Vigo County, Indiana - Chapter 38: The Press, 1891

THE newspapers of a country are the index of the people in many ways. A public-spirited, liberal-minded and intelli¬ gent community will command that kind of papers and publications. And the fate of many a town or city has hung on the circumstance of a vigorous press to back it in its days of first and ultimate progress.

Like all cities, Terre Haute has had its experiences - its few successes and its many failures. Papers are like the human family. Go to any town where they have been published any length of time and the dead always outnumber the living. However, there has not been many rash newspaporial ventures in this city.

The first paper ever published in the county was by John W. Osborn, in 1824 - Western Register and General Advetiser. The first seven numbers were printed in Washington, Ind., and sent here for distribution. Mr. Osborn was a Canadian. It was a very small four-column folio, and made up after the manner of newspapers of that day. Instead of local news or editorials, it clipped all the foreign news it could hold, and when the mails from the east - due every two weeks - failed, they would print sermons, or somebody's speech in Congress on the land question, or some other equally merry reading for the children. Osborn was for a high protective tariff, and an abolitionist, though not avowedly so.

The evolution in newspaper literature from 1824 to the present is remarkable. It was then a mere conduit for the politician and the preacher, and at the beginning of the century every newspaper was a book store in a small way, where was for sale in pamphlet form the sermons of the faith of the editor. Even the religious papers now work in more general news, as well as general subjects of interest, than did the liveliest papers of eighty and ninety years ago.

Osborn and his paper kept their heads above water. In 1830 the big end of the name was dropped, and it became the Western Register, and passed into the hands of Amory Kinney.

Wabash Courier was established in 1832, and the Western Advertiser was merged into it, by Thomas Dowling. This was purchased in 1841 by Judge Jesse Conard, who published it many years. It was a whig publication. While under Col. Dowling it " Tylerized," and Col. Dowling was given the contract to transport the Miami Indians, near Logansport, to their western reservation.

Union, Daily and Weekly. - First issue, January 12, 1857. It was the organ of the American party ; I. M. Brown, editor and pub¬ lisher, and T. B. Long, associate editor. Its office was on Market or Third street, second floor, Routledge's building. Its career was brief but brilliant, something after the fashion of the party in whose interest it was started. The know-nothing party made a tremen¬ dous display in the national election of 1856, but, as it proved to be, this wras its death-throe.

The Daily and Weekly Express. - In 1841 Thomas Dowling, editor and proprietor of the Wabash Courier, sold the Courier to Judge Jesse Canard. In consideration of this sale Mr. Dowling agreed in the transfer that he would not start another paper in Terre Haute within five years from that date. After this sale the temptation for another paper became too great to be neglected, and Thomas Dowling knowing that his agreement with Judge Jesse Canard was seriously in the way, he sent for his brother, John Dowling, then living in Washington, D. C., who came to Terre Haute in 1842, and soon after his arrival the Terre Haide Express, as a weekly paper, was given to the public, with John Dowling as publisher. The Express was thus run until the five years' agree¬ ment between Thomas Dowling and Judge Jesse Canard had expired. After this Thomas Dowling's name appeared as editor and pro¬ prietor. The birth of The Express was in a room in the second story of the Linton block fronting on Main street. Thomas Dowling con¬ tinued to run the Weekly Express up to February, 1845, when he sold it to David S. Danaldson, taking part pay the site now occu¬ pied by the " Old Ladies' Home," established by W. R. McKeen.

Mr. Danaldson moved The Express from the Linton block to an old frame on the site now occupied by the Naylor opera house. After this the office was moved into a one-story frame next to the old town hall corner of Ohio and Third streets, where the Daily Express was first issued, May 12, 1851,

The origin of the Daily Express is correctly given as follows by James B. Edmunds, editor and proprietor of the late Terre Hauie Journal, in his history of the newspapers of Terre Haute:

