Worcester County, Massachusetts - Chapter 49, 1889

Literary And Artistic

Rev. Asa Thurston was born in Fitchburg in 1787. He took a course of study at Yale College and the Andover Theological Seminary, and in 1819 sailed for the Sandwich Islands as a missionary. He remained there till his death, March 11, 1868, and the value of his life-work for humanity can never be estimated. He compiled a valuable dictionary and grammar of the Hawaiian language.

Hon. Rufus Campbell Torrey was a younger brother of Hon. Ebenezer Torrey. He was for some years a resident of Fitchburg, editing a newspaper and teaching in the Fitchburg Academy. In 1836 he wrote the " History of Fitchburg." He afterward removed to Alabama, and became prominent as a lawyer. He died in Claiborne, Alabama, September 13, 1882.

former Courier office, and the next week a slightly smaller paper was issued, called the Filchburg Worcester County Courier. Mr. William S. Wilder was engaged as editor, and the paper flourished until the winter of 1838, when, during Mr. Garfield's absence from town, the editor converted the paper from a neutral to a Democratic sheet. This appears to have been disastrous, for the publication of the Courier ended March 9, 1838. Mr. Garfield continued to occupy the office for job-printing and for a few months issued a small weekly paper called the Times.

During the four or five months preceding December, 1838, there was no paper published in town ; but on the 20th of December, 1838, a new and prosperous era was begun in the journalism of this town by the starting of

The Fitchburg Sentinel. - On the date abovementioned the first number of this newspaper appeared. John Garfield printed it, and Ezra W. Reed was the editor. In politics it was neutral.

About this time there were in town several writers who contributed to the columns of the Sentitiel enlivening and spicy articles. Prominent among them was a lad of sixteen, who afterward became wellknown as an author and poet. This was Augustine Joseph Hickey, an apprentice in the Sentinel office. He was born in 1823, and, owing to a separation between his parents and the death of his mother soon after, was placed in an orphan asylum in Boston at an early age. In 1839 John Garfield, of Fitchburg, then proprietor of the Sentinel, took him from this asyluur, and he went to work in the printing-office. He soon developed aii extraordinary love for books, and began to write anonymously for the Sentinel. He soon wrote a poem, entitled " Slander," which was duly printed in the paper. This poem had a Latin quotation prefixed, and was signed " Julian."

"About this time one Patterson, an employe of the woolen-mill, under the signature of ' Syphax,' criticised 'Conrad,' another local literary light, for misquoting Byron, whereupon 'Julian' took a hand in the discussion, creating an unusual interest for several weeks."

Hickey wrote the communications signed "Julian," and his intimate friend. Goldsmith F. Bailey, copied them and dropped them into the post-office ; so the identity of "Julian '' was wholly unknown even to the proprietor of the Sentinel. These communications showed a considerable amount of geniui and learning, and were generally ascribed to some of the professional, educated men in town at that time.

When about twenty-one years of age Mr. Hickey left Fitchburg and went to Boston, and not long after removed to New York City, where he remained the rest of his life.

His mother, who was the daughter and heiress of a wealthy French family, but was disowned after her clandestine marriage to Mr. Hickey, left her son a dying request that he should assume her maiden name, and in accordance with this request his name was changed, by act of the New York Legislature, to Augustine J. H. Duganne.

He was very active during the war and raised several regiments. He was colonel of the One Hundred and Seventy-sixth New York Regiment, went to the front, was captured, and for some time held prisoner by the rebels.

Let us now return to the Sentinel. It continued to prosper and was published by Mr. Garfield until March, 1841, when William J. Merriani purchased the office and paper. During his proprietorship the Sentinel was twice enlarged, and in February, 1849, the office was removed to its present location, in what is now known as the Sentinel building and was then owned by Crocker & Caldwell.

In December, 1850, Elisha and John Garfield bought out Mr. Merriam. In September, 1852, Mr. James F. D. Garfield bought John Garfield's interest and, with his brother, Elisha, published the paper until October, 1860; and for the fdlowing three and a half years Elisha Garfield conducted the business alone. In April, 1864, John Garfield again purchased half the interest, and in September, 1864, became sole owner of the paper. Six months later Mr. James M. Blancbard became his partner and continued so until MarchJ 1867, when Mr. Charles C. Stratton, who has ever since been connected with the paper, succeeded him as partner.

In January, 1870, Mr. Bourne Spooner bought onethird of the interest, and in January, 1871, Mr. Garfield sold his interest to Messrs. Stratton & Spooner. In March, 1873, the Sentinel Printing Company was formed, and Mr. John E. Kellogg admitted as partner in the new firm. In July, 1873, Mr. Thomas Hale, formerly editor of the Keene Sentinel, purchased Mr. Spooner's interest and continued a member of the firm for about two years. Since 1875 Messrs. C. C. Stratton and J. E. Kellogg have constituted the Sentinel Printing Company, and have conducted both the weekly and daily Sentinel.

During all these years the paper prospered and was enlarged as occasion required ; and early in 1873 the proprietors resolved to make a venture, which proved to be entirely successful, by starting the Filchburg Daily Sentinel. This has always been an evening paper, and the first number was issued May 6, 1873, and its size was twenty-one by thirty inches. Since then it has been enlarged three times, and is now twenty-seven by forty-four inches, the same size as the weekly edition. The Daily Sentinel has made a prominent place for itself, and has a large circulation in town and many subscribersoutsideof Fitchburg.

In January, 1845, the Wachuselt Independant was started. The first issue was dated January 18, 1845, and was printed by E. R. Wilkins in Mark Miller's old printing-oifice. William S. Wilder, formerly of the Courier, was the editor. The office was .soon removed to the building now called the Citizens' Housei and was the first printing-office established in that part of the town. The Independant lived only six months.

