The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-29

editorial, reportorial and composing
rooms of the paper. At one time he was
an owner Of the paper
Mr.. Wall retired from active newspa-
per work only a few months ago. Fail
ing health led him to give
up active work, and ever
since his retirement he has
been gradually breaking up His death
had been anticipated for several days
The veteran newspaper man belonged
to the abolitionist party, and was one
Of the participants in the founding of
the free soil and republican parties. He
enjoyed the close acquaintance of many
prominent men in national life, and was
a particular friend Of Senator George
F. Hoar and other leading republicans.
Caleb A. Wall was born June II, 1920,
and had his first taste of schooling in
the old red school house standing on
the corner of the road leading by the
Baptist church to the town parsonage.
Among his teachers was the late Prof.
Samuel Sullman Green of Brown Uni
vers1ty.
time of theNorman invasion Of Eng
land by William the Conqueror
His great-grandfather was William
Wall, who came to this country from
Upton. Devonshire, and settled on Pru-
dence Island, Narragensett bay, in 1725.
Here a son, Thomas, was born.
Thomas married Prudence Arnold
and by this union Caleb's father was
born, whose name was also Caleb Ca
lab n ri.
ter, in 1898, and was engaged in the
saw and grist mill business and the
manufacture of scythes
In 1886 the family moved to Worces-
ter. A brother of Caleb was James II.
Wall, for many years a prominent resi-
dent Of Boston and largely interested in
real estate.
In the winter of 1SS3-S4 he attended
school in Mulberry grove, in the north
part of the town, then the Quaker vii
lage, where was the old Friends meet
ing house, in whose enclosure lie so
many rustic forefathers of the hamlet
From August, 1888, to the spring of
1887, he had the advantages of the
school maintained by the yearly meet
ing of the New England Friends, now
called the Friends school of Provi-
dence.
This was noted Quaker family and
Caleb was brought up in the faith to
which he always remained loyal
April II, 1887, young Caleb began
what proved to be his lifelong work
in the The Spy office, then under the
direction Of John Milton Earle.
Fifty years afterward the semi-cen-
tennial OF the event was fittingly cele-
brated at the Lincoln house.
He very early began to contribute to
the columns of the paper, having de-
cided opinions of his own on the sub
jects then agitating the public mind.
He was very pronounced in his ideas
on the slavery discussion, annexation of
Texas, Mexican war, repeal of the Mis-
souri, compromise, fugitive slave bill.
Kansas Nebraska matter, trial by jury,
tariff. etc.
From August, 1855, to December, 1858,
Caleb was practically editor of the pa
per during the period sinking $4,000 in
raising money to carry it ON till it's
sale in 1858 to Foss & Farnum John ID.
Baldwin purchased the plant in 1859
In 1874 Mr.. Wall left the Spy office
with AlbertTyler, now of Oxford, to
start the Barre Patriot. He remained
in Barre a year and a half
Returning to the Spy, he had con-
tinued until recently. save two years
during the war, when he published the
Worcester Daily Transcript, of which
he was proprietor, editor and reporter.
This he sold Jan. 1, 1866, to the pred
ecessors of the present proprietors of
the Worcester Evening Gazette.
In politics. Mr.. Wall advocated that
phase of republicanism in which the
party was formed-the protection Of
human rights, irrespective of color, at
the ballot box and everywhere, and for
the advancement of much needed re-
forms.
Mr.. Wall married June A. 1869. Ellen,
daughter of James and Jane (Stevens)
Tucker. born in Bridgeport, EN-. His
wife died many years ago. and a lew