Early in the spring of 1851 Judge Canard, of the Courier formed a resolution in his own mind to start a daily publication just as soon as the clever days of May should come to hand. He succeeded m keeping the secret from his brother journalists until about the second week in May, of 1851, when it leaked out. Isaac M. Brown was then foreman of The Express office, and after working hours on Saturday afternoon, May 10, 1851, he accidently learned that the Courier office was diligently preparing to issue a daily paper some time during the week. This was a stunner to Mi- Brown, who was a printer of unbounded enthusiasm and ambition and he disliked the idea of The Express being left in the lurch by the venerable Courier , when he knew himself and his office to be thoroughly competent in all its mechanical branches to compete with, if not outstrip the Courier establishment in the matter of a daily publication. With these thoughts on his mind, Mr Brown at once repaired to the residence of Mr. Danaldson, editor and pro¬ prietor of The Express, and promptly divulged the news and his intentions relative thereto." In the discussion of the points Mr Danaldson gave his consent to try the project, and the next Mon¬ day afternoon, May 12, 1851, the first Daily Express appeared.

1 he original firm of this paper was David Danaldson, Isaac M. Brown John B L. Soule. Two or three years after this The Express was sold to Moses Soule, who moved the office to the Modesitt i ock, on the north side of the court-house square, where it re¬ mained until after the war of the rebellion.

During the proprietorship of Moses Soule he put in a Hoe cvlmder press, the first press of the kind ever introduced in western Indiana. Mr. Soule finally sold the office to Col. Robert N. Hud¬ son At this time I. M. Brown and J. N. Silverthorn dissolved partnership m the publication of the Daily and Weekly American Mr. Brown taking the material and adding it to The Express, and t ius became a partner with Col. Hudson in the publication of The Express. In 1858 Mr. Brown sold out his interest in The Express

The above is a correct history of the Daily and Weekly Express from their origin, including editors and proprietors, not forgetting F. M. Meredith, who was the principal editor during the time Gen. Cruft owned the office.

There is another point in relation to the Daily Express that is worthy of remembrance, and that is, not an issue has been missed since May 12, 1851, unless it was on a holiday to give recreation to employes. The American , as above stated, is the only paper ever merged into The Express.

Terre Haute Journal. - Daily aud weekly by C. F. Cookerly and Thomas I. Bourne, was the strong democratic organ in the cam¬ paign of 1856. Its office was in the post-office building on Fourth street. It passed into the hands of J. B. Edmunds and John S. Jordan.

Gazette. - This weekly was established in 1868, issuing two edi¬ tions, Thursday and Saturday, by Maj. O. J. Smith and C. W. Brown. Maj. Smith is now president of the American Press As¬ sociation. It was a brilliant success in the line of journalism from its first issue, and was in the keeping of bright and enterprising publishers and editors. Maj. Smith sold his interest to It. N. Hud¬ son and L. M. Bose, C. W. Brown retaining his interest.

Hudson and Rose started the Daily Gazette (afternoon) June 1, 1870, a republican paper. Much of the history of journalism in the spirited times of 1870-72 is furnished us in a historical resume that appeared in the columns of the Gazette of a year or two ago, evidently written by one who was either in the fray or a looker on, as follows: " The founders of the Daily Gazette were Hudson, Rose & Co., Col. Hudson in charge of the editorial columns, which fairly bristled from his pen. He warmed up with the reconstruction measures and Kuklux bills that came before congress. He com¬ menced using italics, small caps and printer's daggers in his edit¬ orials quite freely. He did not fully like some of these measures."

The Express at that time was run by Gen. Charles Cruft and edited by Perry S. Westfall and Capt. C. H. Allen. It was an active supporter of Grant's administration, and Col. Hudson soon became outspoken in his opposition. He was openly at outs with the party on its reconstruction measures. O. J. Smith was pub¬ lishing the Saturday Mail , and the Banner (German) was at its first high tide. Thus was a general three-cornered battle in politics raging. The Indianapolis Journal, the republican State organ, took a hand and formerly read the Gazette out of the party. To this Col. Hudson defiantly answered. " As for ourself as editor of the Terre Haute Gazette , we do not propose to ask the Indianapolis Journal or any other journal how we shall think or how we shall write. If the republican party in the campaign of 1872 intends to sustain the old reconstruction measures, and uphold the fearfully unwise measure known as the Kuklux bill, and oppose all bills looking to partial or general amnesty, as the last congress did, then we are not a republican, and will act with any party or body of men in opposition to those measures."

