Old Marietta papers - Number 5

 The Marietta Register, September 11, 1863

"Old Marietta Papers" was a series of columns compiled and published in 1863 and 1864 by Rodney M. Stimson, editor of "The Marietta Register."

Some little account of Jack Brough's paper in Marietta may not be uninteresting at this time.

It was called "Western Republican," and was started by Mr. Brough on the 8th of January, 1831. Nine copies of this paper belong to the Register Office. The earliest date we have is Jan. 14th, 1832 - "Edited, Printed and Published by John Brough. Office in the room immediately over the Post Office, corner of Putnam and Market streets." This was at what we now call the corner of Putnam and Front streets, over the grocery of J. L. Stephens. It was a "super royal" sheet, about two-thirds the size of the Register, at $2 a year in advance.

Mr. Brough, when he began the publication of the "Western Republican," was less than 20 years of age. He was born in 1811 in the dwelling house part of the old jail, his father John Brought, Esq., being Sheriff at that time. The father was a native of England and died in 1823 on the "Cleona Farm," and within a short time "Jack" went to learn the printer's trade with the late Royal Prentiss in the office of the "American Friend," then being only about 12 years of age.

The "Western Republican" was a supporter of Jackson's Administration and was a paper of decided ability. In April 1833, the paper, having been published a little over two years, was removed by Mr. Brough to Parkersburg, Va. Not long since, it was announced in the Copperhead organ of Marietta that Mr. Brough once published the Parkersburg Gazette, a Whig paper. He published a paper at Parkersburg only about six months and it was not then a Whig paper. Mr. Brough was always a Democrat.

In the fall of 1833, he sold out at Parkersburg and removed to Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio, where he published the Lancaster Eagle some six years. In Oct. 1838, he was elected Representative to the Legislature from Fairfield and Hocking, and that Legislature the next winter elected him Auditor of State, which office he held six years. 

In 1841, he purchased the Phoenix at Cincinnati of Moses Dawson and started the Cincinnati Enquirer, in company with his brother, the late Judge Charles H. Brough. After leaving the State Auditor's office, he removed to Cincinnati in 1845, and while his brother Charles was in the army in Mexico, he edited the Enquirer - removing to Madison, Ind., in 1848 and quitting newspaper life.

The number of the "Western Republican" of Jan. 14, 1832, contains "Lines on the Death of a Young Lady" from the Zanesville Gazette, which were called "touchingly beautiful," written on the death of Miss Eliza Holden of Marietta. We may republish them hereafter.

The proceedings of the "Celebration of the 8th of January" in Marietta (8th of Jan., 1832) are printed at length. At 12 o'clock noon the Jackson Democrats of Marietta and vicinity assembled at the Court House, where A. V. D. Joline, Esq., read the Declaration of Independence and John Brough delivered an Oration, which was published at the request of Silas Cook, Samuel Beach, Lewis Anderson, Ebenezer Gates, Jesse Hildebrand, D. C. Skinner, J. P. Wightman and Harry Hook. Mr. Brough was then about 21 years of age and announced in the beginning that he was "wholly unused to public speaking." Not so unused to it now!

The procession was formed under the direction of "Maj." Jesse Hildebrand and moved to Maj. Alexander Hill's Hall, where dinner was spread - Col. Joseph Barker, President; Isaac Humphreys, Esq., Vice President. The Volunteer toasts were by Isaac Humphreys, Silas Cook, E. Gates, D. C. Skinner, Lewis Anderson, Nahum Ward, John Brough, S. H. Gates, J. P. Wightman, A. V. D. Joline, Ebenezer Corey, and William R. Morton.