Marathon County, Wisconsin - Chapter 25, 1913

Chapter 25

IVausan and Marathon Comity Press - Daily Rccord-Hcrald - Central Wisconsin - Wisconsin River Pilot - Wochtcnblatt - Pioneer - The Sun - Philosopher Press - List of Papers Published in Marathon County.

Wausau Daily Record-Herald

is the only daily newspaper in Wausau, and in furnishing news, including foreign news and telegraph service, it is as good as any published outside the metropolis of the state. It was started on its journalistic course in 1895, by Edw. T. Wheelock. Wheelock was an old newspaper man who came to Wausau in the year 1895 with the intention of issuing a daily newspaper. He first purchased the Torch of Liberty, edited and owned by M. H. Barnum, a Republican weekly newspaper, and almost immediately converted the weekly into a daily, changing the name to the name of Wausau Daily-Record, under which name it was published until its consolidation with the Daily Herald, issued by R. E. Powers, an independent paper with Democratic leanings, December i, 1907.

The Herald started out as a weekly Democratic paper about the year 1888, and was converted into a daily in 1906. The Herald strived hard to continue, but the field for two dailies was rather narrow, both in subscriptions and advertisements, which must furnish means to keep up publication, and in the year 1907 the Herald sold its plant to the Daily Record, and since that consolidation the name was changed to Wausau Daily Record-Herald.

The present daily was from its beginning, and always has been, a strictly Republican newspaper, and while recognizing the changed condition in all things industrial and commercial in the last fifty years, and politically as well, and therefore the need of legislation with due regard to those changed conditions, it is emphatic that such changes should be made with due consideration and for some practical purpose and that proper remedies be applied to the evils springing from the changes wrought by inventions, the growth of the population and society at large. It is therefore not in sympathy with many of the so-called progressive measures, which it holds to be really reac- tionary in fact, although advocated by men who style themselves progressive. It reserves the right to examine for itself the measures proposed and judge from the effect they will have upon society at large, whether they are progressive in fact, or only the makeshift of politicians who simply play for fleeting popular favor.

In tone, the Record-Herald is, like all other Wausau papers, decorous and respectable and without that sordid sensationalism which so often disgraces American journalism.

Central Wisconsin

The first newspaper in Wausau and, of course, in the county, was the Central Wisconsin, which was started to fill the demand of the pioneers for some means to attract the attention of other people to their settlement. At a meeting duly held, W. D. Mclndoe, the most prominent one of them, was requested to induce a newspaper man to locate at Wausau and issue a weekly. This gentleman soon thereafter met J. W. Chubbuck, who was then on the staff of the Milwaukee Sentinel, getting him interested in the venture, and got his conditions, which were an advance of $300 and a good, liberal subscription list. Mr. Mclndoe reported, and the conditions were quickly complied with. The money was raised and a list of between three and four hundred subscribers was guaranteed, and Mr. J. W. Chubbuck, with one John Foster, came to Wausau and on the 226. of April, 1857, issued the first newspaper printed in Marathon county. It was to be an independent paper and remained so for some years. In i860 Carl Hoeflinger and Francis A. Hoffmann got control of it, and made it a Democratic sheet. In 1861 J. \\'. Chubbuck and Clarence Jenkins started and run the Marathon County Record as a Republican paper for about three years, and the Central suspended publication in 1861 to 1862, and was merged in the Marathon County Record, but the combination was published again under the name of the Central. It was then published by Mr. Stafford, sold by him a little later to J. C. Clarke, repurchased again by Stafford, who published it until 1868, when he sold it to R. H. and C. W. Johnson, since which time it remained a consistent Repub-

In 1883, R. H. Johnson, e.vidently preparing for the presidential campaign of 1884, issued the Daily Central, which appeared until the spring of 1885. He had for its editor A. J. Dodge, a fine writer, who afterwards became the Washington reporter for some of the great dailies of the country.

While the weekly Central had a good subscription list and was a fairly paying newspaper, the Daily was not ; it was much too expensive for the little support it got in the' city and small surrounding country, with the small settlement and poor postal service. It was, in fact, a better paper than the country could afford. The Central Wisconsin continued as a weekly paper, a bright, sprightly sheet, reimbursing in part its owner for his losses on the Daily. Since R. H. Johnson sold it to the Sun Publishing Company in 1909, it is issued under the name of Wausau Sun, but it was strongly surmised at the time that the change of the name from an old established newspaper to a new one was of doubtful financial expediency.

