THE PRESS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, Maine. BY GEO. W. DRISKO. EASTPORT SENTINEL. The Eastport Sentinel was the first newspaper printed in Washington county. The first number was issued at Eastport, August, 1818, by Benjamin Folsom, who came from Massachu- setts. It was Federal or Whig in politics, and was continued by ,Mr. Folsom until his death, July 8, 1833 -nearly fifteen years. Then Seth B. Mitchell, who had served his time in the office un- der Mr. Folsom, took charge of the Sentinel for the proprietors, and continued its publication till the summer of 1842. The es- tablishment was then sold to C. C. Tyler, who published the paper until. April 18, 1848, when he sold the same to J. W. Emery, who continued the paper until 1851. Mr. Emery sold one-half to Mr. Close. The Sentinel was continued by Emery and Close until August, 1853, when one-half of the establishment was sold to Samuel Osborne. The paper was continued by them jointly until October, 1855. The whole concern was then purchased by N. B. Nutt, Esq., and has been published by him ever since. The whole establishment, with the books, all the volumes of the Sentinel, types, press, etc., was destroyed by the great fire of October 23, 1864, which swept off the principal business street of ,the town, destroying a large amount of property. The Sentinel has been from its commencement identified with 148 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. the Federal, Whig, and Republican parties, in the order named. At periods its moderate political tone rendered it unobjectionable to all classes. When the Whig party was dissolved, the Sentinel hoisted the Republican flag, and has continued it to this day. As a local paper it has much of the time been thoroughly de- voted to the interests of Eastport and its immediate section of the county. It will not be disparaging to any of its publishers if it be said that Mr. Emery made it much the best newspaper. One in perusing the old volumes cannot but observe his commencement and retirement. He displayed tact and industry. His items were short, sharp, and numerous. In consequence of the loss by fire in 1864, it is difficult to col- lect dates relative to the changes in the Sentinel. The earliest issue we had to examine, is one of March 13, 1819. It was print- ed for several years on a sheet 24 by 18 inches; the first number was this size. The Sentinel of the above date stated, as "evidence of the growth and prosperity of Eastport, the cost of buildings, wharves, etc., intended to be erected the present year, will amount to about sixty thousand dollars." The price of the Sentinel was $3.50 per year - one-half in ad- vance. -NORTHERN LIGHT. The Northern Light was started at Eastport in April, 1828. We have not been able to learn who its real proprietors were. It was started in the interests of the Democrats, or "Jackson men," and advocated the old "hero's " election to the Presidency with no little energy. It seems probable that the original movers in its establishment were politicians at Boston, Portland, Augusta, and in Washington county. The arrangements were matured in Portland during the session of' the Legislature in 1828. Leading Democrats in the State generally favored the enterprise, and prob- ably many of them contributed money to its aid. Its first ostensible proprietor and publisher was Mr. Quincy, from Boston. James Curtiss was the pi-inter; be was from the Argus office at Portland. Subsequently, a son of Asaph R. WASHINGTON COUNTY. 149 Nichols, Esq. (then Secretary of State), a clerk in the Adjutant- General's office, arranged with Mr. John Bent to take charge of tbe paper. Mr. Quincy failed to meet the expectations of the proprietors, and for good reasons was discharged shortly after the paper was started, and Mr. Curtiss succeeded him as editor and publisher, and so continued until the close of the fourth volume, in 1832, when Mr. Bent purchased the concern and soon after changed its name to the EASTERN DEMOCRAT, and by that name it was con- tinued until May, 1837. The Democrat, however, was removed to Calais in 1835, its first issue appearing in November of that year. It was published by Mr. Bent, at Calais, until its suspen- sion in May, 1837, and resumed in 1839 and 1840 by J. C. Washburn. For nine years in succession these papers were the organ of the supporters of Jackson and Van Buren, in Washington county. They contributed much to the uninterrupted prosperity of the par- ty for the fourth of a century, ending in 1854. It was a period when T. J. D. Fuller, Geo. M. Chase, S. S. Rawson, John Hodgdon, J. A. Lowell, and others then associated with them, were young, talented, and active in political life. CALAIS. The following concerning newspapers we gather from articles, ,on "Calais Newspapers," which appeared in the Advertiser of that city in March, 1867, and is no doubt mainly correct: - ST. CROIX COURIER. The St. Croix Courier was the first newspaper published in -Calais. It was established, January 28, 1835, by Hamlet Bates, Esq. of Eastport, editor and proprietor. It was Democratic in principle, and was conducted with considerable tact and ability. On the 18th of December, 1835, the office caught fire, and nearly all it contained was consumed. The office was not insured, and Mr. Bates not having means to re-establish it, it ceased to be. BOUNDARY GAZETTE AND CALAIS ADVERTISER. The Boundary Gazette and Calais Advertiser was the second. 150 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. It was started by Henry P. Pratt, Esq. of Norridgewock, who announced in his prospectus that his paper would be published "on the line that separates Great Britain from the United States." 