Part 21 (1/2)
By heroic efforts there have been no debts incurred, the citizens having so far responded in every case of need; yet there is much lacking, both in furniture and appliances. Donations of every kind are urgently desired.
The physicians are most liberal in their services and attentions and their work is to their great honor, for, of the several difficult cases thus far operated upon each has been successful, and the recipient has returned home sounding the praises of the Mary Was.h.i.+ngton Hospital and its medical service. May the good work grow and prosper. Since this article was written the building has been greatly enlarged and improved, and the hospital is regarded as a permanent inst.i.tution with a n.o.ble mission.
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
The first newspaper established in Fredericksburg was the semi-weekly ”Virginia Herald and Falmouth Advertiser,” in 1786, by Timothy Green. It was soon found that the name was too long and was no advantage to the paper, and in a few months the Falmouth Advertiser part of the name was dropped and the paper was continued as the Virginia Herald. Some years after its establishment Mr. Green a.s.sociated with him in the conduct of the paper a Mr. Lacy and Mr. James D. Harrow, and the firm name was Green, Lacy & Harrow. This firm was succeeded by Wm. F. Gray, and he by James D.
Harrow, a practical printer, who conducted the paper for many years, with Jesse White, afterwards known as ”the old practical printer,” as foreman.
Mr. Harrow died in 1851, and the office, fixtures and good will were purchased by Major J. Harrison Kelly, who conducted the Virginia Herald successfully as a semi-weekly until the year 1875, when failing health compelled him to discontinue its publication and it has never been resumed.
A bound volume of this paper, running through the years 1796, 1797 and 1798, is now owned by this writer, who prizes it very highly. Its columns have furnished accounts of incidents, dates and gatherings of the people in public meetings, noted in this historical sketch of the town.
In the year 1795 another paper was started in Fredericksburg, known as the ”Genius of Liberty and Fredericksburg and Falmouth Advertiser.” This name was even larger, longer and less euphonious than the first name of its compet.i.tor, the Virginia Herald, and, like its compet.i.tor, soon dropped most of it. This paper came into existence at a time when party spirit ran high and the political blood was at fever heat. It vigorously espoused the cause of what was then known as the ”Strict Constructionists” of the Federal Const.i.tution, while the ”Virginia Herald” as vigorously supported the ”Loose Constructionists.”
The Genius of Liberty was conducted by Robert Mercer and George Carter as a weekly paper until 1798, when it was changed to a semi-weekly, at ”twenty s.h.i.+llings per annum, ten s.h.i.+llings to be paid on subscribing and the remainder at the end of the year.” In 1800 the paper was purchased by James Walker, who changed its name to ”The Courier.” Mr. Walker was both editor and proprietor, and under his management it was enlarged to ”nearly double the size of the Virginia Herald.” We have not been able to learn at what period its publication ceased.
A volume of this publication, from November, 1800, to November, 1801, substantially bound, is now in possession of Mrs. James L. Green, of this place. It is valuable and interesting because of its h.o.a.ry age and because of the fact it was published in Fredericksburg.
”The Fredericksburg News,” a semi-weekly paper, was published by Robert Baylor Semple for several years. At his death, in 1853, the paper was purchased by A. Alexander Little, who conducted it, except during the War Between the States, to the time of his death in 1877. When its publication was resumed after the war, when old things had pa.s.sed away and many things had become new, it bore the name of ”The Fredericksburg New Era,” but neither the times nor the name suited the editor, so he changed the name back to the News and made the best he could of the times in which he lived.
After Mr. Little's death the publication of the News was continued for a few years by his sister, Miss Bella Little, who a.s.sisted him very much in the editorial management of the paper during his owners.h.i.+p of it, but finding it unremunerative its publication was finally suspended.
Several other publications of a less permanent nature have been started and conducted in Fredericksburg, but they were short lived and but little is known of their history, therefore they can be only mentioned as having existed.
”The Political Arena” was commenced in the year 1830 by Wm. M. Blackford and lived for about fifteen years. In 1845 Mr. Blackford moved to Lynchburg and the publication of the paper was discontinued.
