USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume I > Part 48
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to the prophets, the Journal did not die at the close of the campaign, when L. W. Nieman purchased Mr. Deuster's interest and changed the policy to that of an independent publication. Mr. Nieman had been connected with the editorial department of the Sentinel, and upon acquiring the controlling interest in the Journal he assumed command of the editorial work, Mr. Kraus looking after the business end. In 1884 it obtained the United Press afternoon franchise for Milwau- kee and the next year removed to the building that had been erected by the News Company on Mason street. On Oct. 12, 1889, the inde- pendent policy was dropped and the paper was a consistent advocate of Democratic principles for some years, but again became a free lance. In 1907 the Journal moved into its own fine building on the West Side. In 1890 Mr. Kraus retired and The Journal Company was organized with L. W. Nieman, president and editor ; L. T. Boyd, sec- retary ; and J. W. Schaum, treasurer. In 1892 the offices were removed to a new building on Michigan street and in 1894 the Journal became a member of the Associated Press.
C. B. Harger, in November, 1884, began the publication of an independent morning paper called The Daily Globe, but after sinking several thousand dollars in the venture he discovered that there was no popular demand for such a paper and ceased to publish it.
Yenowine's News, the first number of which appeared on Sunday, April 5, 1885, but was later changed to a Saturday paper, was estab- lished by George H. Yenowine and was the first Milwaukee paper to make a specialty of illustrated articles. Its typography, "make-up," and mechanical work were of the highest order known to the printer's art, and its artistic illustrations required a fine quality of paper to keep up its appearance. Consequently the expense attached to its publication was heavy when compared with the patronage it received, and after several apparently successful years it passed to the ownership of Mark Forrest in 1895 and he sold it to a Miss Palmer. She changed it into a trade journal called "Packages," which is still in existence.
The Daily Reformer, a paper devoted to labor interests and money reform, was started by Robert Schilling on Oct. 4, 1886. It met the fate that seems to await most periodicals of that class, and closed its brief career on Jan. 1, 1890, because of inadequate support.
Another labor paper, called the Milwaukee Labor Review, had been commenced in April, 1886, some six months before Schilling started the Reformer. The Review was a weekly publication, unpre- tentious in size and appearance. It was ably edited by W. H. Park, a member of the Typographical Union, and was a consistent advocate of shorter hours of labor, which about that time was engrossing the
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attention of the trades unions. The little paper was full of bright and intelligent items and editorials, and so well did it succeed that in March, 1887, it was changed to The Daily Review. In April, 1889, Mr. Park took A. M. Hoyt in with him, and at that time the name was changed to The Daily News. Under this name it was the first daily in Milwaukee to establish and successfully maintain the price of one cent for the paper. For a time it was independent in politics, but ultimately became an advocate of Democratic doctrines. The present office of publication is at 219 West Water street.
In November, 1893, the Daily Times was organized on a stock company plan with Clarence Clark as manager. The outfit was brought from Madison, where Mr. Clark had been engaged in the pub- lication of a paper bearing the same name. The capital stock was not all paid for in advance, and after the paper had been conducted at a loss for about six weeks the stockholders refused to make any further payments, which forced the Times to the wall.
The Milwaukee Free Press Company was incorporated in the spring of 1901, and the first issue of the paper bearing the name ap- peared on June 18, with H. P. Myrick as editor and A. Huegin as man- ager. After referring to the fact that Milwaukee, with a population of about 300,000, had for years had only one morning paper printed in the English language and announcing the encouraging feature of a large list of subscribers secured in advance of publication, the editor in his salutatory said: "There are special reasons for this extraordinary endorsement of a new newspaper enterprise at this time. For several years there has been a growing conviction in Wisconsin that the state was steadily being more completely dominated by certain political forces and influences which menaced representative government. While the political machine has not yet here reached the high develop- ment obtained in other states, its steady progress toward that end has been unmistakable. It does not answer the objections to cry 'Pop- ulism.' When so conservative a body as the American Bar Associa- tion in convention declares that the public mind has become firmly impressed with the belief that powerful aggregations of capital have had considerable success in corrupting legislatures and municipal assemblies and public officials, surely it is time for the citizen to notice the existence of such conditions and to give aid to those seeking to secure a change.
