Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin - Chapter 12: The Press, 1912

Chapter 12: The Press

In the articles made part of this chapter, the nestor of the Fond du Lac Press, A. T. Glaze, has given the early history of the newspapers of the county in a general way. A more detailed sketch follows :

The Fond Du Lac Journal

The first paper published in Fond du Lac county was the Fond du Lac Journal, which made its appearance October i, 1846. It was a six column folio and was printed by John O. Henning, and Eli Hooker, of Ithaca, New York. Mr. Henning had come to Fond du Lac at the solicitation of Dr. Darling, for the purpose of starting a paper. At the time the territory was democratic and, as a matter of course, the Journal advocated the principles of that party. Mr. Hooker, however, was a Whig. The county contained 3,544 inhabitants, widely scattered, and with indifferent mail facilities. Consequently, the support of the paper was not very generous, to say the least. The paper continued to be pub¬ lished, however, under the direction of Henning & Hooker until March 23, 1847, when Mr. Hooker sold out his interest to Edward Beeson, and in July, 1848, Mr. Beeson became sole proprietor through having purchased the interest of Mr. Henning. Mr. Beeson managed the publication of the Journal until March 23, 1849, when he sold the establishment to John A. Eastman and Alfred A. White. June 22d of the same year the Journal was enlarged to a seven column folio and given a new dress of type. The partnership of Eastman & White was dissolved in the following October. Edward Beeson purchased the half interest of White and the firm was then known as Eastman & Beeson.

On the 29th of May, 1851, Mr. Beeson became sole editor and proprietor and continued the business until June 23, 1853, when M. J. Thomas exchanged a half interest in the National Democrat for an equal interest in the Journal. The name then became Beeson & Thomas ; the two papers were merged under the name of the Fond du Lac Union, and the make-up of the paper was changed to eight columns. The first number of the Fond du Lac Union appeared June 24, 1853, and was published over Bohan Brothers & Hoskins store on Main street. Mr. Beeson did not remain long with the Fond du Lac Union, as his political views did not exactly coincide with those of his partner. Consequently, on June 15,

1854, the firm was dissolved, Mr. Beeson selling his interest to Mr. Thomas. On July 27, 1854, Andrew J. Reed, of Buffalo, New York, came into the firm as a partner. He remained until February 7, 1856,. when he sold his interest to N. J. Thomas. On March 8, 1856, The Daily Union appeared, Thomas & Reed editors. It was a five column folio and had fourteen columns of advertising matter. It was not a paying venture, however, and November 13, 1858, the daily was sus¬ pended. February 12, 1857, S. C. Chandler became the partner of Mr. Thomas in the Fond du Lac Union, and the firm name became Thomas & Chandler. Chand¬ ler's interests went into the hands of W. H. Brooks, July 13, 1857, and in January, 1858, Augustus L. Smith became the sole proprietor. Mr. Smith was a nephew of Governor Horatio Seymour, of New York. He managed the business until May 22, 1858, when he sold out to Samuel M. Smead, who on May 29th merged the Journal into the Democratic Press. The Democratic Press, whose proprietors were S. M. and Y. B. Smead, and T. F. Strong, Jr., with S. M. Smead editor, was the property of those just named until 1859, when S. M. Smead became editor and proprietor, continuing as such until November 20, 1861, when he sold out to T. F. Strong, Jr., May 28, 1862, Edward Beeson purchased the establish¬ ment and immediately sold a half interest to Kingman Flint, who retained his interests but a short time and sold to S. T. Stanchfield. In September Beeson gave way to A. P. Swineford and the firm became Swineford & Stanchfield. In January, 1864, Swineford was sole proprietor and on February 7, 1865, the Daily Press, a four column folio, made its appearance. In June, 1865, Thomas A. Good¬ win bought a half interest in the Press but in November sold it to Mr. Swineford. In September, 1866, James Swineford, who afterwards served as chief of police of Fond du Lac, purchased a half interest in the paper and while A. P. Swine¬ ford was in Canada took complete possession of the office, on account of a debt, and discontinued the paper. May 2, 1867, Edward Beeson revived the Press under the name of the Journal. It was begun as a seven column folio and enlarged to nine columns in 1869. Michael Bohan in 1870 secured a half interest in the fall . of 1871, and Mr. Beeson, having been elected county treasurer by the democrats, sold his interest in the paper to Mr. Bohan, who on the 26th of August, 1872, began the publication of the Daily Journal and supported Horace Greeley for president. The Daily was discontinued January 2, 1873. September 11, 1873, Bohan sold the Journal to Tim F. Strong. Jr. and James Russell, the firm becom¬ ing Strong & Russell. May 7, 1874, the paper was changed to a six column quarto and was given an entirely new dress.

