Clinton County, Indiana - Chapter 9: The Press, 1913

Newspaper Files

In many of the county seats of Indiana, newspapers were established soon after the county seat was located : and in such cases the establishment of the paper was usually due to the fact that the county seat was located at a town, with sufficient population to give an adventurous frontier printer hope of sustaining a paper of which he should constitute the entire editorial and mechanical force. The papers were very simple propositions after the first copy was issued. Advertisements occupied most of the space and the editor usually let an advertisement run over time rather than incur the trouble of filling the space with reading matter, which he had to put in type.

There was no telegraph, and very little local news. The news was usually in the form of extracts from papers of the cities; and that from abroad was guaranteed as brought by ''the latest ship." Editorials were very rare in the early papers, and in political campaigns their place was usually supplied by letters from interested politicians, which were frequently in the nature of political attacks on opponents, that called out answers. It was considered the fair thing to publish letters from both sides, even if the paper itself was allied with a political party; and on the whole the public probably got a fairer view of political issues than at present, when the object of a party paper is to sav everything it can against the opposition, and nothing in its favor. The "interview" was practically unknown. If a man had anything to say he said it over his own signature, or a nom de plume, his identity being known to the editor, as a safeguard against demands for retraction, libel suits, and irate citizens who wanted personal satisfaction.

lished, the chief reason being that there was no town of any size in the county. The entire population of the county in 1840 was only 7,508, of whom only 1,245 were "engaged in occupations," i . e. , males old enough to be in regular work. Of these 1,069 were engaged in agriculture, and most of them were too earnestly occupied in securing the necessities of life to give much support to newspapers. The chief support of a newspaper was at the county seat, where there was some legal advertising, but not a great deal. The circuit court met only twice a year and did not call for very much newspaper advertising when it did meet. In fact, "posting in three conspicuous places" was much the more common mode of legal advertising in those days.

In 1839 the man to risk the venture was found in Col. Xoah T. Catterlin, who was easily the most active and aggressive business man of the early period. He had been a peddler, storekeeper, fur trader and had taken loaded flat-boats to Xew Orleans. Locating at Frankfort in 1830. he opened a store, bought and shipped horses, mules, cattle, grain and flour: packed and shipped pork; built the first saw and grist, mill in Frankfort in 1835: built the first brick building in 1837: brought in the first iron safe: and in 1839 brought in the first printing press. He was colonel of a militia regiment, which he organized: was an active Democrat: one of the ablest of the local speakers: an early and pronounced temperance advocate: and had served as sheriff from 1834 to 1836.

Clearlv. if an\bod\ was fitted to -tart a newspaper. Colonel Catterlin was. The only thing he lacked was knowledge of the business, an he imported James R. Pile to take care of the professional end of the enterprise. These two launched the Frankfort Argus in January. 1839. and Pile continued with the paper until August of that year, when he retired and John Catterlin took his place until the following April. Colonel Catterlin then continued the paper, employing a printer for the mechanical work, for two vears longer, advocating Democratic doctrines, as they were advocated by the newspapers of those days: and that was a much milder way than is adopted by the newspapers of the present.

But the Argus was not a gold mine, and Colonel Catterlin was too thorough a business man to hang on to an enterprise that would not go. so he closed out the business and for a year the county was without a printing press. In the summer of 1843 G. Weaver Snyder was attracted to the field from Craw fordsville and established a printing office and a weekly paper called the Frankfort Obsen>er. It was likewise a Democratic paper and was printed in the building known as "the Wilson House." It lasted for over a year, but succumbed from lack of support shortly before the national election of 1844: and when a party newspaper dies in the midst of a political campaign it is very conclusive evidence that conditions are not favorable for a newspaper.

Three years noAv passed without a local paper, and then, in the autumn of 1847, T. J. Taylor was bold enough to undertake a Democratic newspaper at Frankfort, which he called The Clintonian. He kept it up for a year and then discontinued the paper, but without removing the printing office. In June, 1849, Joseph R. Horsley, of Delphi, purchased the office and began the publication of a Democratic paper called The Clinton JVczcs. This was the start of the first permanent newspaper in the county, for though there were changes in the name and in the editors there was a practical continuation of the paper through the years until it developed into the Crescent of today. The Clintonian was published in the building later occupied bv what was known as "The Flag Store," at the southeast corner of the square, opposite the Coulter House, to the north.

