Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-01-22
PRINrlNo-OeEloe "REMINISCENCES.


bury REGISTER are so conspicuous that
the writer is inclined to indulge in a few
printing office "reminiscences of long,
long ago. In May, 1912, he took his first
lesson in type-setting in Middlebury and
has therefore been more or less intimate
ly connected with the "art preservative"
for nearly forty-fOur years. The print
ing office in which he took his initial les
son was situated in the second story of
Nichols building, which stood on the
eastern bank of Otter Creek in your
pleasant village. Ephraim Markham and
Rev. Benjamin Briefly were the proprie-
tors, and they had just commenced the
publication of the Termont Baptist Jour
nal designed as the organ and mouth
piece of the Baptist churches throughout
the State of Vermont. 1t was not very
generously supported, but it struggled
along with varying success about four
years, changing its name in the time to
the Vermont Observer and frequently
changing editors and proprietors. But
the writer of this was fixture in the Of
flee and was there at the death of the pa
per, Dec. 81, 1916, at Poultney, where it
had been removed the preceding Janu-
ary. At this time the Rev. Aaron Anger
was the editor and publisher, having as
sumed the position some two years previ-
Gus to that time. He came to Middle
bury in the year 1914, from Waterbury,
and was at that time candidate for the
acknowledgements of the State.
The anti-slavery people nominated him,
but at that early day they could not con-
troll enough votes to elect him, or anyone
else. From Poultney he went with his
press and printing material to Ludlow
and started The Genius Of Liberty. The
paper did not long survive and its foun-
der long since passed over to the other
shore. Markham, for many years. has
been one of the publishers of the Water
rille Mail, at Waterville, Maine, and has
met with fair success, but is now past the
allotted age of man and in feeble health.
AT the time the writer entered the
printing office at Middlebury, in 1912, it
was quite busy place and gave employ
ment to several expert journeymen and
four apprentices. Your honored towns
man, Philip Battell, Esq, to crafty his
literary ambition, had started paper
just about that time called The Topaz.
1t was large, handsome paper, and was
printed on new Washington press and
with new type throughout. Its contents
were mostly original, from the prolific
pens of the college professors and from
the pen of its editor. The Topaz lived
but three months.
The Temperance 4drOcdte, monthly
sheet, was printed at the Journal office
also, Mr.. Briefly being the editor and
publisher. These papers, with an occas-
ional book or pamphlet, constituted the
main business Of the establishments.
Directly across the creek from Nichols
building, John Milton Stearns held forth.
in small room over DR.. Moody's drug
store. He published The Poughn,au and
the name was spelled as given here. He
also published The Ladies' Repository, a
small literary magazine, filled principal
ly with stories of his own writing. Pub
fishing Democratic paper in those DAYS
was not lucrative business, and Mr..
Stearns soon left Middebury and sought
pastures new, where the feed was more
luxuriant. He went TO Brooklyn, turned
his attention to the law and met with
good success.
In tall brick building near the south
west side of the bridge The IHiddlebury
Free Press printing establishment was
located Lawyer Bell was editor and
proprietor at that time, but soon after
Mr.. Cobb, to whom the readers of the
REGISTER, will need no introduction.
came into the Office as foreman or CO.
partner, and if the writer remembers.
MIR. Cobb purchased the entire concern
after the death of Mr.. Bell. The history of
the paper since that time, with its change
of name TO the Gdiiary and then to the
REGISTER is probably so familiar to
your present constituents" that your
correspondent will not further allude to
it.
We have very pleasant remembrance
of the old Free Press, and it extends away
back to our early boyhood days and long
before we knew anything about the mys-
teries of the ''art." 1t was read aloud in
the family before the writer knew his
letters, and we really believe we learned
as much about reading and spelling from
its columns as from our books at school.
May the REGISTER, with its healthy look
and new attire, long survive and prosper.
JAY KAY.
STATE TEacLEps' Aeeoo,.r,a.