The following is an essay written 1929 by a Norwich high school student about the history of Chenango County newspapers from 1803 to 1929.

NEWSPAPERS OF NORWICH

Over thirty-eight papers have been read and circulated by the people of Norwich since 1804. Not all these papers were published in Norwich, although they were obtained for reading matter.

The first newspaper published in Chenango County was the Western Oracle, which was published at Sherburne Four Corners in 1803. It was a single octavo sheet, at first of bluish paper, and contained very few advertisements and little local news. This latter feature was one which peculiarly characterized all our earlier newspaper publications and one which is greatly regretted at the present day. A newspaper of the early day, as rich in local details as are our present newspapers, would be invaluable to the present generation. This paper was discontinued in 1806. The Oracle was followed in the same year by the Olive Branch, which was established on the West Hill in the town of Sherburne by Phinney & Fairchild. Two years later Mr. Fairchild became the sole proprietor. The name was now changed to the Volunteer. In 1816 John F. Hubbard purchased the press and commenced the publication of the Norwich Journal, which he sold a year later to LaFayette Neal and J. H. Sinclair, who merged its publication at Norwich under the name of the Chenango Union. Mr. Neal then sold his interest to Harvey Hubbard, who also purchased Mr. Sinclair’s interest and continued its publication until his death September 14, 1862. The next year John F. Hubbard, Jr. became the sole proprietor and continued such for the next five years, when he sold to G. H. Manning. In 1890 it passed into the hands of Manning and Moore. Five years later (1895) it passed into the hands of Mr. E. S. Moore, who is still the proprietor and editor. The circulation of this paper is at present somewhat over eight hundred. It is the oldest paper of Norwich and Chenango County.

The Anti-Masonic Telegraph was commenced in Norwich in November, 1829, by E. P. Pellett. In a few years he became associated with Mr. B. T. Cook. The paper was published only on Wednesday mornings. The office was one door north of the Chenango Bank. If the paper was delivered at the subscriber’s home, a charge of two dollars per annum had to be paid. All letters and other forms of communication had to be sent by mail to one of the editors.

The Chenango Telegraph, upon the death of E. P. Pellett, passed into the hands of his brother, Nelson Pellett. Upon the death of Nelson Pellett, it was conducted for the estate by E. Max Neal and F. B. Fisher. It was later purchased by Rice and Martin, by whom it was then published.

The Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph was published in Norwich every Wednesday and Saturday morning. The office was in the Telegraph Block, which was at one time near the present Eagle Hotel. The terms were two dollars per annum, and if a person delayed in paying he was no longer allowed the paper.

The Norwich Sun was established in 1891. The city editor was George H. Smith, who came to Norwich from Oneonta. The managing editor was Reed Campbell. After the death of Reed Campbell on April 4, 1899, the newspaper came into the hands of the Norwich Publishing Company. The company also took over the publication of the Chenango Telegraph at that time, and William H. Clark became the managing editor, with Fred L. Ames as the city editor. Mr. William L. Clark continues as managing editor to the present day. Mr. P. L. Clark, one of our prominent business men, is at present the editor in charge. He had held this position since 1910. The Norwich Sun is the only daily newspaper in Chenango County and in Chenango Valley between Binghamton and Utica which has the Associated Press Service. Preceding the contract with the Associated Press the Norwich Sun was supplied by the United Press Service, and preceding that by the American Press Service. Service is available twenty-our hours of the day and comes by telephone and Western Union. The display advertisement rates are thirty cents per inch. The National rates are forty-two cents an inch or at the rate of three cents per agate line. The circulation has been above three thousand mark for the past ten years. There are more copies of the Norwich Sun distributed every night in the city than there are residences. The Chenango Telegraph, our present Norwich Sun, will be one hundred years old in January 19, 1929.

The Booster was established in May, 1926, by the Buell Printing Company. This paper is entirely an advertising medium and all money is derived from the printing of advertisements only. It is circulated to the people within a radius of twenty miles of Norwich. It contains from eight to ten pages and is tabloid in form. The advertising rate is twenty cents an inch. It is published only on every Thursday of each week.

Elizabeth Curley

In celebration of National Newspaper Week, everyday between now and Friday I will be posting an old newspaper articles, letter, or essay written about The Evening Sun and other Chenango County publications, many which no longer exist.

