USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume I > Part 27
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In July. 1879, the office was sold to S. W. Safford, who leased the property to Russell & Olcott. In January, Olcott retired, leaving Mr. Russell as the pub- . lisher and proprietor of the Star Printing Company. Some time later the Journal was discontinued.
THE FOND DU LAC WHIG
The Fond du Lac Whig, a five column folio, made its appearance December 14, 1846, James Monroe Gillet being editor and publisher, and being situated on the corner of Main and Third streets. Eli Hooker being a whig left the Journal in March, 1847, and bought a half interest in the Whig. The paper continued under the management of Gillet & Hooker until October 13, 1847, when the firm
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was dissolved and Mr. Gillet continued as editor and proprietor. The paper con- tinued until Monday, November 22, 1847, when the last number appeared. The material was taken by Mr. Hooker to Waupun and used in starting a job office.
THE FOND DU LAC REPUBLICAN
This paper appeared on the 6th of January, 1848, Samuel Ryan being the pub- lisher. In July, 1850, the name of that paper was changed to Fountain City. It lived but a short time, the last issue being printed in December, 1850.
FOND DU LAC PATRIOT
John D. Hyman began the publication of this paper on the 30th of April, 1851. It was a seven column folio and advocated the principles of democracy. He had brought the establishment from Oshkosh but did not meet with success and January 31, 1852, the paper was published by Amos Reed, who changed its name to the National Democrat, which was afterwards merged into the Fond du Lac Union.
FOUNTAIN CITY HERALD
The Fountain City Herald was first published November 9, 1852, by Royal Buck. It was an eight column folio and affiliated with the whig party. In Sep- tember, 1856, the Herald was sold to J. A. Smith. Most of the material, however, was purchased by Edward Beeson. In July, 1854, however, a daily edition of the Herald was published, a four column folio in size. It lasted until September, 1856, when the Daily with the material was purchased by J. A. Smith, of Sheboy- gan Falls.
THE WESTERN FREEMAN
The Western Freeman, published at Fond du Lac, first appeared October 5, 1854, under the direction of J. A. Smith, editor and proprietor. The plant had been brought from Sheboygan Falls, and in 1855 became the official paper of the city. The last number was published on Wednesday, September 3, 1856, and having previously bought the Fountain City Herald and realizing the extent of business did not warrant the publication of two weekly papers he merged the two issues into one and called his publication the Commonwealth.
FOND DU LAC COMMONWEALTH
The first number of the Fond du Lac Weekly Commonwealth appeared October 15, 1856, from its headquarters which had been in the Darling block. As before stated, it was made up of two publications-the Western Freeman and the Foun- tain City Herald, and was published by Smith & Orvis, and it is now the oldest paper existing in Fond du Lac county under its present name. The paper origi- nally was a seven column folio and started out with a large advertising patronage. In 1859 Smith & Orvis sold the. Commonwealth to Bryant & Lightbody, Mr Vol. I-15
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Smith remaining, however, as editor. October 31, 1860, Smith bought out Light- body and the firm name was then Smith & Bryant. Byrant sold his share in the plant to J. A. Smith in 1862, and in 1864 Charles H. Benton purchased an inter- est in the establishment and the firm became Smith & Benton, which also pub- lished a paper at Ripon known as the Commonwealth, which was under the man- agement of A. T. Glaze. Mr. Benton severed his connection with the Common- wealth in 1865 and J. A. Smith became sole editor and proprietor. He engaged Ed McGlauchlin as city editor in 1866 and started the Daily Commonwealth, which lasted but a year. In August, 1869, J. A. Watrous, Thomas B. Reed and S. S. Fifield purchased the Commonwealth and in August, 1870, began the publication of the Fond du Lac Daily, which proved to be the first successful daily paper in Fond du Lac. Mr. Reed sold his interest in 1870 and then the paper was pub- lished by the Commonwealth Company which title was soon after changed to J. A. Watrous & Company. Howard M. Kutchin purchased a third interest in the Commonwealth in September, 1871, and became one of the editors, adding strength to the paper, as he was an able writer and experienced printer. His abili- ties as a writer, however, did not surpass those of Colonel Watrous and under their guidance it became a profitable and influential publication. In April, 1876, Watrous leased his interest to Mr. Kutchin and on the expiration of a year Kutchin appeared as editor and proprietor until the middle of November, 1879, when Charles G. Elliott purchased an interest in the establishment and was made business manager.