In July, 1879, the office was sold to S. W. Safford,, who leased the property to Russell & Olcott. In January, Olcott retired, leaving Mr. Russell as the pub¬ lisher and proprietor of the Star Printing Company. Some time later the Journal was discontinued.

The Fond Du Lac Whig

The Fond du Lac Whig, a five column folio, made its appearance December 14, 1846, James Monroe Gillet being editor and publisher, and being situated on the corner of Main and Third streets. Eli Hooker being a whig left the Journal in March, 1847, ar*d bought a half interest in the Whig. The paper continued under the management of Gillet & Hooker until October 13, 1847, when the firm was dissolved and Mr. Gillet continued as editor and proprietor. The paper corn tinued until Monday, November 22, 1847, when the last number appeared. The material was taken by Mr. Hooker to Waupun and used in starting a job office.

The Fond Du Lac Republican

This paper appeared on the 6th of January, 1848, Samuel Ryan being the pub¬ lisher. In July, 1850, the name of that paper was changed to Fountain City. It lived but a short time, the last issue being printed in December, 1850.

Fond Du Lac Patriot

John D. Hyman began the publication of this paper on the 30th of April, 1851. It was a seven column folio and advocated the principles of democracy. He had brought the establishment from Oshkosh but did not meet with success and January 31, 1852, the paper was published by Amos Reed, who changed its name to the National Democrat, which was afterwards merged into the Fond du Lac Union.

Fountain City Herald

The Fountain City Herald was first published November 9, 1852, by Royal Buck. It was an eight column folio and affiliated with the whig party. In Sep¬ tember, 1856, the Herald was sold to J. A. Smith. Most of the material, however, was purchased by Edward Beeson. In July, 1854, however, a daily edition of the Herald was published, a four column folio in size. It lasted until September, 1856, when the Daily with the material was purchased by J. A. Smith, of Sheboy¬ gan Falls.

The Western Freeman

The Western Freeman, published at Fond du Lac, first appeared October 5, 1854, under the direction of J. A. Smith, editor and proprietor. The plant had been brought from Sheboygan Falls, and in 1855 became the official paper of the city. The last number was published on Wednesday, September 3, 1856, and having previously bought the Fountain City Herald and realizing the extent of business did not warrant the publication of two weekly papers he merged the two issues into one and called his publication the Commonwealth.

Fond Du Lac Commonwealth

The first number of the Fond du Lac Weekly Commonwealth appeared October 15, 1856, from its headquarters which had been in the Darling block. As before stated, it was made up of two publications - the Western Freeman and the Foun¬ tain City Herald, and was published by Smith & Orvis, and it is now the oldest paper existing in Fond du Lac county under its present name. The paper origi¬ nally was a seven column folio and started out with a large advertising patronage.

Smith remaining, however, as editor. October 3T, i860, Smith bought out Lightbody and the firm name was then Smith & Bryant. Tyrant sold his share in the plant to J. A. Smith in 1862, and in 1864 Charles H. Benton purchased an inter¬ est in the establishment and the firm became Smith & Benton, which also pub¬ lished a paper at Ripon known as the Commonwealth, which was under the man¬ agement of A. T. Glaze. Mr. Benton severed his connection with the Common¬ wealth in 1865 and J. A. Smith became sole editor and proprietor, lie engaged Ed McGlauchlin as city editor in 1866 and started the Daily Commonwealth, which lasted but a year. In August, 1869, J. A. Watrous, Thomas B. Reed and S. S. Fifield purchased the Commonwealth and in August, 1870, began the publication of the Fond du Lac Daily, which proved to be the first successful daily paper in Fond du Lac. Mr. Reed sold his interest in 1870 and then the paper was pub¬ lished by the Commonwealth Company which title was soon after changed to J. A. Watrous & Company. Howard M. Kutchin purchased a third interest in the Commonwealth in September, 1871, and became one of the editors, adding strength to the paper, as he was an able writer and experienced printer. His abili¬ ties as a writer, however, did not surpass those of Colonel Watrous and under their guidance it became a profitable and influential publication. In April, 1876, Watrous leased his interest to Mr. Kutchin and on the expiration of a year Kutchin appeared as editor and proprietor until the middle of November, 1879, when Charles G. Elliott purchased an interest in the establishment and was made business manager.