'The first number of the Gazette was issued on the 12th day of April, 1835. In politics it was Whig. It was the first paper in the county that nominated Gen. Harrison for the Presidency, who, in 1836, was duly nominated by the Whig party, and elected in 1840. Mr. Pratt, finding that he could not make a living out of the business, gave it up. The last number was issued on the 28th day of July, 1836. EASTERN DEMOCRAT. The Eastern Democrat, published in Eastport by Mr. John Bent, was moved to Calais in 1835, and the first number was is- sued on the 26th day of November. It ran along very smoothly on an even keel until the fall of 1836, when a split occurred in the ranks of the Democracy, on the nomination of a candidate for Rep- resentative to Congress. One side nominated Hon. T. Pillsbury, and the other nominated Hon. A. G. Chandler. The nominee of the Whig party was the Hon. Frederic Hobbs of Eastport. In order to head off the Chandler party and make his election sure, Mr. Pillsbury purchased the Democrat, editor, and all hands, and left the Chandler party out in the cold. But the Chandler party, determining not to be foiled by any such maneuver, made arrangements to have a small paper printed weekly in the Advertiser office, during the campaign, called the Tocsin. But as the first election proved a draw game all around, and the contest was considered just commenced, the Chandler party sent to Boston and purchased a press, type, and other mate- rials for a paper of their own. Then commenced the tug of war, which was kept up with great spirit and animation to the bitter end. After a fourth trial without any election, Mr. Hobbs, the Whig candidate, withdrew from the contest, and Joseph C. Noyes, Esq. of Eastport, was nominated in his stead, and was elected. This ended the contest. The wind-up of it was, Mr. Pillsbury defeated, discouraged, and mortified, went to Texas, at that time the refuge of' such WASHINGTON COUNTY. 151 gentlemen. Mr. Bent abandoned the press for want of support, and went to Boston. GAZETTE AND ADVERTISER. The Gazette and Advertiser was the next in the list. It was started by Snow and Jackson. The first number was issued on the 16th day of August, 1836. It was published by them until the 14th of February, 1837, about seven months, when Mr. Snow withdrew from the concern for the purpose of taking charge of a new paper then about to be established by the Chandler party, while Mr. Jackson continued to publish the Gazette and Adver- tiser until November 14, 1838, a little more than two years, when, like his predecessor in the business, he was constrained to strike colors and I give up the ship.' The paper was edited by James S. Pike, Esq., during the time, with that gentleman's wonted tact and ability. Yet it would not pay. Mr. Snow started a new Democratic paper, Feb. 18, 1837, in Milltown, under the euphonious cognomen of the DOWN EASTER, and published it until Dec. 27, 1838, a little short of a year, and gave it up. The establishment was then sold to J. C. Washburn, Esq., who had it brought to Saltwater village, and commenced the publication of a paper called the FRONTIER JOURNAL. The first number made its appearance on the 9th of January, 1838. It was Democratic in principle, and went along very smoothly until about the 21st of May, 1838, when it met with a head flaw which knocked the whole concern into pi, and came near annihilating the publisher. R. Whidden, Esq., having an in- terest in the concern, demanded a settlement, -he wanted some money. Mr. Washburn, poor man, had none to give him; where- upon Mr. Whidden seized the account books and the week's edi- tion of the Journal, and walked out of the office with them under his arm. Thus ended the last chapter of the first volume of the Frontier Journal. This, too, wound up the General's connection with the press. The experiment, he says, cost him twelve or fif- teen hundred dollars. Mr. Washburn's connection having ter- minated thus summarily, Lucius Bradbury, Esq., took charge of' 152 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. it, and ran it until April 28, 1840, when he got tired of a busi- ness so onerous, and in which there was so little money, and gave it up. After the sudden and unexpected termination of Mr. Wash- burn's connection with the Frontier Journal, he went about some other business, and Mr. Bradbury had the newspaper field all to himself until the summer of 1839, when, as the rupture in the Democratic ranks had not been healed, J. C. Washburn hired the Democrat press and types, and started the paper anew under its old title of Eastern Democrat. The first number of the new se- ries was issued on the 18th day of June, 1839, and continued until June 22, 1841 - the expiration of the term for which lie hired the establishment. Thus ended the second series of the Eastern Dem- ocrat in Calais. The Whigs had been without an organ at Calais for about three years, and after the election of General Harrison, John Jack- son, being out of employment, undertook the resuscitation of the paper, in hope of making amends for the two years he had lost in his first attempt, and of building up a business which would prove remunerative in the future.. (But he thinks now, after twenty-six years service, it is about as far off as when he started.) Accord- ingly he hired the establishment which was owned by J. S. Pike, Wm. Deming, and Noah Smith,- employed F. A. and C. E. Pike, who had just commenced the practice of law, to *rite for it, and set the machine in motion. The first number of the new series was issued on the 14th day of April, 1841. With the close of the first volume, the editorial labors of the Messrs. Pike on it ceased, from which time to the present Mr. Jackson has had the manage- ment of the Advertiser entirely to himself. His own words are, "Although we bought and paid for the press and type, and it has always been at the service of the party, and they have availed themselves of it whenever they pleased, they never contributed one dollar toward its support, except in the way of a subscription for a copy of the paper, or an occasional advertisement, or paltry job. During these twenty-four years, twenty-five weekly editions have not been printed and published that we did not edit, WASHINGTON COUNTY. 