Page:History of the newspapers of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.djvu/109

 THE WESTERN STAR. 85 injure the cause of the Federal Union, and by creating opposition to the war in the North, afford 'aid and comfort' to the enemy. We do not say that all who have discontinued the 'Star' have done so through hostility to the government. By no means. Some honorable and loyal Democrats have been compelled to stop the paper on account of the hard times and many have been deceived by false reports, but we do mean to say, and we affirm it boldlj, that the men who have been most busy in denouncing the 'Star' have done so out of hatred of the government and the national cause. It is not out of any personal difficulty, for whoever supports the government and denounces secession is made the object of their spleen. It is for this reason that we have alluded to these things. But the 'Star' is by no means broken down, notwithstanding all reports to the con- trary; our tiubscription list is higher and better in every respect than when we received it from our predecessors and it is still rapidly increasing. We rely upon the loyal people of Beaver county for support, and we have not been, nor will ever be, disappointed." James H. Odell, a practical printer, who had just re- turned home from service in the Union Army, took charge of the plant in 1865, and changed the name to the "Local." Mr. Odell was an aggressive writer, very severe on political friend and foe alike, when not in accord with his views, and In consequence he was con- tiaually in trouble, and kept his party in turmoil, when his political enemies were not at fever heat over his utterances. His foreman was a printer named O. P. Wharton, who conducted a paper for a short time dated in New Brighton. He was a well read man, and after leaving Beaver went to Ohio, and at one time was editor of a Sandusky paper. In 1867 Odell was prosecuted for libel by Elijah Barnes, former Treasurer of the county. The Grand