by voluntary subscription. The calamity had culminated. In fact, it was not a calamity. People in those days never paid cash for their papers unless they wanted to " stop." I had charged every man two dollars. because it was not paid in advance. The result was that I had money enough to buy a first class iron hand press, which I did, changing defeat into victory. I also bought more second-hand type and enlarged the paper. From that time on the Advocute and Jour- nal prospered.
In 1855 the paper was sold by Mr. Durban, who purchased the American Farmer at New Castle, Pennsylvania, and founded the New Castle Courant in the following year. It is still controled by him and is a stanch Repub- lican organ, one of the most influential county papers in western Pennsyl- vania.
The Whig Banner, after a spasmodic existence of six months, was issued for the last time February 16, 1853. The publisher was R. Lyle White, who afterward established papers at Conneautville and Meadville. He is best re- membered in connection with journalism in this part of the state as the founder of the Meadville Republican. The Banner is represented as hav- ing been more modern in appearance than any of its predecessors at Frank- lin.
The American Citizen was established in February, 1855, and has been in this county the recognized newspaper of the Republican party since its
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organization. The projector was Charles Pitt Ramsdell, originally from Chautauqua county, New York, who came to this county in 1845 and en- gaged in teaching school in Rockland township, where the postoffice of Pitts- ville is named in his honor. He was elected to the legislature in 1858 and retired from the Citizen in 1859, removing to the state of Delaware in 1864. Five years later he purchased a plantation in Virginia, between Petersburg and Richmond, and became prominently connected with the Republican party in the "Old Dominion." He was appointed United States marshal for the eastern district of that state by President Grant and was the incumbent of that position until removed by the Cleveland administration. He was nominated for lieutenant governor with Cameron, but experienced defeat in common with the other parties to the Republican state ticket, and several years later died from injuries inflicted by an infuriated bull on his planta- tion. He was a man of fine qualifications for political organization and wielded a large influence in the Republican party in this county during its formative period. His brother, Hiram J. Ramsdell, was a practical printer and possessed considerable talent as a journalist. His signature, "H. J. R.," was long familiar to the readers of the New York Tribune. His commis- sion as recorder of deeds for the district of Columbia was the last signed by President Garfield on the fatal morning of his assassination. He had charge of the mechanical department of the paper for a time.
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