USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of the newspapers of Beaver County, Pennsylvania > Part 9
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In 1896 he became a deacon of the P. E. Church, and later in full orders as a Priest thereof. He erected the Church of the Redeemer a neat and commodious house of worship at Avon Park while in charge of the mission field there. A wider field for usefulness presented itself at St. Mary's Church, Augusta, Ga., and then at Tampa, Fla., where he is now Rector of St. James Episcopal Church (colored). The church and rectory are located in the very heart of "the scrub,' surrounded by dens of vice and iniquity, where with not a white man within sound of his voice, he lives alone and is ministering to the poor colored people. He is greatly beloved by his people, who affectionately call him "Father Porter," and his word and counsel are law among them. His parish
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school embraces all classes, from the kindergarten to manhood and womanhood, and its course covers not only the elementary principles of a literary education, but an industrial training for both sexes, with Mothers' meetings, at which the principles of domestic economy are taught by a competent teacher. Other lines are also taken up, with which he is laying the foundations for great use- fulness to the colored people.
Roberts & Vanhorn, purchasers of the "Courier," changed the name to the "Beaver County Enterprise," which they operated for about one year.
BEAVER FALLS TRIBUNE.
In the year 1880, the "Enterprise" was purchased by Col. Jacob Weyand, who again changed the name, calling it the "Beaver Falls Tribunc." January 1, 1882, Col. Weyand sold the paper to John H. Telford and W. S. Fulkman, the latter retiring after three months. In 1889 Major G. L. Eberhart of New Brighton, became interested in the paper, and was its editor for some time. In 1890 the concern took the form of a company styled The Tribune Printing Company, which was incorporated September 26, 1902, of which Ira F. Mansfield is presi- dent, Herman F. Dillon vice president, and John H. Telford secretary and treasurer and manager. The "Daily Tribune" was started August 25, 1884, the third daily paper in the county.
John H. Telford was born in Allegheny City, Pa., August 8, 1848, and is a son of James and Sarah Telford of Scotch-Irish descent. He is a graduate of the public schools of his native city and learned the printing trade
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after which he was in the employ of the "Christian Advocate" Pittsburg for eight years, the "Methodist Recorder" Pittsburg 18 months, and was foreman in the job office of Moore & Nesbit Pittsburg, for four years. He was married to Maggie Hale at Pittsburg in 1873, and has four children, his sons James and John being as- sociated with him in the printing business. Mr. Telford during his connection with the paper, has given more attention to the improvement of the mechanical depart- ment of the plant, than he has to editorial management. However, the paper has always been outspoken on matters of local and public importance, and also on party principles when the editor has found spare moments to devote along these lines, holding to the principles of the Republican party and opposed to bossism whether in the county or state management of party affairs. The
principal public events in which the "Tribune" has taken an active part since becoming a daily, was the ardent advocacy in 1882-83 of a street railway between Beaver Falls and New Brighton, the effort to secure borough ownership of a public water works in Beaver Falls, and opposition to party management by Senator Quay. The equipment of the plant has grown from a very meagre one, to one of five presses and other machinery, a linotype and several hundred fonts of type in a building owned by the company.
Wilson Stanley Fulkman was born December 7, 1854, in Allegheny county, Pa., his boyhood days being mostly spent on a farm. His education was secured in the public schools and the State Normal School Edinboro, Pa. He learned the trade of printer at New Castle, Pa., with Wm. S. Black and with the "Courant" of that city, and wrote local news items during his connection with them. He returned to his home at Centreville, Pa., where he started the "Centreville Casket" in the spring of 1877, which had a fitful existence of two years. He
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was married to Miss Ruth E. McDanel of North Sewick- ley township, Beaver county, Pa., December 26, 1878, and moved to New Brighton October 15, 1879. He had been promised a situation on the "Beaver Falls Courier" but arrived too late, and he went to work on the "Beaver Valley News" as solicitor, and later he was one of the compositors, combining with it the gathering of local news, soliciting and collecting, working on the paper from time to time until the winter of 1883, in January of that year assisting in securing subscribers for the "Daily News." In the spring of 1882 he started the "Beaver Falls Index," there being then four weekly papers in the town, and the new paper died after twelve issues. During the years 1885 to 1886, he again was employed on the "Tribune" as foreman and reporter. In addition to the papers of which he was part owner in Beaver Falls, he published the "Ellwood Eagle," for about four years, was associated with the "Ellwood Motor," and his last venture was the "Beaver County Eagle," which he started in New Brighton in November 1899, and which died in July 1900. His latest work in the county was on the weekly edition of the "Beaver Valley News," as circu- lation manager, which he resigned in September 1902, to accept a position in the office of the New Franklin Print- ing Company Columbus, O., where he has the position of city manager.
