Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-07-28
John Joseph Bruner
Editor And Publisher

control of the Hon. Philo White, late
of Whitestown, N. Y. In 1880, thu
"Carolinian" passed into the hands Of
the Hon. Burton Craige, and then in.
to the hands of Maj. John Beard, late
Of Florida, Mr.. Bruner continuing in
che office until 1886. In 1889, M. C
Pendleton of Salisbury and Mr.. Brun-
.r purchased the "Watcbman," a Wing
and naturalization paper, establish
ed in July, 1882, by Hamilton c.
Jones, Esq, % support Gen. Andrew
Jackson and combat the notification
movement of that time, started in
south Carolina under the inspiration
IF John c.. Calhoun and other dis
ringuished statesmen of the Common
wealth. Under the above firm name
che paper was continued for three
years, at the end of which time the
junior partner withdrew for the pur-
pose Of collecting a considerable
amount due the firm and paying off
accumulated debts. This was accomp-
4ished in the course Of eighteen
months, during which time the paper
was continued under the management
Of Mr.. Pendleeon as editor and pro-
prietor.
In lS43 MI. Bruner was married to
Miss Mary Ann Kincaid, a daughter
TO Thomas Kincaid, Esq. The mother
IF Mrs. Bruner was Clarisa Harlowe
brandon, daughter of Col. James
brandon of Revolutionary fame, close
kinsman of Matthew Brandon and the
Lockes. Col. Brandon was the son of
Vim. Brandon who settled in Thya-
ira as early as 1882 and whose wife
was Miss Ann Cathey of that region,
then known as Cathey's Settlement.
For nearly a century the name of
Brandon was noted all through the
1adkin and Catawba Valleys.
1t has been conspicuous in the fights
If Ramsour's Mill, Charlotte, Kings
Mountain, Cowpens and Cowan's
ord. 1t is said hat in some emergency
Turing the Revolution, Col. Fran
lis Locke raised a strong company of
minute men, composed mainly of
and Lockes. They came orig
;nally from England, settled in Penn
sylvania, are found early in Virginia
md are among the first immigrants
this section, one date going back
O 1870. |
Having married, Mr.. Bruner pref
AIRED for his, life work by re-Purchas-
az the tsWatcbman" in partnership
With Saml w. James in 1874. After
tx successful years this partnership
vas Dissolved and Mr.. Bruner, becom-
ng sole owner and editor, continued
to publish it until the spring of 1865,
when Stoneman's raiders took posses
sion while here on"the 18th and 18th
of April, and after printing an army
sheet, turned the office upside down,
wrecked the principal press and de-
stroyed all they could. Upon the ar
rival Of the Federal Army after the
surrender, the commander took pos
session Of it, detailed printers from the
army to gather up type enough to
print a daily news slip and held pos
session until about the 4th of july,
when they turned over the shattered
establishment to the owner.
Three years later, Lewis Hanes,
ESQ.,, of Lexington, purchased an in
terest in the paper and it was called
the "Watcbman and THE Old North
State" Ill health caused Mr.. Bruner to
retire from business for a couple OF
wears, but his mission was to conduct
a paper, SO in 1871 he re-purchased it.
and thereafter it made its regular ap-
pearance weekly until his death. AT
this date the "Watcbman" vas the
oldest newspaper and MI. Bruner the
oldest editor in North Carolina. he
was one of the few remaining links
binding the ante-bellum Journalist
with those of the present day. The
history of Mr.. Burners editorial lite
is a history of the progress of the state
He was contemporary with Edward
J. Hale, Ex-Governor Holden, VIM. ]
Yates and Others of the old editors
When he began the publication of the
"Watcbman', there was not a daily
newspaper or a railroad in the State
In 1S49 the "Watcbman" advertised
the Great Western Stage Line" which
left Salisbury at 5 o'clock A. M. one
day and arrived at Asheville at 8 z
M. on the following day. The adver'
tisement under the cut of an old
fashioned stage coach read: For speed
could not be surpassed" At the time
of his death no enc living in Salisbury
and few elsewhere in the State hae
such an extensive personal acquaint'
ance and knowledge of men and event
:, tho e,r1v wears If the last century