Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/133

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

printed. When the paper was bom in 1902 two small rooms in the Dentler building on Main street were all that were required, and into these were crowded both the editoriai and composing rooms, while a small com er of the basement was p v c n over to the pressroom. There on the night before the first paper was issued the proprietors battled all night with a flood, wading knee-deep in the water until by daylight they had reduced its level sufficiently to enable them to print the first edition. Thus the birth of the P ress is associated with the memorable flood o f 1002, fo r the second day o f its existence brought the news of the terri­ ble destruction wrought. T he P ress was the only paper that managed to circulate through this section that day, and the enterprise of the proprietors in getting and publishing the news then set a standard which has never been sur­ passed, and which they have lived up to in every period of the paper’s subsequent history. T he new home of the P ress, erected in 1908, on Main near M arket street, is unquestionably one of the most artistic and substantially con­ structed buildings in central Pennsylvania. Classical in design, it is essentially different in appearance from any other buildings in this section, and commands the admiration and attention of the beholder. T he front of the building is perhaps the finest example o f a r­ chitecture in the county, and is the work o f V'crus T. Ritter, an architect o f more than local fame. T he entire front is designed in the form o f an arch, the stonework o f which is distinctive and extrem ely decorative. Into the design Iwvc been worked a number o f orna­ ments surrounding the doors and windows, and the whole is surmounted by a globe repre­ senting the two Am ericas, encircled by a wreath. T liis front is in part stone, grey pressed brick and metal, the delicate shades and contrasts form ing a harmonious w'hole. T h e constmction of the entire building is most substantbl. double floors being used exclus­ ively, while vibration has been completely elim­ inated by the use o f hca%7 steel beams and wall anchors for the joists. With an outside measurement o f 23 by 64 feet, the building has four floors, the pressroom being in the basement. Here arc the large Duplex press, (lie folders and the mailing dqiartment. T he equipment of the composing room is the most complete that experience and foresight could provide. Here arc located the typesetting ma­ chines and the ncccs.sary equipment fo r the production o f a modem daily paper. T he job department is fitted up in the most scientific and convenient manner, and is provided with

sufficient material and machines to produce the higher class o f commercial printed stationery. A t the head of the mechanical and business department is C. T. V'anderslicc, a member of the firm and a printer o f many years' experi­ ence, and he has surrounded himself with as­ sistants o f ability in the various departments. Paul R. E yerly, another of the proprietors, is in charge of the outside news gathering and other business. Charles Kline is the circula­ tion manager. With a circulation at the outset o f 500 the paper grew to 2 4 0 0 at the end of the first year, and in 19 14 is above the 5,000 mark, and this is claimed to be the largest o f any inland paper in sim ilar territor)* in the State. CATAWISSA

T he first newspaper published in Catawissa w as the Cotau-issa A dvertiser, which was started in 1876 by H enry Jo h n and Joseph Rhinard. It did not survive to the end o f its first volume. T he N e w s Item was established in Catawissa by G. E. M yers on M ay 16, 1878, as a fivecolumn folio. In 1879 it w as increased to twenty-four columns, and in 1881 to twentyeight columns. M r. M yers conducted it until 1884, when Charles E. Randall and J. C. Y o ctim became the owners, continuing until 1887, when Mr. Randall became sole owner, and has so continued to the present time. T he N exiv Item has a large circulation on the south side o f tlic river. Mr. Randall is a fearless and pungent w riter and enjoys merited prosperity. RERWICK

In the following the facts concerning the news|>a])ers which existed in Berw ick up to 18S3 are gleaned from an article written by Col. John M. Snyder, a veteran editor, now deceased, which appeared in Freeze’s H b to ry o f Columbia County (18 8 ^ ). T lie iHdependeut Am erican was established in the spring o f 18 12 or 18 13, by William Carotbers, who continued it until 18 18, when it came into the possession o f David Owen, son o f E van Owen, the founder o f Berwick. In a short time he was succeeded by Orlando Por­ ter, under whose management it remained until 1827. l i e w as followed by Daniel Bowen, who conducted it until 1832, when' G eoige M ack became the owner, and changed the name to the Berw ick C asette; he made it a Democratic journal. .After several years the office cam e into Ihe posse.ssion o f F.van O. Jackson, who