The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-07-08
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1909.
THE FIFTlETH ANNIVERSARY.

The first Issue OF the MANIIOWO'
PILOT appeared on July r. 1859, undeI
the editorship Of Jere Crowley who came
here from Neenah where he had editet
the Advocate, and this issue complete
half a century The PILOT always ha
been Democratic, though in modern year
literally and largely so. Born at TIT
time agitations had become intensely
heated which led to the great civil wa
of this country in 1876. its cradle wa
rocked in the inception of the most stu
pendous political commissions that evel
befell the history of any country, bu'
the PILOT was right upon those issues
1t supported Douglas, even to opposing
local nominees with adverse sympathies
and upheld the hands Of President Lin
coin in the struggle to maintain the
union in the early and vital part of the
war.
The war had depressing effect finan'
cially upon the PILOT, as well az the
other newspapers Of the county, sub
scriptions fell off and the clerical force
was enlisting Most of those who could
support a newspaper had gone down to
the front.
1t may be sad but still is faithful to
fact to say that in the early part of
1863 when the controversy had already
begun over the second candidacy of
Abraham Lincoln, the PILOT opposed
him and his policies, mourning the ia
natical enmity of his supporters to that
extent that on the night of May II, 1868,
as recorded in the well written and ex-
haustive history of ManitowoC county
by Ralph g. Plumb, the Office of the
PILOT was broken into and much Of the
type thrown into the lake.
The incident did not, however, abate
the issuing of the PILOT, and no Incl
dent or combination of circumstance
has intercepted solitary issue of the
PILOT in the long stretch Of fifty years
In April 1870, after having fought
ont the childhood decade of the PILOT
through the first substantial decade OF
the development Of Manitowoc county,
and through the most tempestuous and
trying decade American history has
been made in, Jere Crowley, worn with
the tolls of his busy life, passed away
mourned by all as IA sincere and honest
man. He had retired from the PILOT
in 1869, selling it TO L. b. Treat.
g. G. Skeen, former Milwaukee Sen
tinel Editor, was employed by Mr.
Treat ~ editor until August of tht
same year when he assumed charge him
self as editor.
In August 1870 Mr.. Treat relinquished
the PILOT to j. c. Bollmeyer, who then
acted AZ editor until his Office was de-
stroyed by fire on March 2ud 1871.
T. G.. Olmstead who had in the mean
time become interested in the PILOT,
took over the plant and continued tc
manage it alone until he associated
with him John Nagle in the spring of
1876.
Edward Borcherdt became associated
with John Nagle and together they pur-
chased the Olmstead interest in the
PILOT, the first issue under the new
management appearing April 25th 1873.
In 1873 the PILOT and the Northwestern
were the only news papers in the city.
Edward Borcherdt severed his connec.
ton with the PILOT in 1888, selling his
interest 10 John Nagle who continued
as publisher and editor until March 2lst
1900, when, after a short Hines, he died
of typhoid fever contracted on a brief
trip 10 the Southern states, in the prime
of life and the zenith Of his powers and
usefulness, at the age OF tifty-two. His
death thus appeared 10 be the result OF
this mere accident, though accident and
fate are deep.
1t was sad event in the life OF the
PILOT when John Magic passed away
He had become one of the great editors
and writers on political and moral phi
losophy in Wisconsin. The PILOT had
come to be often and extensively quoted
by the leading newspapers Of this state
and other states.
Mr.. Nagle had been nine years ON
county superintendent Of schools. II,
had studied and loved our common
school system. He knew az much abou
the common school and its vital rela
tions to the people as any other educator
Of his time; and when the Bennett Schoo
law came TO its test before the sentimen
of the people the PILOT ignored al
party considerations aud fought, an
stood after the battle, for what /
thought to be right.
Shortly after Mr.. Nagle's death tn
PILOT was purchased by the late Dl
w. II. Earle's Of Milwaukee and Sydne
T. Pratt took charge az editor MI
Pratt became part owner and file
the editorial chair until the spring c
1903 when the PILOT PUBLISHING Con
PANY was organized and purchased th