Gibson County, Indiana - Chapter 9: Gibson County Newspapers, 1914

The first venture in the wa}- of puljhshing a newspaj^er in Gibson county was made by a man by the name of John F. Buntin in 1845. The initial number was in July of that }-ear and the form of the paper was a six-column folio, and was called the Princeton Chronicle. It made its appearance regularl)^ every week for about six months, when it I^egan to show signs of financial debility, and finally the publication ceased. This was the first newspaper collapse in Gibson county, but was not the last by several.

In 1846 William Kurtz, then county auditor, was instrumental in the purchase of material for a printing plant and starting another newspaper in Princeton. On August 13th of that year the Donocratic Clarion appeared, with William F. Hutchen as editor and publisher.

"The August sun was beating down on the thin rows of frame buildings about the pulolic square with a vigor such as few of the old residents could remember. Horses about the hitch-rack around the court house clanked their trace chains in an effort to rid themselves of the pesky flies and at the same time get a mouthful of the short, wiry grass tiiat fringed the yard. Two yoke of oxen hitched to a log wagon driven by a middle-aged man, sun-tanned and dusty, swung slowly up to the town pump along the old state road. Groups of men lounged carelessly in the shade of the trees That skirted the court house yard and discoursed lazily on politics and the Mexican situation. Apparently the town had settled, or rather melted, do\vn into a state of stupid contentment, denoting peace with itself and the outside world.

"Such was the scene presented in Princeton in August, 1846. It was at this time a straggling little village with a few hundred inhabitants who made little or no attempt at outward show, but sometimes in their slumbers there flitted through their minds a dream that some day the village would grow into the metropolis of the 'Pocket.'

"But while there was a temporary tendency toward dullness and lethargy - on account of the heat and the hook-worm, there was one place in town where activity was rampant. It was in a little Iniildinii' on the north side of the square. There was no shingle over the front door to designate what the building might contain, but most every one knew by this time that it was the office of the Democratic Clarion. Tt was a new establishment, b'ditor W. F. Hutchen was busily at work grinding out the lirst edition of Princeton's first regularly constituted newspaper, with the exception of the Chronicle, which had existed briefly in 1845. He had a burning message for the good townspeople, and it must be said that day.

"Mr. Hutchen was a man inured to toil, as most good editors are, but his stock of patience and phj-sical endurance was strained almost to the breaking point on this day, as he had been battling against great odds. \\'riting editorials in the humid atmosphere, preparing other copy, bumping over cases, lifting heavy forms, running the old hand press and a thousand and one other things incident to launching a newspaper and getting it before the pul)lic were things requiring great fortitude and supreme adaptabilit}-.

"At last on this date, August 13, i8.).6 - the thirteenth, mind you - came the fruition of his mingled hopes and fears. It came in the shape of a fourpage, five-column paper, part home print and other parts of foreign extraction. But it was nevertheless a home paper and well worthy of the courageous effort. The good people looked at it with a sense of wonderment, gazed at its odd mixture of headlines and then jjhuiged in to devour its contents. However, there were few who realized fully that the coming of this little sheet to their homes marked a new era for the town. To us, who are removed more than three-score years from the time oi Hutchen's first eft'ort, the paper, though odd enough in form and general maketip, breathes a message of hope and prophecy. Harken to the sweep (^f the plucky editor in his salutation :

" 'Though we were disappointed and unable to issue our paper as soon as we expected, it is now before you, fellow citizens, and, we trust, will answer the highest expectations that have been induced by the circular which ushered it to your notice. In the mechanical execution of the Clarion, pains and expense have alike been disregarded; for we were persuaded that we should be amply compensated, and determined t<i print a ])aper worth\- of the intelligence and liberality of the county in which, we are proud to believe, we have found a permanent home.'

" 'All are privileged to choose to which party they will belong - and we have been pleased to join ourself with that party denominated "democratic."