In 1886 P. B. Haber, with others, purchased the daily and weekly Common¬ wealth and organized the Commonwealth Printing Company, which, while entirely separate as a business proposition, is conducted in the same establishment, and the business of both branches has been very successful. Today the Common¬ wealth is the leading republican paper in the county and central Wisconsin.

The Daily Bulletin

The Daily Bulletin first made its appearance as the Trade Bulletin under the guidance of F. E. Edwards. Later W. E. Smith joined issues with Mr. Edwards and the new firm added jobbing rooms to the publication, and then followed the publication of the Daily Bulletin, which about three years ago was merged with the Daily Reporter.

The Fond Du Lac Democrat

This paper was started by a man named Thompson in 1867, as a democratic organ but having small means, Mr. Thompson soon disposed of the property to Borghart & Goodwin, who soon suspended the publication in force of adverse circumstances.

The Saturday Reporter

John J. Beeson, a son of the pioneer journalist, Edward Beeson, established the Saturday Reporter in 1862. A. T. Glaze made up the first form of this paper and the first issue was run off on a hand press by him. The Reporter office was in the second story of a building on the corner of Main and Second streets and the paper issued therefrom was a clean and attractive five column folio. April 29, 1865, it was enlarged to a six column folio; in 1866 to a seven column folio; and in January, 1869, to a nine column folio. On November 22, 1873, James Thwing became by purchase the sole proprietor of the Saturday Reporter and was its publisher until January 10, 1874, when H. R. Farmin, of the Madison Journal corps, purchased a half interest and added a large job office. New material was purchased for the plant in 1875 and at the same time the paper was enlarged to a ten column folio. Mr. Farmin disposed of his interest to Rev. C. D. Pillsbury in July, 1875, the firm name becoming Thwing & Pillsbury. The form of the paper was changed to a six column quarto in February, 1878. In 1892 the Reporter Printing Company was incorporated. The present officials are : L. A. Lange, manager; A. H. Tuttle, vice president; Emery Martin, secretary; W. H. Parsons, treasurer. It is a partisan paper, advocating the principles of the democrat party although it had been republican in politics up to the time it was incorporated. The company also issues the Daily Reporter, which has been established for several years.

The Frei Volks Presse

The first issue of this German weekly appeared October 1, 1878. Charles Bruderly was the proprietor, and Professor C. Kumlau, editor. It suspended pub¬ lication in the fall of 1879.

The Fond Du Lac Tribun

This was another German paper, republican in politics, first published in Fond du Lac, August 14, 1874. In April of the following year it was removed to Sheboygan.

The Nordwestlicher Courier

Dr. Carl deHaas founded and published the Nordwestlicher, May 4, 1871. It started as a five column quarto and was published weekly. Later it was changed to a six column folio, semi-weekly. Dr. deHaas died in 1875 and the paper was continued by his sons under the firm name of Fred deHaas & Brothers until April, 1878, when the establishment was sold to W. F. Weber, the present pro¬ prietor. Mr. Weber enlarged the paper to meet the demands of a large and remunerative clientele.

The Appeal

The Appeal first appeared at Fond du Lac, May 10, 1876, as a six column folio, published monthly at fifty cents per annum, by J. A. Watrous. In 1878 the Appeal was enlarged to seven columns. It is no longer in existence.

The Wisconsin Farmer was a publication that appeared first on the 25th of September, 1879, devoting its cloumns to the interests of farming, dairying and stockraising. At the time it was the only publication of the kind in Wisconsin and rapidly increased in circulation. It was edited by Edward Beeson and H. D. Wing. John W. Lockin was business manager. The Daheim is a flourishing weekly edited on Sunday by W. F. Weber, editor and proprietor of the Nordwestlicher.

The Peoples Champion

In 1877 J. R. Tallmadge, D. A. Toubell, J. L. Colman, L. F. Stow, J. O. Bar¬ rett, I. R. Sanford, A. Moody, F. E. Hoyt, E. Hoyt and Fred Gesswein formed the "Peoples Printing & Publishing Company/' incorporated and organized for the purpose of printing the Peoples Champion and doing a general printing and publishing business. The company was capitalized at $6,000. J. O. Barrett, of Glenbeulah, was made editor in chief and I. R. Sanford business manager. The first number appeared September - 12th and was printed from the Star Printing Company's office, although the type from which it was printed was owned by the publishers. The enterprise was not a paying one and at the end of the year 1878 the plant went into the possession of I. R. Sanford. It was finally sold by the sheriff to John W. Lockin.

