Old Marietta Papers - Number 28

 The Marietta Register, April 8, 1864

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

Last week we completed our notes from the American Friend. To go back, three papers had successively had an existence in Marietta, and ceased to exist, during the last ten years Mr. Prentiss published the Friend.

The "Marietta Minerva" was started in October, 1823, by John K. and A. V. D. Joline. We possess only a single number, Vol. 1, No. 21, Friday, March 5, 1824. It supported Henry Clay for the Presidency in that year. Not an item can be derived from the number before us, of the slightest interest to our readers. The Minerva died December 3, 1824, at the age of one year and six weeks.

The "Marietta and Washington County Pilot" was started by George Dunlevy and A. V. D. Joline, April 7, 1826. The office was over the Post Office on Front Street at the corner of Putnam. Mr. Dunlevy's name remained in the concern a year, after which the paper was continued by Mr. Joline. It was a Jackson paper, and in May, 1829, Mr. Joline became Postmaster in place of D. H. Buell, Esq., removed by reason of his not being a Jackson man. The Pilot was discontinued in May, 1830, after an existence of about four years. Six copies only of the Pilot are owned by the Register Office; but not an item of present interest is contained in them, which we have not already published. They bear dates October 26 and November 23, 1826, August 9, November 8 and December 6, 1828, and January 31, 1829.

In January, 1831, was started in Marietta the "Western Republican and Marietta Advertiser, edited, printed and published by John Brough." The motto of the paper was: "Freedom of speech is man's inalienable birthright - the liberty of the press his impregnable safeguard."

Gov. Brough was at this time not quite twenty years of age. In the epidemic year of 1823 his father, John Brough, Esq., died upon the "Cleona Farm" at the mouth of Duck Creek; his mother had previously died; and the "orphan boy," at the age of twelve, entered the printing office of the American Friend to learn the printing business of Royal Prentiss. He subsequently went to Athens, where he maintained himself for a time in one of the departments of the Ohio University. His wife (Miss Pruden) was from Athens. Mr. Brough is often spoken of now-a-days by the friends of his youth as having excelled all in kicking foot-ball.

He continued the Western Republican a little over two years, when in April, 1833, he removed the printing office from Marietta to Parkersburg, where he sold out the next fall. He then went to Lancaster and became editor and publisher of the Lancaster Eagle. He was elected Representative to the Legislature from Fairfield and Hocking in October 1838. By that Legislature he was chosen Auditor of State, when 28 years of age, which office he filled with great ability, as acknowledged by all political opponents, for six years until 1845. He then removed to Cincinnati to practice law.

In 1841, he had bought the "Phoenix" from Moses Dawson and started the Cincinnati Enquirer, in company with his brother, the late Judge Charles H. Brough. He was editor-in-chief of the Enquirer in 1846-7, his brother Charles having gone to the Mexican War, where he served as Colonel of one of the Ohio Regiments in 1847. In 1848, John Brough, having bid farewell to the printing office, engaged as President of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad; and he remained a most successful railroad manager until elected Governor of the great State of Ohio in 1863, by over one hundred thousand majority, after a vigorous and bitter canvass.

Nine copies only of the Western Republican are now in the possession of the Register Office - eight of dates early in 1832, and one January 19, 1833. It was a five column paper, and only a trifle more than one-half as large as the Register of today - it did not contain over one-third as much printed matter - and the advance price was $2 a year, the price of all Marietta papers down to within a recent date.

January 14, 1832, the Republican published an oration delivered by its editor, John Brough, at the 8th of January Jackson celebration at the Court House. Col. Joseph Barker was President of the day; Isaac Humphreys, Esq., Vice President.

Judging from the numbers of the Western Republican before us, it was a paper edited with decided ability, and with an independence that the Jackson party leaders did not always relish. Mr. Brough did not like Martin Van Buren and did not hesitate to say to in his paper. He had his own views of public policy, and having them, dared maintain them.