Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-05-31

dred wears. John Albertis, who he'd
previously been in the newspaper bust
ness at Winchester, published this
raper at two dollars per year-one half
to be paid at the time of subscribing.
Advertisements were inserted for
"three-fourth of a dollar per square,
for three weeks to subscribers; TO non
subscribers the common price of one
dollar" This is the only discrimination
Of the kind which I have noted among
the early newspapers. The advertise
ments exhibit a view of the business Of
the town at that time, and business men
then understood the value of printers
ink fully as well as the wisest Of them
do now.
THE SECOND NEWSPAPER
published in West Virginia was the
Gazette. which made its appearance in
Marunsburg in May 1893, the editor
and publisher being Nathaniel Willis,
father of the renowned poet, Nathaniel
Parker Willis. It continued through
many years of usefulness. 1t chron-
icled fully the events Of the war of 1872,
publishing extended accounts of the
historic achievements on the banks OF
the Maumee. in Western Ohio, within
twenty DAYS after their occurrence. In
January. 1871. John Alburtis succeeded
Willis as editor and proprietor and as
such continued until October, 1922,
when he in turn. was succeeded by
Washington Evans. How long Mr..
Evans continued his connection with
this paper does not appear, but in 1893,
Edmund P Hunter became proprietor
of the Gazette and changed its name TO
that of the Martinsburg Gazette and
Public Advertiser. On the LIST day of
December. 1884. the shrill scream of the
locomotive was heard at Harper's
Ferry for the first time, and the Gazette
in its issue Of three days later, con-
tanned the first railroad schedule ever
printed in a newspaper west of the
Blue Ridge Mountains. From it we
learn that the time of passenger trains
to and from Harper's Ferry TO Balti-
more. a distance Of eighty-one miles,
was eight hours.
At the close Of the Civil war Mr.
Nelson Wisner began the publication Of
the Berkeley Union. of which he was
editor until 1873. In 1866, the New
Era. a Democratic paper. began its
existence at Martinsburg. with Schafer
and Logan as proprietors, and was con-
tinued until april. 1873. For three
years it was published daily and weekly
but at the end of that time the daily
edition was abandoned. Wisner and
Logan were the publishers. The Union
and The Independent were both ably
edited Republican papers The latter
is still continued by Hon. J. n. Wisner
and James F. Thompson, The Martins
burg Statesman came from the Valley
Star. which had its origin before the
Civil war. and which, in 1859 was pur-
chased by r. S. Eichelberger & Co,
and edited by D. S. Eichelberger, who
changed the name to that of the States
man. 1t has been a standard Demo-
cratic paper under the management Of
Westenhayer and Boyer, which began
in 1889. and later under that of c. w.
Boyer. who continues it as such at the
present time
In 1881. \. s. Goulden and John T.
Riley began the publication of the
Martinsburg Herald, under whose man
agement it continued as a conservative
Republican paper until 1885, when Mr..
Riley purchased the interest of Mr..
Goulden. and with himself associated
Hon. Geo 2. Evans.
In 1888, J. R. Clifford colored man,
began at Martinsburg, the publication
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 1883, the proprietor purchased
the entire outfit of the Hardy Express,
which he removed from Moorefield to
harrisburg. where he established his
own Office.
THE THIRD NEWSPAPER
published in the Eastern Panhandle
was the Farmers Repository. the initial
number Of which appeared at Charles
town, in Jefferson county, or Friday,
April 1st. 1908. with Williams & Brown
publishers. In 1921. John S. Gallaher
began the publication Of a newspaper
at Harper's Ferry. which he called the
virginia Free Press. He continued TO
publish the paper at Harper's Ferry for
six years. or until 1927, when he re-
moved it to Charlestown, where it
absorbed the Farmers Repository, and
where. with the single exception of
short suspension during the Civil war
it has been published for period Of
full seventy years. Its files have been
consulted by many historians and BIZ
ographers. While Mr.. Gallaher pub
Iished the Free Press at Harper's Ferry,
he also issued the Ladies Garland, a
distinctly literary paper, the second