The earliest copy of a Clinton county newspaper now known to be in existence is a number of this Clinton Nezes for November 6, 1849, preserved in the Indiana State Library. It is No. 25 of Vol. 1. published by Joseph R. Horsley at Frankfort. The principal local items refer to the two absorbing topics of that period - a temperance meeting on the 13th and a railroad meeting on the 12th. The Frankfort Branch Railroad Company was then advertising its stock subscription. Among the interesting advertisements, Charles Beal, "German apothecary," announces that he has located in Frankfort and "is prepared to cure all diseases of a chronic character; his motto is 'no cure, no pay'." As rival druggists Sims. Cohee & Sims call attention to various attractions at their "Frankfort Drug Store." especially "Dr. Osgood's India Cholagogue" for fever and ague. J. C. Fisher was also on hand with sterling remedies, notably "Bonplard's Fever and Ague Remedy."

Dr. F. M. Carter, "Graduate of the Medical Department of the University of New AUrk," tendered his services at Frankfort; and Dr. G. M. Boal did likewise at Michigantown. D. L. Rash, "Fashionable Tailor," had just received "the spring and summer fashions for 1S49" Hi is ad. is dated May 19) at Jefferson. Franklin McCarty urged the encouragement of "home industrv" by buying hats "at the old stand on the north side of the public square." He says : "In addition to hats of his own manufacture he has just received from New York a large and splendid assortment of fashionable hats ; all of which will be sold cheaper than has ever been offered in this market for cash or produce. I am determined not to be outdone, so come on, gentlemen."

Mr. Horsley continued the News for over a year and then, in the fall of 1850. sold the office to John Gamble and Hugh B. McCain. They' moved the office back to the building where the Clintonian had been published and changed the name of the paper to The Compiler. Later it was removed to the frame building at the northwest corner of the square, where Bon Merritt's now is. known as "the Eye Tooth." It was still Democratic in politics. Mr. McCain sold out in about a year; and, in October, 1851, Mr. Gamble invested in new type, press and fixtures, enlarged the paper to a six-column folio, and changed the name to the Frankfort Weekly Crescent. Gamble was a competent newspaper man, and the conditions were constantly growing more favorable for a newspaper, so that the Crescent developed into a substantial and creditable sheet. In the spring of 1854 Mr. Gamble sold the paper to Leander McClurg and Joseph T. Pressly. and in his farewell editorial of April 1, 1854, Mr. Gamble says:

"When I started the publication of the Crescent it was regarded by my most sanguine friends as a hazardous project. Several county papers had failed, and there was difficulty in establishing public confidence. I procured a new press, new type and printing apparatus, and endeavored to make the newspaper of Clinton county equal in all respects to its compeers of other counties. Wishing to change my business, the office has been sold to Messrs. J. T. Pressly and Leander McClurg. both young men of ability and energy, and I have no doubt if they are supported as they should be by the citizens of Clinton countv that they will publish a paper which will be an honor to the countv and of great public benefit. The county has now a population of 15,000, it is capable of giving an ample support to a good county paper."

McClurg & Pressly continued the practice of law but also issued as creditable a paper as Gamble had predicted. Fortunately a file of the Crescent from October 8, 1853, to September 29. 1855, is preserved, the treasured property of Leander McClurg, Jr., and makes one of the most valuable historical records of Clinton county. The paper in this period had taken on quite a literary tone, indicating a cultured class of readers, and there were numerous original contributions, frequently poetry. It is to be regretted that the identity of these local poets b not preserved, as they did some very fair work, but it is all under fictitious names. It would be interesting now to know who were the "Lottie" of Middle Fork, and the "Memoranda" of Michigantown. who contributed poetry to the Crescent in the summer of 1855. And there were also original stories and jokes. In view of the present movement towards woman's suffrage, it is timely to reproduce the follow-

"Shall ladies have votes? 'Certainly,' replies a strong-minded woman of our acquaintance; "is woman made only to sew on buttons? And if she is, you have no right to turn away the needle from the poll.' The perpetrator of this immediately absquatulated."

McClurg & Pressly continued the publication of the Crescent till June 23, 1855, when Pressly, in a valedictory announced the sale of his interest "to J. B. Xewton, a practical printer, and a young man of ability and energy from Delphi." and Newton made his bow as a stranger, who asked only "a fair trial.'' The new firm continued the paper until the winter of 1857, when McClurg sold to William H. Ghere. and he, a year later, sold to Newton. Newton conducted the paper alone for a year, and then Leander McClurg again bought a half interest, and McClurg & Newton conducted the paper for four years, to March 20. 1862. when they sold to Frank D. Caldwell, of Kilmore. McClurg & Newton moved the office to the third floor of the building long known as "the Douglass corner." where it remained for a number of years.

