Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-15
THE HERALD.
THE GREELEY or THE NORTHWEST,

quiet man who for about thirty
years edited the GaIena Gazette. He
died 10 Gslena, April Both, aged
nearly 70 years. The following
sketch of his life, written by him
self few years ago, will interest
the reader whether bic taste is for
romance or realities
BIOGRAPHY OF H. H. HoUGHToN.
In October, 1924, | went to learn
the printing business of Rufus Col.
tor, iii Woodstock, Vermont. He
published the Woodstock Observer.
| worked faithfully as an apprentice
for three years, be boarding me and
paying me $50 a year, l clothing
myself. In 1926 my apprenticeship
expired and l went to work as Jour.
neyman printer for Richard BoyIs-
ton at Amsterdam, N, FL. In the
spring of 1928 had proposition
to take charge of the Vermont
Statesman, at Castleton, Vermont.
On arriving there 1 found that the
office had been disposed of to a Mr..
Bush, and / went on to New York
| got work Immediately in the of.
flee Ct Harper 81 Brothers where 1
remained number of months. |
then went to work on the old Gen.
trdl Gazette, of Lang & Turner, New
York. 1t was q morning paper
the work was mostly done in the
night. | was physically weak and
thought best to leave a situation
so difficult to fill. then worked in
Boston, and in Septem Ger, 1928, l
had another invitation to go to Cas-
tleton to take charge Of the States.
man. l accepted the situation and
published it till 1884. In my feel.
ings l was conscientiously an ardent
politician, and have 30 been ever
since. My Heterogeneous were
many but my exertions were unit.
ring. L do not know that any one
has ever accused me of iusincerity
10 my politics and even my oppo.
nents respected me. In those days
the editorial profession was charac-
terised by intense personal bitter.
ness. My experience as an editor
was none at ell. l was painfully
bashful. | thought the triumph of
my party essential to the public
welfare, and in the effort for the lat
ter there were times when [ could
have sunk my own personal exist
ence to have saved my party. l
would have done that for Henry
Clay, if that would have elected
him to the Presidency in 1882 Be-
fore l was aware of it l was infuen-
tial as a politician, and where my
papers then circulated, it became,
and ever since then has been, the
NEST thoroughly Republican of any
part of the United States. | was
the first one, to my knowledge, who
conceived the idea of publishing the
first sides of a newspaper at some
central point and sending the sheets
so prepared to be published in other
places. In that way / published
the Vermont Statesman, Castleton,
Rutland Herald, the Record of the
Times, at Springfield, Vernon. (my
native town., the American at Mid.
dlebury and the Gazette, Ve,gennes
at the same time. My idea 10 this
was to lessen the expense of the
business of publishing newspapers
in country towns, to give the read.
ers more news. both general and To-
cal, and 10 this way TO partly neu.
tralize the overpowering force of
the city papers of New York in
that section of the country. 1t may
be fact not generally known. that
MIR. W w. Huntington, for twelve
years Postmaster of Galsna. was
then learning the prin ting business
Of me at my Office 10 Middlebury.
This was in 1888.
AS matter of course, a business
80 scattered as was that of mine in
Vermont and | undertaking to man
age the whole with no capital to
start with except my hands, (my
head l never took into account),
with the disadvantages of the times
then of getting from place to place.
must necessarily get INTO confusion
and this was the case The details
need not be recounted. will only
say this, that paid as fast as | was
able every dollar of obligation that
was ever presented to me for
payment.
In 1884 l took to New York
power printing press, some parts of
which were and have been since. of
great value to our craft. 1t was the
tirst press seen in New York with
the continuance to throw off the
sheet after it was printed by means
OF fingers, as is now attached to all
the large power presses, as may be
seen in the office of Mr.. Brown, of
the Gdsstte, and of D. W. Scott &
Co., who prints this paper. BY
means of that invention the Adams
power press became a complete
book press and the Hoe machine
and other cylinder presses were
greatly improved. La New York l
got discouraged as to my press and
others took full advantage of it. 1t
has always been an agreeable
thought to me that they have done
80 as it saved to the business in the
aggregate, vast amount of labor.
So likewise with regard to my idea
ofprinting 6rst sides of newspaper
at central point, as stated. 1t is
now adopted so generally. that, /
am told some fourteen hundred pa
pers are published in that way, or
two-tifths of all in the United States.
The two ideas, however, brought
me no pecunisry profit.
In New York l thought 1t best to
seek my fortune in the West. But,
being without money. except dol.
lar or two that l borrowed from a
friend, | travelled on foot from New
York to Philadelphia, W here friend
lived, as | supposed, who owed me
small sum. On calling at dis Of
fee was told he was buried a
week before. The story was a lie,
but 1t was all the same to me. could
get no work 10 Philadelphia then,
and walked to Downington, some
fifteen miles out, where / got work