Commentary
Newspapers’ editors ‘pulled each others chains’ in late 1800s
Anyone perusing small town newspapers from the late 19th century doesn’t have to look far before coming across some snippet from one town’s paper that drew the ire of the editor from the town he misrepresented, or even libeled by today’s standards. The latter then shared that outrageous copy with his readers in an effort to set the record straight.
One such exchange reached readers of The Zionsville Times on March 9, 1882, when Editor Calton Gault reprinted these words from the long-extinct Lebanon Greenbacker:
“We are reliably informed that a national banker at Zionsville has been circulating a petition, begging Congress to remove the tax upon the circulation and deposits of these institutions, and that many of the wealthy laboring men and mechanics of that place are only too glad to be afforded the opportunity of signing a document that has for its object the alleviation of the enormous burden under which these fellows have been prevented from absorbing the entire accumulations of labor. What self-sacrificing devotees the American people are!”
Gault responded: “O, ye gods! Reliably informed that a national banker of Zionsville, etc. You had better post up on the institutions of Boone county before you can be reliably informed. We have no national bank, and never did have. We expect probably if we had the proprietor might circulate such a petition. We never knew before that the Greenbackers were opposed to private banks. But we rather expect that they are opposed to any institution that has money and does not divide.”
The very next week The Times carried this defense of two advertising agents: “The Colfax Chronicle of last week makes an unwarranted attack on Ross Gordon, of Lafayette, and Nelson Chesman & Co., of St. Louis, calling them dead-beat advertising agents because they do not patronize his paper at his price. The Times has had dealings for many years with both of these firms and has always received its pay promptly, and never heard of any one who did not.
Because a man don’t pay any price asked he is not a dead-beat, but when he fails to pay what he agrees to then perhaps he might be properly so termed. No man is under obligations to pay more for an article than he deems reasonable if he does not choose to and should not be abused for using his own judgment in his own business.”
Editor Gault often turned for a review [which often served as a promotion] to the press from a community that had played host to entertainers who were headed to our town for a performance. An example follows: “Concerning Donavin’s Tennesseeans which will give an entertainment at the Opera Hall on Thursday evening next, the Times-Star of Cincinnati says: “Donavin’s Tennesseeans gave one of their remarkable concerts in St. Paul’s M.E. Church last night, and fairly captured the audience. To the cultured musicians their singing is altogether as beautiful as that of the most celebrated vocalists of Italy or Germany, while to the average auditor their singing is more delightful than anything that is ever heard in a concert hall.”
* * *
Just below that review was this interesting piece of history: “Thirty years ago yesterday, March 15, 1852, two wagons drawn by ox teams started from this place to the Pacific coast. The wagons were manned by the following persons: I. N. Cotton, George Harden, Samuel Harden, Henry French, James Lee, Marion Patterson and James Duzan. Zionsville was then in its infancy. The trip was made in due time.
“Six of the seven are living today, James Duzan having died during the journey. Three of the survivors celebrated the occasion yesterday by a dinner served at Cadwallader’s restaurant by the order of I. N. Cotton; George Harden, of Eagletown, and Samuel Harden, of Anderson, being present. The others were not present and reside as follows: Henry French, Iowa; James Lee, Kansas; Marion Patterson, Illinois.”
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