In 1886 P. B. Haber, with others, purchased the daily and weekly Common- wealth and organized the Commonwealth Printing Company, which, while entirely separate as a business proposition, is conducted in the same establishment, and the business of both branches has been very successful. Today the Common- wealth is the leading republican paper in the county and central Wisconsin.
THE DAILY BULLETIN
The Daily Bulletin first made its appearance as the Trade Bulletin under the guidance of F. E. Edwards. Later W. E. Smith joined issues with Mr. Edwards and the new firm added jobbing rooms to the publication, and then followed the publication of the Daily Bulletin, which about three years ago was merged with the Daily Reporter.
THE FOND DU LAC DEMOCRAT
This paper was started by a man named Thompson in 1867, as a democratic organ but having small means, Mr. Thompson soon disposed of the property to Borghart & Goodwin, who soon suspended the publication in force of adverse circumstances.
THE SATURDAY REPORTER
John J. Beeson, a son of the pioneer journalist, Edward Beeson, established the Saturday Reporter in 1862. A. T. Glaze made up the first form of this paper and the first issue was run off on a hand press by him. The Reporter office
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was in the second story of a building on the corner of Main and Second streets and the paper issued therefrom was a clean and attractive five column folio. April 29, 1865, it was enlarged to a six column folio; in 1866 to a seven column folio; and in January, 1869, to a nine column folio. On November 22, 1873, James Thwing became by purchase the sole proprietor of the Saturday Reporter and was its publisher until January 10, 1874, when H. R. Farmin, of the Madison Journal corps, purchased a half interest and added a large job office. New material was purchased for the plant in 1875 and at the same time the paper was enlarged to a ten column folio. Mr. Farmin disposed of his interest to Rev. C. D. Pillsbury in July, 1875, the firm name becoming Thwing & Pillsbury. The form of the paper was changed to a six column quarto in February, 1878. In 1892 the Reporter Printing Company was incorporated. The present officials are: L. A. Lange, manager ; A. H. Tuttle, vice president; Emery Martin, secretary ; W. H. Parsons, treasurer. It is a partisan paper, advocating the principles of the democrat party although it had been republican in politics up to the time it was incorporated. The company also issues the Daily Reporter, which has been established for several years.
THE FREI VOLKS PRESSE
The first issue of this German weekly appeared October 1, 1878. Charles Bruderly was the proprietor, and Professor C. Kumlau, editor. It suspended pub- lication in the fall of 1879.
THE FOND DU LAC TRIBUN
This was another German paper, republican in politics, first published in Fond du Lac, August 14, 1874. In April of the following year it was removed to Sheboygan.
THE NORDWESTLICHER COURIER
Dr. Carl deHaas founded and published the Nordwestlicher, May 4, 1871. It started as a five column quarto and was published weekly. Later it was changed to a six column folio, semi-weekly. Dr. deHaas died in 1875 and the paper was continued by his sons under the firm name of Fred deHaas & Brothers until April, 1878, when the establishment was sold to W. F. Weber, the present pro- prietor. Mr. Weber enlarged the paper to meet the demands of a large and remunerative clientele.
THE APPEAL
The Appeal first appeared at Fond du Lac, May 10, 1876, as a six column folio, published monthly at fifty cents per annum, by J. A. Watrous. In 1878 the Appeal was enlarged to seven columns. It is no longer in existence.
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WISCONSIN FARMER
The Wisconsin Farmer was a publication that appeared first on the 25th of September, 1879, devoting its cloumns to the interests of farming, dairying and stockraising. At the time it was the only publication of the kind in Wisconsin and rapidly increased in circulation. It was edited by Edward Beeson and H. D. Wing. John W. Lockin was business manager. The Daheim is a flourishing weekly edited on Sunday by W. F. Weber, editor and proprietor of the Nord- westlicher.
THIE PEOPLES CHAMPION
In 1877 J. R. Tallmadge, D. A. Toubell, J. L. Colman, L. F. Stow, J. O. Bar- rett. I. R. Sanford, A. Moody, F. E. Hoyt, E. Hoyt and Fred Gesswein formed the "Peoples Printing & Publishing Company," incorporated and organized for the purpose of printing the Peoples Champion and doing a general printing and publishing business. The company was capitalized at $6,000. J. O. Barrett, of Glenbeulah, was made editor in chief and I. R. Sanford business manager. The first number appeared September 12th and was printed from the Star Printing Company's office, although the type from which it was printed was owned by the publishers. The enterprise was not a paying one and at the end of the year 1878 the plant went into the possession of I. R. Sanford. It was finally sold by the sheriff to John W. Lockin.