Caldwell published the paper till March 21. 1863. and then sold to Joshua N. Armantrout. of Frankfort, who conducted it until April 19. 1867, at which time it was sold to a joint stock company. The company put Truman H. Palmer in charge of the paper as editor and John C. Taylor as publisher; but this arrangement lasted less than three months, when Allen E. Paige secured control of the stock and assumed the entire management of the paper. On October 1. 1869. Paige sold a half interest to Jabez T. Cox, of Tipton ; and on fanuarv 21, 1870, sold his remaining interest to Cox. who continued the paper until February. 1872. when it again passed into the hands of a joint stock company.

Under the new company the paper was conducted by Mb H. Ghere and T. H. Palmer until June 15. 1872, when Erastus H. Staley was employed as editor. Within two months Mr. Ghere fell ill and desired to sell. FIE interest was purchased by Mr. Staley for Si. 820. Mr. Staley thereby became owner of a controlling interest, which he retained for nineteen years. The company had already purchased new type and press, and the paper took on neve life. Mr. Staley bought a. lot midway of the north side of the square and put up a building for the Crescent, which it occupied for twenty years. This period of the paper's history constitutes an epoch, and Mr. Staley's present standing in local newspaper circles as "father of the chapter," calls for special notice of him.

Prof. K. H. Stalky

Erastus H. Staley is of old American lineage through both parents. His father, Aaron Staley, was from North Carolina, and related to the Tylers, of Virginia. His mother, Katharine Parsons Staley, was a grand-daughter of Elijah Parsons, one of the Revolutionary "minute men'' of 1775, and later with the army of General Gates in the defeat of Burgoyne. Mr. Staley was born February 6, 1830, in Tippecanoe county. He attended the public schools of bis neighborhood until thirteen years of age, after which he was self-educated. At nineteen he began teaching school in winter, and in 1853. with fifty dollars saved from his labors, he entered Ashury ( now DePauw) University. He worked his way through college, graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1858.

He at once began teaching a^ principal of the Battle Ground Collegiate Institute for four years, and then as president of the Valparaiso Male and Female College for three years. 'While in this work he was licensed to preach by the Methodist Episcopal church, and served as volunteer chaplain in the United States Christian Commission from July to October. 1864. He was then stationed at the Methodist church at Frankfort for about a year; but. preferring teaching entered the public schools of Frankfort, as principal of the high school and superintendent of schools, remaining in this position for six years. He resigned to become editor of the Crescent on June 15, 187a. Ide gradually acquired all the stock in the paper and constantly improved it. In 1883 he made it a daily. In 1891 he sold the paper and traveled for a vear in Europe.

After bis return Mr. Sta'ey was for a time an orange grower in Florida, and then returned to Frankfort, where he has since been engaged in insursurance and literary work. He writes from ten to twelve columns a week for two of the Frankfort papers. He has always been an active worker in the Methodist church and Sunday school at Frankfort. He has also been an active and consistent Democrat, but not a seeker for office. Idis partv nominated him for representative in the Legislature in 1884. and he was elected and served acceptably. Mr. Staley was married November 14. 1861. to Salome Barr, a talented and well educated native of Pennsylvania, descendant of the Cecils, of Maryland and the celebrated Dr. Rush, of Philadelphia. She died February 4. 1897, leaving two children, both of whom are still living, Kathryn Barr (Staley) Searles. and James Herman Staley, who was married July 5. 1867, to Carrie Baker Carter.

conducted the paper until his death, on May 26, 1895. Eugene Barnard, who had been working for Mr. Brown, then conducted the paper until February 1, 1896, when it passed under the control of Bernhardt Herman Dorner and Charles Fennell. Dorner was a Frankfort boy. a graduate of the Frankfort High School and Purdue University. After graduating from the latter he worked for a time on the Chicac/o Xeias with John McCutcheon and George Ade, who were his classmates at Purdue. He then returned to Frankfort, where he published the city directory of 1890.

On Xovember 7. 1896, Fennell sold his interest to Bayard Gray, a son of Gov. Isaac P. Gray, and Dorner and Gray conducted the paper until Dorner's death, July 9, 1901. Gray then ran it alone until January 5, 1906, when he printed his valedictory. He made the semi-weekly a six-page folio on July 2, 1901 : and it so continued for four years, being reduced to a twelvepage quarto March *, 1905. The paper had a bad fire on April 15, 1902. It had been removed from the Staley building, on the north side of the square, to its present quarters in the Dorner building. The fire occurred while Gray was at Hot Springs at an editorial convention ; and Eugene Barnard took charge, and not only got out the paper without losing an issue, but also issued an extra.

