Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-02-12
Letter From Former Island
Pord Man

long connection one way and another
and some bits of story of the past
may interest readers who had not
appeared on the scene at the time |
first knew anything of the paper.
1t was about 1878 when ''Dick"
Burnham, then owner of the HERALD,
which had just been moved from
Guildhall to Island Pond, appeared
in the store in Lunenburg where l
wss employed, and asked me to be
his correspondent. There were then
about 125 copies of the paper cir
culated in that town, due to the in
terest of Hon. John w. Hartshorn,
whose son, Harry, and son-in-law
Geo. A. Emerson were connected
with the early history of the paper.
The nick-n name of the Essex County
Bible" was given the HERALD by
Mr.. James Morse of Lunenburg,
who called it that because of taking
Sunday to read it. / took up with
Mr.. Burnham's offer and for about
three years wrote over the name of
Essex, keeping on in the work
after Mr.. w. H. Bishop took over
the paper. Mr.. Bishop was well
liked in the lower end of the County,
where he came frequently, although
some of the old-liners didn't care
much for his strong Episcopalian be-
liefs; speaking Of this, one of the
most prominent men in Lupenburg
told me he never did banker for
prayers that are writ in a book. p"
The history of the HERALD in Is
land Pond is pretty we'll known, yet
we all like to get back to old days
once in while. | came 10 Island
Pond the first of January, 1882, and
worked for Mr.. Bishop most of the
time until July, 1886. During that
period the office was in the old Island
Pond House billiard room, and it had
scores of able articles from the pen
of the Hon. George N. Dale, David S.
Storrs and others, and because of
their work the paper took high rank
among it's exchanges. This sketch
would not be complete without
mention of Mrs. Fuller, who wrote
from Bloomfield for years most
faithfully.
All through the period | speak of
the HERALD was printed on a Wash
ington hand press, and, believe me,
it was some job; we used to start to
press, if possible, Wednesday after
noon, finish Thursday, and get the
mail lists out on Friday mornir 9
mail train. Many will remember
the famous case of jug" Noyes VS..
G. T. Ry. Co. Mr.. Noyes lived in
the Islands Pond House, and a re-
mark made by him in the Herald of
flee one hot summer day when we
were pulling our arms out on that
old press, led later on to Mr.. Bishop
and myself going to Portsmouth for
several days when the case got into
the United States Court.
There was one job press in the
office, capable of putting out a job
about 12x8 inches; poster work was
usually sent to Lancaster. In those
days there was lively bunch OF
young men at North Stratford and
they sent to the HERALD once, copy
for handful advertising a Sacred
Hop" in a North Stratford church
on Sunday evening. The minister,
deacons and others prominent in the
Church were named as Floor Direct
ors. The posters raised racket anC
party came up with threat t.
sue Mr.. Bishop unless he would tel
who contracted for the job, but M
harm came from it.
1t was a custom yearly for Mr.
Bishop to omit the Thanksgiving is
sue and go all over the County on g
collecting and soliciting trip. com
mend this to the new owner of tn
paper; he will find hospitality iron
Concord to Canaan, if the younge
generation is what the previous
was in those earlier days.
The HERALD came into the hand
of Mr.. Johnston after the death o
Mr.. Bishop, for whom | sincerel.
mourned. We disagreed in politics
we made it a point to take oppos
lite sides, but our friendship neve
wavered. When one was hard u
usually the case) he I smoked tn