The Northern Farmer

In January, 1863, J. H. Jones & Brother published an agricultural paper called the Northern Farmer, more for the purpose of advertising their seed and imple¬ ment business than to furnish the news. For five years the Jones Brothers con¬ ducted the paper and then sold it to Fred D. Carson, who in 1869 removed the plant to Janesville.

The Ripon Herald

December 14, 1853, marks the date of the first issue of the Ripon Herald, Addison P. Mapes and Irving D. Root, editors and proprietors. "Rip-On'' was its motto. The Herald was a weekly and was ably edited by A. P. Mapes, who became sole proprietor, April 1, 1854. The Herald was finally sold to Alvin E. Bovay and soon became a part of the Commonwealth office. J. A. Smith, one of the editors of the Fond du Lac Commonwealth, established the Ripon Com¬ monwealth on the 22d of January, 1864, placing A. T. Glaze, now living in retire¬ ment in Fond du Lac, in charge as manager and local editor. One side of the paper for a time was printed at Fond du Lac. The paper continued under the same manager until December 2d, when Smith & Benton became editors and pub¬ lishers, Glaze, however, continuing as local editor. The paper reverted to J. A. Smith in Tune, 1865. On the 13th of April, 1866, the paper was published under the firm name of Smith & Bryant. On the 22d of February, 1867, A. T. Glaze became sole owner of the paper and published it until April 1. 1874, when it was sold to \\ . H. Bailhache, Mason & Brayman, the style name of the firm being Bailhache & Company. In May, 1875, Brayman sold his half interest to E. L. Scofield, and the paper was published under the firm name of Bailhache & Sco¬ field until October 1, 1875, when Bailhache sold to C. M. Hodges. In October, 1877, E. L. Scofield became sole editor and proprietor, and in January, 1878, he sold a half interest to E. J. Price for a year and at the expiration of the lease Scofield regained possession of the publication. At the present time the Com¬ monwealth is being ably conducted under the management of the publisher, C. H. Ellsworth, as an independent weekly. Other publications at Ripon are the Ripon Press, a weekly, issued every Thursday, and republican in politics. In 1909 its editor, E. L. Howe, laid down his pen never to again take it up. The paper is now being issued by the widow and sons.

College Days

College Days is an interesting little publication, issued weekly in the interests of Ripon College. The Ripon Representative was an independent weekly paper, first issued in 1867 by George W. Peck. Peck leased the paper to H. E. Baker and changed its name to the Prairie City Local. Later the material became part of the Free Press Company.

At the present time there are two newspapers published at Waupun. The Waupun Times was the first paper to be established in this section of the county. The first number was issued September 14, 1857, by J. A. Brinkerhofif. It was a seven column folio and was liberally patronized both by subscribers and adver¬ tisers. October 1, 1858. Philip M. Pryor became editor and proprietor.

Waupun Leader

The Waupun Leader was founded by Joseph W. Oliver and Martin C. Short, under the firm name of Oliver & Short, who issued the paper first as the Prison City Leader. August 28, 1866. The paper started out with a good list of sub¬ scribers and was printed on an old "Washington" hand press. The paper was changed to a five column quarto in 1868 but soon returned to its original form as an eight column folio. The name was dropped for that of the Waupun Leader, which title it has since borne. Martin C. Short sold his half interest to R. H. Oliver in 1871 and the paper was conducted by the firm of Oliver Brothers for a number of years. At the present time W. A. Sanborn is the publisher and pro¬ prietor. The Prison City Item was a five column folio, established by W. Euen in 1859. The paper was suspended in 1861. The de Ware Burger was brought from Sheboygan county to Waupun in 1859 by Dr. A. C. Van Altena. It was published in the Dutch language and in the interests of the people of that nation until the latter part of i860, by S. H. Salverda, a son-in-law of Dr. Van Altena. The Little Badger was another publication started in Waupun by S. H. Salverda in the latter part of i860. It was printed in both the English and Dutch lan¬ guages and lived but a few months, subsiding for want of patronage.

George M. West began the publication of the Brandon Times, October 1, 1865. It was a four column folio, independent in politics, although with republican lean¬ ings. In November, 1871, Martin C. Short became editor and proprietor. The paper has always been well patronized for the size of its home town and is today being ably managed by Jenkinson & Yorty, the senior member of the firm being Mrs. Lucy Jenkinson, and the junior member, Ida J. Yorty.