We were not guided in this step by a thought that the members of that party were more virtuous or more wise than those of the opposition - we have never beHeved, even for a moment, that all the principles of truth and A-irtue were contracted within the limits of a single party ; on the contrary, we have always been taught to regard the masses of every party as morally and politically honest.'

"Thus the first permanent home paper Princeton ever knew was Democratic. Nothing strange about that, as the county at that time was, as it has been in more recent history, in the Democratic column.

"In his first paper, Hutchen gives the official statement of the vote in the county for the state and county officers, showing a Democratic lead on the vote for governor of forty- four. The Democratic majority had been cut perceptibly, however, which caused Editor Hutchen to remark : 'The party votes have been affected in favor of the Whigs by a system of swapping, which ought always to be discountenanced.'

"The 'system of swapping' to which Hutchen referred is now extinct in political atifairs, thanks be to the good work of the newspaper editors.

"The official vote of the county in 1846 shows that on vote for governor, Patoka township gave Wliitcomb (Democrat) one hundred and ninety-one against a vote of one hundred and forty-three for Marshall, the Whig candidate. The entire vote for governor in the several townships of the county by both parties was seven hundred and eight. Stephenson was candidate for lieutenant-governor on the Whig ticket and Dunning for the Democrats, Stephenson winning by a majority of sixty-two. Shannon was candidate for sheriff on the Whig ticket and was elected, there being no opposing candidate. L. Q. DeBruler, Whig candidate, was elected prosecuting attorney, there being no opposition.

"Leaving the political situation to take care of itself (which it did), let us consider the first issues of the Clarion. Like all countr}- newspapers of that time, it was long on editorials, painfully short on advertising matter and totally barren of personals. A search of several files of the paper at the Princeton library fails to reveal any personals whatever. The only advertisements the first issue contain are that of the Morris National Press, a New York newspaper, and the job printing notice of the Democratic Clarion. No advertisements of merchants are found while Hutchen was running the paper. The most frequent notices are sheriff's sales, obituaries and jniblic auctions. The obituary notices appear in the advertising columns. In the first issue of the paper is mention of the death of Mrs. Margaret Sturges, who will be well remembered by older inhabitants.

"Judging by tlie frequent notices tliat appear in the early issues, the Princeton Guards were unusually active in those days. Here is a notice of them that appears in the initial issue of the paper : " 'Attention!

" 'The Princeton Guards will meet on Friday evening next, at half-past six o'clock, at the seminary, for the purpose of drill. By order of \V. Kurtz. O. Sergt. Capt. A, Lewis.'

" 'N. B. The Court of Enquiry will meet for the assessment of fines, on Thursday evening next, at 7 o'clock P. ]\I., at the court house, Princeton. Ind.. August 13, 1846.'

" 'This is to notify all persons ha\'ing in their possession muskets, daggers, sabres, pistols and accoutrements belonging to the state of Indiana, will please deliver them to the undersigned, or inform him of their wherealiouts, under the penalty of the law, he being authorized by the governor to collect the same. William Kurtz.'

"William P. Hall was the first law_\-er to use printer's ink. His announcement appears in the September issue, 1846, informing the public that he was prepared to practice in the courts of the fourth judicial district. Among the grain dealers advertising was the firm of JNIilburn & Fisher.

" 'One A. C. Stratton, a large, corpulent and full-faced man, of sombre complexion, was apprehended in Princeton on yesterday, on a charge of swindling. He fraudulently uses the steelyards with which he weighs feathers in which he deals. And though he was discharged, the accusations were most clearly sustained, and we, citizens, feel called upon to make this statement, that the unprincipled scoundrel may be knoAvn and prevented from swindling others.

" 'We have the first number of a neat little paper printed at Jasper, in Dubois county. Its politics are of the proper order, and, we guess, pretty well understood by its editor. The paper is called the "American Eagle." Success !'

" 'A bill, says the Cincinnati Enquirer, is pending in the house of representatives, changing some measure of the present rate of postage, making the cost of a letter from a distance of six hundred miles fifteen cents - establishing the quarter-ounce as a single letter, and repealing the thirty mile exception to newspapers. Under the present system the deficit of the department is $540,000.'