If party ranks are divided, and party success imperiled. by influences within the party, the facts should be explained until generally understood, and the responsibility should be clearly fixed in the popular mind. Party leaders who are for the party
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only when they can thereby best serve selfish interests which employ them must be retired if public confidence in party and stability of party organization are to be retained. When such leaders can utilize the party organization and, with large patronage of public office at their disposal, can place their agents and creatures in common councils and legislatures, the situation is bad enough. When with the wealth largely augmented through such political manipulation they can acquire leading party newspapers, as they have done recently in Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and other cities, and can use their newspapers in disguise of honesty and candor as special pleaders for special interests -suppressing or distorting facts, misrepresenting and maligning those whom they cannot control-the conditions become unbearable, and public revolt is inevitable.
** The Free Press will aim to be what its name im- plies ; a newspaper free to tell the truth at all times, presenting the news fairly and honestly-not colored in deference to individaul prejudice or in service of special interests. Its projectors believe that it is the province of a newspaper depending upon public support for existence to print the facts, and to permit the reader to frame his own opinions from the facts. It thus may help to create correct public sentiment without attempting arbitrarily to direct it."
The first issue consisted of twenty-four seven-column pages, after which it settled down to eight pages during the week, with larger editions on Sunday. Later a weekly edition was established. The office of publication was located at the corner of Broadway and Wis- consin streets, where it still continues. The endorsement mentioned in the first editorial evidently still continues, as the Free Press has a large circulation and is generally recognized as a fearless exponent of true Republican principles.
The foregoing list includes the principal English papers that are or have been published in the city of Milwaukee. Others that sprang up and flourished for a brief period, that are entitled to mention in this connection, were the Gleaner, an agricultural paper published for a short time in 1838 by W. P. Proudfit ; the Milwaukiean, a weekly pub- lished by George M. Shipper in 1843-44: the Milwaukee Herald. weekly, Silas Chapman publisher, in 1843: the Barnburner, by Sher- man M. Booth, published weekly for awhile in 1848; the Anthropolo- gist, monthly, devoted to clairvoyance, etc., published for the greater part of 1850 by Pratt & Co .; the Daily American, 1855 to 1858; The. Daily Times, by Irving Burwick & Co., 1858; Cosmopolite, A. J. Aikens, sometime in the 50's, only two or three issues; the National, a Democratic paper started by Flavin Bros. in 1859 and ran for about
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three months; the Literary Gazette, several numbers of which were issued in 1859; the Enquirer, a daily penny paper, Ellis & Swineford, publishers, 1860, lived only a few months; the Literary Messenger, started by T. W. Williams in 1870, published sometimes weekly, some- times monthly, for several years; the Milwaukee Monthly, also begun in 1870, by Charles Whitaker, ran for several years, but with indifferent success ; and several trade and literary papers at various times.
The first German newspaper in Milwaukee was the Wisconsin Banner, which was founded by Moritz Schoeffler, the first number bearing the date of Sept. 7. 1844, it being not only the first German paper in the city of Milwaukee, but also the first in the Territory of Wisconsin. Mr. Schoeffler was born at Zweibruecken, Germany, March 8, 1813. After receiving a grammar-school education and learning the printer's trade in his native land, he decided to come to America and landed at New York in August, 1842. After working in New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis and some other places he came to Milwaukee in the spring of 1844, and started the Banner as above stated. Mr. Schoeffler was the first German ever elected to the office of school commissioner in Milwaukee, and was the only German delegate to the constitutional convention of 1847. He remained with the paper he had founded until the fall of 1874, when failing health compelled him to retire. His death occurred on Dec. 29, 1875.
The Banner was launched in the midst of the presidential cam- paign of 1844. It hoisted the names of Polk and Dallas at the head of its editorial columns, and naturally was a vigorous opponent of the doctrines of the "Know Nothing" party of that period. On Jan. 12, 1850, the first edition of the Daily Banner was issued. Late in 1847 the proprietors of the Sentinel began the publication of a German weekly called the Volksfreund, Gen. King bringing from New York a young German named Frederick Fratney to conduct the editorial columns. The Volksfreund was at first merely a German supplement to the Sentinel, but after a short time it was published as an independ- ent weekly in support of the Whig policy. In 1855 the two German papers were consolidated under the name of the Banner and Volks- freund. In 1874 Mr. Schoeffler retired as above stated, the ownership of the paper being at that time vested in a corporation known as The Banner and Volksfreund Printing Company. From that date the paper began to decline, and in May, 1880, it was consolidated with the Freie Presse, an afternoon paper that had been started by Richard Michaelis in 1878. The name Freie Presse was adopted, the publica- tion was undertaken by a stock company, and Herman Sigel, who had
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been editor of the Freie Presse before the consolidation, remained in that capacity, as well as president of the company. From 1880 to 1890 the Freie Presse was a morning paper. On June 18, 1890, it was acquired by Paul Bechtner, who changed the name to the Abendpost and issued it in the afternoon. Mr. Bechtner removed the paper into new quarters and retained Mr. Sigel as editor until the latter's death in 1894. Shortly after this the Abendpost was consolidated with the Germania.
