Clark County, Indiana - Chapter 35: Journalism in Clark County, 1909

Chapter 35: Journalism in Clark County

In 1820 George Smith ami Xathaniel Bolton published the first newspaper in Clark county, at Jeffersonville. This paper was published in their residence on Front street, but did not last long, as the_\" removed to Indianapolis in 182 1, where they established the first newspaper in that city. In the thirties the elder Keigwin published a paper in Jefi^ersonville called the "Humlmg." but its life also was short.

In 1836 the Democratic party at the county seat. Charlestown, established a newspaper to expound the doctrine of their faith, and Thomas J. Henly was installed as editor. Henly was a brilliant man, well read and an eloquent speaker, but in strange waters when editing a newspaper. He later on served as a member of Congress from this district for two terms, but only remained in the editorial sanctum for a short while, turning it over to John C. Huckleberry. Huckleberry- kept the paper alive until the summer of 1841, when he was obliged to close the office. The name of this paper was "The Southern Indianian."

In 1837 "The Jeffersonville Republican," a weekly political journal representing Democratic principles, was established in Jeffersonville by Robert Lindsey. Not having means sufficient to carry out this enterprise. Dr. Xathaniel Field and others became his sureties for the payment of the material needed, and at the end of five years of alternate disappointment and encouragement he was obliged to abandon his paper, which came into possession of Doctor Field as the principal surety. The doctor continued its publication some three years at a financial loss, though making a v-ery acceptable journal. He then closed the establishment and sold the press to J. M. Mathews, of Bloomington, who moved it to that place, and for some time Jeffersonville had no paper published within its borders.

In the year 1840 Joseph Usher published a paper in Jeffersonville. called the "Ball of '40." It was a campaign paper, and an ardent Whig. That campaign was known as the hard cider campaign, and the "Ball of '40," added materially to the enthusiasm of the day in Clark county.

An early job ofifice in Jeffersonville in 1841 was located on Spring street in the small two-storv brick at No. 252. It was owned bv a Air. Tilden and a description of this plant may make some of the job offices of the present da}' sit up and take notice. There were four presses, and six to eight men were employed constantly. The presses were hand affairs, but they were capable of excellent work and during the early forties, besides the general run of job work, which kept them running night and day. Tilden printed the Louisville City Directory, a medical work for a Doctor Bright, containing about one thousand pages, and also an English grammar for a Doctor Benedict. William S. Ferrier, the dean of the profession, still living in Charlestown at a hale and hearty old age, set all the type for the grammar.

In the spring of 1842 Ferrier returned to Charlestown, and, although he was only a youth of seventeen, undertook to resuscitate the "Southern Indianian." A Mr. Donaldson assisted for three or four months and then left Ferrier to fight it out alone. He continued the publication of the "Southern Indianian" until 1846, when he sold out to Henry B. Woolls. This paper was a success and supported Thomas J. Henly. who was making the race for Congress on the Democratic ticket, the youthful editor accompanying Henly, and his opponent, Martin, on horseljack throughout the district. Henly won and Ferrier returned from one of the hottest campaigns of those days to his paper at Charlestown.

In 1844 Thomas Wright published a \Miig paper in Jeffersonville. He was a good writer, a printer by trade and put out a first-class journal.

In the year 1847 Fei'i'ier returned to Charlestown from Ohio and bought out the printing plant of Judge James Scott. Judge Scott retired from the Supreme bench in 1831, and about 1834. or very soon after, began the publication of a newspaper called "The Comet," in a little frame building on Lot number 55. At the head of his paper he kept standing as its motto : "Ask not to what doctor I apply, for sworn to no sect or party am I." Whether Judge Scott's paper was still published in 1847. oi" whether it was tlie outfit only which was purchased can not be told, but upon his purchasing the office Ferrier started the "Western Farmer." The name of the paper was finally changed to the "Clark County Democrat." In 1850 this paper was moved to Jeffersonville, where Ferrier continued its publication until 1853, when it was sold to William French. The building where this paper was published still stands in Jefferson\-ille and is now used as the ferry office.

