The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1947-07-10
Horse And Buggy Days
BY IDA 30 MARTIN

year bought the Hagerstown indie
pendent, Hagerstown's second
weekly Mr. Douglas is at present
publishing the Globe-Independent,
one of the three surviving papers of
Hagerstown.
Our third daily to appear was the
Daily Mail, an 1890 expansion of the
Hagerstown Mail. The Hagerstown
Mail had been published since 1928
under the same name, a sixty year
record for the entire State The
Mail was started at that time be-
cause a paper was needed to back
Andrew Jackson and the Democrat
Party Leading Democrats raised
the money to start publication, with
James Maxwell as editor. An an
nouncement appeared in the first is
sue of the paper stating that "the
principles of this paper will be as
purely Republican as those contained
in the Declaration of independence" "
According to Williams (historian),
the Democratic party as we know 1t
today was originally called the Re-
publican Party.
The first editor lett the Mail in
1891, and for the next twenty years
there was a succession of names con
nected with the editing and manag-
ing of the Mail. A few of these
were: Thomas II. Kennedy, one time
Senator and his son, Dr. Howard
Kennedy; John d. OFT; William Web
er; John A. Freaner; William +.
Brannen: John Robinson. In 1855
the Mail was bought by Daniel De
chart, whom we have told you of in
connection with the secessionist at
titude and the riots. A little more
information on the acts of that mob
shows that besides smashing all the
presses and furniture, they destroyed
a file of the Mail reaching back to
its first issue. They also must have
had an enjoyable time sowing the
type all over the public square.
Only three years after the close of
the Civil War another disaster came
upon the Hagerstown Mail, this time
in the form of fire Once again ma
chinery, type, furniture, and files
were destroyed.
When new machinery was bought
after this, the countys first power
operated press was installed, in the
form of steam engine to run the
press. At this same time the Mail
changed hands to Edwin Bell, al
ready noted as a publisher, and Rob-
ert Wason. Part interest was held
after this by George T. Letter,
Thomas B. Grimm, and Calvin p.
Heikes. BY 1874 the paper was
owned by Edwin Bell and T. j. c..
Williams, who held it until it was
incorporated in 1884.
The corporations first president
was Frank Kennedy, whose father
had been editor of the Mail so years
before. The company now bought
and built at the location now occu-
pied on Summit Avenue, and it was
soon after this that the paper was
converted into a daily.
After 1890 Bell and Williams sold
their interest in the Mail, and the
new publisher was Mr.. Richard j..
Hamilton, son of William T. Ham
ilton, with James T. Briscoe as bust
ness manager Under this manage
ment the Mail prospered and grew
in circulation.
The Mail is credited with being
largely responsible for reform
movement within the Democratic
Party, and playing large part in
improvement in the conduct of pub
lie affairs throughout the Nation.
The Daily Mail and the Morning
Herald were merged in the year
1919, and the present owners took
over in 1921.
Besides the papers described in
these columns, there have been a
host of papers in our history, many
short lived, some @as long as 40
years, but only three now are pub
lished in Hagerstown. will merely
list the other papers as I found ref
erence to them:
The Gazette, 1909, by VIM. Nc
Pherins, lived years,
Our Country, 1928, to support
John Quincy Adams, just a few
months
The Weekly News, 1862, Andrew
G. Boyd, lasted Is years.
The Bloomer, 1851, by Blair and
Raglan
The Hagerstown Times and Farmers
Advertiser, 1927, by Marshal and
Birmingham.
The Clear Spring Wing, 1852, by
John c. Wise, and Charles E. Lewis.
Weekly and Semi-Weekly News.