The Seebote, another prominent German paper, was founded in the year 1851 by a stock company and soon became recognized as a staunch supporter of Democratic principles. A short time after it was established it was purchased by Greulich. Rickert & Paul, who conducted it until 1856, when P. V. Deuster acquired a controlling interest, Rickert and Paul retiring. Four years later Mr. Deuster bought out Mr. Greulich and remained the sole proprietor until 1879, when Michael Kraus and Julius Muehle were admitted to partnership, the firm name being P. V. Duester & Co. Mr. Kraus retired from the firm in 1882 and some years later Mr. Deuster's son, Oscar V. Deuster, became managing editor of the Seebote, which was issued as an evening paper until February, 1886, when it was changed to a morning daily. P. V. Deuster & Co. still publish it, and also publish a monthly literary paper called the Banner and Volksfreund.
The Herold was established in September, 1860, by William W. Coleman and Bernhard Domschke. Mr. Domschke had been engaged in newspaper work in Germany, but was one of the exiles from the Fatherland on account of the revolutionary troubles of 1848. In 1854 he came to Milwaukee, where he made three unsuccessful newspaper ventures before becoming associated with Mr. Coleman in the publica- tion of the Herold. First he undertook the publication of a paper called the Corsar, but after about a year it was forced to suspend. He then started a daily (the Journal) which lasted but a little over two months, and in March, 1856, founded the Atlas, a weekly paper. This met with better success, and on Nov. 29, 1858, he began to issue it daily, but the increased expenses incident to the publication of the daily finally proved too heavy to be borne and the Atlas went the way of its predecessors.' Mr. Coleman possessed business talent of a high order, and the Herold was successful from the beginning. In August, 1862, Mr. Domschke and most of the employes of the paper enlisted as volunteers, and from that time until 1866 Mr. Coleman issued it only once a week. Upon Mr. Domschke's return from the army the German Printing Company was organized and the daily edition was resumed. Mr. Domschke died in 1869, when C. J. Palme became
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editor. About this time the paper became a member of the Associated Press, and during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 the excellence of its foreign news assisted in greatly enlarging its circulation. Mr. Coleman became the sole proprietor in 1875, when the name of Herold Company was adopted. Mr. Coleman died in 1888 and the publication of the paper was conducted by his widow and her sons for some time, when the paper bacame the property of the Germania-Herold Asso- ciation.
The Germania was established in 1873 by several German citizens of Milwaukee, who incorporated under the name of the German Prot- estant Printing Association. It was at first a weekly, but a daily edition was soon started. After a struggling existence for some time the Germania became the property of George Brumder, who incor- porated the business under the name of the Germania Publishing Company. The daily edition was suspended, and in 1895 the weekly had the largest circulation of any American paper published in the German language. In time the company absorbed the Abendpost, and the Germania-Herold Association now publishes the Germania and Abendpost, Der Herold, the Sonntags Post (The Sunday edition of the old Abendpost), and an agricultural paper called the Haus and Bauernfreund.
In May, 1876, Joseph Brucker, at the head of a stock company, began the publication of the Socialist, which was the first paper in Milwaukee to advocate the theory of socialism as a remedy for the amelioration of the condition of the working classes. About two years later it became the property of Richard Michaelis, who changed the name to the Vorwaerts, then to the Freie Presse, and finally to the Abendpost, which is now owned by the Germania-Herold Association.