" 'We have heard nothing worthy of note. General Taylor is no doubt still moving forward, and will in due time be quartered at Monterey. The route from Chicago is by land, and is untimbered, so that the army will find its march - extremely disagreeable - no shade, bad forage, and scarcity of water will be cause of much trouble and prosecution. It might, perhaps, have been well for the General to have stayed his forces at Chicago until the arrival of a better campaigning season.'

" "We imtlerstaml that a laughing match will omie oft tdiiight at 9 o'clock on the public square. The c(ini])etition is tor $_'.oo in money and twenty glasses of whiskey. Competent judges liave been chosen to decide the contest and we have no doubt the whole affair will be of extraordinaryinterest.'

"No doubt! But as no mention of the result rif the contest is gi\'en in later papers and no one living v/ill "plead guilty' to having taken part in the affair, there is no way of finding out.

"But let us turn from the laugh-makers and follow a little further the course of Editor Hutchen and his newspaper. The rest is not a long story, but on the other hand, is painful on account of its brevity.

" Readers of this paper will attribute the lack of editorials to the absence of the editor. He is canvassing the district and soliciting subscriptions. He will be in Boonville on Wednesday next and in Mt. X'ernon on Friday and Saturday evening. Friends, do not let him "go away empty." '

"This, in itself, appears innocent enough - the editor is out on a l)usiness trip in the district. He will be back shortly and edit his paper again. But to the knowing ones, who have experienced the great trials of trying to keep a country newspaper on its feet, the meaning is deep and significant. Know you by this time the Clarion is on its last pegs. Editor Hutchen is making the final effort.

" 'On account of circumstances unnecessary to be known to anyone but ourselves, we have disposed of the ofiice of the Democratic Clarion. The gentleman whose name stands under the editorial head of this number we cheerfully recommend to our patrons as a gentleman and a sterling Democrat, and will fulfill our engagements with our su1)scribers. Goodbye. \\'illiam F. Hutchen.'

"The one whose name appeared at the head of the editorial columns from that date for several years was \\'illiam Kurtz, who took up Hutchen's unfinished work, profited by his mistakes and climbed the ladder to editorial success."

Under the management of Mr. Kurtz the Clarion acquired a large circulation in Gibson and adjoining counties. In politics it was Democratic, as opposed to the \Miig party of that time. In the great ])oliticaI contest of i860 the Clarion supported the Douglas wing of the party, but when Lincoln was elected and the Southern wing of the party inaugurated a rebelhon, the Clarion followed the example of Douglas in giving full support to the Republican administration The paper took a decided stand against secession and exerted no small influence in the enlistment of soldiers in Gibson county to fight armed rebellion. As the war progressed all of the printers in the Clarion office laid aside their "stick" and enlisted in the army, and the editor himself followed their example As a consequence the publication of the paper was suspended in November, 1863, and remained in this condition for several months.

In October, 1864, A. J. Calkins purchased the Clarion plant and the paper reappeared as the Princeton Union Clarion. It was now Republican in politics, and has kept the faith ever since.

In August, 1877, Gil R. Stormont became the sole proprietor of the Clarion and continued as its editor and publisher for nearly twenty-five years. Under his management the material and mechanical equipment of the office was enlarged and greatly improved and the circulation of the paper largely increased. In 1897 ^^'^^ Clarion appeared as a daily in addition to the weekly issue. In April, 1898, the Clarion and Gibson County Leader were consolidated under the name of Clarion-Leader, Gil R. Stormont, editor and proprietor. In July, 1901, the plant was sold to a company composed of Fred R. Ewing, Samuel R. Adams and James A. Westfall. About a year later a stock company was formed and another consolidation was made with the Nczvs, then owned by Harry K. Stormont. The name was again changed to the Clarion-News, by which name it is still known, with Fred R. Ewing, managing editor, published by a corporation entitled The Clarion Publishing Company. Since July 15, 1901, the paper, and the controlling interest of the corporation publishing it, has laeen under the control of Fred R. Ewing. The minor interests have changed hands several times. At present Fred R. Ewing is the editor and general manager, and George B. Grigsby is business manager.