Hon. I. F. Mansfield was born June 27, 1841; gradu- ated from Poland College, being a classmate of late President William Mckinley; learned the molder's and machine trade in Pittsburg; enlisted in the 105th Ohio Volunteers serving from 1862 to 1865, and was promoted from private to Orderly Sergeant, Second and First Lieu- tenant, and Brevet Captain, and A. Q. M. 14th Army Corps. Mr. Mansfield is president of the Tribune Company, and was also a stockholder and director in the Radical Printing Co. for several years, until it was
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merged into the "Daily X-Ray," when he and J. L. Holmes Esq. bought out the entire plant, and resold the Radical Printing Co., with building and material to Smith Curtis. Mr. Mansfield has published a book on the "Wild Flowers" of Beaver County, Pa., also one on the "Coal and Fire Clay" of Beaver county. He was a member of the Legislature for the terms 1881, 1893-5-7 and 1903.
Major Gilbert L. Eberhart is descended on his father's side from a noble German family, with ancestors who came to this country in 1758, and served with honor in the wars of the Revolution and 1812; his father was a grandnephew of Gen. Hugh Mercer, who fell at the battle of Princeton, N. J., in 1777. He is a native of Beaver county, and his education was begun in Beaver Academy, and later in Mercer Academy, where he was graduated in a classical course of three years, and then spent two years in Washington, Pa., College. He was civil en- gineer on the Erie & Pittsburg Railway, of which his uncle, Gen. Thomas J. Power, was promoter and first president. He taught school in Greenville, was superin- tendent of the Mercer County public schools and princi- pal of the Conneautville, Pa., Academy. April 17, 1861, he enlisted in Col. John W. McLane's Erie Regiment as Sergeant in Company D., later serving on the staff of the Eighth Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps. June 21, 1862, he was promoted by Gen. Meade to Commissary of Subsistence in his brigade in the Third division of Porter's corps. In 1862 he was commissioned Quarter- master of the Eighth Pennsylvania Reserves. At Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, he lost the hearing in his right ear. In 1865 he was assigned to duty by Gen. Rufus Saxton as superintendent of Freedmen's Schools for the State of Georgia, and established more than 250 schools in two years. In 1868 he was superintendent of the public schools of Rochester, and later in Kittan-
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ning. He was admitted to the Beaver county bar June 14, 1870, and soon after to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Represented Beaver county in the Legislature in the sessions of 1877 and 1878. In 1883 he was chosen Burgess of New Brighton, serving two terms and de- clining a third. In 1891 he was elected a Senatorial delegate by the district composed of Washington and Beaver counties, to represent it in a convention to amend the State Constitution. In 1879 he organized a military company in New Brighton, of which he was Captain, and which, in 1880, became Company B, 15th Regiment, N. G. P., and one year later a part of the 10th Regiment. He is also the author of many articles on philology and kindred scientific subjects, and as a poet has achieved some notoriety. He has been twice president of the Law Association of Beaver county, has been for over 30 years a member of the vestry of the parish to which he belongs, and for many years has been one of the Judges of the Ecclesiastical Court and a trustee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburg. He is also a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, the G. A. R. and Union Veteran Legion. Recently the honorary degree of LL. D. was conferred on him by the Nashville College of Law.
Most of the reporters of the county have been en- gaged on the "Tribune" from time to time, of a few of whom we have secured sketches, which may be found herewith or in connection with other papers of the county.
Prof. Otto F. H. Bert was born in New Brighton, Pa .; was graduated from New Brighton High School and Geneva College, and studied in Harvard University and Mass. Institute of Technology. For two and one half years, he was reporter on the "Beaver Falls Tribune" and during that time did some work on other Beaver valley papers; was twice engaged by Pittsburg News
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Agency; was reporter and night editor and did con- siderable special work for Pittsburg "Dispatch" and Bos- ton "Post." He turned to teaching in 1898 and taught Greensburg Seminary, Greensburg, Pa .; St. Joseph Academy, Greensburg, Pa .; Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, Pa .; at present has chair of mathe- matics in Geneva College. He is a member of the Lutheran Church and of the Archaeological Institute of America.
