Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-06-26
Vermont Editors and Publishers
Association.

- neiu ut NEWPORT, On iHuisu'ty SNShi";
June 18th. At s o'clock, in the absenc
" of either Vice Presidents, the association
! was called to order by David M. Camp
n Recording Secretary, who nominate
r. Hon. +. p. Walton of Montpelier, a
l. President pro tempore,. which was unani
: mously confirmed Mr.. Walton returne,
: his acknowledgements for the election
D and directed the meeting to the regula
, order of business. The roll was thel
} called and the following named gentle
men responded +. p. Walton of thu
Journal, G. W. Willard of the Freeman
Eli Ballou of the Repository, Hiram At
kins of the Argus, Montpelier; Gren'
Vile G.. Benedict of the Free Press, Bur-
lington VIM. II. Whiting of the Mess
enger, ST. Adams Henry Clark, J, Def,
Bracket of the Herald, John Cain of the
Courier, j. X. Mclean of the Indepen-
dent, Rutland A. n. Swain of the
Times, Bellows Falls; i. p. Alderman
of the Record, Addison Brown of the
Phoenix, f. c. Crowell of the Household,
Brattleboro; VIM. H. Cook, of the Ban
ncr, Bennington; G. II. Stone of the
Caledonian, St. Johnsbury; G. M. Chase
of the Union, Lyndon; A. A. Earle of
the Standard, Barton; d. NJ. Camp,
Mr.. Cummings of the Express, Newport;
George G.. Newman of the Bulletin,
Poultney; p. P. Ripley Of the Eagle,
West Randolph. Letters were received
from Geo. ii. Bigelow Of the Times, Bur-
lington. III. ID. Foster of the Gazette,
Ludlow; Luther 0. Greene of the Stand
ard, Woodstock, expressing their regret
i'll being detained from being present at
the meeting, and wishing the Association
success.
The minutes of the last meeting were
read and approved. G. NJ. Chase was
appointed Treasurer pro tcmpore. On
the motion of Mr.. Willard, it was voted
that any member of the Association who
may not be present may be represented
by proxy. On motion of Mr.. Clarke,
the further order of business was suspend
ed until after the delivery of the address
and poem.
Hon. C. w. Willard, the appointed
essayist, remarked that he had not pre-
pared written production, for the rea-
son that he had requested Mr. Walton to
occupy portion of the time in giving
"reminiscences of the Vermont press, and
called upon Mr.. Walton to respond.
Mr.. Walton said that Mr.. Willard
had mainly stated to the Association
their conversation, but had not told the
whole, and that Mr.. Willard had prom
ised to follow him. Mr.. Walton spoke
substantially as follows:
MR.. wALToN's SPEECH.
l think I can rccollect the newspapers and the
proprietors and editors of newspapers in Vermont
as far back as 1920 fix the date in this way
should then be eight years of age only; but
recollect very well when my father first took me
into the office and put composing stick into my
hands, that was obi ged TO get into oh air in or
der to reach the case. / was thus brought direct
ly into position where | could sec all the news
papers of the State, and think can give you
the names OF all the different publishers Of papers
al that time. There were, then, but nine or ten
papers-all weekly-located in the following towns,
viz: in Bennington by Anthony Haswell, an en-
terprising and energetic man lie started the Rut-
land Herald and Courier, thus making him the
originator of the two political papers that are now
published in that place. At Rutland Mr.. VIM
Fay; at Middlebury, Samuel Swift, now living;
at Burlington, f. & L. Miles; at ST. Adams, wy.
man Spooner, whose son is now, or was short
time siuce, Lieutenant Governor of one of our
| Western States at Montpelier, my father, there
had been two other papers there previously, and
previous to my rccollection1 at Danville, Ebe-
| Meier Eaton, man of more brsin and more force
| than he ever received credit for a man who would
If placed in position to call forth his powers,
have made his mark in the world, brother of
Gen. William Eaton of Massachusetts at Wind
sor, Alden Spooner and Simeon Idc; at Wood
stock, David Watson,-makng nnc eeklv news
papers. mention this to show you the progress
Of the newspaper business within my own recol-
lection. In 1920, nine or ten; in ls6S forty-fve
wceklics and six dailcs. In 1920 there was pos.
sibly, paper in the State which had reached the
dignity of royal sheet bat some were mediums.
certainly recollect the brass head Of the old |
Watchmon, paper of four medium pages
-, There was then no daily paper in the State.
There are now six dales, equal to thirty-sx |
weeklcs all told sixty-onc newspapers in the |
State. which average much mere than double the |
size OF papers in 1920. The average amount of |
matter published weekly in each paper IS &ouble |
now TO what it was in $40, thus multiplying the
power of the press sixteen times. can recollect |
when very few papers were taken in the State of
Vermont that were published outside of the State |
a Boston paper was hardly known until Thomas
Green Fessendcn went there a~d started the New |
England Farmer.
apprchend that IL we could get at the exact
statistics now Of the newspapers Published out Of
the State, and read in it ave should find that VIC |
have so educated the people to become a reading !
people, that they take more newspapers published |
out of the State, than they do of those published |
within the State. II so VIC have increased the
power OF the press since 1920 thirty-two times |
Truly, the profession Of editor and publisher has
been dignified one, sn important, useful homer
able one, aud to that is greatly due the high char
acter of our people.
There are some other remarkable characteristics |
connected with the early history of our craft in |
Vermont-in the early history of the newspapers
of the State. The business Of printer, publisher,
editor and bookseller was combined in every one |
OF these papers printed in 1890 What was the |
result Each man being his own publisher, print |
or and bookseller the demand upon him to attend |
to the mere details of his business yvere sucb H.,