THE NORTHERN FARMER
In January, 1863, J. H. Jones & Brother published an agricultural paper called the Northern Farmer, more for the purpose of advertising their seed and imple- ment business than to furnish the news. For five years the Jones Brothers con- ducted the paper and then sold it to Fred D. Carson, who in 1869 removed the plant to Janesville.
THE RIPON HERALD
December 14, 1853, marks the date of the first issue of the Ripon Herald, Addison P. Mapes and Irving D. Root, editors and proprietors. "Rip-On" was its motto. The Herald was a weekly and was ably edited by A. P. Mapes, who became sole proprietor, April 1, 1854. The Herald was finally sold to Alvin E. Bovay and soon became a part of the Commonwealth office. J. A. Smith, one of the editors of the Fond du Lac Commonwealth, established the Ripon Com- monwealth on the 22d of January, 1864, placing A. T. Glaze, now living in retire- ment in Fond du Lac, in charge as manager and local editor. One side of the paper for a time was printed at Fond du Lac. The paper continued under the same manager until December 2d, when Smith & Benton became editors and pub- lishers, Glaze, however, continuing as local editor. The paper reverted to J. A. Smith in June, 1865. On the 13th of April. 1866, the paper was published under the firm name of Smith & Bryant. On the 22d of February. 1867, A. T. Glaze became sole owner of the paper and published it until April 1. 1874, when it was
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sold to W. H. Bailhache, Mason & Brayman, the style name of the firm being Bailhache & Company. In May, 1875, Brayman sold his half interest to E. L. Scofield, and the paper was published under the firm name of Bailhache & Sco- field until October 1, 1875, when Bailhache sold to C. M. Hodges. In October, 1877, E. L. Scofield became sole editor and proprietor, and in January, 1878, he sold a half interest to E. J. Price for a year and at the expiration of the lease Scofield regained possession of the publication. At. the present time the Com- monwealth is being ably conducted under the management of the publisher, C. H. Ellsworth, as an independent weekly. Other publications at Ripon are the Ripon Press, a weekly, issued every Thursday, and republican in politics. In 1909 its editor, E. L. Howe, laid down his pen never to again take it up. The paper is now being issued by the widow and sons.
COLLEGE DAYS
College Days is an interesting little publication, issued weekly in the interests of Ripon College. The Ripon Representative was an independent weekly paper, first issued in 1867 by George W. Peck. Peck leased the paper to H. E. Baker and changed its name to the Prairie City Local. Later the material became part of the Free Press Company.
At the present time there are two newspapers published at Waupun. The Waupun Times was the first paper to be established in this section of the county. The first number was issued September 14. 1857, by J. A. Brinkerhoff. It was a seven column folio and was liberally patronized both by subscribers and adver- tisers. October 1, 1858. Philip M. Pryor became editor and proprietor.
WAUPUN LEADER
The Waupun Leader was founded by Joseph W. Oliver and Martin C. Short, under the firm name of Oliver & Short, who issued the paper first as the Prison City Leader, August 28, 1866. The paper started out with a good list of sub- scribers and was printed on an old "Washington" hand press. The paper was changed to a five column quarto in 1868 but soon returned to its original form as an eight column folio. The name was dropped for that of the Waupun Leader, which title it has since borne. Martin C. Short sold his half interest to R. H. Oliver in 1871 and the paper was conducted by the firm of Oliver Brothers for a number of years. At the present time W. A. Sanborn is the publisher and pro- prietor. The Prison City Item was a five column folio, established by W. Euen in 1859. The paper was suspended in 1861. The de Warc Burger was brought from Sheboygan county to Waupun in 1859 by Dr. A. C. Van Altena. It was published in the Dutch language and in the interests of the people of that nation until the latter part of 1860, by S. H. Salverda, a son-in-law of Dr. Van Altena. The Little Badger was another publication started in Waupun by S. H. Salverda in the latter part of 1860. It was printed in both the English and Dutch lan- guages and lived but a few months, subsiding for want of patronage.
George M. West began the publication of the Brandon Times, October 1, 1865. It was a four column folio, independent in politics, although with republican lean- ings. In November, 1871, Martin C. Short became editor and proprietor. The
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paper has always been well patronized for the size of its home town and is today being ably managed by Jenkinson & Yorty, the senior member of the firm being Mrs. Lucy Jenkinson, and the junior member, Ida J. Yorty.