A. T. Glaze, now retired and taking his declining years with the grace of a philosopher, although blind and confined to a wheel chair by other physical ail¬ ments, is the pioneer printer and newspaper man of Fond du Lac county. He has been here over a half century and his experiences have been many and varied. He writes interestingly and entertainingly of the early "print shops" and methods of composition, not only of the editor but of the printer.

In a small volume which he prepared in 1905, Mr. Glaze devoted a chapter to "How the Early Days' Print Shop Men Had to Work Their Way," and another chapter he set apart and entitled "Printing and Printers." His thoughts and remembrances on these subjects are so pertinent to an article on the press of the county, that they are given a place here :

Printing And Printers

"Edward Beeson was the veteran and founder of job printing in Fond du Lac. He was a printer by trade and a printing office was a pleasure resort for him. He was connected with the trade here from the beginning, and ceased only when age required it. During the active part of his life it was about impossible for him to keep out of the business. When he sold an office it was only to engage in another, and he was never out of it long. To conduct a pioneer newspaper was a pleasure to him, and when we think of his genial character we cannot but wonder that in early life he delighted in newspaper controversy. In politics he was an old-time democrat mainly on tariff issues, for he was a rock-rooted free trader. In the war there was no copperheadism in him. He first set type at Beaver, Pennsylvania, when he was fourteen years old and was a lifelong printer.

"Mr. Beeson sold the Fond du Lac Journal to M. J. Thomas in 1853, and for a year was out of business. The following year he opened Beeson's job print¬ ing office, which very soon became one of the prominent and prosperous business places of the town. The building at the northeast corner of Main and Second streets had been erected after the great fire of 1852, by Ward & Windecker, and the second story, known as Ward & Windecker's Hall, was used for dances, thea¬ ters. lectures, etc., and on Sundays for religious meetings. But in 1856 Amory Hall was finished and the Ward & Windecker Hall did not pay, so it was rented to Mr. Beeson for a printing office and continued to be so used until in 1862, when the Reporter was started and the hall was found too small for both and Beeson's job office was moved to the west side of Main street, in Warner's block, over the store now occupied by Schleyer & Ordway, where it remained until 1867, when the office became the nucleus of the afterwards widely known Star Printing Com¬ pany.

"Limited in capacity, with but a small amount of material and one-half of it very much worn, and with cheap presses, yet Beeson's Job Printing office managed to turn out some of the best work ever seen in Fond du Lac. Specimens of it may now be seen here which compare well with any printing of today, with all our boasted improvements. The only 'jobber' the office ever had was an old Boston 'Ruggles,' on which the form was upside down when in use, and was the first 'jobber' brought to the state. The Milwaukee Sentinel brought it from Buffalo, New YY>rk, in 1848, thence it went to Racine, or Kenosha. Mr. Beeson bought it from C. L. Sholes in 1856, and it came to Fond du Lac overland. Besides this 'jobber,' there were two hand presses in the office, on which every¬ thing larger than a note sheet was printed. Until A. C. Stow and A. T. Glaze built a paper cutter, all paper used in the office was cut to the size for the job, by hand with a shoe knife. Cards were bought already cut, until a cutter was purchased about the same time. All circles were cut in wood and much wood type was used. When some particular line was needed for a poster, a board was planed to thickness and size and it was cut by hand. This is done in some offices now, P. H. Haber's for instance, but it is done on specially prepared material, while the early times people had hardwood from the cabinet shop to work with. Rollers were made at home of glue and molasses, now the material may be bought ready to melt and cast, or the rollers will be cast and sent almost as cheap as cost of the material for them and much better, for they will last much longer. The printer of today has little conception of the cares and tribulations of the early day worker. The latter had to fight his way and do the best possible with the material he had or could make to fill the bill for the job he had in hand. He could not send to Milwaukee or Chicago and get what he would like to use, almost at an hour's notice. Several days or a week was required for what can now be done in a few hours.