Col. William H. Reed was born in Beaver county, Pa., December 12, 1843, son of Thomas Reed and Frances Irwin Reed, the latter a sister of the late General W. W. Irwin, for two terms State Treasurer of Pennsylvania. Mr. Reed enlisted in Company A., 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry September 6, 1862, and was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps September 30, 1863, on account of wounds. After the war he located at Chicago, where he became prominent in politics, became a fast friend of Generals Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and Logan. Under the Arthur Administration he was appointed a special agent of the Pension department, until President Cleve- land's administration, living at the time in Pittsburg. He came to Beaver county and entered upon newspaper work for some time, thence removing to Pittsburg, where he was a member of the Americus Club, Alexander Hays Post No. 3, G. A. R., the Union Veteran Legion, the Press Club and Tariff Club, and was a Master Mason. He was married January 27, 1870, to Lillian A. Morton, and had five children, of whom Alice May of Beaver, William A. and Robert L. of Chicago, and Stanley Q. of Warren, O., are yet living. He died Friday June 26, 1896, and is buried in Beaver cemetery.
Albert Henry Beitch, son of G. F. and Catherine Beitch, was born in New Brighton April 12 ,1874. He attended the public schools and later McMahon's Busi- ness College. He worked in the Dithridge glass
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factories to earn money with which to go to school. After finishing a thorough commercial training, he worked as a stenographer for the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & Chicago Railway Co. at Dennison, Ohio. It was during the financial panic of 1893 and 1894 that Mr. Beitch first entered the newspaper work. He came back to New Brighton and was engaged as a reporter on the "Beaver Falls Tribune." Soon after that he left the "Tribune" to engage in the publication of the "Beaver Falls Recorder" with L. L. Carson. Mr. Beitch was afterward employed in a reportorial capacity on the "Beaver Falls Republican," the "Argus and Radical," the "New Castle News," "The Ellwood City Motor," and the
"New Brighton Daily News." In the spring of 1896 he went to Pittsburg and did extra work, writing special articles and covering general assignments on several of the Pittsburg dailies. His first regular position was on the Pittsburg "Daily News" in the capacity of a reporter. In two weeks he was made telegraph editor and six months later he was made city editor. He held that position for two years and then assumed the city editor- ship of the "Pittsburg Press" which position he still occupies. In 1902 he was registered as a student at law with Floy C. Jones of Kittanning, Pa. He was admitted to the practice of law in September 1904. On November 10, 1904, he married Miss Evelyn McAdoo, of Bradford, Pa. He is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church of New Brighton.
James B. Edgar, the son of John P. and Mary A. Edgar, was born in New Brighton, Pa., April 10, 1872. He was educated in the public schools, and was employed in the drug business for five years, and is a qualified assistant. He enlisted at the outbreak of the Spanish- American War in Company B .. 10th Pennsylvania Volun- teer Infantry, and served with the regiment in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection
A. H. BEITCH
L. S. AMBERSON
J. B. EDGAR
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under Col. A. L. Hawkins in the Philippines. He was honorably discharged June 5. 1900, and was elected County Auditor in November 1901, for a term of three years. He was a reporter on the "Tribune" in 1900 and 1901, for New Brighton and the lower valley towns.
Joseph G. Bliss was born in North Bridgewater, Beaver county, Pa., on Sunday September 20, 1868. He learned the printing trade in the office of the "Beaver Valley News" New Brighton, entering it in 1882, after which he went to work on the "Beaver Falls Journal," and later in 1889 on the "Tribune" of the same place, where he remained setting type until 1903, when he was appointed a reporter on the paper, which position he still holds, reporting the news of New Brighton. He is a charter member of Beaver Valley Typographical Union No. 250, previous to whch organization he was a member of Pittsburg Union No. 7. He has served as president of his Union, and also as secretary, and has represented the organization as a delegate to the Central Labor Council. Mr. Bliss was a competent printer, and was regarded as one of the most rapid in this section, but acknowledges that when he ran up against the Linotype he was more than matched, and yielded his position for one that he fills satisfactorily.
Another reporter hailing from New Brighton, was Theodore C. Deitrich, who was born in that place, and learned the trade of printing in the "Beaver Valley News" office. He went to reporting on the "Tribune," and since has reported on leading papers in Pittsburg, New York and Chicago, holding important positions. He is now in Pittsburg.