Another paper edited in the county is the Campbellsport News, issued at Campbellsport by W. C. Oviatt.
A. T. Glaze, now retired and taking his declining years with the grace of a philosopher, although blind and confined to a wheel chair by other physical ail- ments, is the pioneer printer and newspaper man of Fond du Lac county. He has been here over a half century and his experiences have been many and varied. He writes interestingly and entertainingly of the early "print shops" and methods of composition, not only of the editor but of the printer.
In a small volume which he prepared in 1905, Mr. Glaze devoted a chapter to "How the Early Days' Print Shop Men Had to Work Their Way," and another chapter he set apart and entitled "Printing and Printers." His thoughts and remembrances on these subjects are so pertinent to an article on the press of the county, that they are given a place here :
PRINTING AND PRINTERS
"Edward Beeson was the veteran and founder of job printing in Fond du Lac. He was a printer by trade and a printing office was a pleasure resort for him. He was connected with the trade here from the beginning, and ceased only when age required it. During the active part of his life it was about impossible for him to keep out of the business. When he sold an office it was only to engage in another, and he was never out of it long. To conduct a pioneer newspaper was a pleasure to him, and when we think of his genial character we cannot but wonder that in early life he delighted in newspaper controversy. In politics he was an old-time democrat mainly on tariff issues, for he was a rock-rooted free trader. In the war there was no copperheadism in him. He first set type at Beaver, Pennsylvania, when he was fourteen years old and was a lifelong printer.
"Mr. Beeson sold the Fond du Lac Journal to M. J. Thomas in 1853, and for a year was out of business. The following year he opened Beeson's job print- ing office, which very soon became one of the prominent and prosperous business places of the town. The building at the northeast corner of Main and Second streets had been erected after the great fire of 1852, by Ward & Windecker, and the second story, known as Ward & Windecker's Hall, was used for dances, thea- ters. lectures, etc., and on Sundays for religious meetings. But in 1856 Amory Hall was finished and the Ward & Windecker Hall did not pay, so it was rented to Mr. Beeson for a printing office and continued to be so used until in 1862, when the Reporter was started and the hall was found too small for both and Beeson's job office was moved to the west side of Main street, in Warner's block, over the store now occupied by Schleyer & Ordway, where it remained until 1867, when the office became the nucleus of the afterwards widely known Star Printing Com- pany.
"Limited in capacity, with but a small amount of material and one-half of it very much worn, and with cheap presses, yet Beeson's Job Printing office managed to turn out some of the best work ever seen in Fond du Lac. Specimens of it may now be seen here which compare well with any printing of today, with all
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our boasted improvements. The only 'jobber' the office ever had was an old Boston 'Ruggles,' on which the form was upside down when in use, and was the first 'jobber' brought to the state. The Milwaukee Sentinel brought it from Buffalo, New York, in 1848, thence it went to Racine, or Kenosha. Mr. Beeson bought it from C. L. Sholes in 1856, and it came to Fond du Lac overland. Besides this 'jobber,' there were two hand presses in the office, on which every- thing larger than a note sheet was printed. Until A. C. Stow and A. T. Glaze built a paper cutter, all paper used in the office was cut to the size for the job, by hand with a shoe knife. Cards were bought already cut, until a cutter was purchased about the same time. All circles were cut in wood and much wood type was used. When some particular line was needed for a poster, a board was planed to thickness and size and it was cut by hand. This is done in some offices now, P. H. Haber's for instance, but it is done on specially prepared material, while the early times people had hardwood from the cabinet shop to work with. Rollers were made at home of glue and molasses, now the material may be bought ready to melt and cast, or the rollers will be cast and sent almost as cheap as cost of the material for them and much better, for they will last much longer. The printer of today has little conception of the cares and tribulations of the early day worker. The latter had to fight his way and do the best possible with the material he had or could make to fill the bill for the job he had in hand. He could not send to Milwaukee or Chicago and get what he would like to use, almost at an hour's notice. Several days or a week was required for what can now be done in a few hours.