Wisconsin River Pilot

a weekly newspaper devoted to the promulgation of the principles of the Democratic party, made its appearance in the year 1865, owned and printed by Valentine Ringle, son of Judge Ringle, assisted by J. W. Chubbuck as editor, who remained with it until 1874. After that time Mr. Ringle himself edited the paper, occasionally assisted by M. H. Bamum, later by C. F. Eldred and others.

The paper remained under the ownership of Valentine Ringle until 1884, when it was sold to E. B. Thayer, who had commenced the publication of another Democratic paper, the Wausau Weekly Review, in 1882, and after purchasing the Pilot, combined both papers under the name of Pilot-Review, dropping the last name after a few years and issuing the paper under the name of Wausau Pilot. This paper has never missed an issue since its first appearance in 1865 ; always a staunch Democratic paper, it supported Democratic principles and Democratic nominees. It claims the largest circulation of any weekly paper in Wausau, which claim seems to be well founded. Nearly all the people who ever emigrated from Wausau continue to receive it, and many Wausau people send it to their friends in other states. In the year 1884 for about six months, a daily Pilot was issued until after the election of that year, and the experiment renewed in 1896, in William J. Bryan's first campaign.

Being in tlie hands of V. Ringle for nearly twenty years, and now owned and edited by E. B. Thayer since 1884, or over twenty-eight years, it has the advantage of being conducted on one Hne of policy without having to make concessions to conflicting interests.

is the oldest established newspaiier printed in the German language in central and northern Wisconsin. It was founded by Valentine Ringle, son of Judge Ringle, and made its first appearance in January, 1871. It was founded as a newspaper advocating the principles of the Democratic party and in the interests of the Gennan- Americans. It has steadily adhered to this course and secured a large circle of readers, although in the beginning its circulation was limited because of the limited number of the German population at that time. It has grown with the growth of the city and county and enjoys a large circulation in this and adjoining counties.

When Valentine Ringle was appointed postmaster in 1885, he sold the paper to Lohmar Brothers, who in turn sold it to John Ringle, and he not being bred to the newspaper business, sold it to H. J. Heise about the close of the year 1889, and who is still the owner and editor, with G. Bohndorf as assistant.

is the name of the weekly newspaper of Marathon county, issued at Wausau, adhering to the Republican party published in the German language. It was in 1881 when the leaders of the Republican party felt the need of a publication advocating their creed in the Gennan language, and some of their leaders purchased the material of the defunct "Watchman on the Wisconsin," a greenback paper, and engaged one St. Koslowski from Milwaukee as editor, giving him at the same time an interest in the publication. This editor was a very able w-riter and good speaker, with a sense for business, and he soon brought the paper upon a fairly paying basis. But although strictly Republican in his writings, he had some views of his own, which did not coincide with the views of the main stockholders, more particularly its German and Norwegian stockholders. This disagreement caused his resignation in the fall of 1882. He was succeeded as editor by A. W. Young under the same conditions, but who soon became sole owner, and who edited it until his death, in the year 1897. After the death of A. W. Young, the newspaper was purchased by Gustav Stolze, who edited and owned it until his death, in 1899, and after his death it passed to his son, Paul F. Stolze, who is the present owner.

The Pioneer secured a large circulation in Alarathon' and adjoining counties, and while still adhering to the principles of the Republican party, lately follows an independent course in matters of policy. It is devoted to the interests of German- Americans and gives much space to the publication of Gennan club news, the editor himself being a member of most of the German societies.

The Wausau Sun

is the youngest of all weekly newspapers, and yet is the oldest, not only in the county, but in all the territory north of Stevens Point. It had been successfully conducted by R. H. Johnson as the Central Wisconsin, when he sold it to a corporation organized by William C. Brawley, who intended to make it a great weekly Democratic paper whose influence should be felt throughout the state, and therefore the Sun seemed to him to be the proper name for the new venture. William C. Brawley edited the Sun until June, 191 1, when he removed from Wausau. While under his control the paper was a Democratic weekly, but outside of Marathon county it exerted little or no influence upon the history of the country or the Democratic party. Its circulation remained limited to this county, but did not increase over the circulation of the Central while under the management of W. C. Brawley. It is now edited by Edw. Fitzgerald and supports Democratic policies advocated and advanced by President-elect Wilson and is strongly endeavoring to gain popular favor.