The paper was published by French later in a building which stood on the northwest corner of Chestnut and Pearl streets, and here it received its baptism of actual fire. The building burned and the office together with the contents of the Masonic Hall on the upper floor was a total loss.

In 1862 Ferrier, who had established an office in Charlestown, moved his plant to Jeffersonville and published a paper in the building standing on the southwest comer of Spring and Chestnut streets. He remained as editor of this paper for about one year, and then sold out to a Republican syndicate, who moved it to New Albany.

In 1864 Ferrier was publishing another Repubhcan paper in Jeffersonville. It was pubhshed only a short while, but it lasted during the campaign. It was the first daily Republican newspaper in Jeffersonville. In 1869 Ferrier returned to Charlestown and started the Clark County Record. It was a Republican paper and continued as such until 1900, when it was sold and its politics became Democratic. It is still published and under the name of "Clark County Record and Hoosier Democrat." it proudly declares its age as fortyone years.

The National Democrat

The "National Democrat." the oldest existing weekly newspaper in Clark county and the parent of the Evening News, the first daily newspaper ever established in Jeffersonville, was founded by William Lee, on November 11, 1854. It was a four-page eight-column sheet and was established to uphold the pure doctrine of Democracy, ^^"ith ]\Ir. Lee was S. R. Henry, and the publishing company was known as \\'illiam Lee & Company. Mr. Henry withdrew after the first year and in the absence of Mr. Lee in Washington the burden of the publication devolved almost entirely upon Mrs. Kate Lee, his widow since November, 1902, and now resident at Ireland, Dubois county, Indiana, and well advanced beyond fourscore years.

After two years existence the paper and plant were sold to a number of citizens, all long since dead, who placed the late Capt. A. J. Howard in the editorial chair, but according to Mrs. Lee the verba! promises to pay were never more than partially redeemed. The office was on Front street, over the Ferry office. Messrs. Wiltse and Nixon were the next purchasers, the latter being the Hon. Cyms J. Nixon, whose brother, Txlagistrate Benjamin F. Nixon, died a year ago. They soon transferred their property to Henry B. Woolls, who retained the paper for some years, but finally sold it to Reuben Dailey, who issued his first number on June 6, 1872. He retained the paper till his death and it is now jointly owned by his widow and son. Mrs. A. E. Dailey and Clarence I. Dailey. They also own the daily edition referred to which was started by the late Mr. Dailey on November 18, 1872.

It is to be regretted that the files were not retained intact in the office, but were kept by the parties who owned the paper from time to time, if indeed office files ever existed. Only the first two volumes, published by W'illiam Lee, are now in existence prior to the first volume published by Mr. Dailey.

The weekly edition was published by Mr. Lee in a building on the site now occupied by the Eaken building at Spring and Chestnut streets, while the opposition "Know Nothing" paper was published by William M. French, one square west at Chestnut and Pearl, his paper being known as the "Republican." Later the Democrat was published by Mr. Howard, on Front street, between Pearl and Spring streets, and by Woolls on Spring street, where Frank Spieth now has a meat store. Mr. Dailey assumed charge there, moved to West Chestnut street, then back to Spring street, and thence to \\'all and Chestnut streets, where the paper withstood the flood of 1883. Before the more disastrous flood of the following year it had been moved to the News block, built by the proprietor, where it has been issued ever since, It has always been a Democratic paper.

The original "Evening News," but for which Jeffersonville like Newport and Covington, Kentucky, or Allegheny, Pennsylvania, also situated adjacent to large cities, might never have had a daily paper, was a four column sheet, twelve by nine inches, printed on one side only and sold for one cent a copy five days a week, no publication occurring on Wednesday, which was "weekly day." The paper had "ads." printed on the back soon after and for $1 the editor undertook to print his entire issue on the back of business circulars. However, the bantling' grew and during the next two or three years we find it growing to four pages of even six columns, but one issue shrunk to two columns, four pages, and so it fluctuated until on March 17, 1873. ^^^ epochmaking decision was reached to fix the price at ten cents a week and the size was four columns, four pages at that time. A few years later it grew in size and is now seven columns, four pages, while the weekly contains from six to eight pages, eight columns.

