The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-07-11

| prise and on the 10th of March, 1866, we
issued our salutatory. The foreman of the
office, Mr.. John w. Murphy, was an inn
portant stockholder, and altogether we
went resolutely to work to make friends
and to make the paper pay, and believe
we succeeded. The subscription list was
largely increased, the advertising columns
were well patronized and our job room
was soon full of business. In a short
time-I do not remember the date-Shep-
herd went into practical politics" and
was appointed postmaster, from which
place he was removed by Andrew John
sous Postmaster General Randall for re-
fusing to support the 'my policy" of the
administration and was succeeded by r.
R. Harbour; subsequently Shepherd was
reappointed and Harbour had to give way
to him. In the meantime bought up all
the HERALD stock outstanding and the
paper belonged to Mr.. Murphy and my
| self. few months after the close of the
war H, @. leighton and VIM. III. Needham,
two young men who had served three
| years or more as soldiers snd officers in
the 22d and sd Regis. Iowa Vols, and
who had learned the printers art in the
HERALD Office, came to me and expressed
a desire to acquire an interest in the HER
AID. After SONS negotiations l purchas-
4 ed Mr.. Murphy's one-hah interest in the
establishment, and transfe. red oIe-fourth
to each, Leighton and Needham, when the
firm became Fisher, Leighton and Need
ham and SO remained as long afterwards
as was connected with the paper. The
| paper and its business hourished, though
we had competition from p, @. Welch's
dem ocratic organ-I forget the name
and from the Citizen established by r.
p. Bacon and Mr.. Carleton, as an organ
for independent thought and action, In
February, 1868, sold my interest in the
HERALD to Captain w. A. Hunter, and re-
tired from the newspaper business. Dur
my service with the HERALD the paper
was enlarged to nine column sheet, the
subscription list considerably more than
doubled and the advertising and iobbing
departments put upon business and
profitable basis. The paper uniformly
supported what was then called the Union
Republican party.
The ASA ssination Of President Lincoln
occurred about a month after i took
charge of the paper. The nation was
Supplied by the dastardly act but there
was no unwonted confusion in the repub-
lican party Immediately following the be.
reavement. Andrew Johnson was imme-
diately sworn In as Mr.. Lincoln's success
sor and for time it seemed probable
that there would be no change in the pol.
icy of the administration, but in an evil
hour Mr.. johnson listened to the siren
songs of the southern statesmen whom he
had so savagely denounced in the early
days of secession, and in a few months
the Southerners and their northern friends
had the president and the administration
of the government under full control
Among the republicans of Mahaska coun-
ty there was no detection visible in the
party ranks, Iowa stood firmly for the
republican party as represented by the
congress of the United States and the re.
construction acts passed over the presi-
dents vetoes became the law of the land
with the approval of the people. The
history of that period is an intensely In
teresting one, and is fully recorded and
worthy of the careful study of the rising
generation.
During and Immediately after the war
of the rebellion John White, Capt. John 81
Warren, the Loring Bros, John Kalbach
w. III. Sewers, M. T. Williams, j. A. L.
Crookham, Jas. Sewers, Henry Howard
w. NJ. Wells, TT. Wright, r. r. Harbour
z. t. Fisher, M. E. Cults, DR.. jackson
DIR. Hoffman, Majors Downing and Nc.
Mullin, VIM. and James Loughridge, Jas
Mcouiston, Judge Rinehart, DIR. s. E.
Rinehart, M. Wilson, H. Snyder, Sam'l
Thompson, Cyrus Beede and VIM. T.
Smith we're among the leaders in CONNER
cial and professional circles and their
names we're impressed upon my memory
as those who gave direction to public
thought and sentiment, a large majority
of whom have since that day crossed over
to the beyond" leaving the management
Of earthly affairs to those who were chill
dren in 1865. remember John Perry
Charley Leighton, George Holm, Henry
Byers, AL. Swain and Psrdue as workers
in the Herald office. My partners, II O.
Leighton and W. H. Needham, were ear
nest, industrious, honrable young men,
intent upon achieving for themselves po-
sition and competence in the world, and
they succeeded.