"During the time the Northwestern road was being built from Fond du Lac, T. F. Strong. Sr., was superintendent, T. F. Strong, Jr. was the general passen¬ ger agent and D. Y. Selleck, for the last forty years financial manager of the great McCormack business in Chicago, was the general freight agent. Through these gentlemen, and especially T. F. Strong, Jr., who was a veritable genius as to printing, Beeson's job office received orders for all the printing used, and it was no small affair for the facilities at hand with which to do it. But that it was well done is shown by the fact that the work was highly complimented by such Chicago offices as Dunlap, Sewell & Spalding and Rand, McNally & Company. Among the heavy jobs done was a full set of through coupon tickets in blue and red color on highly calendered forty-five pound straw colored medium paper. Those tickets varied in length from six to forty inches and carried from two to twenty coupons. On this job A. T. Glaze ran the press during the days and C. H. Benton at night for several weeks. The number of tickets printed of each form was not large, being two hundred whole tickets and fifty halves, but they had to go through the press twice. It was the changes in the coupons that required more time than press work. To the credit of all concerned, it may be stated here that such experts as Mr. McNally and Mr. Spalding said these tickets and the accom¬ panying book of forms, was the best job of printing seen in this country up to that time. But this was not the only large or neat job turned out of that office - there were many of them. Tim Strong wanted everything neat in that line and he got it. And so as stated in the beginning of this article, Beeson's Job Printing office was one of the noted early day institutions of Fond du Lac. During the most of its existence, A. T. Glaze was the foreman, and those who worked under him at different times were Charley Benton, Senator Dan Morrison, of Minnesota,

Web. Henry. Hi. Morley, Johnny Cortelyou, Hugh Boener, Fon. Rockwell, Mal¬ colm Graham, Jimmy Wright and possibly 'two or three others whose names are forgotten. All are believed to be now dead except Mr. Glaze and Senator Morri¬ son.

"It is not out of place to state here that Edward Beeson was a printer and newspaper man of the old school. He felt at home in a newspaper office, but was not much of a job printer. Mr. Glaze served an old fashioned apprenticeship in a printing office in Ohio. Mr. Beeson was his uncle, his mother being a sister of Mrs. Beeson. 1 lis delight was to do nice printing and to write for newspapers. The first printing he ever did was with a hand stamp with movable type, bought at a circus when a small boy. It was fifty-five years on the 24th of August last, (1905), since he came to Fond du Lac, and he has seen the city grow from infancy to its present proud position.

"When Beeson's Job office ceased, the Star Printing Company came into exist¬ ence. Homer G. Leonard, James Russell and T. F. Strong, Jr., were announced to the public as the owners, under the name of Leonard, Russell & Strong, but Edward Beeson held an interest in it. The office was in part of the second story of the Amory building on Division street, but later was moved to the postoffice block on Macy street. At the latter location it did the printing for the Sheboy¬ gan & Fond du Lac railroad and some for the Lake Shore & Western. This, with the most of the Protection Insurance Company and the general orders from the city, made the office a very busy place. After a time the railroad work went to Milwaukee and the insurance company failed, after which the Star Print¬ ing Company went into decline. This, with bad financial management brought on a reorganization of the company but it did not work well and the office was at last seized on chattel mortgage and landed at Marinette. A lively lot of boys were from time to time connected with the Star Printing Company, but nearly all have been lost to sight. Homer Leonard is in Chicago; James Russell has been at Mar¬ quette, Michigan, many years; and Brown Canifif is now, (1905), as he has been many years, employed in the Reporter office.

"About this time Thomas H. Bryant had a job office on Main street, over Whittelsey's store, but never made much of a stir. The Commonwealth also had a job office all this time but neither Mr. Watrous nor Mr. Kutchin seemed to care much about pushing the business. Their specialty was the newspaper and they gave it excellent service.

"Thomas Bryant sold his job office to John Lockin, who some time after took it to Brandon and most of it found its way into the office of the Brandon Times. k

"In 1875, Spencer Palmer, another of the old Commonwealth boys, started his job printing office in a very modest way. He canvassed the county for work and no village escaped him. Wherever a job of printing was desired, 'Spence' was on hand to see about it and this has been his policy for more than thirty years. He has never aimed at making a big stir but has pursued a steady business course, increasing his facilities slowly, but all the time at work.

"In 1885, Charles H. Swift and P. B. Haber started the County Job 'Print¬ ing office, under the firm name of Swift & Haber. Charley Swift came from the office of the former Star Printing Company and P. B. Haber from the Benjamin Book Agency. The firm existed but a short time, Swift retiring and Mr. Haber becoming the owner. In 1886 he negotiated the purchase of the Daily and Weekly

Commonwealth and organized the Commonwealth Printing Company, which, while entirely separate as a business proposition, has yet been in the same build¬ ing and rooms of the job printing office of P. B. Haber. With the Commonwealth came the jobbing department of that office, at the time of the purchase practically asleep, and in these first twenty years the business has been remarkably success¬ ful. Mr. Haber has made a specialty of show printing and especially of dates, and owns the local bill posting business.