The "National Democrat" missed an issue in its early days, so far as Mrs. Lee recollects, and certainly that of Augntst 8, 1855, is not in the files. This was two days after a fierce election in which the "Know Nothings" figured largely and which was of such a character that the Louisville Journal, the predecessor of the present Courier-Journal, failed to appear on August 7th, and in the next issue, giving a full account of the riots of the previous day, alleged them as the cause of its failure to appear.

During the great flood of 1884. when the News office was flooded, only handbills, similar in size to the earliest issues of the paper, were published. Regular issues were resumed after one week.

The Jeffersonville Times

The Jefifersonville Times was started in the early eighties, by Lee Johnson and Joe Fitzpatrick. A. J. Howard, popularly known as Jack Howard, came into possession of the paper aftenvards and used it as his political mouthpiece when he became warden of the Prison South. The Jefifersonville Times was a seven column, four page paper, and its first habitation was on the second floor at the northeast corner of Spring and Chestnut streets, in the rooms now occupied by the telephone exchange. Here the Rev. T. G. Bosley became the business manager. The offices were moved to the west side of Spring street two doors south of Maple. Here George Howard be- came business manager, but as he did not give his brother, Jack, complete satisfaction, he severed his connection and Devore Broy assumed the management and remained with it until it was carted away to the journalistic graveyard in 1886. Jack Howard, the editor, was one of the best known men in Southern Indiana, and in his day one of the most influential politicians in the state. His wide acquaintance and political sense, together with his newspaper, served to bring him into prominence. His paper, the "Times" was a good one, and in the political fights of the times was a rather dangerous weapon in the hand of its editor.

The Jeffersonville Gazette

In the early eighties George R. Brown established a Republican daily paper in Jeffersonville called the "Jeffersonville Gazette." It was a four page, six column sheet, and as it was published before the day of patent insides, it was filled with local and plate matter. It finally shared the fate of all other Republican newspapers in Clark county, and in 1885 it became a corpse in the building on the west side of Spring street, about two doors south of Market.

The Jeffersonville World

In the early nineties the Small Bros., unwilling to learn by the ghastly array of defunct journals in Jeffersonville, began the publication of the "Jeffersonville World." Their office was located in the brick building at 244 Spring street, but they soon after moved to 216 Spring street. The Small Brothers sold the paper and Albert Small, one of them afterward became identified in publishing patent newspaper matter in Indianapolis. George Voigt finally got control of the paper and continued it as an expounder of the Democratic faith with George Johnson as business manager. The World finally ceased to live.

The Jeffersonville Journal

The Jeffersonville Journal has been described as "a spasm." It was a small Republican paper published in the nineties by a Mr. Tevis, a son of a pastor of Wall Street Methodist church. The Journal worried along for a short while and then died a natural death with no near relatives and very few mourners at the demise.

The Penny Post

In the eighties William Armstrong and Luther F. Warder started a new Democratic paper and called it the "Penny Post." It had a meteoric career across the journalistic heavens of Jeffersonville and finally fizzled out. It was

Baird S History Of Clark Co., Ind. 39I

A Mrs. Johnson pubHshed a temperance paper called the "Agitator," in Jeffersonville, probably in the seventies, but no record of its life or influence can be discovered. It is dead.

The Clark Couxty Republican And Jeffersonville Star

The Charlestown Hustler was established by James Ruddell in Charlestown in 1891. In 1893 Lee L. Robinson and A. R. Schimpff leased the property from Ruddell for six months, and at the end of this term it again became the property of Ruddell. It was afterward purchased by William E. Robinson, and the name changed to "Clark County Republican."