January 21, 1852, appeared the first issue of the Fitchburg News, Dr. Charles Robinson, editor and publisher. It was printed in an office in the old Rollstone block, formerly occupied by the Fitchburg Tribune, a paper published by Mr. George A. White for a few months in 1847.

Under Dr. Robinson's management the News prospered, but in January, 1853, he sold the paper to the firm of Rollins & Knowlton, of Winchendon, and its publication was suspended during the following June. Dr. Robinson soon removed to Lawrence, Kansas, and later became Governor of Kansas.

March 31, 1852, appeared the first number of the Fitchburg i2evei?/e, a semi-weekly paper, printed in an office in the upper story of Central Block. Mr. John J. Piper was editor and publisher, and for nearly seventeen years he conducted the Reveille with signal success and made it well-known as a stanch Republican newspaper. It was three times enlarged, and in April, 1869, was a thirty-two column paper, twentyseven by forty-one inches. Up to October, 1861, it was a semi-weekly, but after that was issued weekly.

John J. Piper died February 3, 1869, and the publication of the Reveille was continued by his two brothers, Joseph L. and Henry F. Piper, who soon after removed the office to the new Rollstone National Bank building. In May, 1874, J. L. Piper retired and the paper was conducted by H. F. Piper alone till May, 1875, when Frank L. Boutelle became a partner. The firm of Piper & Boutelle was dissolved in August, 1876, and the Reveille was for a few months longer published in the old Rollstone Block Printing Office by Col. Ezia S. Stearns, who at that time published the Daily Chronicle there. February 15, 1877, the publication of both papers was suspended. The existence of the Reveille covered a period of almost a quarter of a century, and during the major portion of this time it was a prominent paper not alone in Fitchburg, but also in Worcester County, and its decline and suspension were much regretted.

In March, 1857, appeared the first issue of a small monthly advertising sheet called The Inkstand. It was published at the furniture store of Sidney D. Willis and was continued only a few months. Mention is made of it because it was the pioneer of the large number of advertising papers that have been printed here since.

In January, 1881, the Fitchburg Tribune was started by William M. Sargent. It was a weekly paper of good appearance and was printed in an office in Goodrich Block. A daily edition was begun in the following March, which will be noticed further on. The Tribune was continued under several diflerent proprietors until February, 1885, when Albert G. Morse, then the publisher, changed the name to Fitchburg News. In May, 1885, Mr. Joseph H. White became the publisher of the News and continued it until February, 1886, when he changed it to a monthly paper with the name Monthly Visitor. Mr. White has continued its publication, but the name of the paper now is the Ladies' Home Visitor.

In December, 1880, Thomas C. Blood started an advertising paper, called the Fitchburg Enterprise. Since then it has been published about once in three months. It is well patronized by advertisers, and contains some interesting reading matter in each issue. The paper is printed at the Sentinel office, and about three thousand copies are struck off each time.

In June, 1885, Hubert C. Bartlett began the publication of a monthly paper, devoted to temperance, health and the home, and having the name United States 3Ionihly. This paper has continued to be published since, and has done good work for the temperance cause. It is a well printed and ably conducted sixteen-page paper, and since February, 1887, its price has been twenty-five cents per year.

Since September, 1887, the Young Men's Christian Association have issued a small monthly paper, devoted to the work of the association. Its name is The Beacon Light.

The Scientist is the title of an eight-page monthly, issued by Chapter 48, Agassiz Association of Fitchburg. The first number appeared in April, 1888. E. Adams Hartwell, A.M., and Mr. William G. Farrar are the editors.

The five last-named publications were the only ones, beside the weekly and daily Sentinel, published in Fitchburg until recently, when the Evening Mail was started.

Daily Papers in Fitchburg. - The first attempt to start a daily paper here was made in October, 1854. The Fitchburg Daily was the name given it by the publishers, Messrs. Plaisted & Baxter. It was printed in the office in Rollstone Block, was eighteen by twenty-four inches in size, and had an existence of just three days.

the Fitchbtirg Daily Press. This was an evening paper published by Piper & Boutelle, in connection with the Reveille. Its size was twenty-one by thirtyone inches. It lived less than a year, the last issue being early in August, 1876.

The Fitchburg Eoening Chronicle took the place of the Press, being issued from the Reveille office under the editorship of Colonel Ezra S. Stearns, who continued to conduct both this paper and the Reveille until February 1.5, 1877, when both papers were suspended, as has been previouslj' stated.

In March, 18S1, Mr. W. M. Sargent, publisher of the Fitchburg Tribune, began the publication of a daily paper, the Daily Evening Tribune. It was eighteen by twenty-five inches in size, and in the following summer was enlarged to twenty-two by thirty inches.

Mr. Sargent sold his interest in the paper to J. W. EUam, of Clinton, in July, 1882, who continued both daily and weekly. He was succeeded by Mr, E. A. Norris, in April, 1883, who published both editions until September, 1884, when Albert G. Morse became the publisher. Mr. Morse discontinued the Daily Tribune in February, 1885.

The first issue of The Evening Mail, the new daily paper, appeared October 3,1888. It is a well-printed and very readable sheet, a trifle smaller than the Sentinel.

It is published by the Evening Mail Company, of which Mr. H. L. Inman, formerly of the Keene Observer, is president ; Dr. G. D. Colony, treasurer ; and M. F. Jones, secretary.

The company has purchased the plant of J. H. White, on Day Street, added new presses, type, etc., and hopes to make the new daily a permanent and prosperous enterprise.