''Next came F. D. Edwards with the Trade Bulletin, a very moderate sheet at first, for advertising purposes, but W. E. Smith joined him and jobbing rooms were added. Like many other Fond du Lac enterprises, the business grew slowly but steadily. Now that the Daily Bulletin has been launched and domiciled in the same rooms, it also has a newspaper connection.

"During all of the more than forty years since 1862, the Reporter has been doing job printing but it was not until L. A. Lange became the owner that job printing was pushed, and especially after A. H. Tuttle took charge of that side of the Reporter's business did it have the reputation of being one of the best equipped offices here.

"The office of the Nordwestlicher Courier, since W. H. Weber has been pro¬ prietor, a period of about twenty years, has done considerable job printing, in English as well as German.

"Ripon, Brandon, Waupun, Campbellsport and Oakfield have jobbing depart¬ ments in connection with their local newspapers but there is little effort to com¬ pete with the larger city offices.

"When the Saturday Reporter was started in 1862, attention was first given to local matters. Up to that time it had been the aim of the papers to deal with news, state and national, and to handle politics. The Reporter was started for the express purpose of dealing with society, personal and general local news, and it was a success. Previous to this time, if a prominent person came or went, it might be noticed and it might not. Weddings were noted under the general head of 'Marriages,' but it needed to be a big event to secure local mention, and a write-up like those of the present day, was almost unknown. Clubs were far in the future and parties, except for dancing, were few and far between. Let any one look into the old newspaper files in the public library and note how different was the style of newspaper writing. The change came with J. J. Beeson and the Saturday Reporter. In personals it has now gone so far as to be ridiculed, and justly so. as all who come or go expect a notice. Social functions have so multiplied that the printer's space is monopolized. Fifty years ago all this was unknown.

"In this year of 1905 we have hardly completed the first year of the Linotype type-setting machine. A year ago we were yet picking up type just as the practice had come down to us from the days of Faust and Scheffer, in the sixteenth cen¬ tury. We distributed the loose type into the cases and picked it out again, one by one, very much as the hens pick up corn. The case would 'run out of sorts,' that is, there would come a shortage of certain letters and figures, but all the annoy¬ ances of the type case have passed with the coming of the machine. Such a thing as 'sorts' is unknown where it stands. If the old time printer set five to seven thousand 'ems' a day, it was a fair day's work, but the machine crops that number of 'ems' every hour in the day. The old time printer was often burdened with

'pi. but nothing of the sort is known to the machine. The ingenious German Mergenthaler perfected this machine but a few years ago ; now they are every¬ where. Fond du Lac at this date has seven of them. Little did the typesetter of even a year ago dream of what was coming.

"The old time printers were content to name the sizes of type, as Nonpareil, Brevier and Long Primer, and many others, and to speak of them as six point, eight point or ten point, would be Latin to him. One would have to go into an explanation to make him understand that it is a new system now universal ; to overcome the difficulties he used to have in the use of type from different found¬ ries, is now happily gone forever. Use of the point system is a great improve¬ ment but the old time printer knew it not. The faces of the type now differ but the bodies are the same from all type foundries.

"The use of plate matter is another innovation on old time printing office methods. The old timer had to set all the matter he used in his paper ; now he may buy it in plate ready for use and in any department of newspaper literature. There is even a daily news service from the many concerns devoted to the making of plate matter. The cost to the printer is much less, and the quality is often much improved. Thirty years ago plate matter was almost unknown to news¬ paper men.

"If the young printer of today were given the old beveled side and foot sticks, together with wood quoins, shooting-stick and mallet, what sort of work would he make in trying to lock a form, and what would the old time printer have done with the mechanical quoins now in general use ? How would the present day printer like it to 'puli' a few 'tokens' on a hand press or 'kick off' a few thousand impressions on a jobber? How would he enjoy cutting paper with a shoe knife or column rule? How would he like it to make his own rollers or put a business card or ball ticket to press on a big hand press? He would probably not enjoy it much, but these and other like things had to be done here in Fond du Lac in the past and it was not much more than fifty years ago either. Some of them much less than that.

