Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-06-10

which began in 1889, and later under
that of C. W. Boyer, who continues it
as such at the present time.
In 1881 A. S. Goulden and John T.
Riley began the publication of the
Martinsburg Herald, under whose
management it continued as a conserv-
ative Republican paper until 1885,
when Mr.. Riley purchased the interest
of Mr.. Goulden, and with himself asso-
ciated Hon. Geo. F. Evans.
In 1883 J. R. Clifford, cOlored
man. began at Martinsburg, the pub
lication of the Pioneer Press, the first
paper published in the interests Of his
race in this State. For time this
paper was printed at the office of the
Independent, but in 1888 the prOprie-
tor purchased the entire outfit of the
Hardy Express, which he removed
from Moorefeld to Martinsburg, where
he established his own Office.
The third newspaper published in
the Eastern Panhandle was the Farm
ers Repository, the initial number Of
which appeared at Charlestown, in
Jefferson county, on Friday, April l
1903, with Williams and Brown pub
fishers. In 1921 John S. Gallaher
began the publication of a newspaper
at Harper's Ferry, which he called
the Virginia Free Press. He contin-
ued to publish the paper at Harper S
Ferry for six years, or until 1927,
when he removed it to Charlestown,
where it absorbed the Farmers Re-
pository, and where, with the single
exception of short suspension during
the Civil War, it has been published
for a period Of full seventy years. Its
files have been consulted by many
historians and biographers. While
Mr. Gallaher published the Free Press
at Harper's Ferry. he also issued the
Ladies Garland, distinctly literary
paper, the second one of its class pub
lished in the United States. In 1914,
James W. Beller began the publica-
ton of a paper at Charlestown, which
he called the Spirit of Jefferson. In
1858 it was totally destroyed by fire,
but Phoenix like, it arose from its own
ashes, and under various arrangements
has continued to the present time.
Mr.. George w. Haines is the present
editor and proprietor, having been
such since July, 1875. Another pa
per, The Democrat, began its existence
at Charlestown, January 9, 1885. +.
w. Bedinger was the founder. lie
was succeeded about 1887 by James
NJ. Mason, Sr., who continued the pa
per until June 27, 1890, when it was
purchased by Ruthven w. Morrow,
who changed the name to the Farmer s
Advocate, under which name he still
continues its publication.
Shepherdstown, the oldest town in
the State, has been long center Of
newspaper influence. The American
Eagle was the first newspaper pub
lished at that town, and made It's ap-
pearance in 1915, the publishers being
Maxwell & Harper. In December,
1888, John Alburtis removed from
Martingburs to Shepherdstown, and
began the publication Of paper called
the Journal. The Shepherdstown Reg
ister was founded in l849 by Hardy
& McAnly, who continued it until
1851, when J. T. H. Bringman assumed
the management and directed the same
until succeeded in 1852 by John H.
little, who published the paper for
more than thirty years. His success
sors in 1882 were J. w. and H, l..
Snyder, the latter of whom is now the
owner and publisher.
If we leave the Eastern Panhandle
and halt in the beautiful South Branch
Valley at Romney, town laid out by
the sixth Lord Fairfax, as seat of
justice for Hampshire county, the old
est county in West Virginia, we shall
find an interesting bit Of newspaper
history. The first newspaper publish
ed here was the South Branch Intelli-
gencer, which was founded by William
Harper and an older brother in 1880.
They came from Chambersburg, in
Pennsylvania, and while William, the
younger, remained in charge of the
Intelligencer, the elder brother went
to Clarksburg, where he established a
similar enterprise. William success
fully conducted the Intelligencer for a
full half century, when he died and
was succeeded by his widow, Mrs. Sal
lie L. Harper, who, as the first female
editor and publisher in West Virgin
ia, continued the paper until June,
1898, when it was purchased by Hon.