The Polish population in America, numbering about 3,000,000, consists chiefly of the laboring classes. Although numerous churches and spacious schools have been reared by the score everywhere, yet the intellectual progress has not always kept pace with the vast numbers that are pouring annually into our country. Even the educated Poles, especially the younger element who were born and reared in America, have frequently a very scant and superficial knowledge of their mother tongue. The pulpit, the lecture platform, the class room, and even the Polish press do little for the preservation of the purity and integrity of the Polish language. In order to remedy this state of affairs, the Rev. B. E. Goral, a professor in the St. Francis Seminary, St. Francis, Wis., founded, in 1905, the "Oredownik Jezykowy" (Language Mes- senger), a monthly, devoted to the cultivation of correctness, purity, and beauty of the Polish language; its literature and culture; its his-
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tory, and to pedagogy in general. The subscription price of this mag- azine is one dollar a year. It appears every month, the vacation months of July and August excepted. The "Oredownik Jezykowy" is the first and only periodical of its kind in America. It is eagerly read by Polish priests, teachers, organists, lawyers, doctors, members of liter- ary and dramatic societies, students or higher educational institu- tions-in short, by the elite of the Polish population in America. This monthly has a few distinct departments. One of these is devoted to the systematic study of the Polish American slang, and another to the critical examination of the faulty grammar, diction, and phraseology, as used in the Polish-American press. In the department of "Ques- tions and Answers" are solved all questions proposed by the readers. Any new book issued on kindred subjects, is critically reviewed in this magazine, if sent to the editor. The single numbers are so arranged that they constitute a separate volume each year. The "Oredownik Jezykowy" numbers among its European collaborators some of the greatest living Polish and Slavic philologists and linguists, and it ranks very high among the Polish educational and scientific publica- tions of Europe. Rev. B. E. Goral, the editor and publisher of the "Oredownik Jezykowy", lives at present at 890 Mitchell street in Mil- waukee.
A former Polish publication, which was issued weekly under the name of "Katolik", ceased to appear after the death of its editor, Rev. William Grutza, on Aug. 20, 1901 ; and when two years later the pub- lication of the daily "Dziennik Milwaucki", was suspended the Poles of Milwaukee had no organ that was considered a real and sincere exponent of their religious, political, and social wants and tenets. The cry for another Polish paper in Milwaukee became louder and louder, and the Poles did not have to wait very long for the gratification of their desire. Rev. B. E. Goral, professor in St, Francis Seminary, and the editor and publisher of the "Oredownik Jezykowy", was, in the opinion of the representative Poles of the city, the only one who could successfully manage the proposed weekly. A meeting was held in the archiepiscopal residence on Dec. 17, 1906, when the plan, proposed by Rev. Goral, of establishing a permanent weekly on a solid basis, met with the general and hearty approval of all the local Polish clergymen. Ways and means were then and there devised for the publication of the proposed weekly. It was decided to organize the Nowiny Publishing Company with a capital stock of $11,000, divided into 220 shares of fifty dollars each. All who were present subscribed for stock, and the shares remaining were to be sold to the most prominent and influential Poles of Milwaukee. Rev. Goral was unanimously elected editor-in-
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chief and also president and general manager of the company, and Rev. Joseph C. Knitter was chosen as vice-president and Albin M. Szybczynski as secretary. To insure a more rapid circulation, the sub- scription price was set at only one dollar a year. The first number of the new paper, called the "Nowiny" (News), appeared on Christmas eve of 1906. It was welcomed enthusiastically, not only by the Poles of Milwaukee, but by the entire Polish-American press. The influence of the "Nowiny" grew, as was growing day-by-day the popularity and circulation of the sprightly new weekly. The conviction that the 70,- 000 Poles in Milwaukee could easily support another daily influenced the stockholders of the Nowiny Publishing Company to transform the weekly into a daily. Accordingly, at the first annual meeting of the stockholders, held on Jan. 13, 1908, a unanimous resolution was adopted to this effect. The Nowiny Publishing Company was reorganized and the capital stock was raised from $11,000 to $50,000, divided into 5,000 shares of ten dollars each. This enabled even the poorer ones to be- come part owners of their paper. The subscription price of the new daily, now called "Nowiny Polskie" (Polish News), was set at three dollars per annum. The new daily made its initial bow on March 31, 1908, and what never happened before in the history of Polish journal- ism in this country, it appeared from the first, 8 pages strong, having frequently 12 to 16 pages. Rev. B. E. Goral was re-elected president, treasurer, and general manager of the company; Rev. B. Celichowski was made vice-president ; and Albin M. Szybczynski was re-elected sec- retary. These gentlemen, together with Rev. M. J. Domachowski and R. Kielpinski, constitute the present board of directors. The 3,000 shares, offered for sale, were soon disposed of. The "Nowiny Polskie" is now owned by the Polish priests and all the more prominent and in- fluential Poles of Milwaukee, and by as many more (about 150 in all) throughout the Union. The company owns a well equipped plant, comprising a rotary press, linotypes, etc., at 614 Mitchell street, where the offices of the company are located. Although the former weekly, "Nowiny", has become a daily (Nowiny Polskie"), the weekly edi- tion, intended chiefly for the smaller towns and the farmers of Wis- consin and the Northwest, has not been suspended. In order, however, to avoid confusion and possible errors, another name was given to the paper-"Tygodnik Polski" (The Polish Weekly). This popular week- ly appears in editions of from 12 to 16 pages. The annual subcription price is only $1.50, which is an additional reason for the rapidly in- creasing circulation. Both papers are flourishing and have the bright- est future in store.