153 assist in setting up and distributing, read and correct proof-sheet, fold, direct, and mail,-and a greater part of the time did the press-work on the same. In 1842 W. R. Snow, of the Down Easter, revived the Fron- tier Journal and published it until the summer of 1848, when he sickened and died, and the paper died too. Thus ended the sixth attempt to establish a Democratic paper at Calais. From the close of the Journal until 1862, Mr. Jackson was alone in the newspaper business at Calais. In that year the Her- ald, published at St. Stephen, by John S. Hay, was `lightly mob- bed' by I riotous' persons who it is said had the publishers pecuni- ary welfare at heart, which caused him to move over the river to Calais. The mobbing' of his office created sympathy for him, and after a visit to nearly all of the American cities east of Wash- ington, where appeals for aid were put forth, he returned, "after an absence of a few weeks, with upwards of two thousand dollars and a big list of subscribers." Mr. Hay published the Herald a little more than a year at Calais, and abandoned the business for want of support. Mr. Jackson and his paper, the Calais. Adver- tiser, remain master of the situation. It is difficult to follow the various persons connected with the press at Calais. When last heard from, Mr. Bates was Municipal Judge, at Chelsea, Mass. Lucius Bradbury, Esq., who died at Eastport in June, 1850, was connected with several of the papers at Calais. He assisted Mr. Bent, in editing the Democrat, and was the leading editor of the Down Easter during its existence. His talents as a writer of humorous sketches and articles were su- perior. He was a brother of Hon. Bion Bradbury, and at the time of his death was Deputy Collector at Eastport. MACHIAS-EAST MACHIAS. EASTERN STAR. The Eastern Star, the first newspaper printed in Machias, was issued by Jeremiah 0. Balch, proprietor, publisher, and editor, December 3, 1823. The Star was a sheet 24 by IS inches, four 20 154 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE.' columns to a page, sixteen columns in all. The price was $2.50 a year in advance, or $3.00 at the expiration of the year. The proprietor did not seem to anticipate very great success,. for in his salutatory he said: "The editor of the projected publi- cation is aware of the discouragements which will be thrown in his way by men of unenlightened and contracted minds. From such he expects, he asks, no aid." The Star was founded as an independent paper, but in the Presidential controversy of 1824 it took the Crawford side of the issue, and the success of the Adams men and the election of John Quincy Adams to the Presidency of the United States rendered' the Star somewhat unpopular, and for want of material support its publication was suspended in about- one year from the time of its first issue. The building in which it was printed stood between the store now occupied by S. H. Talbot, Esq., and the house occupied by Joseph Whittier, at East Machias, and was owned by Caleb Cary.. It was torn down several years ago. The publisher said he "had chosen Machias (East Machias) for the place of public ation, it being the shire town of the county, and offers many advantages for the proposed establishment." Washington Academy was located at East Falls, and if the pub-, lisher received more encouragement from the leading men of that village than lie did from the village of Machias, it would occasion no remark. East Machias was incorporated in. 1827. Inquiry was made of an aged gentleman, a native and still a resident of East Machias, what he recollected of the Eastern Star?' He said, "Not much, except I remember the press was worked! with a crow-bar." It was probably one of the Ramage presses. The late Eben Blackman, Esq. of East Machias, was one of the principal contributors to the Star. It seems probable that the publication of the Star cost moneyl An old resident of Machias, a relative of Mr. Balch, was inquired of as to tile Star. Ile said lie recollected very distinctly that it cost him $400, as an endorser for Mr. Balch, and he thought the editor had not much left when lie left the Star. WASHINGTON COUNTY. 