The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-07-18
EARLY NEWSPAPERS IN SUPERIOR
Paper Read by James Bardon before the
Northern Wisconsin Press Association
held in Superior this Week

Chronicles the first number OF which
was issued at Superior on jane T., 1858,
a little more than Is years ago. The
editors and proprietors were Wash
ineton Ashton and John G. Wise, two
young men from Mary land, who were
induced to establish a paper here toy
the gentlemen who had plated the
townsite the year before The Chron.
icle of that day was & four page six
column paper, filled with carefully
written editorials and local Items, AS
well as choice selections, with usually
a poem and short story on the first
page, besides six or saVcn columns of
advertisements, mostly in the shape
of business cards. The composition,
grammar, spelling, punctuation and
general makeup of this eal ly- time
paper were well nigh faultlcss, and
would serve as profitable models for
papers of today The Chronicle was
Democratic in politics, and extremely
tolerant, as the following extract
from it's salutatory will show:
"Having no affinity and sympathy
with the various issues of the present
day, but swayed wholly by an honest
desire for the continuance and pos
perity of our glorious union, and the
maintenance of the greatest harmony
and good feeling between the citizens
of all parts of the country, we shall
always be found in the contests be
tween political parties, battling for
the National and conservative princi-
pies of Democracy. Believing as we
honestly do that the present and future
success of our vast and rapidly in
creasing country il closely identified
with the success of Democratic prin-
ciples we feel it a duty to aid with
our humble abilities III promuIgating
and defending those doctrines. In
doing so we desire to give no offence
to our opponents but to discuss with
becoming candur and boldness the
great issues that divide the people OF
our country, and at the same time,
with entire respect TO the feelings OF
those who differ from us
The early publications of the Ohron.
icle were made from rude log build
inc situated on the brow OF the hill
the Nemadj River at the
northeasterly corner of Third street
and Robertson avenue. The building
itself long sn @ disappeared, but lts
photograph taken i'll 1885, and pre-
served in lithograph, ~ of deep inter
est for this generation, In 1898 your
humble servant, then n minor, OF
course he will not state bis age
there might be arithmeticians within
listening distance the honor.
able position of Office boy or devil"
in the Chronicle ilice Measrs Ash
ton and Wise usually joined with one
or two printers in doing the type
setting and mechanical work Being
strong physically one or the other
usually pulled the lever of the hand
press, while your humble"deviProlled
the ink over the forms, and later de
livered the papers to suhscrlbers
about town aud assisted in making up
the mail list,
In the fan of 1858 Mr.. Wise sold his
interest to hiS partner and after
spending a year in Washington re-
moved to Mankato, Minn, where he
lived highly honored and prominent
citizen, publishing the Mankato Re
view, and holding the position of
postmaster until the time of bis death
in November 1900 Mr.. Wise retained
an interest in land mere, vi1ited sup
erior at periods, and during the boom
in 1890 was fortunate enough 10 real
ize the handsome sum Of 100000 in
cash for his original claim of $50 acres
that 80 years before had cost him
Al % an acre.
The file shows that MIR Ashton con
tinued the publication Of the Chron-
icle in its original size until the issue
of Dec. II. 1859, when ne reduced the
paper TO four column sheet. The
issues Of January II, 1861 TO tuat Of
January 3, 1868 shows the paper re-
stored to it's original size, ita columns
being swelled by tax sale lists and a
standing, well written article entitled
"InformatiOn for immigrants set
ting forth the advantages Of our city
and county,
From FEBRUARY to Aug 80 1863,
when the Chronicle appears TO have
suspended, it was i've column paper
Nv recollection il that owing to the
hard times and the reduction IN popu-
lation during the war, Mr. Ashton,
finding it impossible TO make ends
meet, allowed the paper to die.
The Chronicle was the exponent Of a
coterie Of gentlemen consisting Of W.
w. Corcoran Of Washington, X. VI r.
Hunter OF Virginia, John ", Forney
Of Philadelphia, W 4. Richardson of
Illinois, Jesse d Bright Of Indiana,
John | !. Dawson Of pennsy Ivania, Rob
ert j Walker * secretary {. $
Treasury, John q. Breckinridge Of