^Vhen the Clarion became a Republican paper the Democratic party of Gibson was without an organ, an equijiment which was very essential to a party in those times, whatever may be the opinion as to its usefulness now. So, in 1 861, some of the leading Democrats formed a stock company, bought a printing outfit and employed W. H. Evans and James M. Keyes to put out a paper to advocate the Democratic faith. This was the beginning of the Princeton Democrat, which made its first appearance August 17, 1861. At the expiration of three months Mr. Keyes retired and Mr. l^^vans assumed full control, eventually buying up all the stock and becoming sole editor and proprietor. Mr. Evans was a practical printer, a forceful writer, with a style all his own, and the Democrat soon became a paper of wide circulation and much influence. For many years Mr. Evans Avith his paper held full sway in party afifairs in Gibson county. But he received the appointment as postmaster when Cleveland became President in 1885, and gave up his management of the paper, finally disposing of the plant. The plant was taken over by a stock company, and after various experimental editors had tried their hand at publishing the paper, with indifferent success, John C. Gorman assumed the management. After a long struggle and strenuous effort Mr. Gorman was able to buy up the stock and became sole proprietor, and has made a financial success of the enterprise. He has a modern, up-to-date equipment and publishes a daily and weekly of creditable appearance and good circulation.

During these years a number of other newspaper ventures have been made in Princeton. Some of these have flourished for a time and gave promise of being permanent fixtures, but all, save the Clarion and Doimcral. have ceased to e.xist. Some of these journalistic \-entures were inspired with the idea that there was a long-felt want that needed to be lilled and tlie\- were ambitions to meet the demand. In most cases the supposed long-felt want was found to be a myth and these ambitious journalists, one after another, passed it along to the next one desiring a course in this school of experience. At one time there were four dailies and five weeklies published in Princeton. The three dailies that had been running for some time had hard work to make both ends meet, and no one knew this better than the ]>ul)lishers thereof, but when the fourth daily came out with a flourishing headline. "\\'e ha\e come to stay," there was cause for real concern as to the prosjjects of the others. But there was some relief when the paper that had "come to stay" suspended after an experience of one week.

One of the papers which was started and had a fairly successful career was the Gibson County Leader. The first number of this paper was issued April 9, 1884, by A. J. Calkins and VV. D. Robinson as editors and proprietors. Mr. Calkins had formerly been editor and publisher of the Clarion. Mr. Robinson was a young lawyer then, and afterwards judge of the appellate court, and is now located in Evansville. He only remained with the Leader for a short time, .\fter a few years ^Ir. Calkins sold the ofiice to John L. Dunlap and Xewt Sell)y. Then I\lr. Dunlap sold his interest to Hugh T. Carlisle, who continued the pul^lication for a few years, and then the plant passed into the hands of George A. Schoeny and W. M. Herschell.

After a few montlis' experience the}' disposed of the phxnt to Gil R. Storniont and the Leader was consoHdated with the Clarioji and it passed out of existence as a separate publication.

Another newspaper venture that was developed after some varialjle endeavors and experimental efforts and was made a success, was the Ez'cning News, published by James McCormick. The Nezvs was the first daily established in Princeton. Mr. McCormick had for some time been pul)lishing the Prohibilion Em, having in 1888 succeeded Sumner Rose, who started that paper in 1887. After publishing the Prohibition Era for a few years with indifferent success, financially, Mr. McCormick discontinued it. From the same office outfi.t the Evening Nezvs was established, the paper making its first appearance in April, 1893. It was an uphill job to make a daily paper go in Princeton at that time, but the A'czvs made good headway from the start and eventually established itself. In the latter part of 1902 the Nczcs plant was sold to Harry K. Stormont, who conducted the paper until Feljruary, 1903, when it was consolidated with the Clarion^ the identity of the two papers being carried under the name of the Clarion-Ah-'zvs. The consolidated paper was under the management of an incorporated company, composed of Samuel R. Adams, Fred R. Ewing, James A. Westfall and Harry K. Stormont.