The Wisconsin Blue Book, for 1907, gives a list of 123 papers
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and periodicals published in Milwaukee county. Of these II are pub- lished daily ; 3, semi-weekly ; 43, weekly ; 3, semi-monthly ; 56, monthly, and 7, quarterly. Eighty-two are published in the English language, 33 in German, 5 in Polish, and 3 in Bohemian. Practically every field of journalism is covered by the Milwaukee papers, 31 of which are devoted to general news and politics ; II to commercial interests ; 5 to agriculture ; 5 to trade or labor; 14 to literature and the family ; 8 to educational interests; 21 to religion of various denominations ; 7 to the benevolent or secret societies; 6 to science or the professions ; 2 to sports ; I to charitable work; I to temperance; I to music, and 10 are unclassified.
The list of publications, with their respective publishers, as given in the Blue Book, is as follows: Ackerand Gartenbau Zeitung, Herold Publishing Co .; Advance, Robert Schilling; American Journal of Edu- cation, S. Y. Gillan & Co .; American Monthly and Agent's News, C. P. Dietz; American School Board Journal, W. G. Bruce; American Soap Manufacturers' Journal, Henry Gathmann; Amerikanische Turn- zeitung, Freidenker Publishing Co., who publish also the Arminia ; Bad- ger , Badger Publishing Co .; Banner and Volksfreund, Banner Co .; The Bonded Attorney, Attorneys' Association; Brooms, Brushes and Handles; Bunte Blaetter, N. W. Publishing House; Catholic Citizen, Citizen Publishing Co .; Catholic Directory, M. H. Wiltzius Co .; Cath- olic Forester ; Catholic School Journal, Catholic School Journal Pub- lishing Co .; Cigar Makers' Journal, Cigar Makers Publishing Co .; Cereals and Feed, Cereals and Feed Publishing Co .; The Chemist ; Chronicle, Chronicle Publishing Co .; Church Times ; Columbia, Colum- bia Publishing Co .; Cynosure, W. C. Alhauser; Daily Commercial Letter, F. W. Friese; Der Landmann; Deutsche Hausfrau and Modernes Journal, Hausfrau Publishing Co .; Deutsche Warte, George Brumder, who publishes also the Deutches Volksblatt and the Erho- lungsstunden; Directory Bulletin; Domacnost, Anton Novak; The Dreamer, Julius O. Rhoehl; Druggist's Weeklies, Druggist's Publish- ing Co ..; Dzienuik Milwaucki; Evening Prayer, Young Churchman Publishing Co., who publish also the Young Churchman and the Shepherd's Arm, each of which is issued in weekly and monthly editions, and the Living Church, a religious weekly; Evening Wis- consin, Evening Wisconsin Publishing Company; Excelsior, Excelsior Publishing Co. ; Flour and Feed, Pack. Publishing Co .; Free Press, Free Press Publishing Co. : Freidenker, Freidenker Publishing Co .; Fuer Un- sere Jugend, Freidenker Publishing Co .; Gazeta Wisconsinska, Kuryer Publishing Co., who publish likewise the Kuryer Polski and the Kuryer Tygodniowy; Gemeinde Blatt, N. W. Publishing House; Germania,
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