The following letter was sent to the editor of The Evening Sun (then The Norwich Sun) in 1941, and describes for its readers a first person account of the inception of the The Evening Sun (then The Morning Sun) in 1891.

Some Early EmployeEs Of The Morning Sun Are Named By Halbert

March 18, 1941

Mr. P. L. Clark

Editor Norwich Sun,

Dear Sir:

Having read your story of the fiftieth anniversary of The Sun in last night’s issue, I thought perhaps I could add a little light about those early days.

I was serving the third year as apprentice printer in the office of The Telegraph, when Reed Campbell started The Sun. One reason, perhaps, that there was no statement of ownership and editorial responsibility might have been that Reed was a traveling salesman, selling cloaks for a New York firm, he had only a four months’ season with an eight months’ vacation, and it was during one of these vacations that The Sun was started and before the paper was fairly on its feet it was time for Reed to start on his annual trip, but he postponed the matter so long that another man was sent out to cover his territory. He had tried to keep the secret of his venture from employers, but was unsuccessful.

Reed Campbell was his own editor, but on the staff was quite an assortment of young men, of whom I can recall only a few. There was Paul Abell, the father, I think, of Sinclair Abell, Richard Frink, a printer who also worked at the case some of the time, John A. (Sparks) Randall, Harry Follett, a lawyer lately deceased, and sundry others.

In the mechanical department the foreman was George Willard, a New Berlin man, who later became the local editor and still later publisher of the New Berlin Gazette. The ‘devil’ was George Carley. who finally became the local editor and later owned and published one of the Cooperstown papers and was also postmaster of Cooperstown. There was a young lady, (Lucy – - – last name forgotten) sorted cases during the day and set some of the editorials. A varied assortment of printers worked there on time or another, Frank Wilbur, called “Cap I” because of his protruding eyeballs, Arthur F. Arrow, Lynn B. Marvin, later on the old Binghamton Republican and then to New York. They had no pressman and Reed made a deal with me whereby I arose at two-thirty in the morning and went in and put the paper to press. This arrangement continued for two-thirty in the morning and went in and put the paper to press. This arrangement continued for about two months when I believe Carley took over the duties of pressman in addition to his other work. After completing my apprenticeship I held down a case there for about a year, after which Reed and I could not seem to agree, and my connection with the paper was severed.

Sincerely yours,

A. E. HALBERT.

Here’s a story uncovered during my research into the Chenango County Historian’s files … one that didn’t quite make it into today’s special section on the 175th anniversary of the courthouse, but is interesting nonetheless.

In 1833, the first of two men hung in Chenango County perished after a long drop and a short stop. The tale of George Denison’s untimely demise is an odd one. It is believed that during the week, Denison boarded in New Berlin where he worked. He has been described in early newspapers as a jovial drunk who was everyone’s friend when tippling.

On 30 September, 1822, Denison was making the long trip home along the New Berlin-Columbus road. As he traveled Denison stopped various inns along his route, forking over his weeks earnings to procure copious quantities of alcoholic beverages. As Denison proceeded towards home, so to did the grasp of drunkeness progressively clench its steely claws upon his mind, befuddling his senses and impeding judgment.

Everything seemed to be going well for Denison, he no doubt was having the time of his life and wished only to elongate the one man festival. But the good time came to an abrupt halt when Denison stumbled into the inn of Hamlin Gregory. The coldhearted innkeeper cut short Denison’s revelry by refusing the hapless man even a single drop of amber spirit. Enraged beyond reason, the rapscallion departed from the inn, swearing retribution for these most grievous of affronts.

Mournful over being so unjustly slighted, Denison returned home. At this point he no doubt helped himself to some more drink, but what he unequivocally did was load a gun with shot and powder.

Utilizing the most sound channels of logic conceivable, Denison had determined someone ought to teach Hamlin Gregory a lesson on denying a parched man the means to quench his thirst. Intend upon “peppering” Hamlin’s leg, Denison came upon old Gregory lounging in the shadows of a woodshed doorway. Denison noted that Hamlin wore his iconic large slouched hat pulled low upon his brow, while he smoked his token corn pipe. Swaying ever so slightly, Denison squinted one bloodshot eye, took aim at one of the many images he saw of Hamlin’s leg, and fired. A satisfying thump resounded when the bullet met the flesh of the man seated before Denison. As the barrel of his gun cooled, the drunk scoured a nearby field for a nice quiet spot to have a lay down and proceeded to pass out. That morning the sun arose to find Hamlin inexplicably unbesmirched.

