The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-27

]. c. Coon, the well-known news
paper man, died yesterday at the DAN
vile asylum, where he was taken sew
eral months ago, suffering with de-
mentia. resulting from a stroke of
paralysis. He was about 65 years of
age. and is survived by his daughter
in-law, Mrs. Frank Coon, and grand
son, Jamie Coon, with whom he had
made his home in Wilkes Barre.
The funeral will take place Thursday
afternoon at 1.30 o'clock from St.
David's Episcopal church, corner Of
jackson street and South Bromley ave-
nue., West Scranton. Interment will be
made in Washburn street cemetery.
Scranton Typographical union, No. 112,
will have charge of the funeral. The
remains will arrive here at 1885 p. m.
over the Bloomsbury division Of the
Lackawanna.
The deceased had an interesting and
varied career. He was born in Con-
necticut and early in life went to
Michigan with his grandfather. He
learned the printers trade and then
spent some time in Minnesota, where
he conducted a paper in the lumber
districts. lie became quite prominent
in the politics of the state and was
intimately associated with the famous
Brick" pomeroy for several years in
political and other work. Tiring of the
West he started East and was passing
through this region on his way to New
York when the big strike of SO broke
out. Giving up his original intention,
he laid off at Scranton and engaged
himself as a special correspondent for
q number of metropolitan papers.
STARTED THE FREE PRESS.
When the strike was over he became
printer on the Times, then under the
control of Aaron Augustus Chase.
Among his fellow workmen were Mar
shall Preston, Wade NJ. Finn and John
Courier Morris. With them he formed
the Cooperative Printing company and
started the Free Press the first Sun
day newspaper in the state, as far rs
is known, locally, and the sixth in the
United States. This was in 1872.
In the course of a few years the
paper came to be owned by the late
Hon. F. A. Beamish. Mr.. Coon, it ap-
pears, got into politics, became county
auditor and at the end of his term, in
1873, established the paper which sub
seQuently became the Sunday News OF
this city.
Mr.. Coon at PittstOn founded the
Plain-Dealer his idea being to print a
morning paper that would circulate
both in Luzerne and Lackawanna coun-
ties The idea, however, did not prove
profitable and the ain-Dealer was
transferred to Wilkes-Barre and be-
came the News-Dealer. After remain
ing at the helm of that paper for a
time, he sold out and went to Nanti-
coke to establish the Nanticoke News.
He continued as the owner and edi-
tor of this paper until stricken down
with paralysis last summer. In the
year of 1890 and the early part of 1891,
! he served as editor of the Scranton
| Times This was when that paper was
| controlled by the Scranton Publishing
| company. He also conducted a news
| paper for Colonel L. G. Schoonmaker,
| at Lake Helen, Florida, for about two
| years in the early '90s.
A VIGOROUS WRITER.
He was a ready and vigorous writer
and in the old days when a political
editors ability was measured by the
! quantity and quality of the abuse he
/ could heap on the opposition. he was
/ in the first rank. This was not the
sum total of his talents. however. He
/ had no little ability as a descriptive
and narrative writer, and editorially
could advance timely ideas on general
subjects in choice diction.
He had a wide acquaintance among
! the most prominent men of the country
and was, himself, one of the best
known characters of the state when he
and Hon. f. a. Beamish figured so eX-
tensively in Pennsylvania politics. One
Of his marked characteristics was his
wonderful memory Although nota man
of fixed religious convictions, ne had
studied the Bible so thoroughly that he
had it by heart" almost. He was OF
a decided social turn of mind and was
never happier than when surrounded
by a group of friends telling stories OF
engaging in discussion.