At the beginning of 1906 the Crescent passed into the hands of the Cresent-Standard Company, Jerome Clark, president ; \Y. F. Palmer, secretary; W. A. Morris, treasurer: and T. A. Hedgecock. manager. Mr. Hedgecock was succeeded as manager by Robert C. Houston, of Marion, an experienced newspaper man, at the beginning of June. 1907, and he is still in charge of the paper. The daily is issued as the Crescent, and the weekly as the Crescent-Standard.- The Standard was originally ctarted in 1896 by independent "Brvan Republicans." who were interested chiefly in the currency question. It was consolidated with the Crescent, and was in a sense the successor of the Indianian and Frankfort Democrat, of which further mention will be found below.

For twenty-five years the Crescent had practically no competitor in the local newspaper field, though in the later fifties there was an attempt at one. There had never been sufficient inducement for a Whig newspaper, but wThen the Republican party came into life there was a demand for an organ, and on September 4, 1856. the first number of the Clinton County Republican appeared. The proprietors were T. T. Scott and Alanson P. Tyler, the latter being the editor. The paper was published in the building, on the west side of the square, known as "the Mammoth Brick;" and when this building was

Scott and Tyler re-established the paper, issuing Xo. 31 on April 30, 1857. On July 16. 1837, the paper passed into the hands of a committee composed of J. X. Sims. John M. Cowan, Samuel Black. Eli Armantrout and William Mitten. Mr. Tyler retired as publisher and Mr. Scott was put in charge. This continued until October 7, when Mr. Scott came into control, but only for the issue of three numbers. The paper then passed into the control of an organization known as the Clinton County Republican Publishing Company, composed of Dr. W. P. Dunn, Samuel Black, George Major, Adam Blinn, James Gaster and James H. Paris. It continued under this management until the beginning of August, 1858, Dr. Meredith being the business manager and local editor. It was then sold to Jesse Miner, who issued eight numbers, the last appearing on October 14, 1858; and then gave up the struggle.

There was no further attempt at a Republican paper until December, 1863. when James Beard began the publication of the Clinton Republican Banner. He continued it until January 25, 1866, when Perry \V. Gard secured control and changed the name to the Frankfort Weekly Union. Gard published the paper for more than a year, when it passed into the control of lasper H. Keys for a few months and then back to Mr. Beard, who continued its publication until March. 1872. changing the name to the Clinton Union Banner. Mr. Beard then ^old to Fletcher Meredith, who changed the name to the Frankfort Banner, and published it until August 12, 1874. It then passed to W. II. Hart, later auditor of state, who continued the publication to March. 1876, when Joseph B. Cheadle came into possession, starting with Xo. 1, Vol. 13.

Mr. Cheadle was editor and proprietor of the Banner until April 16, 1887. when Ed. II. Burns became associated with him, and the paper was published by them until August 4. 1888. Mr. Burns then gave place to C. A. Tarrell. and Cheadle and Jarrell conducted the paper until May 4. 1889. It was then consolidated with the Frankfort Xezvs. which had been established as an evening paper in 1887. and W. H. Staley and Ed. II. Burns came into control of the joint property, continuing so until July 11. 1896. when Burns became sole editor and proprietor. This continued to August 3. 1907. when the firm became Ed. Id. Burns X Company, the junior member being French Ragsdale, who had been manager of the paper for some eight years.

Brown, a well known newspaper man, who entered the profession in 1886, and who had seen much official service, being first deputy secretary of state, and then for eight years clerk of the supreme court, his term in the latter office ending January 1. 1907. Mr. Brown conducted the paper - the News as a daily and Banner as a weekly - until January 1, 1912, when it was sold to \Y. G. Hendricks and his son, W. C. Hendricks, the present proprietors. They were and are proprietors of a printing and book-binding establishment at Logansport ; and \Y. G. Hendricks is an old newspaper man, formerly proprietor of the Plymouth Tribune - now Plymouth Republican.

The Frankfort morning daily is an outgrowth of the Colfax Chronicle , which was established in 1877 as a five-column quarto. This paper was reasonably successful, but changed proprietors so frequently in the first four years of its existence that it did not get a chance to take root, until, in May, 1881. it became the property of Gil H. Hamilton, a native of Montgomery county. Indiana, who had been teaching school for four years when he thus entered journalism at the age of twenty-one. Mr. Hamilton made the paper a success, but Colfax was losing ground, and he decided to remove to Frankfort. On August 1. 1885, he formed a partnership with Gus G. Fowler and his brother. Finley Fowler, and the Chronicle plant was loaded in one commodious wagon and hauled to Frankfort, where it bloomed forth as the Times.