The day before, on September 30th, Hamlin’s son, Reuben Gregory, was suffering from an agonizing toothache. No remedy could alleviate Reuben’s discomfort and it was suggested to him that he try smoking tobacco. Unfortunately though, Reuben was not a habitual smoker and did not own a smoking device. And so in search of a remedy for his toothache, Reuben sought out his father’s corn pipe. He found it along with his father’s slouched hat, which he put on. He then settled into a chair in the shadows of a woodshed doorway adjacent to his father’s inn and proceeded to puff on his old man’s pipe.

Reuben most likely did not see his death coming, nor is it likely that he had time to register the shot that killed him. Although Denison protested until his dying breath that his intention had been merely to wound the man he thought to be Hamlin, the bullet he fired had traveled straight through young Reuben’s heart, piercing the wood behind him.

When Denison was awoken to face the consequences of his actions, he expressed both shock and anguish for the deed he had committed whilst deep in the thralls of fermented spirits. Denison went to the gallows a remorseful man, leaving behind a wife and two children.

– KJD

Winston Churchill said it best when he said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

I am most definitely a proponent of democracy, in fact I feel that it is, unequivocally, among the greatest concepts every devised by mankind. No, my qualm lays with any aversion to questioning even the greatest of systems. Yes, the modern concept of democracy is functioning form of government we have yet come up with, but this does not mean that it can not be improved because there are flaws? What can be said about giving uneducated voters a vote? It is unethical to deny anyone the vote, yet it is scary that individuals unwilling to accept facts have a measure of power of all.

And what about voters who are in the minority? By its very nature democracy oppresses voters in the minority. Working together, we can create a better and brighter future, but that can only be accomplished if we all agree not to be content with what has proven acceptable in the past and instead strive to better ourselves and the world we live in.

For a short week, it’s turned out to be a jam-packed one. The Judicial candidate forum is tonight and Colorscape unfolds this weekend all to the backdrop of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. No doubt these will be the things on a lot of Chenango county residents’ minds.

Incidentally there is other big news that has flown under the radar. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese will be giving away one billion dollars to any one who can land a kite on the moon. No, not really but that’s about as easy to accomplish as it is to win the New York State Lottery, yet people still flock to their local convenience stores to procure tickets. Somehow it’s ironic that the state would run a large scale gambling system under the premise that it is a better way to part citizens from their paychecks than a direct increase in taxation. Yet while people are taught that gambling is acceptable as long as the state gains from it, cuffs are slapped on the wrists of anyone who does it outside of a reservation for more than a dollar.

Gambling is one of most profitable ventures for people other than for gamblers themselves. For instance every time I get into a car, I am gambling with my life and I pay for it – the recipients being my insurance company. Gambling is attractive for a number of reasons. It gives hope to the desperate when nothing else does. It is forbidden by the government, which probably only adds to its allure. I myself have only been to a casino once and have never bought a lottery ticket. I guess the reason is that I have never been able to persuade myself that I will win. Or maybe it’s just that I cant take the sour taste of disappointment when the odds don’t add up in my favor. Enough of that and one could develop a complex.

Follow me on Twitter … @evesunkevin

Hello readers I’m Kevin Doonan, The Evening Sun’s brand new reporter. A recent graduate of Binghamton University and resident of Smyrna, I have been writing for the paper for a little over a week. I will be covering the regions of Sherburne, Greene, Oxford, Coventry, Guilford, Bainbridge and Afton – so if anyone hears of anything going on in those areas, get a hold of me!
My first two weeks working at the paper have been filled with fun new things. In just a short period of time, I have been exposed to parts of the county I never knew existed. For instance, I can count the number of times I have passed Greene Central School and wondered what the large, squat, faceless white building was doing leering over the grade school’s campus. This week, that curiosity was quenched when I discovered that it was the building housing the Raymond Corporation, the largest employer in Chenango County.
With that realization, a feeling of foolish satisfaction washed over me. Foolish for not having known something that seems like such common knowledge and satisfied because every gnawing, nagging whisper of curiosity I can squash represents a miniscule squelchy step taken towards tranquility. Of course with every question in life answered, arises a dozen more quandaries, each one pushing tranquility ever further away.
E-mail me … kdoonan@evesun.com
Call me … 607 337 3074
Tweet me … @evesunkevin