The Philosopher Press

Wausau enjoys the distinction of having a press and book making shop of the old kind, when books were made to last for centuries, and the work of printing and making up of books was regarded as an art before it became the machine work of today. The Philosopher Press was founded at Wausau in January, 1897, by Philip V. O. Van Vechten and William Ellis for the publication of The Philosopher, a magazine, and the making of hand-made books in limited numbers.

In the issues of this Press a high quality of paper is used, the books already printed having been made, for the most part, of L. L. Brown and Dickingson papers. Extreme care in press work is exercised. 'This part of the work is done by Mrs. Helen Brunneau Van Vechten, who brings to it an enthusiastic love for the work, based on an intelligent understanding of its requirement. The sheets are personally fed through the press by Mrs. Van Vechten, each impression being treated as a separate mechanical process, the press being absolutely stopped for each impression. It is this extreme care which gives Mrs. Van Vechten's work the evenness of ink and perfection of registration for which it has justly attracted the attention of book lovers.

The Philosopher Press is endeavoring to reestablish the shop idea, as opposed to the factory plan of industrial development. The practical needs of society require the factory, in which the largest amount of work may be produced at least cost. Beyond this, however, there is room, here and there, for those who choose to do so, to establish shops in which the personal impression of all concerned may be put upon the work done. The Philosopher Press will never grow into a large institution. It will never make more books than Mrs. Van Vechten chooses personally to put through the press. To make the best hand book is her ambition, in the output of which she finds the best solution of her life.

The Philosopher, as a magazine, has ceased to exist, the editor, Mr. William Ellis, having engaged in other enterprises, but the book printing and binding establishment is still the pride of Mrs. Van Vechten, and a few of the books issued from out of her book shop may be cited here, just to show the appreciation of the quality of work done by her : No\- ember, 1897, Andrea Del Sarto, by Robert Browning; 8vo. 28, 6 by 9 cloth, 20 copies, privately printed on Japanese vellum paper for Roy U. Conger.

December, 1897 - The Old W'isconse, by William Ellis and \\'illiam Leachman, by James \\'hitcomb Riley; 8vo. pp. 24, 6 by 9; 5 copies; privately printed for Charles Allen Johnson; one on Japanese vellum paper bound in full crushed levant.

May, 1903 - Saul, by Robert Browning, with introduction by Jenkin Lloyd Jones; 4 to pp. 64. gjA by 11. Edition limited to 300 copies on L. L. Brown handmade paper, bound in full leather, with stamped reproduction of a Little Gidding binding. Price. $10.00.

"To the casual person, the pinewoods of northern Wisconsin as a basis of wordly operation suggest nothing beyond the buying, selling and manufacture of lumber. Yet here. 'At the Sign of the Green Pine Tree,' is a little printing shop, from which are being issued exquisite handmade editions of rare English classics; and what adds to the interest of this unique situation is, that the entire labor, from the spreading of the ink to tlie preparing the book for the binder, is done by a woman. The business was hardly well on its feet when Mrs. Van Vechten, who is, by the way, a college bred woman of unusual culture, volunteered to go into the office and look after the bookkeeping and correspondence of the fimi, thereby giving her husband more time to bestow upon the lumber interest in which she was also engaged. Mrs. Van Vechten watched the process of bookmaking with great interest, and threw herself heart and soul into a study of the subject. It soon transpired that upon all matters of margins, arrangements, color, etc., her taste was fine and discriminating. Early in her career as a bookmaker, Mrs. Van Vechten proved her right to a foremost place in the rank." - From Bookmaking in the West, by Delia T. Davies, in The Critic.

Many De Lux editions have been printed in this shop, and to have an institution which brings out books printed and bound as to receive such favorable notices as the above is one of many, is something refreshing in this commercial age.