Chapter Thirty Two

THE COUNTY PRESS - ITS DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH.

The newspaper is the people's great university. It has done wonders to unify the sympathies of civilized men and convince mankind that they are all brothers. The well conducted daily and weekly newspaper keeps us in touch with one another and our sympathies become broader than our neighborhood as we know of the prosperity or sufferings of earth's multitudes.

It was quite an undertaking to start a weekly paper.in a town where its entire population was only about 800 people, but Mahaska county has never been wanting in enterprising men.

The first newspaper in this county was born in the brain and heart of J ohn R. Needham, and the first number was issued July 2, 1850. For four months it was known as the Iowa Herald. On November 1, 1850, it went to its subscribers as the Oskaloosa Herald and has so continued for fifty-five years.

John R. Needham and Hugh McNeeley were its editors and publishers. The paper, when first issued, was a six-column folio. Both these young men were from Ohio. Mr. Needham seems to have been the leading spirit in the enterprise. He came to Oskaloosa in 1849; was twice elected senator from this county and also served one term as lieutenant governor of Iowa. From all that has been said and written of Mr. Needham since his death, he must have lived a life which inspired men to their highest and best efforts. He had the unreserved confidence of his fellowmen.

Mr. McNeeley was a practical printer and was the mechanical head of the firm. A printing outfit had been brought from Cambridge, Ohio. It had been used in publishing the Cambridge Times and had been purchased at the sugggestion of Mr. Needham by his father. This was supplemented by the purchase of additional material by Mr. McNeeley in St. Louis. All was transported to Keokuk by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, thence overland to Oskaloosa. Miles Prine says that he got the first paper that came from the old hand press on-the clay of its issue. His father had subscribed for the paper and sent him to the office for a copy. The press work was just ready to begin and he waited and was given the first copy.

The first Herald office was located on the second floor of a two story frame building all the southeast corner of the square, on the site where now stands the W. I. Neagle grocery.

Popular enthusiasm nourished the paper and it grew with the growth of the city and county. In 1858 the editorial management passed into the hands of Dr. Charles Beardsley, who piloted the paper through the war period. In the early '60s a small Herald extra-only a sheet giving the latest bit of news was issued as the news demanded. Eddyville was then the nearest telegraph and railroad station. A messenger from the Herald office daily waited at Eddyville for the incoming train that brought the Burlington Hawk-Eye, which contained the latest news. Then this courier would ride with all speed to the city and the paper would be in the hands of the people before the stage coach carrying the mail could arrive. It is said that four times during the war every employee in the Herald office laid down his task to join the ranks of the troops going to the front.

March 16, 1865, the paper was issued under the management of Colonel C. W. Fisher and W. E. Sheppard. A few years later Captain W. A. Hunter had editorial charge. H. C. Leighton and W. H. Needham, a brother of John R. Needham, became the owners of the paper in 1870. Both were young men of skill and ability and for eight years the paper saw good days. Henry C. Leighton, who was largely responsible for the editorial work, was called to lay his pen aside just when he seemed to be at the zenith of his usefulness. He was postmaster at Oskaloosa at the time of his death, January 31, 1878, and had served his party two years as chairman of the state central committee, winning a state reputation for his skill and energy. Mr. Leighton died when he was but thirty-five years of age. The editorial work on the paper was done for a time by Chas. Leighton, his brother, and Geo. R. Lee, both of whom were interested partners.

A. W. Swalm became connected with the paper in 1881. He was an editor of some years experience and gave the Herald a distinct individuality.

The Evening Herald was published September 3, 1887, to meet the progressive spirit of the times. It was well received from the beginning and we now have a six-column eight-page daily which contains the happenings of the world as reported by the Associated Press.

On December 31, 1896, Chas. V. and Phil Hoffmann became the owners of the Herald property. Both gentlemen had served an apprenticeship in the various lines of the work in the office. Their management has been vigorous. Every want of the times has been met. It has been conservative without being narrow, outspoken in principle, but never radical.

On January 1, 1905, the Oskaloosa Herald company was organized and incorporated and Chas. S. Walling and. Miss Maggie Hoffmann became stockholders. The company is organized as follows: Chas. V. Hoffmann, president; Phil Hoffmann, editor; Chas. S. Walling, manager; Maggie Hoffmann, secretary-treasurer.

Through the agency of the Herald Oskaloosa has become a news center. From the old Washington hand press, with a capacity of 120 copies an hour, the paper is now reeled off from a new Babcock Dispatch press at the rate of 3,000 per hour.

The Herald was started as a whig paper but has been republican in doctrine since the organization of that party.

In 1850 the Herald's entire outfit cost $300. In 1860 it sold for $4,000; in 1874 for $12,000 and in 1881 for $20,000. Since then it has steadily increased in value in a ratio equal to that of the past.

More than a score of newspapers of different faith and doctrine have been launched in Oskaloosa since the establishment of the first office in 1850. We are told that the Herald has never missed but two issues since its first publication. This was caused by high water during the first year of its life.