151 What became of the press and type after the suspension of the paper is not known. Mr. Balch subsequently removed to Le Roy, New York, where he published, for a while, a paper called the Le- Roy Standard. He was living one year ago, but not connected with the publishing business. MACHIAS UNION. The first number of the Machias Union Was Commenced May 25,1853, by E. M. Yates and C. 0. Furbush, publishers and pro- prietors- both practical printers; Mr. Yates editing the paper. About five hundred copies were issued, nearly all of which were sent to actual subscribers, obtained mostly in the Ventral and western sections of Washington county previous to publishing the paper. Machias alone furnished one hundred and fifty. subscri- bers. The paper was neutral in politics. The Union was the first paper issued in Machias as at present organized. The Star (before alluded to) was published before ,he original territory of Machias was divided into five towns, as A now is, in what at present is East Machias. Machias was incorporated in 1784. Washington county was organized in 1789, Machias being the sbire town, and has so con- tinued to the present time. The county contained fewer inhabi- tants then, than Machias does now. No one, who has been con- sulted, can give information of any attempt or any thought of establishing a paper at Machias prior to the Union. For the last eleven years two papers have been in a small measure successful. Mr. Yates remained at Machias only four months, when on ac- count of ill health he was obliged to give up the business. He sold his interest to Mr. Furbush, the latter continuing to be pub- lisher and proprietor until August, 1854, when he sold half of the concern to Geo. W. Drisko, who assumed, and is yet in edito- rial charge of the paper. Mr. Furbush continued the superin- tendence of the mechanical part of the paper until August, 1859, when he sold Ms interest to Mr. Geo. A. Parlin, who, being a 156 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. practical printer, succeeded Mr. Furbush in the mechanical execu- tion of the paper and job-printing.* The building in which the Union was first printed stands on Main street; it was then owned by Dea. Wm. Crocker, now by Hadley Brothers. In 1856 the proprietors built an office and oc- cupied it that fall, located on Center street, in which the Union has since been published. MACHIAS REPUBLICAN. The Machias Republican was first issued in June, 1856, Stacy Fowler, proprietor, publisher, and editor. The office was in the second story of the store on Main street, then owned by the Ma- chias Water Power and Mill Company. Geo. F. Talbot, Esq., was one of its principal contributors. His acknowledged ability as a writer gave the paper no little prominence. Mr. Fowler did not find the business remunerative and was unable to publish the paper longer than about twenty months. He had several succes- sors by turns, none succeeding only a few months at a time, till August, 1859, when Mr. Furbush dissolved his connection with the Union and assumed the proprietorship of the Republican, the control of which has been in his hands, with the exception of about one year, when Mr., Yates, who helped start the Union, re- turned to Machias and was interested with Mr. Furbush in its publication. As its name indicates, it has been from the start the * Mr. Drisko is not a practical printer. Mr. Parlin is a printer and compositor of experience. Mr. Drisko was elected to the Maine Senate in 1853, and also held the office of Deputy Collector for the port of Machias from l857 to l861. He is an agent of Jonesboro, Me., and lived on the farm where he was born until twenty-nine years of age ; then assuming editorial labors, has continued them to the present time. Mr. Parlin is a native of Skowhegan, Me., his family having removed to Machias when he was quite young. He has worked at the printing business for sixteen years. During the sickness of Mr. Drisko for several months, Mr. Parlin filled the editorial chair acceptably. The Union was established as an independent or neutral paper in politics. In MM the Democrats not having an organ in Washington county, the Union that year became a political paper, without any change of proprietors, and has since been con- ducted as a Democratic journal, though maintaining a good degree of independence. It entered upon its 19th volume in June of the present year, (1871), enjoying as much prosperity as at any time since its establishment. The Union is 36 by 24; issued every Tuesday, at $2.00 a year in advance. WASHINGTON COUNTY. 167 the organ of the Republican party, and from its central location attained a larger circulation than either of the other Republican papers published in the county. Mr. Furbush is still the publish- or and proprietor.' Newspaper business, of itself, in Washington county has not yet proved self-sustaining. All the publishers, who have contin- ued in the business more than two years, have had other business in connection with publishing; bookstores, job-printing, or some other business. Probably of all the papers ever published or are now published in the county, not one of them received an amount from subscribers in one year, sufficient to pay the expenses of pub- lication for the year, not taking into account any time or disburse- ment for editorial services. Advertising and job-printing are largely depended upon to subsist the publishers and keep the work in progress. Diligent inquiry fails to discover any person who made money, or who is now doing so in Washington county in the newspaper business, while the records show that no small amount of money has been lost. We are indebted to Joseph Gunnison, Esq., at Eastport; Hon. Bion Bradbury, at Portland; Hon. M. J. Talbot, at East Machias, for information given. Mr. Gunnison was a valuable aid. *********************************************** Source for the above: "The Press of Maine" by Joseph Griffin 1872 Brunswick, Maine *********************************************** Courtesy of the New England Old Newspaper Index Project of Maine (R) and the Androscoggin Historical Society ] PO Box 152 Danville, Maine 04223 ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. 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