Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-03-05
THE OLDEST PRINTER.

He is Neither Dr. Hitz nor Mr. Pearsol
The Neso Era on Wednesday, in noticing
the 9th birthday of Abraham Hitz, Of
that office, styles him the oldest English
printer in the city. he having begun life al
printer in 1928, when he vas Is years Of
age. To this statement the Examiner re.
spends by naming John H. Pearsol, who
began setting type in the Journal Office
(now INTELLIGENCER) of Hugh Maxwell
in the year 1925, when but y years old. He
is now 62 years of age and has been at the
business 55 years. Maxwell's Office was
then in the rear of where Amos Miley now
has his saddlery
Messrs. Hitz and Pearsol are certainly
we'll preserved representatives Of the art
preservative /; but neither of them can
claim the distinction of being the Oldest
printer in the city. That distinction be-
longs to Mr.. Frederick Henry frost,
whom We had the pleasure of meeting to-
day in the Office Of the Volksfreund md
Beobachter, published by John Baer's
Sons, and in which Office he has worked
Mr.. frost was born February 9th, 1906,
in Itzehoe, HOlstein. In 1920 at the age
of Is he was apprcnticed to the printing
business, and acquired thorough kuowl-
edge of all its branches. In 1884 he came
to America, bringing with him his wife
and child. His first job of work in this
country was on the New Bedford, Mass,
4Nercury, an English newspaper. From
New Bedford, Mr.. frost removed
to Easton, Pa, and worked for short
time on the Northampton Democrat. He
then came to Lancaster and worked for
Francis Frank, the publisher of the Ger
man Democrat In 1885 he obtained a sit
uation on the Volksfreund and Beobachter,
published by John Baer, and has continued
to work in that Office ever since--not hav-
ing lost a weeks time by sickness during
the entire 45 years, nor from any
he was drawn as juror or sum-
moncd as witness i'll court. Ten
years ago he celebrated the semi-centen-
nial of his entry into the printing bust
ness. Being both a German and English
scholar, Il pressman and cOmpOsitOr, he is
''at home in all branches of the profess
sion. lie has done the presswork of thou
sands upon thousands of Bacr's Alman-
acs,' though he generally works at case
-'sticks to his stick as the boys say-and
it was working at case we found him to-
day. He is the father of twelve chill
dren, only four of whom are living. These
all married and have families. His aged
wife still lives to comfort and cheer his
d ,clining days.
One of the oldest and most widely known
printers in the city is Henry NJ. Geiter, of
the INTELLIGENCER. He began his print
ing career in 1929 as an apprentice to The
ophilus Fem, publisher Oc the Anti-Na-
sonic Herald, of this city. He accompa-
MED Fem to Harrisburg, when that gentle
man bought out the Statesman, and estab-
lished the Harrisburg Telegraph After
working on the Telegraph for seventeen
years he returned to Lancaster and work
ed at different periods on the INTELLIGEN
CER published by John w. FOrney and
Marcus d. Holbrook the Examiner, pub
lished by Edw. c. Darlington the Union,
published by G. W. Hammersly the In
dependent Wing, published by Edw. Nc
Pherson and John J. Cochran /; the Inland
Daily, published at different periods by
Edw. Mcpherson. Theophlus Fem and
Harvey Goodall.
In 1861 Mr.. Geiter threw down his
stick and took up the rifle to aid in the
preservation of the union. He served
faithfully for nearly four years, and holds
two honorably discharges from the army.
While in the service he was 4 frequent
contributor to the INTELLIGENCER over
the nom de plume of "Ajax.''
When the cruel war was over he returned
to Lancaster and resumed his labors as a
printer in the Office of the Inquirer then
published by Stuart A. Wiley. Remain
ing there but short time, he took posi-
ton at case on the INTELLIGENCER and
for 15 years has worked faithfully at case
generally being the first at work in the
morning and the first to get through in
the afternoon. In the language Of the po-
licemen ih the ' Pirates of Penzance'
Taking one consideration with another,
Mr.. Geter's lite has been chequered one.
Among the other old printers in the
city, none of whom are sat case now, but
all of whom began setting type probably
forty years or more ago, are Luther Rich
ards, Geo. W. Schroyer, j. NJ. Johnston,
Reuben A. Baer and Jas. r. McNaughtan.
Dad" Cogley and Henry Faesig are also
to be accounted among the old typos and
J. w. NJ. Geist was setting type as far back
as 1913.
Mission Sunday School Entertainment.
The Charlotte street NJ. E. mission
Rev. II. V. Giv!er pastor, and Elam G.
Snyder superintendent-gave an enter
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