In 1848 Rev. James W. Hunnicutt established the ”Christian Banner,” which continued to exist until 1862, when Mr. Hunnicutt, being a Union man and opposed to the Civil war, went North, and it has been stated that the Banner office was destroyed by Southern soldiers. This statement, however, is thought not to be true.
”The Virginia Baptist” made its appearance in Fredericksburg about the year 1857. It was edited and conducted by Rev. W. R. Powell, Rev. John C.
Willis and Rev. Joseph A. Billingsly as a temperance advocate. Its publication was suspended in 1860 and never resumed.
”The Democratic Recorder,” established in 1842, was owned by James M.
Campbell, but in 1850 he removed to Manchester, N. H., and the office was purchased and the publication of the Recorder was continued by Robert B.
Alexander, S. Greenhow Daniel and James B. Sener, in the order named. Its publication was suspended during the Civil war, but upon the return of peace in 1865 it was resumed by James B. Sener, the name being changed to ”The Fredericksburg Ledger.” In 1872 Judge Sener was elected to Congress and the publication of the Ledger ceased.
The office and fixtures were sold by Judge Sener in 1873, and for twelve or fifteen years it changed hands often and several publications were started, only to cease after a struggle of a year or two. After the publication of the Ledger was discontinued the first paper sent out from the office was the ”Independent,” by Berry & Tierney. One year marked the life of the Independent and then came the ”Bulletin,” by Quinn & Tierney; ”The True Standard,” by a joint stock company, and ”The Recorder,” by the Mander Brothers. None of these publications lived more than two or three years at most.
In May, 1887, the office was purchased by Col. John W. Woltz and Wm. E.
Bradley, who established the ”Free Lance,” which they conducted until the death of Col. Woltz in 1893, when it was soon purchased by a joint stock company and its publication continued to the present. Under its first management the ”Free Lance” was issued as a semi-weekly, but as its circulation increased it was changed to a tri-weekly, and was the first and only tri-weekly publication the town ever had. Another innovation the ”Free Lance” made in the newspaper history of Fredericksburg was the introduction of a power press. Prior to this all the newspapers were printed on Hoe hand presses, but the ”Free Lance,” under Woltz & Bradley, boasted of a power press of a capacity of twelve hundred papers an hour, which was soon exchanged for one of sixteen hundred an hour. A third innovation made by the ”Free Lance” was the purchase and use of a folding machine. This was a new machine in town and was observed by those who had never before seen one with much curiosity. It can fold papers as fast as they are printed, and is quite an improvement on the old way of hand folding.
The publication of the ”Virginia Star” was commenced in the year 1869 by Rufus B. Merchant as a semi-weekly, and was so conducted until 1895.
During that year Mr. Merchant added another edition and sent out the ”Daily Evening Star.” This was something ”new under the sun” in Fredericksburg, and its advent and probable success were freely discussed by the public and various opinions were expressed. The prevailing opinion, however, seemed to be that its publication was a mistake on the part of the proprietor and the scheme would end in financial loss. Others thought it would flourish for a short time and receive support because it was a home enterprise, but that it would eventually be crowded out by the big dailies of neighboring cities and would disappear. But such was not the case. It is yet making its daily evening visits, improves as the days go by, and has evidently come to stay.
In 1896 the Star office, with its entire outfit, was purchased by W.
Seymour White and Alvin T. Embrey, who continued to publish both editions of the paper, and upon the death of Mr. White, in the early part of the year 1898, his interest was purchased by Mr. Embrey, who became the sole editor and proprietor of the Star. In 1900 Judge Embrey sold out to a joint stock company, and under its management both editions of the paper made their regular visits to the homes of subscribers. This paper has been purchased by the Free Lance Company, which sends out both the Free Lance and Daily Star.
On the 2nd day of January, 1837, the first issue of the ”Masonic Olive Branch and Literary Portfolio” was published by James D. McCabe and John M. Ball. It was a semi-monthly publication, at two dollars per annum in advance, and was devoted princ.i.p.ally to Masonry and Odd Fellows.h.i.+p. A bound volume of this publication is now in possession of Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge, and, from its typographical appearance, one would suppose it to have been printed by Jesse White, the practical printer, on his old Ramage hand press. By Mr. Ball's retirement a few months after the appearance of the paper, Mr. McCabe became the sole editor and proprietor.
We have no information as to how long the Portfolio was published.