Other reporters of whom we have failed to get sketches are, L. L. Carson, F. L. Parker, M. J. White, John Telford, Capt. M. B. Sloan, W. B. Ramsey, John Schreck, Hamp Newlon, H. C. Cuthbertson, George W.
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Mackall, and doubtless some others who cannot now be recalled.
Of the printers native to the county, who have worked on the paper and are not mentioned in any of the papers, we recall Frank Mills, George Crouch, James Telford, Albert Hartung, Robert Bruce Jr., William Newlon, Joseph White, Ross Cunningham, Fred C. McClure, Mrs. George Early, Ed. Hope.
THE LIFE BOAT.
In 1875, Linton S. Amberson started a paper with the above name, in connection with a job printing office. The paper was published in the interest of the Greenback movement, and supported Peter Cooper for President. He sold the paper in 1876 to Holmes & McDonald who continued the publication under the name of the "New Era" until 1877, when they sold out to persons who moved it to Pittsburg. Mr. Holmes was a Pittsburg man, and Addison McDonald was a son of the late J. V. McDonald, of Bridgewater.
Linton S. Amberson, son of the late Dr. T. B. Amber- son of New Castle, Pa., was born in New Castle, Lawrence county, Pa., July 29, 1846; received his edu- cation in the public and special schools of New Castle; entered the office of the "Coal City Chronicle" New Castle, to learn his trade in the year 1858, that paper being under the management of Sutherland, Spear, Lazier and Vincent. He worked for the firm until the break- ing out of the war, when the members of the firm enlisted, closing the office. He then worked for the other papers of New Castle, the "Journal," "Gazette," and "Courant,"
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covering a number of years, then working on the press through the East and West, as compositor, solicitor and correspondent. About 1871 he was employed on the "Mckeesport Times" and helped to put out the first issue, B. B. Courson proprietor; and the late Bartley Campbell, the great playwright, was editor at that time. About 1873 he was employed on the "Conservative" in Beaver, which was published in two rooms in the Old Union Hotel building; then went on the "Beaver County Press" New Brighton, and later on the "Beaver Valley News." Mr. Amberson is now engaged in the Art busi- ness with his three sons, in Covington, Ky.
In 1882, the "Beaver Falls Independent" was pub- lished by W. F. Hanrahan and Frank A. Lewis, who were succeeded by W. W. Shields, and soon after the paper was discontinued.
THE EVENING PEN.
In April 1883, W. S. Fulkman went to work in the job printing office of Townsend & Co., Beaver Falls, where he remained for two years. While there he induced the firm to commence the publication of a small daily paper, and on the first Monday in June 1883, the first daily paper of Beaver Falls made its appearance, "The Evening Pen." The "Pen" was published from the office of Townsend & Co., but Mr. Fulkman was its originator and had charge of it. During the month of June it appeared every day, and then took a rest until the first of Novem- ber, when it came out again and was published daily until February 18, 1884, at which time it was discontinued. It was supported entirely by advertising, being circulated
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-
among the people free of charge. Mr. Fulkman con- tinued at Townsend's as their job printer until March 17, 1885, when he was succeeded by the late Sim Dins- more, formerly of Beaver.
GLOBE ADVERTISER.
The "Globe Advertiser," a monthly paper, was pub- lished from 1875 to 1879 by the Globe Printing Company. Later it was changed to a weekly and published by W. C. Fessenden and John Rohm. Others connected with it from time to time were Ed. Hutchinson, G. W. Penn and John Mellon. A morning edition of the paper called the "Herald" was started by the Globe but soon after suc- cumbed. Mr. Mellon later secured control of the weekly "Globe," and consolidated it with the "Beaver Star" in 1887, of which & more complete account appears in the history of the Beaver "Star."
John Mellon was the son of William and Mary J. Mellon of Beaver Falls. His father was a miller in that place for eight years, after which he operated a feed store. His paternal ancestors were Irish, who came to America in 1816, and his maternal ancestors were Scotch, among the pioneers of Westmoreland county, Pa. After retiring from the "Star," Mr. Mellon went to Florida for the benefit of his health, where he died. He engaged in newspaper work there for some time, until his health finally gave way. He was an intelligent and energetic worker, and did his part in making stronger and better the journalism of the county.