G. G. Fowler is a native of Clinton county and a home-trained printer. Left an orphan at twelve years of age. he entered the Crescent office at fourteen and was there for twelve years, being foreman when be left to join in the Times enterprise. After some time Joshua Aughe bought Finley Fowler's interest, and later G. G. Fowler acquired the interests of both Hamilton and Aughe. and is now the sole proprietor. The Times is issued as a morning dailv. except on Mondays, and as a weekly. It is independent politically.

In connection with the Frankfort press mention must be made of another venture. In October, 1883. Charles Hazelrigg began the publication of a local paper called The Indianian. and early in 1884 this became the organ of the State Grange. In April. rSSq. this was sold to Benjamin Franklin Palmer, a native of Clinton county, and brother of Judge Truman H. Palmer. Mr. Palmer was a Democrat and also a member of the Patrons of Husbandrv, Knights of Labor, and Star of Bethlehem. The Indianian was published weekly at $1.00 per year, and circulated widely over the state. On August 15, 1885, Mr. Palmer started a local, weekly Democratic paper, called the Frankfort Democrat , which also was fairly success-

An interesting and unique journalistic enterprise in Clinton county was "the Air Line papers," originated by Jasper Manlove. He was a native of Tippecanoe county, born in 1836 on the old Longlois Indian Reservation, where his parents, North Carolinians, had settled in 1834. After varied experience as a teacher, surveyor and in other pursuits, in September, 1882, he founded the Kirklin News, which proved successful, and was continued till March 24, 1885, when the entire plant was destroyed by fire. Manlove was absent at the time, but on hearing of his loss at once set about not only getting out the next issue, but extending the business. The Kirklin News appeared on time and continued till June 13, 1883. when it appeared as the Air Line News, and the other papers of the combination appeared at the same time.

The name was taken from the Motion, or Louisville, New Albany and Chicago railroad, the papers being printed at stations on that road in a space of some fifty miles, between Frankfort and Indianapolis. In addition to the Kirklin paper, they were the Sheridan Enterprise. U'estfield Gazette, Carmel Citizen, and Broad Ripple Beacon. They had a common basis of news, agricultural and literary matter, including Talmage's weekly sermons, and local matter for the several places. They were carried on very successfully for some time by Manlove. assisted by hi- wife, an educated Bavarian ladv. and after his death by his widow, but were finally discontinued.

After the Colfax Chronicle was removed to Frankfort, another paper was started there, in September. 1885. called the Courier. It was a weekly paper, five-column quarto, published 011 Saturdays. It was succeeded by the Standard, which is still published at Colfax, and which counts its origin from 1S81. It is independent in politics. and the present editor is J. M. Meneelv.

Rossville had a newspaper for a few months in 1881. It was owned and published by Tames Pinkerton, but after a brief experience he moved his plant to Galveston, in Cass county; and later to Greentown. in Howard countv. In 1888 C. M. Walter established the Journal at Rossville. a local weeklv which is still published there. Mulberry had a similar experience, having for a few months a paper called the Enterprise, which was established bv F. M. French in 1885. It gained a circulation of some 200. and starved to death on it. In 1890 W. N. Clark started the Reporter, a local weekly, at Mulberry, and has lived through with it to an established success.

newspaper until 1898, when the Kirklin Journal was put in the field. It is still published by Hane & Jones. Forest has a bright weekly newspaper, published by George A. Auble, Jr. It was established in 1899, and is called The Weekly Nczvs.

Fortunately for Clinton county the county commissioners, over thirty years ago, adopted the plan of keeping bound files of the leading Frankfort papers in the recorder's office, and very complete files of them are now preserved there from 1879 to date. Back of that period there are only scattered numbers, and it would be a public benefit if persons having old numbers would deposit them in the public library at Frankfort, where they can be taken care of and be consulted by persons engaged in research. The same thing should be done with local publications of all kinds, and also diaries, scrap-books and other historical matter. Such things are certain to be lost or destroyed if kept in private hands, and the important thing is to preserve them. Single copies of the Crescent for March 27, 1858; May 24, 1861; June 19, 1872; November 25, 1874, and June 26, 1878, are preserved in the State Library at Indianapolis.