Some time in 1850 llic Gibson Rez'iezv made its appearance in Princeton, with John Evans as publisher and James Patterson as printer, Patterson having learned his trade in the Clarion office. The Rcz'iczi' was an advocate of Whig politics and made a strenuous fight against the Democracy advocated by the Clarion. At the head of its editorial columns was a declaration in favor of the nomination of Gen. W'infield Scott for President. Sciitt was nominated liy the Whig party in 1852. ])ut the Reviczc did not stay long enough to announce his defeat, and the demise of the Whig party at the same time, in the election of that year. In 1851 the Rcz'icw ceased to review things in Princeton and the office was moved to Petersburg.

In 1856 the young and aggressive Republican party formed a national organization and presented a- candidate for President in the person of John C. Fremont. The adherents of this new party were not \'ery numerous in Gibson county because of a lingering attachment to the old Whig party. But the principles presented in the platform of the new party found much fa\'or with those who gave them thoughtful and unbiased consideration. To properly present these principles a newspaper was a necessity. This was trul}' "a long-felt want." With this purpose in view, John E. Phillips and David E. Linegar, two young attorneys of Princeton, purchased a printing outfit and in the summer uf 1856 published the first issue of tlie Princeton Courier. John E. PhilHps was a vigorous writer and as echtor of the Courier soon placed that paper in the front rank of political journals of that time. It was the most aggressive and influential political ])aper Princeton had seen up to that time, and it gave occasion for people to "sit up and take notice." While the Courier was only published for about two years, it did a good service while it lasted, better than some papers have done for a much longer period. The crystallization of sentiment that resulted in the organization of a luilitant Republican party in Gibson county was due to the Prineeton Courier more than any other one influence.

In 1858 the Courier printing plant came into the hantls of a man by the name of Hester and another paper was started called the Southern Iinlianian. James Patterson M'as associated with Hester inr a short time as printer: afterwards Jasper H. Keyes became interested in the publication, under tlie firm name of Hester & Keyes. Under this management the paper continued for about one year, when Napoleon B. Risinger appeared and the publishing firm was changed to Risinger and Keyes. In the spring of i860 Keyes dropped out, a brother of Napoleon B. coming to the front. While under the Risinger management the Indianian, which had been Republican in politics, ])erformed a coup de main by an editorial annoimcing that the policy of the paper thereafter would be Democratic. Just how much Risinger received in compensation for this sudden change of faith is not definitely known, but it is certain the pecuniary consideration, whate\er it may have licen, was more than offset by the shrinkage caused by his Keiniblican subscriliers who tumbled over each other in their rush to stop their papers. It was but a short time until the Indianian disappeared. In this connection it may be of interest to state that Jasper H. Keyes, one of those who had an interest in the publication of the Indianian, died at his home in Lexington, Michigan, Feliruary II, 1914, at the age of seventy-eight years. He was the last of the editors who ])ublished papers in Princeton before the war.

One more venture is entitled to a place in the newspaper history of Princeton. That is a publication called the farmers and Laborers' Liglit. This ]3aper was published in the interest <:tf the Populist party, which co\-ered a great deal of ground in Gibson county at that time. It was started in i8i}[ or 1892. We are not so sure about the date of its start as its finish, which was on July 12, 1893. The Laborers' Light had not done much in the \\a\- of illumination until the day and date al)0ve mentioned. What was started l)v the plant then was enough to make up for anv lack theretofore (9) or thereafter. It was about two o'clock on that hot July afternoon when the alarm of fire was heard, and the people were not long in discovering that it was a sure enough fire. It was in a small frame building, about where the Baldwin insurance buikling is now, on Broadway, occupied then by the Light printing plant. This was the beginning. The ending was about sundown that afternoon when all the block in which the fire started, the entire block on the west side of the square, the block north of that and on to the railroad, with scattering buildings in other parts of the town, were a mass of smouldering ruins. The fire originated in an overheated flue of the engine the Light office used as motive power for their press, and was under considerable headway when discovered. The passing of the Farmers and Laborers' Light was more spectacular than that of several other Princeton papers that had gone before, Imt it was a very undesirable distinction for those who had to do with the paper.