The Printer Editor

"When he came to Wisconsin in 1850, from Ohio, A. T. Glaze had already served time as a printing office apprentice. He was skilled in any and all depart¬ ments of printing office work. A severe run of scarlet fever compelled him to abandon the course at Heidelburg after two and one-half of the four years, and » thus equipped mentally and mechanically, he came to Fond du Lac and entered the office of the Journal, established by Henning & Hooker, in 1846, but now owned by Edward Beeson. The early day work, editorial as well as mechanical, of Mr. Glaze, may be seen in the files of the old Journal in the rooms of the public library. At this time competent printers were not numerous and material could not be obtained as now, so the services of Mr. Glaze were often in demand in the region round about, in starting newspapers. He was called even to Oshkosh more than once to make rollers, cover tympon frames of hand presses, cutting rules and leads for first forms and adjusting them, and by no means a pleasant job, as we had no rule or lead cutter, the former being cut with a file and the latter with a knife. It may be of interest to many to state the fact that the present Oshkosh Northwestern was started as a weekly by the Messenger boys, and Mr. Glaze made the rollers and helped them to adjust the forms. He made two or three sets of rollers for the old Oshkosh Courier, owned by Reed & Nevitt. He went to Berlin once, overland, to assist in putting the Marquette ir ^ I Thei e was no Green Lake county then - it was part of Mar¬ quette county. After this he went there to help Uri Carruth with the Spectator, and made the trip on the steamboat 'Badger State,' Captain W. A. Knapp. Early in 1862 he made rollers and assisted A. P. Mapes in launching a paper that not long after was thrown into the street, by some of the men of Ed. Daniel's First Wisconsin Cavalry, for alleged disloyalty. He was sent for to assist in putting afloat a paper at Kingston, but sent Walworth Chapel to do the work. The well known early day country lawyer, Rufus P. Eaton, by some means got hold of the idea that there ought to be a paper at Pequot Village, near what is now Winnebago Park, got his old press from Edwards, at Oshkosh, and maybe half enough type, and sent for Mr. Glaze to help him out. But before getting things in shape to start his foolish enterprise, he sold the outfit to Flavius Josephus Mills, and it went to Sheboygan and into the office of the Lake Shore Journal. In 1852, Mr. Beeson sold the Journal to M. J. Thomas, son-in-law of John B. Macy, and resulted in the change of name to Fond du Lac Union, to aid in the election of Mr. Macy to congress. The Journal was dormant for a while but was put afloat again by Kingman Flint, son of Judge Flint, and S. D. Stanchfield, uncle of the present S. B. Stanchfield. But its light went out again after a year or two, as did that of the Union, all of which was in the interest of Smead's Democratic Press. But the old Journal could not rest in peace, and was revived by Tim Strong, Jr., one of the best educated men Fond du Lac ever had. It drifted into the hands of James Russell and thence to Edward Beeson again. In his old age Mr. Beeson sold it to Jake Bloom and last of all it was absorbed by the Reporter, where it still rests. With many, indeed most of these changes, Mr. Glaze had much to do, editorially and mechanically, but the difficulties encountered were far less than those of the early days. The Fond du Lac Com¬ monwealth, resulting from the consolidation of the Western Freeman and Fountain City Herald, in the hands of J. A. Smith, in 1854, the Saturday Reporter started in 1862 by J. J. Beeson, son of Edward Beeson, and the Ripon Commonwealth, founded upon the ruins of the Prairie City Record in 1864, by A. T. Glaze, all successful newspapers of today, each in their infancy had their clothing adjusted by Mr. Glaze.

''The job printers really had more difficulties than the newspaper printers. The latter, when they had the forms once adjusted, had only to distribute the used type and make up with that newly set, lock the forms and go to press, but the job printer was constantly encountering something new, and being short of type he often had to cut lines of wood type, use home made borders, patch rules, cut rules with a file, and leads with a knife ; use a piece of plank to distribute the ink on the rollers, make a paper cutter of a shoe knife and coarse stone, and many similar things in all parts of the work, and though a very good printer, he may be horrified to find a hideous job the result of his best efiforts. All these troubles might come every day but the newspaper man faced them but weekly. Yet how many of the printers of today would care to face either task? But fifty years ago it had to be done in Fond du Lac or not have a newspaper or printing office at all. It is not needful to face these troubles now, no matter how near the printer may go to the pioneer border. Conditions are different. Material is more plentiful, easier obtained, in greater variety and cheaper. The printer of the long ago was expected to be competent: for every part of the work ; today they are mostly pressmen, machine men, make-up men and general utility men. Type-setting is mostly done on machines, except headings and display, and it is daily becoming more general. Editors in the old times wrote up everything that came their way, no matter on what subject. Now they are divided into general local news, society, sporting, financial, etc. The old time fellow was expected to be up in all these. This is written, not to criticise present methods but to show the difference between old times and the present. Under conditions as they now exist, old methods would doubtless be impractical."