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SPRAY OF THE FALLS.
On August 31, 1887, W. S. Fulkman went to Darling- ton, Pa., where he took notes of the services attending the dedication of the soldiers' monument at that place. Returning to his home in New Brighton he wrote a very full account of the dedication, which, together with a picture of the monument, formed the chief feature in the first number of a new paper he had decided to publish. This paper was called "Spray of the Falls," and was issued monthly, the first number coming out in Septem- ber, 1887. It took with the people from the start. The "Spray of the Falls" went to the townships and villages for its support, and made itself popular in those sections by publishing the local news of each neighborhood where it circulated. It also secured some circulation in Beaver Falls and New Brighton, and by the end of its first year had 1,035 actual paid subscribers, every one of which had been secured personally by Mr. Fulkman. In addition to securing the circulation, he had also edited the "Spray" and looked after all of its business affairs.
In September 1888, beginning with the second year, he changed the "Spray of the Falls" from a monthly to a weekly, and started out with a circulation of 1,200. The load becoming too heavy for Mr. Fulkman to carry alone, as his capital was small, he endeavored to organize a limited stock company to publish the "Spray" and do a general printing business. He interested Dr. H. H. George, president of Geneva College, in the project, also J. L. McCartney of the same institution, and through these gentlemen he was placed in communication with
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George Warrington, of Birmingham, Iowa, who later came to Beaver Falls on a tour of inspection. After his arrival the preliminary steps for the organization of a stock company were taken, Mr. Warrington subscrib- ing $500.00, Prof. McCartney $500.00, and Dr. George subscribed $150.00 for his son, M. M. George; $600.00 was to be allowed for the paper and good will, $250.00 of which was to go to the payment of outstanding bills, and $350.00 was to be alloted to Mr. Fulkman in stock in the new company. Officers were elected, an attorney in- structed to secure a charter, and everything looked favorable on the evening of October 18, 1888. The next morning Mr. Warrington came to the office of the "Spray" quite early, and announced his intention of withdrawing from the proposed company. He took the next train for the West, and the effort to organize a stock company fell. Mr. Fulkman continued the "Spray of the Falls" a few weeks longer, when he was compelled to dispose of it, and it was transferred to John H. Telford of the Beaver Falls "Tribune."
BEAVER FALLS REVIEW.
In June 1888, J. E. McClure and J. W. Carson formed a company and started the Beaver Falls "Evening Journal." During the same year Geo. Warrington be- gan the publication of a monthly paper named the "Psalm Singer." In 1889 Mr. Warrington, W. S. Fulk- man, John W. Carson and L. L. Carson became owners of the "Journal," and in addition to the daily, began the publication of a weekly edition which made its ap- pearance August 15, 1889. Mr. Fulkman undertook the
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contract of securing 2,000 subscribers for the "Journal," and went to New Galilee with the first issue, where he secured the hotel keeper as the first subscriber. Mr. Fulkman continued his canvass of the county, making a very thorough one, and also acting as news editor of the "Journal." He completed the canvass the latter part of December 1890, actually securing the two thousand subscribers in one year and four months. He continued to edit the local part of the paper until April 20, 1891, when he severed his connection with the "Journal," sold his stock in the company to Geo. W. Pyle of New Galilee, and went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he started the "Ohio Home."
Mr. Warrington became the sole owner in 1890 of the paper, conducting it until 1892, when it passed into the hands of J. H. Irons and Smith Curtis. In 1892-93, L. L. Carson started the "Daily Recorder," publishing it from the "Argus and Radical" office, which was short lived. In 1894 J. W. Carson and the Broadbent brothers purchased J. H. Irons' interest and the daily edition was discontinued. In 1895, Smith Curtis started the Daily "Radical" in the "Journal" plant, but it too proved un- successful and passed out of existence. In the spring of 1896 a company of New Castle newspaper men bought out the plant and started the "Daily Republican," which was discontinued in September of the same year. J. W. Carson purchased the good will of the paper and con- tinued the weekly edition, which was changed in name to the "Review" in 1897. It has been successful and continues under Mr. Carson's management.
John W. Carson was born in Bloomfield, Jefferson county, O., April 30, 1857, of Scotch-Irish parentage. His father, James Carson, served in the British army for twelve years prior to coming to America in 1853. In the Civil War he entered an Ohio regiment in 1863, and served to the close of the war. He was in the govern-
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