There ha\-e been several newspaper enterprises started in other towns in the county, of \'\hich mention should be made. The first of these, probably, is the Mnntgoiiiery Xews, at Owensville, by E. D. Hulfish, in 1870. This paper was published for a few months, but not receiving sufficient support was discontinued, and Mr. Hulfish removed his outfit to Tennessee, where he established a paper. Returning in 1877, he started another paper in Owensville called the Eelio. Y\'\i\\ occasional suspensions, this paper has been continued by Mr. Hulfish since that time, until a short time ago when it was consolidated with the Ozreiisville Star, with Mr. Hulfish managing editor of the combined papers. The Star was established sometime in the eighties by J. P. Cox, Avho has continued as its publisher, with a short interval, since that time. It has always l:)een a good local paper, neatly printed and with a good circulation. In the same office has been published for several years the Bapfist Messenger, a paper in the interest of the General Baptist church. It has a wide circulation among the brethren of that faith.

Oakland City got into the newspaper game in 1871, when J. K. Davison and David Doughty launched the Oakland City Independent. This paper was continued until 1873, when Mr. Doughty, being sole proprietor, remo\-ed the outfit to Boonville. There was also published in Oakland City in the early seventies a i^iaper called the General Baptist Herald, of which Col. W. M. Cockrum A\as one of the editors. We have no data as to the length of time this paper continued there. Joe Armstrong also published a paper called the Reeord for some time in Oakland City.

with Nicholas A. Spillman as editor and proprietor. Mr. Spillman was a practical printer and an industrious, hustling newspaper man, and he soon had the Enterprise on a solid financial footing. Mr. Spillman died in 1894 and the publication of the Enterprise was continued by Briggs Kepley, for a few years. The paper was not able to maintain the prestige given it ])y Mr. Spillman and was finally suspended and the outfit was removed to Petersburg.

The Oakland City Journal was started in February, 1893, bv J. \V. Cockrum, first as a weekly and after a short time a semi-weekly publication, in which form the publication has continued ever since. Mr. Cockrum is an up-to-date newspaper man, a hustler for business and generally gets what he goes after in that line. Under liis management the Journal has attained a good circulation and is a financial success. In mechanical equipment for job and news])aper work the Journal office is not excelled by an}- printing plant in a town the size of Oakland City, and not l_)y many in towns of much larger size.

Fort Branch has had a newspaper for several years called the Herald. published by Charles Speer, with a fair local circulation. A short time ago the Fort Branch Times was started by C. B. and E. C. Swinney. The Times is a neatly printed and well-appearing sheet and with the energetic publishers that seem to be l)ehind the enterprise it has a good prospect of being able to weather the storm.

The ll'esfern Signal is tlie high sounding title of a newspajier venture in Patoka, but that was all there was of it. Then there was the Patoka Nezcs, and several other good names for newspapers that ha\-e been tried in that town, but they were all misfits. The same is true of several ambitious attempts to persuade the people of Hazelton that a local newspaper was one of their crying needs. In every instance it has turned out that the crying need was on the part of the party who attempted the persuasion. Tt is not necessary to give a mortuary record of the several newspapers that ha\'e met the inevitable in Patoka, Hazelton and el-^ewhere in the countv. It is sufficient to say that they are dead.

Tn this sketch it is probable that some newspapers that have been published in Gibson county during the last seventy-five years have been omitted, and it is possiI)le that some of the dates and personal mention are not correct. Some errors of this kind could hardly have been avoided, since a large part of the dates and personalities mentioned are gathered from the writer's memory, which is not an infallible source.