The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-19
I. SCHOCH, OLDEST EDITOR.
EDITING At 80 THE PAPER HE
FOUNDED 81 YEARS AGO.

FOUNDED 81 YEARS AGO.
In n Mothed or state Rights Democracy ne set
w q Radical Opposition NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
n To-Day ON n second-unnd Press Pur-
chased fifty Years Ago-sets Tyre Vet.
5TRouDsBuRo, Pa, July ls.-on July IA. 1870,
Theodore Schoch became editor Of tho Strouds-
burg Js6ersontan. Ono of tho first to subscribe
and pay for the paper was Mrs. Eliza A. Dusen-
berry. A few days AFRO Mrs. Dusenberry, now Of
Newton, N. j.. paid her nfty-Seventh successive
annual subscription to the Jegersonian. To
have been 20 long on tho subscription list of one
newspaper is in itself a somewhat extraordinary
experience. To have paid tho FIRST subscription
and every one Of the succeeding 6fty-six sub
scriptions to tho same person as editor and pro-
prietor Of tho paper is one still moro unusual.
Mr.. schoch, at ss. hale, hearty, and Jolly, and
still In the editorial harness, confidently be.
lievcs that he is entitled to the distinction Of
being, in point Of active and continuous service
Oh ono newspaper, tho oldest editor in the coun-
try. There is metal typo in the Je6ersonidn
Office that has been there since tho paper
was started, and 1t Is doing as good
service to-day as It did nearly three
score years ago. For fifty years the paper
has been printed on n Smith hand press, No.
l78. made by r. Hoe & Co. The Smith press
was tho first to take the place Of the old
Ramage press. and was considered az much
an Improvement on that ancient printing
machine as the power press was over tho Smith
press. Editor Schoch started in with a damage.
In 1S47 the editor OF the Betrider: apollo at
Bclvidere, N. J., wanted n bigger press than the
one his paper was then printed on and offered his
press for salo. Editor Schoch went down to Bel.
videre, purchased the press and cartcd 1t to
StroudsburR over the mountains. He sot 1t up
in his Office. 1t has been there ever since, and
there have been few editions of the paper Of
which Editor Schoch himself has not pulled of
at loast q portion on that press. He was un-
doubleday the last to use a Ramagc press In
printing q newspaper. One might scour the
country from ocean to ocean to-day and not find
another Smith press in use. There have been
scores of improvements made In hand presses
since the Smith camc into vogue. but Editor
Schoch has scorned them all.
1.-THE old Smith has stood by me- said the
veteran the other day. pattiuR fondly tho lever
Of the press that he has pulled so many thousands
of times, "and I'll stand by ii to tho last"
geographically the current issue of the Jef.
JersoniaR resembles closely in appearance tho
first issue of 1910. Editor Schoch has never
used a patent outside or any plate matteri in got
ting out his paper. There are few country news
papers in the land that can make that boast.
Tho veteran editor has set type on every issue
OF his paper, and sets type yet.
but my eyes don't seem to DO quite as good
as they used to be-" he says, land I'm thinking
that may be it's about time TO give EN- a little
rest"
The JeG~ersonidn was started as a Wing organ
in q county Monroe) where there were five
Democrats to one WhiR. and in a Congressional
district where the Democrats o~utyoted the
Wings almost ten to one. This was the famous
Tenth Legion of Pennsylvania With the ex-
there was not a Wing newspaper in the dis,
trict, which included all the country from Bucks
county on the south to ,susauehanna county on
the north. and was made up of the present coun-
ties OF northampton. Carbon, Monroe, Pike. and
Wayne. stroudsburg had a population Of 345.
lage. There were no mail routes in the county
except one up the Delaware valley from Easton.
the county looked upon a Wing as one mis-
guided and inimicsl to the country,,s good.
S SeSe after Editor Z lsod, sSh Ssm began p p'ub b the
township made his acquaintance, liked him, and
actuelly subscribed for his paper. This Demo
SIS ONCE and picked up = newspaper that lay on
had fnS i beee a eSIt Of nrs a. Il L W ns a ahs Jsstr T. es Il i.
..n n sShnandae OF ;h., Squirrel he exclaimed.
The Squire had to ADMIT the fact. and It would
have beaten him for Justice of the Peace at the
n, nes sbo election c.Hs. i 81 he sd hsdn', b been Wt shrewd enough
TO be sure / take Schoch's paper" he ex-
planned. IF didn't, take IL / wouldn't know
and ! can, combat him. BY combating him I
can show him the error OF his ways. When no
sSfs .I pa frrcf Il n'i w Wfy I hf take st tGe p 'gtat1sS1.
ian"
The Squire saved himself by this explanation.
but somehow he didn't succeed in showing Ed
itor Sehoclt the error OF his ways. The auda-
f Gs@oo whis ,i ns%sBoGssr f fsDt =. right sia,i on in That
JcQersonidn in the outlying townships for years
had to get their papers by the hands Of neighbors
who made occasional trips to StrouGshurs. or by
having them left nj the nearest mill o. back
woods store or tavern. Those who lived along
or or neGr me road up the VALLEY were more t9rtu-
fence corners, hollow stumps. and other r" rece in
taGles nj convenient. points agreed upon.
The second Harrison campaign occurred in
1910. The largest Wing vote ever cast in Mon.
roe. county was given for Harrison. 1t was 343,
which was the number of subscribers on the
JcgerSonidn'S books, and the majority Harrison
$50 we saved the State for Harrison, sure
enough, y says veteran Editor Schoch.
The Jeesrsoniam was originally g hve;eoluma
family added n column to each page. Otherwise
the paper remains much AS II was ffty-scyen
sive mission. which. during all those years, has
been conspicuously announced on its first page
the heading: 'povotcd to 'Poiitics al Li,o tlnG ar.
Agriculture, Science. Morality, and General In.
m aslli'sSnG an ISSUE. Tse WRen ;Se m SSf p pSyir
radical and uncOmproInising advocate OF the
principles OF the Republican party in "a hotbcd
OF state Rights Democracy. Editor Schoch has
lived to see himself on The bench as Associate
Judge OF Monroe county, where 1000 Demo
cratic majority in n poll OF 5000 has been no
thing: lilo has lived to soc and
help bring about II result in tho political
affairs, Of this same old.time Democratic
stronghold. which must have made the
bones Of the dead and gone war horses OF the
graves-a Republican majority in the Board OF
County commissioners. Even more surprising.
he has lived to SEQ the old Tenth Legion, the
Congressional district historic for its steadfast
10000 bemocratic majority, return q Republi-
can ns i.s Represcntative-thc incumbent,
If should live TO he n hundred" SAYS Edj.
tor School, II couldn't have moro glory TO think
Of than this.
81 sometimes think It was seeing stars that
SHE'D me into an editorial career" he con.
tinues. +" started out TO he n farmer, This
was VI, in Pike, county, in 1888, when ! was
~, liye@ with George w. Nyce, on the Nil.
ford, road. One day word canlG that n relative
OF Nvcs's wife was dead at Shawnee. Shawnee
Is Just above the Delaware Water Gap. The