The Oskaloosa Times was first published in 1854, by Cameron & Ingersoll, then by R. R Harbour and David Comes. Later it fell into the hands of A. A. Wheelock, whose drastic editorials so offended the soldiers in the field from this county that in 1864, when at home on furlough, they raided the office and partly destroyed its contents, which ended its publication. William Leighton showed us a copy of the last issue of Wheelock's paper. Shortly after the suppression of the Times, Ira C. Mitchell established a paper called the Watchman, which had a short life. In 1866 P. C. Welch began the publication of the Democrat-Conservator. Later it was changed to the Iowa Reform Leader. About 1874 the Oskaloosa Standard came into existence and was conducted by Nelson D. Porter for some ten years. I. R. Eckart started the Oskaloosa Messenger, which was published for six years. In 1884 the Messenger and Standard consolidated and founded the Oskaloosa Labor Union. Out of this came a revival of the Oskaloosa Times, a straight democratic paper, edited by James E. Seevers until his death in 1896. In that year the Daily and Weekly New's, which had been in existence about a year, consolidated with the Times, under the management of G. B. McFall. For a time the paper prospered. Later L. J. Anderson had charge. Some mishaps in the management caused the paper to suspend March 27, 1897, and the plant was sold to satisfy a mortgage held by Mrs. Zoa Seevers, widow of James Seevers, the former editor, who had practically given his young life to keep the paper moving. June 1, 1898, Richard Burke revived the Times and continued its publication as a weekly, Mrs. Burke uniting with her husband in the editorial work. They are cultured people and gave their readers a paper of high merit.

The Oskaloosa Daily and Weekly Journal was started in June, 1892. It was at first edited by Ceorge H. Blanchard, and was really the successor to the Farmer and Miner. At the close of the first year Mr. Blanchard severed his connection with the paper and it was edited for a time by Miss Anna Delashmutt, who had been the local editor. A year later Fred and Harry Davis and Alf. Wooster became interested in the paper and it was published under the firm name of Wooster-Davis Publishing Co. In 1897 L. J. Anderson became associated with the ownership and the firm became Wooster & Anderson until 1902, when the plant was purchased by C. E. Lemley and Richard Burke and consolidated with The Times. The paper was then issued as a daily and weekly, under the name of The Times-Journal, until December 1, 1904, when it was purchased by C. A. Dickens. On January 1, 1905, the daily came out as a morning paper, called The Morning Telegram. It gave a complete report of the Associated Press dispatches and was published at a heavy cost of labor and money. The paper failed to become self-supporting and on July 29, 1905. was sold to C. E. Lemley and H. S. Rosecrans, who will continue the paper as a democratic weekly, under the name of The Oskaloosa Times.

Next to the Herald, the paper which has outlived all other contemporaries, is the Saturday Globe, published and well edited by Shockley Bros. & Cook. The paper was established by Alonzo Sherman, in 1881, and called The Telephone. It was first issued as a four-column folio and shortly afterwards enlarged to double that size. In 1882 it was sold to J. W. Jarnagin, who continued its publication for two years and won a fair degree of prosperity and recognition. In May, 1884, J. W. Johnson bought the Telephone office and formed a partnership with G. W. and T. M. Shockley. The firm was known as Johnson& Shockley Bros. The paper grew rapidly in public favor. July I, 1894, Mr. Johnson sold his interests to I.W. Cook, changing the name of the firm to Shockley Bros. & Cook. The Globe office is well equipped with modern machinery and its management is along the lines of advanced thought and methods. In addition to this representative weekly there is issued from the office each month the Iowa Sunday-school Helper, The Christian Endeavor News, The Congregational Iowa and Penn Chronicle.

The first issue of the New Sharon Star appeared January 22, 1873. Its office was on the second floor of the H. T. Wright building at the northwest corner of Main and Market streets. The building is now owned by George W. Way. H. J. Vail was its editor and publisher. The paper was a success from the first. In 1875 Mr. Vail erected a half block north of the first office the comfortable two story building 20x90 feet, which has since been the home of the Star.

April 1, 1885, Mr. Vail sold the paper and its belongings to his brother, David Vail, who was its editor until January 1, 1897, when Ross A. Nicholson became the owner of the property. On August 1, 1900, H. J. Vail again came into possession of the paper and is still at the helm. The Star has always been good property and its value has increased with the growth and prosperityof the territory which it covers. Mr. Vail has always been a clear and vigorous writer. A paper is what the editor makes it, and the New Sharon Star haswon a creditable place in the journalistic field.

The Fremont Gazette is now in its fifteenth year of publication, After the usual years of battling for an existence it is now under the management of A. P. Norton, who purchased the paper in July, 1902, and has put the plant on a paying basis. It is much appreciated by the community which he serves. The paper was founded by Sam Sherman, who has a record of establishing twelve different papers in Iowa. In its existence it has had as editor Horace Greeley, a namesake of the great journalist, and Charles Pearson, who is now the editor of the Sucker State, at Mohamet, Illinois.