Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-03-16
Twenty Years a Publisher.

was published on October S. 1873, at Man
tua, by William R. Gibbs. Mr.. Gibbs
severed his connection with the paper on
February IL, 1879. The four succeeding
issues seem to have been published with
out responsible head, because no name
appears in any of the papers to indicate
the Publisher On March Is, 1879, the
paper became the property of the present
proprietor, and was first issued under his
responsibility on March IS, 1879. In his
introduction to this people, the new pub.
Usher said -
Coming as / do an entire stranger to
the people OF Woodbury. and Gloucester
county, / feel it due TO the readers of the
DEMOCRAT to explain my position as re-
CARDS the future of this paper Fully aware
as l am of the difficulties which beset all
new enterprises amid the stiingencies OF
these times, yet expect by close applIca-
ton to my duties. and constant devotion TO
the true principles OF Democracy, as well
as TO the local interests of the patrons OF
this paper, to aid in the permanent plant
ing of a Democratic press in this COM
munity, whose progress TO solid self support
can only be question of time; and with
a cordial helping hand from our fellow
Democrats around us, need be but q
comparatively brief time. Bespeaking
their friendly aid, then, and hoping to
deserve and use it for the common cause,
l will leave to the future results OF our
united labors all that wordy introduction
could previsen
Previous to the issue of March IS, the
paper was a six column folio, sheet just
half the sizs of the paper to-day. With
that issue it was enlarged TO seven col
umn folio.
The publishing Office was in the small
office of Newton's hotel stables,on Delaware
street, and the entire plant of the establish
ment was comfortably accommodated
therein.
The outside pages were foreign print,and
the inside pages were printed at the Liberal
Press Office, then located in the Town Hall
building. This condition continued until
June, when the extension of Newton's
hotel down Delaware street was COM
pleted, and the plant was moved to more
commodious quarters on the second hoor
over what is nov Coomb's barber shop
and hand press, and an assortment of
wood type was added. Then the paper
began real existence.
At this time the subscription list num-
bered about three hundred names.
The progress of the paper hencefortb
was steadily forward, and two years there
after means were at hand with which to
purchase power press and further extend
the plant This neeessitated removal to
larger quarters, and these were found in
Green's Block, just completed at the corner
of Broad and Centre streets, and our issue
of April z, 1881, was from our Office in
that building, and the increased adyertis-
ing patronage required the addition Of
another column to each page. In August
of 1886 the paper was again enlarged, to IFS
present size.
In Navemher of 1ssg the REM e
Carter property, 16O-162 South Broad
street was purchased. Our present Office
building was erected during the winter
and completed ready for occupancy on
April 81, 1887.
The GLOUCESTER COUNTY DEMOCRAT
has had no especial period of prosperity,
bat the steps to a leading place among the
papers of the county have been steadily
taken, and firmly maintained. Our circu-
iation has reached figure far beyond
that of any of our contemporaries, not by
boom methods or chrome premiums, but by
news gathering and truthful printing. We
believed twenty years ago that there was
field here for fair paper of our political
faith, and twenty years of experience have
justified that belief
But the achievements of which we have
above written are not the sum total of our
success Of twenty years as a publisher
here. The gathering together of superb
printing and publishing plant, and housing
them conveniently for use are not the full
measure of newspaper success. We count
them as among the least of the results OF
our years of labor and steady round OF
duty. But if the homes into which our
paper has gone have been frightened and
enlightened; if in the sphere of it's inf1u-
ence there is healthier, more wholesome
public sentiment; if the rights of the
oppressed have been protected aud if
public wrong doing has been rebuked if
our columns have been an incentive to
public and private effort and achievement,
therein, combined with the former, is the
highest attainment of public press, as we
view it, and for this we have steadily
striven.
The course of the GLOUCESTER COUNTY
DEMOCRAT, fixed by these years of expert
ence, will not be changed we hope to be
worthy of and win further successes on
the lines so well established to tesch the
principles of true Democracy with more
ardor; to carry joy and comfort and more
news to a greater number of homes to
more earnestly encourage right and ef-
fectually expose wrong public doing; to
retain the good will of our newspaper
contemporaries, and perhaps at the end OF
another twenty years, publish perfect
newspaper here.