This brought a storm of scolding from the party papers on Mr. Hudson. He was most frequently dubbed "assistant democrat." In the three-cornered fight the Terre Haute men grew warmer and warmer. The moon became red, and more red constantly. Editors called each other ugly names; one was a "cigar-stump snatcher," the other a " sewer," and the third " a liar," and all of them " you're another." Hudson, Edmunds and Smith were the style of men that make journals wake up, and they will long be remembered among the Terre Haute newspaper men.

In November, 1872, Hudson & Rose sold the Gazette to W. C. Ball and John S. Dickerson, and the firm of Ball & Dickerson pub¬ lished until June, 1874, when Mr. Dickerson sold to Spencer F. Ball, and the firm name became as now, W. C. Ball & Co.

These gentlemen are able newspaper men. Since the day they came in control of the Gazette they have forced it to the front in Indiana journalism. It is regarded as the reliable democratic organ of western Indiana. An afternoon daily and a large and handsome weekly are its editions: W. C. Ball, general managing editor, and Spencer F. Ball, business manager.

Terre Haute Banner (German), was established August 20, 1870, by Adolph Frabricius. He published it until his death in Febru¬ ary, 1874, when it was sold to Emil Hirschburg and Charles Lustig. The former withdrew from the paper in 1875, and was succeeded by John Kuppenheimer, who had established the Indiana Post , which was then consolidated with the Banner.

March 1, 1876, the paper was purchased by P. Gfroerer, who at once issued a daily republican paper, which continued as a daily until January 1, 1877, when it was changed to a tri-weekly.

The weekly Banner had been started as a republican paper April 1, 1876, by Mr. Gfroerer. The mutations of the German papers were frequent. At times there was a republican and demo¬ cratic organ in full blast, and a while one man edited the papers for both parties.

founded in 1883 by J. E. Wolff, its present proprietor. Republican in politics, it is a large daily and weekly, and is one of our promi¬ nent and firmly established institutions, and is meeting with deserved success. This was a tri-weekly paper, and so continued until June 17, 1889, when it was made daily and weekly. Until Mr. Wolff took hold German papers here had a rather precarious existence.

Saturday Evening Mail. - When O. J. Smith retired from the Gazette he established the Mail , July 1, 1870. Its founding was a revolution in weekly papers. Maj. Smith was a master in his pro¬ fession. His paper was, as it is now, independent in politics; not neutral, but outspoken and fearless. He ran it with great success until the latter part of 1872, when he sold the concern to Perry S. Westfall, who had been for nine years previously with the Express, and who was widely known as an able newspaper man. He pushed it forward successfully until his death, January 17, 1889, when it came into the hands of his son, Edwin P. Westfall, the present manager, who is assisted by W. A. Layman, city editor. Two editions of the Mail are issued, Thursday and Saturday; has an extensive circulation, is eight pages, and is a beauty in its mechan¬ ical department.

Locomotive Firemen's Magazine, was founded in January, 1876, by William N. Sayre. A monthly magazine in the interest of the order of the locomotive firemen. It was continued about three years by Mr. Sayre, when it came into the hands of Eugene Y. Debs, its present proprietor. As the official organ of the Brother¬ hood of Locomotive Eiremen, it is one of the important publications of the country. It has at present a circulation of 28,000. It is furnished without additional charge to every member in good stand¬ ing of the order, either in this country, Canada or Mexico. Mr. Debs, although comparatively a young man, has through his mag¬ azine and his official position as secretary of the order of Locomo¬ tive Firemen, holds a place in this country of influence and power that has been equaled by few men in history. He makes his mag¬ azine a power in educating its patrons and members of the order in wholesome ideas on economic questions.

