Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-17
Brooklyn Eagles
Closing Announced;
Picket Lines Remain
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK. Mar. 1.-THE
publisher of the Brooklyn Eagle
which scared from a political
newspaper to a crusading, Pulit-
ger Prize winning daily during
ia years Of continuous publica-
tion-says the newspapers
presses have been "silenced for
ever"
Publisher Frank D. Schroth
announced yesterday that the
Eagle, struck last January 90 by
the CLIO American Newspaper
Guild over a wage dispute, would
never publish again.
But a guild spokesman said
the union intended to maintain
picket lines on the basis that the
strike was still on. And a Fed
eral mediator said he would seek
toR set up al new mediation con-
ference today.
When the 315 ANG members.
editorial and business employees,
went out, an equal number of
employees belonging to 8 of 10
craft unions refused to cross the
guilds picket lines.
Cites "a Losses
In a letter to the ANG and
the craft unions, Mr.. Schroth
said:
Faced with the choice of &C.
cepting terms that would have
doubled the great financial loss
of 1854, or of suspending COM
pletely, we have chosen to quit.
In these circumstances there is
no hope for us. The Newspaper
Guild problem is malignant"
Mr.. Schroth, in announcing
the "momentous decision" to
shut down the only major daily
newspaper in a community of
nearly 3 million, added:
ION January % the paper had
.130, 900 circulation on week days.
10000 on Sundays, and many
loyal advertisers. 1t also had
$50 employees.
Nov it has nothing. No cir
culation. No advertising. No en-
80 the Pulitzer Prize-win-
ming paper Of (Poet Waltz Whit
man, (the founder, Isaac Van
Anden and tcrusading editor,
st. Clair McKelway has been
silenced forever :"
Strike Leader Comments
I. Kaufman, an ANG strike
leader, commented that the pub
Usher has been saying 1.-The same
thing" for many years.
In 1887, when the Guild was
in its infancy, Mr.. Kaufman led
an Eagle strike which lasted
three months. But the paper
COIlIllluCu puUlACdtlOLi.
Until last January the paper
never missed an edition since ii
was established in 1841 by Isaac
Van Anden.
Mr.. Van Anden, with news
paper experience-but at the
time in the job printing bust
ness-persuaded a group 81
Brooklyn Democrats to start a
newspaper in opposition to the
city's two Wing dailies.
The new journal was named
the Brooklyn Eagle and Queens
County Democrat, and the first
issue appeared October 26, 1841
Started as Party Organ
1t was meant to be purely q
party organ in a political cam
paign. But Mr.. Van Anden con-
tinued the paper, and bought out
his partners the following year
for $500.
Mr.. Van Anden's first editor
was William B. Marsh, a friend
of Horace Greeley.
| Mr.. Van Anden then hired
Walt Whitman, destined fol
greatness as a poet. in 1886. In
l848, Whitman was fired for his
uncompromising opposition tc
the extension Of slavery.
In 1850 the newspapers name
was changed to the Brooklyn
daily Eagle.
st. Clair McKelway was edi.
tor-in-chief of the Eagle from
1885 until he died in 1915.
The Eagle Is credited with pro-
noting many of the civic i'm
provements undertaken In Brook.
lyn during the, past century.
The Eagle plant had beer
scheduled to move shortly from