The Penn's Grove record., 1920-12-10
EDITOR PATTERSON RETIRES
Forty Years In Salem County Journal
ism a Notable Record

III IIAS NONGIlDSI LOIl issue OF LnG
Woodstown Monitor-kegister, Benja-
min Patterson announced that he
ceased to control that weekly news
paper, and that Charles j. Donnelly,
from Hastings-on-Hudson, had be-
come the publisher. In the issue of
December I'd Mr.. Donnelly announced
that }. l.. Stoutenburgh, of New York
City, had become the local editor. The
publication day of the Monitor-Regis-
Ter will be changed from Friday to
Thursday of each week.
The departure of Benjamin Patter-
son from Salem County journalism
after forty years work, twenty-eight
Of which was publishing the Monitor
Register, is of important historic
note; because no man in Salem
County has served SO long excepting
the late Robert Gwynne, ST., as editor
OF the Salem Sunbeam, nor has one
been more circumspect and influential.
Nh. Patterson after learning the art
preservative in the Salem printing
offices became connected with a news
paper in Pennsylvania.
when the Republican organization
in Salem County espoused the cause
of Congressman George M. Robson,
of this the First District, who was
secretary of the navy under President
U. S. Grant, the South ~Jerseyman was
started by D. Harris Smith and
Charles N. Bell, Mr. Patterson became
editor of the Salem Standard in 1881,
owned by Sinnickson Chew, who
trained with political forces of which
William j. Sewell was leader and who
became U. S. Senator in the contest.
Mr.. Patterson continued with the
Standard for about ten years, retiring
because of impaired health.
In 1892 he purchased the Woods
town Monitor which had been started
about six years previous by Edward
Humphreys as an espousal of the
prohibition cause. William H. Comp
ton was the publisher at the time Mr..
Patterson took charge.
He also purchased the Woodstown
Register, of William Taylor, who
started it in 1870. Besides local and
County news the Register contained
a unique typographical outfit and pub
lished high-class literary articles with
Quaker proclivities. With his fine
Methodistic mind Mr.. Patterson hap
ply uIllI0u IIC lNO elClllCILS dld COl-
tjnued to give a high-class local
weekly newspaper with typographical
and moral cleanliness unexcelled in
local journalism. In his farewell an
nouncement Mr.. Patterson well and
truly said:
"For these years the paper has told
it's w story. 1t has always stood
for the best things and, we believe
has been a potent factor in the prog
ress of the entire community. We
have never quite attained the ideal we
had in mind, but it served as an in-
spiration to hold steady to a high
purpose. We believe we have left
some impression on the community
and this is one of the rewards for the
labor involved sand something we
cherish through the Years., geffet
Mr.. Patterson has stood for the best
in education, morals and civic welfare
and those who know him realize the
good impressions he has left in Salem
County. His influence for good has
been manifested outside of the news
paper columns. Nearly forty years
ago when thee Chautauqua reading
course first came in vogue in
Salem County Mr.. Patterson took an
active interest in that educational and
social movement. He later served as
a progressive member Of Pilesgrove
Board of Education and did much in
the editorial line to advance the High
School facilities of Pilesgrove Town
ship which includes Woodstown Bor-
ough.
The temperance proclivities of the
NH1r,+1,, xx,o1.a not Cn1yi in naQnfol onoOTd
with Mr.. Patterson, but also with his
good wife, Rebecca Plummer, who was
the greatest County leader the Wom-
ans Christian Temperance Union had
during the twenty-five years she was
County President.
Mr.. Patterson was the ablest local
Methodist preacher Salem County ever
had. A few years ago he was a dele
gate to the Quadrennial General Con-
ference which makes laws for the
Church. His talents were sought in
the absence of the regular minister
and on special harvest home occasions.
What he said was always timely,
forcible and of intellectual value.
For the past twenty-five years he
has been Superintendent of the
Methodist Sunday School at Woods
town. When he resigned on Deem
Der 4th he was presented with $50 as
an appreciation of his services.
For twenty-five years he was
Secretary of Salem County Sunday
School Association and during his
leadership the Association held infiu-
entail meetings every year with the
ablest Sunday School workers in the
state present, due mostly to Mr..
Patterson's active interest.
The local newspaper business has
been an irksome task the past four
years with the difficulty to retain
labor against extravagant war time
wages and unsettled minds.
Any one connected with such can
realize Mr.. Patterson's desire for a
change after more than fifty. years
in the newspaper business which re-
ouires more mental ~alertness and con-
~tinuous tasks than any business one
can g a in. Being over three score
and ten wears Of e he will be en-