In 1903 Bundy and Patchell purchased the plant and September 2d, of that year started the "Jeffersonville Star." On August i, 1904, the plant went into the hands of a receiver and on December ist it was sold to C. A. and A. R. Schimpft'. In August, 1905, C. A. Schimpff sold out to A. R. Schimpff, who still publishes it. The first location of the Star in Jeffersonville was in the brick building on the north side of Chestnut street above Spring street. Charles Patchell was manager and Devore Broy, cily editor. The present location of the Star at 1 1 5 \\'est Alaple street is a convenient and well appointed newspaper office. It is a staunch supporter of the Republican party and principles and, and its success in being the only Republican paper to exceed nine months in existence, is no doubt due greatly to its consistent and untiring support of these men and measures.

The Clark Couxty Sextixel

On Xovember i, 1893, the Clark County Sentinel was established at Borden, Indiana, by A. E. Olmstead and R. F. ]\Iix. In March, 1894, the oftice was partially destroyed by fire, but the paper never suspended ])ublication. In April of this year Olmstead purchased the one-half interest of R. F. Mix, and since that time he has edited and published it as a Democratic newspaper. It is a seven column, four page paper, well gotten up and has a circulation of about six hundred.

The "Clark County Citizen." the Democratic weekly newspaper published at Charlestown, was founded in October, 1902, by Carl Brayfield. a well known newspaper man and versatile writer, who had previously been a polit- ical staff, correspondent, traveling in Indiana and the South. The Citizen, from its inception, took a leading position in the political affairs of Clark county, and the Third Congressional district, its political opinions being widely quoted and republished in the press of the Hoosier State.

The Citizen occupies three rooms in the Russell block in Charlestown, and is in a prosperous condition. Its circulation is not confined to Clark county alone, but it is widely read by people of the Democratic faith throughout the nine counties of the Third district.

With this number The Citizen enters upon the seventh year of its existence in Charlestown - the fourteenth year of its age both here and in Henryville, at which last named place it was known as the Times.

^^^hen the material of the Times was removed from Henryville to Charlestown six years ago, two wagons were all sufficient to convey the entire plant, and the loads were not heavy.

When the Citizen was established here six years ago, those who did not understand the situation, much less did not know the man at the helm, were profuse in their prediction of failure, and the prophecy was freely made that six months would, at most, see the end of its existence.

The Citizen has lived to see a number of newspaper changes in Charlestown since that bright day, October 3, 1902, when it made its first appearance here. Its Democratic rival, a venerable publication, dating its beginning from the days of the Civil war, after passing through various hands and leading a precarious existence, finally ceased to be, and was succeeded by a Republican paper, leaving the Citizen the sole Democratic occupant of this field.

The Citizen has grown in popularity, in business and in material worth, year after year, until now it is one of the permanent business enterprises of Clark county.

Its standing has been secured by its independence of character, by its hard work, and by refusing to become a mendicant for official and public favors. Whatever it has won has been earned by merit, and it has never prostituted a proud profession by marketing its space for political crumbs that fall from the tables of county officials.

A history of journalism in Clark county would be very incomplete without a mention of the two journals, one of wliich is still published under unusual circumstances. As far back as 1890 a prisoner in the old prison south, Joe Bush, issued a paper within the walls and called it "Hot Drops." It was an original and unique sheet, one copy being the whole issue, written in longhand, yet its fame spread far beyond the limits of its circulation. Its successor is the "Reflector." For several 3-ears this paper was issued from the Reformatory printing office as a weekly journal, but early in 1908 it began a daily issue and has succeeded beyond the expectations of its most sanguine friends. It is an exchange with every county paper in the state of Indiana, and a copy is issued to even,' man in the institution every evening. The weekly issue has a large circulation throughout the United States. The daily paper is a four page, four column sheet, and the weekly issue is six pages and four columns.