"During the time the Northwestern road was being built from Fond du Lac, T. F. Strong, Sr., was superintendent, T. F. Strong, Jr. was the general passen- ger agent and D. Y. Selleck, for the last forty years financial manager of the great McCormack business in Chicago, was the general freight agent. Through these gentlemen, and especially T. F. Strong, Jr., who was a veritable genius as to printing. Beeson's job office received orders for all the printing used, and it was no small affair for the facilities at hand with which to do it. But that it was well done is shown by the fact that the work was highly complimented by such Chicago offices as Dunlap, Sewell & Spalding and Rand, McNally & Company. Among the heavy jobs done was a full set of through coupon tickets in blue and red color on highly calendered forty-five pound straw colored medium paper. Those tickets varied in length from six to forty inches and carried from two to twenty coupons. On this job A. T. Glaze ran the press during the days and C. H. Benton at night for several weeks. The number of tickets printed of each form was not large, being two hundred whole tickets and fifty halves, but they had to go through the press twice. It was the changes in the coupons that required more time than press work. To the credit of all concerned, it may be stated here that such experts as Mr. McNally and Mr. Spalding said these tickets and the accom- panying book of forms, was the best job of printing seen in this country up to that time. But this was not the only large or neat job turned out of that office- there were many of them. Tim Strong wanted everything neat in that line and he got it. And so as stated in the beginning of this article, Beeson's Job Printing office was one of the noted early day institutions of Fond du Lac. During the most of its existence, A. T. Glaze was the foreman, and those who worked under him at different times were Charley Benton, Senator Dan Morrison, of Minnesota,
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Web. Henry. Hi. Morley, Johnny Cortelyou, Hugh Boener, Fon. Rockwell, Mal- colm Graham, Jimmy Wright and possibly two or three others whose names are forgotten. All are believed to be now dead except Mr. Glaze and Senator Morri- SO11.
"It is not out of place to state here that Edward Beeson was a printer and newspaper man of the old school. He felt at home in a newspaper office, but was not much of a job printer. Mr. Glaze served an old fashioned apprenticeship in a printing office in Ohio. Mr. Beeson was his uncle, his mother being a sister of Mrs. Beeson. His delight was to do nice printing and to write for newspapers. The first printing he ever did was with a hand stamp with movable type, bought at a circus when a small boy. It was fifty-five years on the 24th of August last, (1905), since he came to Fond du Lac, and he has seen the city grow from infancy to its present proud position.
"When Beeson's Job office ceased. the Star Printing Company came into exist- ence. Homer G. Leonard. James Russell and T. F. Strong, Jr., were announced to the public as the owners, under the name of Leonard, Russell & Strong, but Edward Beeson held an interest in it. The office was in part of the second story of the Amory building on Division street, but later was moved to the postoffice block on Macy street. At the latter location it did the printing for the Sheboy- gan & Fond du Lac railroad and some for the Lake Shore & Western. This, with the most of the Protection Insurance Company and the general orders from the city, made the office a very busy place. After a time the railroad work went to Milwaukee and the insurance company failed, after which the Star Print- ing Company went into decline. This, with bad financial management brought on a reorganization of the company but it did not work well and the office was at last seized on chattel mortgage and landed at Marinette. A lively lot of boys were from time to time connected with the Star Printing Company, but nearly all have been lost to sight. Homer Leonard is in Chicago; James Russell has been at Mar- quette, Michigan, many years ; and Brown Caniff is now, (1905), as he has been many years, employed in the Reporter office.
"About this time Thomas H. Bryant had a job office on Main street, over Whittelsey's store, but never made much of a stir. The Commonwealth also had a job office all this time but neither Mr. Watrous nor Mr. Kutchin seemed to care much about pushing the business. Their specialty was the newspaper and they gave it excellent service.
"Thomas Bryant sold his job office to John Lockin, who some time after took it to Brandon and most of it found its way into the office of the Brandon Times.
"In 1875, Spencer Palmer, another of the old Commonwealth boys, started his job printing office in a very modest way. He canvassed the county for work and no village escaped him. Wherever a job of printing was desired, 'Spence' was on hand to see about it and this has been his policy for more than thirty years. He has never aimed at making a big stir but has pursued a steady business course, increasing his facilities slowly, but all the time at work.
"In 1885, Charles H. Swift and P. B. Haber started the County Job .Print- ing office, under the firm name of Swift & Haber. Charley Swift came from the office of the former Star Printing Company and P. B. Haber from the Benjamin Book Agency. The firm existed but a short time, Swift retiring and Mr. Haber becoming the owner. In 1886 he negotiated the purchase of the Daily and Weekly
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