Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-26

illustrate the progress Of The REGISTER, a
brief retrospect will be OF interest. On the
gthOf July, 1863, THE REGISTER made its first
issue. 1t was printed ON small, broken
down press with q single cylinder. which
sufliCcd TO work of the edition, then con-
1SiSting Of less than one hundred copies.
With this meagcr subscription liNt,aGi with
out an advertising contract, THE REGISTER
started upon its career. 1t was printed with
the material of the former Press Ga newspa-
per whose life was short. and which was
successor to the onion, whose existence had
terminated soon after the beginning OF the
war; the entire stock and d.IriS Of the
establishment having been purchased for
the purposes OF the new paper by Mr.. Lewis
Baker from Mr. Henry Moore. In its begin
ming the paper was small but piucky, and
cSpousing the Democratic cause in the
midst of the excitement and terrorism Of
the time, aimed 10 make prudent,
but positive struggle against the
abuse OF Fed, al power. The new paper
was welcomed ~ many who feared to read
it in public or have it seen in their stores
and il gradua! Y extended its SUBSCRIPTION,
and influence among the large number uf
citizens and soldiers who. while not favor
ing secession nor sympathiElng with the
Southern cause, could not approve uf the
violation OF constitutional guarantees, and
could not brook tic less of their own Hbcr-
ties in the struggle for the abolition OF ne
gro slavery ana for the maintenance Of the
Federal Union. THE REGISTER had been in
operation but one year, when, on the 9th Of
July. lS6I the paper was suppressed by or
der of Major General Hunter, then COM
manding this department, with hcadY uar-
tcrs at Cumberland and it, editors were in
Carccratcd in the military prison al the old
AthcnTum.
The suppression of the RE9ISTEG and III"
Imprisonment of Mr.. Lewis Baker AMI Mr..
O. :. Long which continued nearly two
months. was one of the most outrageous Of
the many outragcS which were inflicted upon
the liberty o, the citizen and of the press
during war mes. 1t had no cause except
the persona! and ill-gDvernCd rag" OF the
commanding general OF the department,
who had just returned from his disastrous
expedition against Lynchburg, ana
wanted to do something t. show his
authority No trial 10y court-martial or
otherwise was ever given L. the editors oi
the EEGsTER notwithstanding II was r.
Iratcdly demanded, and uOIiswcr was ever
made to their request to know the a"ru>a-
Ton uyain>t them Ultimately. through
favor uf General Crook. the facts wcr"
brought 10 the attention UI General Shcri-
dan. who ordered their immediate and un-
conditional release, and the restoration "I
what remained al the R!.r!NIEE O.G'c. after
owner.
Tnr REGISTER in it, infancy had few al
Vcr,iscmCnt>. and Il job office hcn" crlab-
Ii>hcd i'm connection with the newspaper.
Dhc revenues from that department assisted
the SCmty receipts Tor subscription, anu
helped to pay tn" cu"priiur> bills.
Since that time the history al IuE Iil;ISTEE
has been that OF rapid and steady growth.
Each year has added To- it, prosperity and
il~ influence, and ~ rapidly a. it, Increasing
plf>pcr!ty ha~ allowed. the urwNpHp'" has
ir,rlI ENLARGED it's columns and ayEI"d H.
sell Of every facility liberal management
could devise for extending still wider
tie sphere oi its usefulness am! giving lis
patrons live. sprighrIl. cuterpri,in.,
hrul,hful ana vigorous newspaper Ip this
desire on tie purt Oi the manage mcnI the
people Of West Virginia. al Eastern unlp
and Western Pennsylvania have rc,Pollct
i'm Il substantial manner. tn" REG
I>Trn has been Succ ,>~lul in ary
aycry enterprise Of either local or state con-
crrn. which il has warmly C~pou-"d and
earnestly advocated. and II Is now - iIflnIN
established aS one of the "in>tltuuunN uI
Wheeling and the state a. To- defy all "rdI-
nary efforts to >uupllut or overthrow it, y
writer in recent publication gives hiSto-
r,- Of TIE R..i... II; in which lie SAID: Like
nearly all other successful newspaper e.
tablishmeutS, THE REGISTER i mainly In"
creation of one man. The soul Ol the cmicr-
prise i Mr. Lewis Baker. the founder OF the
paper and present proprietor lie i a ma
tive Of Ohio, and a practical newspaper man
in every sense Of the term. Trained IN
Vouih i'm a country newspaper office, h" has
been compositor, foreman, prc~>mam and
editor. and proprietor OF two successful
wccklicS one in Noble and tn" other in
Guernsey county. Ohio, before coming To-
Wheeling. Added To- tli, practical knpwi-
>sdgc OF the business, he has rare gill iornr-
ganizalion and ,hrcwunc,~ ut insight lnt"ih
motives of and mamncruf dealing win men,
which the gift Ut organization implies. 10
these faculties, and to an mtIrinE energy
which nothing could divert, ami courage
which no yiCi>SitudrS could dauut, the ste
ccs, of THE WuEELISG REGISTER is mainly
due"
From its froblc beginning in IN ol! build
ing lust below the second Ward Market
House the office wp~ removed in lNI', to
larger and more C"mmOdIOu> p"drtrr> III IN"
building now owned by th" MciAin Bros,
corner Of Market and Twelfth streets. In
I,71 the office was removed for hcttcracrnm-
mediation t. the corner Of Market street and
Alicv O. where TIE REGIsrEE has been pub.
li~hCd and the printing department carried
on up to the present time. From year To-
vrar improvements have been mad" ana
additions added to all departments oi IHE
REGISTER establishment.
In the mechanical department changes
have been continuously going on. The old
presses. with a small capacity, have given
away to an improved four cylinder Hoe,
with capacity Of 10000 copies an hour
Vast additions have lately been mad" t. the
lob and binding departments in the way "i
presses, type and other material, ana We can
now say without buaStng, that we have the
most thoroughly equipped and largest l"n!
office in West Virginia. The capacity "i
this office is such a> 10 supply all demands,
and We can safely say that il the entire job
work done throughout the state could he
turned into the REGISTER printing establish
mrnt, our resources would be such 4, To ac-
cumrli>h the work at once
The dimensions oi the REGISTER
stall, which includes editorial WRITER'S
local reporters, news GGiliorSihn cor
RESPONDENTS, has steadily inrrcaScd
the paper has grown in size and HOW pub.
fishes six daily cditiunS. one weekly
and three tri-wcckly editions cAch
week. The readers of the (EoI|TEE have IN
creased from one hundred, in 1858, to over
ten thousand, in ISL.
Such in brief. arc some Of the salient lea
lures of the progress mad" by IHE WHEEL
ING REGISTER within the last eighteen years.
The nature, i'm drtain, OF the latest additions
and improvements, will be givcnin another
place.
The Buildings and Property.
II will probably be- Il matter Of some in
1crrst To- our readers 10 know that TIE REG
IsTEE i the only newspaper company IN IN"
city which owns the property 1t occupies.
The REGISTER company owns all tlaJ
property fronting on Market stree, running
from the old REGIsTEE building I" lhi-
Ions icwclry store. and extending ha'k To
the alley that runs about midway between
rl...t nd