The Daily News entered the newspaper field in Terre Haute after many failures had been made to establish a third daily publi¬ cation here. It was established by broad-minded men, who saw the necessity of a strictly independent journal in Terre Haute. The exclusive franchise of the The Press News Association was pur¬ chased by A. Z. Foster and Douglas H. Smith, insuring tel- egrapliic service. Stock in the new enterprise was rapidly taken, and on June 15, 1889, the company was organized. The following directors were elected: Eugene V. Debs, Albert Z. Foster, Doug¬ las H. Smith, Oskar Duenweg and James E. Piety. A. Z. Foster was elected president and D. H. Smith secretary of the board. The News made its first appearance Monday evening, August 5, 1889, with D. H. Smith as managing editor. It was a six-column folio, neat in appearance. Within three months the size was en¬ larged to seven columns and a double paper was issued on Satur¬ day. The merit of the News brought it immediately under public notice and it rapidly began its ascent. Within eight months it had forged ahead until its circulation equaled that of its older contem¬ poraries. Since that time it has constanty been increasing its cir¬ culation and improving its facilities for acquiring news. The force of the News was composed of young and energetic men who entered into the enterprise with the determination to make it suc¬ ceed, and the favor with which the News is regarded attests the reward of their endeavor. The News has for its fundamental principle the good of the public. It is strictly independent and is not allied with any political party. It brought about a revolution in city affairs, and has done much in the way of correcting municipal abuses and advocating reforms. The Neivs is recognized as one of the most successful ventures every undertaken in the west.

David S. Danaldson , who published the first daily paper ever issued in Terre Haute, the Express , is yet with us and still actively engaged in business at the green old age of eighty-one years. He has been a prominent citizen of Terre Haute fifty-five years - 1835 to 1890; a native of Rock county, Ky., born March 2, 1809; a son of John and Elenor (Clark) Danaldson. The parents were Yi rginians; married there in 1791. David S. being eleventh in the order of birth of thirteen children - eight boys and five girls - but one, a brother, besides himself surviving, he is a citizen of Monte¬ zuma, Ind. The father, Col. John Danaldson, was lieutenant-col¬ onel commanding the Second Regiment Kentucky Mounted Volun¬ teers. He died in Clark county, Ky., August 21, 1839. His father was shot through the head while passing a port-hole, in an attack by the Indians. Col. Danaldson was a step-son of the noted Col. Fleming, after whom so many towns, counties and places are named, " Flemingsburg."

David S. Danaldson grew to manhood in his native place, and was educated in the common schools of the day; commencing his career in his own behalf as clerk in a store at Winchester, Ky. ; then on his own account merchandised two years at Blue Lick, and came to Terre Haute in 1835, and was engaged in merchandising from 1835 to 1845, when he purchased the weekly Express and published it for several years. After selling his paper he again be¬ came a merchant, first in a grocery store and then purchased the interest of W. B. Tuel in the dry goods store of Tuel & Ripley. This he sold after the breaking out of the late war and opened a claim agency which he is now conducting.

David 8. Danaldson and Eveline W. Clark were married. She is a daughter of William and Sallie Conway Clark, natives of Fredricksburg, Va. To them have been born four children: Flem¬ ing, deceased at the age of eight; William Harrison, in the revenue office St. Louis; Nellie, married J. H. Whedon, of Terre Haute; Frank C. Danaldson, present mayor of Terre Haute.

James Bratt Edmunds died while mayor of Terre Haute in 1877. He was one of the strong newspaper men of this place. He, in connection with his cousin, Isaac Coltrin, in 1850 started the Prairie City - one of the able weekly papers that soon attained a wide circulation. In 1863 he was elected city clerk. In 1856, with G. F. Cookerly and Thomas I. Bourne, published the weekly Terre Haute Journal. Bourne retired, and Cookerly and Edmunds started the Daily Journal , which they conducted till 1862, when they sold to a stock company. Edmunds then retired to his farm in Lost Creek township. But the pleasures of a quiet agricultural life soon paled and he returned to the city, and, in company with John S. Jordan, bought the Journal and continued it until it was sold to Col. R. N. Hudson & Co. In 1868 Edmunds was the can¬ didate for State senator, but was defeated with his party by H. D. Scott. In 1875 he was elected mayor, defeating G. W. Naylor, and re-elected in 1877, and died soon after his induction into the office.

Col. P. N. Hudson came here in 1840, when a lad. He attended Asbury University, where he graduated in 1844, and then read law in R. W. Thompson's office. He was a member of the legislature in 1848 and 1849. In 1856 he became proprietor of the Express, and edited it till the close of the campaign of that year. He was then financial agent at New York, for Indiana. He entered the war a colonel on the staff of Fremont and served in different commands during the war. He was an abolitionist and followed Greeley, and started the Gazette in aid of his election; sold this and started the Journal, which he conducted until 1873.