Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-13

he had made a futile attempt to land
the mayoralty. He had big following
rs result OF his editorials, which APP
I nealed to most men OF substantial rea-
/ soning, but II was his fnesse as a poll
tician In the seventies and eighties which
won him chief recognition and redounded
to the benefit OF the newspaper.
In McClures office. on the third floor,
directly under the tower. most Of the
papers policies and campaigns were
planned Here. with Darwin G., Fenno.
managing editor the late br. Albert G.
Lambdin. Colonel George T.. Mapcs, edi-
toral writer's and j. ~ George Joyce,
news editor. Colonel Mcclure discussed
policies and methods for Keeping the
paper In the forefront,
When Colonel Mcclure was defeated
for the mayoralty he tried TO buy the
Trcss from Colonel John w Fornev. but
/ the latter refused to sell The colonel
was about to despair Of getting
newspaper when he was greeted one day
In his law office on Sixth street below
Walnut, by Frtuk Mclaughlin. II pub
Usher and printer. Mr. Mclaughlin
said he had heard n rumor that the
colonel intended starting "A newspaper.
Mcclure said the rumpr was true
In the Ccurs, of their conversation
Colonel Mcclure said his newspaper
.
bc entirely Independent IN politics
DEBUT or "McCLTEES TUNES"
This met the approval or Mr., Me-
l.uughln. and rs q result of their ag-
gresivcness the T mes made it's nrs1 APP
pcaranCe on March ~. 1875 In order
to obtain admission into the Associated
Press the founders paid S35.G00 for the
/ franchise Of the Age. q Democratic or
I IVA. ..tt.
closed the first year with a substantial
profit, II was then established at II
and l6 South Seventh street.
Colonel Mcclure contcndcd that tho
people did not want to read what had
rosscd, but were more interested in
"what is going to he" And SO this
policy was carried out
Success followed to such an extent
that the newspaper was Obliged to seek
larger quarters and I'm the summer of
1876 moved to- its now bulldog at the
southwest corner Of Eighth and Chestnut
streets. which was burned today This .
was erected at cost Of S225. 600 Near /
~ 100000 wae expended. in fitting II 4
up with the improvements Of the day
In 1878 In" Times started Il Sunday I
issue ard was the first daily paper of
Philadelphia successfully to occupy this
field
In addition TO its spirited editorials |,
aud Il general aggrcssiveness the Times /
was also noted for its extremely neat /
typographical appearance. In this re-
spcCt II was conservative and yet attrac- 7
tive.
Toward the latter end OF the eighties /
the newspaper found IL difficult to ad- I
here TO its policy of independence in /
politics. and as a result of the turmoil I
in Republican politics entered into an
attack on those who were believed to |
be responsible. Dave Martin, the .
veteran leader Of the Nineteenth Ward !
was then one of the city's political die !
tators. lie was especially singled out (
and for weeks during the Warwick |
maNoralty campaign the Times car ]
tOoni"t Allen Schaadt, had Martin ON
the first page with a dollar mark |
branded on his forehead
The entrance of the Times into politics !
was the beginning of the end While il
| made many new friends It lost more
old ones and business generally took
slump. Readers who wanted the
news quickly tired Of constant attacks
and the subordination of real news in
favor of political propaganda.
PASSING OF THE TINS.
About 1900 the newspaper was bought
by Charles +. Kindred, Il politician, who /
was also prominently connected with the
Philadelphia and Reading Railway. 1t
then plunged into politics almost entirely
and news generally was given sCant at
tention. This appeared to generally
dcmoralize the newspapers working
force. and many of it's best writer's
sought berths on publications which
were running more true to the line.
Among the very few who remained
was the late Louis y. Megargcc. whose
daily column, Seen and Heard" was
great asset to the paper.
Kndred's reign lasted little less than
two years. He finally sold the publica-
ton to George aud Adolph Ochs, and in
a few months II passed out of existence. !
In the last days of its existence. just
before todays blaze ended its misery.
the old Times building was occupied on
the first floor by "A cigar stores and "A
bootblacking establishment.
Down in the cellar where the presses
used to hum, was pOolroom, where
llstless youths passed their idle hours
day and night.
Fire once before visited the publica. |
tion office 'of the old Times. In April, .
1892 the Times Annex. six-story
building on SAMSON street west OF
Eighth. erected but a few years before
was the prey of flames which had their
origin in the Central Theater. then
standing on the site Of the Casino, on
Walnut street. In this fire fourteen per.
sons lost their lives and hundred were
injured, The flames started in IN.
dressing rooms back of the stage a few
minutes after the curtain had risen fo,
a performance of 1.-The DEVILS Auction /
and six of the victims were members on
the producing company.
The theater, conducted by William j.
Gilmore. was subsequently rebuilt ano
reopened as Gilmore's Auditorium. Tho
Times annex also was restored and cop
tinued as the mechanical headquarters
Of the paper until the Ochs management,
caused removal Of thp uoNVSDaDpr's offices