Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-01-18
II. T. PATTERSON, SR.

Francis F. Patterson, Sr., editor,
journalist and publisher, died at the
home OF his son, bearing his own
name, on Friday evening last
His death was not unexpected, as
disease and complications which so
frequetly accompany old age, could
not be successfully combatted by the
skilled physicians who were in con-
stant attendance
Born July 4, 1884, at Swedesboro,
Mr.. Patterson had reached the ripe
age of II years before he was called
into the ranks of the majority. From
the age of IA, when he first entered
the Office of the Woodbury. Constitu-
tion as an apprentice, to the time of
his death, Mr.. Patterson's life had
been spent in work incident to the
newspaper and publishing business.
AS a newspaper man, as editor and
manager, he had few superiors and
was writer of force.
Five years were spent by the future
man OF affairs as an apprentice in
the Constitution Office A broader
field was now his, for he had secured
a position on the staff of the New
York Times. Here, he came to know
Horace Greeley, a presidential candi-
date, just previous to the Civil War,
and Charles A. Dana, one of the great
est newspaper men to whom New
York City has ever laid claim.
In assuming control of the Times,
Mr.. Dana offered Mr. Patterson a one
third interest but the call of his ma
tive South Jersey was too strong to be
resisted, SO he relinquished his con-
nections with the Times and purchas-
ed the Oldest paper in South Jersey,
the Bridgeton Chronicle
For a short time, Mr. Patterson
was connected with the Salem Stand
ard In 1876, he established the New
ark Daily Courier, and remained with
1t as publisher for eight years. The
Jay Cooke fasco swept away the for
tune he had been years in accumulat-
ing and, to retrieve his lost fortune,
he founded the Newark Sunday Call,
the greatest weekly in New Jersey.
For several years he was New Jer-
sey editor of the Philadelphia Press,
and in 1880 he returned to South Jer-
Isey and purchased what is now. the
Camden Courier. Nine years after, he
sold the Courier to the present man
agement and became editor of the
Post Telegram of which his sons had
become the owners. The last year or
SO, Mr.. Patterson has not been active
lly connected with the Telegram, but
was it's Editor Emeritus.
Mr.. Patterson was one of the many
men who have risen to heights de-
spite the supposed handicaps of lowly
surroundings. He was the son of Sam
uel and Catherine Murphy Patterson,
their ancestors being among the first
settlers of Gloucester County. His
education was in the country school
Of that day.. but his real power in
later life was due more to his thor
ough schooling in things which the
little school house could not offer.
In politics, Mr.. Patterson was a
prominent parsonage. He was iden-
titled with the Republican party and
was one of it's staunchest supporters,
and in return was the recipient of
many honors at the hands of that
party. From 1857 till 1860 he was
Engrossing Clerk of the Senate and
for the past fourteen years has been
Collector of the Port, having been
appointed to that position by Presi-
dents Mckinley, Roosevelt and Taft.
While at Bridgeton, Mr.. Patterson
was welded to Miss Abagail Derrick
son Null, daughter of VIM. Null, of
IN al ioJ ~ |,
never married again. Six children
survive, the sons being Theodore N,
Francis f., Jr., and Wolcott T., and
the daughters, Mrs. Chas. Middleton,
of st. Louis; Mrs. Henry r. Cloud,
of Denver, and Mrs. E. A. Schellenger,
of Camden.
His funeral was held Tuesday, the
services being conducted by the Rev.
DR.. Geo. H . Hemingway, of Camden,
and the Rev Edward Dillon, of Wood
bury. The body was taken to Swedes-
boro for interment.
The honorary pallbearers were:
Chester M. Hill, Collector of the Port
of Philadelphia; Congressman Will
lam J Browning, former State As
SCISSOR David Baird. Isaac Moffett, Col
lector Of Internal Revenue of the First
District of New Jersey; Supreme
Court Justice Charles G. Garrison,
Judge G.. " D. Joline, George A.
Frey, and John Harpes publisher and
editor of the Courier; Christopher S.
Magrath, Upton S. Jefferys, County
Collector J Wesley Sell, Henry s.
Scovei, William H. Chew, Judge F..
S. Lloyd and Louis W. Albright.
-- So