Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-27
Eue1ttttg Gl1at

unions which occur every now and
then either at the Family Dinners"
when former employees come back
to visit the plant again and when
youngsters come around again after
service In the army or navy, but
there has just come to the chairman
OF the harrisburg Telegraph branch
OF the typographical Union the
greetings OF man who was an
apprentice over half a century ago.
me letter comes from Joseph S.
umperger. a notary public at Chi
cago, who is one of the oldest sons
Iof our Shop" and his letter we'll
illustrates the strength of the feel
ing that exists among people who
have been connected with the Har-
risburg Telegraph since 1t began to
operate under the name Telegraph"
not so very far from century ago,
Mr.. Umberger writes that on Janu-
ary IA, 1868, he walked into the
plant of the Harrisburg Telegraph,
"a mere boy. few days short of
being thirteen years. old" and start
ed as copyholder.
"I started under the supervision
of John Ferguson or 'Fergy' as
we all loved to call him, and a
good proofreader, too" writes this
apprentice of fifty-one years ago in
most pleasant reminiscent way,
And the foremanship of Samuel s.
Green. l recall the following as the
lineup of the old Harrisburg Tele-
graph at that time. George Berg
ner proprietor; James M. Miller,
(the beloved Squire Miller of our
later days) superintendent; General
George w. Crabb, political editor;
Samuel Barr and Vein Forney, con-
tributing editors; John Ingram, city
editor or local editor, as he was
then termed; Louis Weaver, press
man; Will Weaver, his son, press
feeder; William stephens, foreman
of the job department.; Edward
Russ, assistant foreman; Mr.. Reed,
job compositor; Joseph Burlington.
job cylinder pressman; Samuel S.
Green, foreman newspaper compos-
Ing room; John Ferguson, assistant
foreman and proofreader; Joseph
Neck, slug 1; Samuel G. Weistling,
slug 2; Eugene Miller, slug 8; Rob-
ert Halbert, slug A; Samuel Miller,
slug s; John Hoffman, chairman of
chapel and slug 6; Thomas Jones,
slug Z; Adelbert Darby McWil-
liams, slug s; Gus Blacksmith (who
is still with the Harrisburg Tele-
graph and it's oldest employee, slug
8, and then there were George w.
Bentz, John DeHuff, Adolph Scholl,
Charles Augustus Miller, known as
"WaXy" and later legislator, city
clerk and mayor of Harrisburg; Will
liam (Turk) Peters, Albert Neb-
niger, afterwards teller in the State
Bank; Robert Mccartney, Gold slug
14) and as apprentices Charley
Bergner, George Scheible, Jacob
Stees, Joseph S. Umberger, John
Sohn then our old friend, Fred
Schaffer, who conducted the Water
land Waechter for Mr.. Bergner."
He writes that John thinner
man and his son Luther con-
Quoted the circulation of the
paper and he carried a route"
for two years before entering the
office. "In fact" he writes, II sold
the Telegraph at the depot and on
the streets first in April. 1865, my
first sale being an extra with the ac-
count of the assassination of Abra-
ham Lincoln. I was also a carrier
of the old State Guard for few
months"
History repeats itself. The Tele-
graph Printing Company is now
issuing the Legislative Journal. This
is what Mr.. Umberger writes: Dur
ing the winter months (the legisla-
ture then met annually we also
printed the Legislative Journal and
the staff of shorthand reporters con-
sisted of Henry Mason, of New York,
one of the best penmen it has ever
been my luck to read after, and
Thomas B. Cochran, who wrote hen
scratches with a stub pen and was
afterwards chief clerk of the Sen
ate; both of these gentlemen looked
after the Senate end. In the House,
the only one ] can now recall was
my old friend, Col. Henry G. DEM
ming, who 1 believe is still among
the living"
"At that time," continues this in
teresting letter to the printers, THE
Telegraph was located on Third
street near Walnut, across the street
from the old Hoffman House, which
stood on the southeast corner of
| Third and Walnut (the site of the
Penn -Harris) which was later razed
and the Grand Opera House built in
it's place. Later the site at Third
and Market was bought by Mr.. Berg
ner and we moved into the mas
sive" new building about 1873. L
tell you we thought we were some
pumpkins when we got INTO that
new building. We boys were not re-
ouired to make fire any more in four
big Cannon" stoves, but wo did
have bigger rooms to sweep out
every morning"
Mr.. JJmberger mentions in his let
tor come of the men who were prom
;nent in printing and publishing in
the wear when he started as an ap-
nrentice, He recalls BenJamln
Singerly, of the State Printing OIL
Gee. Theodore T.. Scheffer and his
two sons. George and Carl, think
they were called; Wllllam oels, anu
then George w. Osler, foreman OF
the Patriot office, whose cousin,
Thomas Osler, was one OF my school
/ teachers; George or Redoy, Worh'
John Currand and BENJAMIN +. Mey.
ers. the proprietor OF the Patrlot.
In closing he says. 81 see around me
hoys whose fathers and grandfathers
worked with and for,in the old days.
The business has been revolution
ized. but l feel that l am still in the
harness. If you know of any or
the old boys who are still in the
land of the living you might let
them read this letter and tell them
would appreciate few lines from
them.
The letter concludes with best
xyishes for the dear, old Telegraph
and its present force of workmen.
To which the chairman OF the Har,
risburg chapel and the men ana
women in all the departments re-
snond with greetings and wishes Tor
n1ore years of usefulness to the Vet-
| eran of 1868.