The meetings of the association will be held annually, on the day following Thanksgiving Day, and, after looking after the ethics and good of the association in general, the members will look after the condition of the inner man in a sumptuous banquet, worthy of their illustrious and distinguished predecessor, Blackstone, of "ye olden tyme."

The present officers are: President, James W. Emison; Secretary, Robert Frank Weems; Treasurer, Louis A. Meyer.

VINCENNES HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

This society was reorganized in 1899. Present officers: Judge George Shaw, President; Hubbard M. Smith, Vice-President; Louis A. Meyer, Secretary; W. H. Pennington, Treasurer.

Τ'

Chapter X.

MISCELLANEOUS-THE PRESS.

HE newspaper men of this town have had their ups

and downs, as is the case in many other places, es

pecially those who commenced publishing papers early in the nineteenth century. The first newspaper published in Vincennes was the Indiana Gazette, July 4, 1804, by Elihu Stout. The press and type were brought here on horseback from Frankfort, Ky. In about eighteen months the plant was consumed by fire, but, phoenixlike, it appeared again in 1807, but under the title of The Western Sun, Democratic in politics, and continued publication until 1817, when its name was changed again, under other influences, to that of Western Sun and General Advertiser. In the forties this paper was sold to John R. Jones, who, with his brother, W. A. Jones, continued its publication until the former received an appointment in Washington, whereupon its publication was suspended. When Jones returned to Vincennes the paper was started again under the name of Jones' Vincennes Sentinel. This publication had a short life, and was followed by the Vincennes Indiana Patriot, published by J. Mayes. This same year (1853) J. and M. A. McClaugherty published The Courant, and soon the two papers united, the name being changed to the Courant and Patriot. This paper was suspended in 1856, when George E. Green came into possession of the plant, and at once revived the old name, West

ern Sun, after its effacement for about ten years. Mr. Green continued the publication until his death, in 1870. It next passed into the possession of R. C. Kise and A. J. Thomas. On the death of Kise, in 1873, Doctor Alfred Patton became part owner, and in 1876 Royal E. Purcell, the present owner, bought the plant, and has placed it upon a firm and paying foundation. It is now issued as an afternoon daily, and has a weekly edition also.

About the year 1880 W. W. Bailey published for a while a Single Tax paper; and recently Mr. Harbinson started a paper called The Era.

Tradition has it that another paper was started in 1818, but there is no record of any other paper printed here until the establishment of the Vincennes Gazette, by R. Y. Caddington, about the year 1829, as an organ of the Whig party, who published the paper for about twenty-five years, at which period it was sold to James A. Mason, G. R. Harvey and M. P. Ghee, who started the first daily paper ever published in the city, when its Whigism was changed to Republicanism.

After a few years the plant passed into the hands of Doctor Hubbard M. Smith, M. P. Ghee being retained as local editor. In 1861 Doctor Smith, having been appointed postmaster at Vincennes, gave very little attention to the paper, and in a few succeeding years the plant was leased and sold several times to adventurers, who possessed neither money nor brains enough to make it flourish. It reverted back to Doctor Smith for non-payment of purchase money, who, in 1865, disposed of it to J. M. Griffin, who published the paper for a year or two, when he removed the plant. from the city, and the Gazette ceased to exist.

During the Civil War several papers were launched for public favors, such as the News of the Day, by J. G. Hutchinson; the Old Post Union, by the same publisher; The Vincennes Times, by R. Y. Caddington and General Laz. Noble, which latter was sold to Malachi Krebbs. When failure was made to pay the balance of the purchase money on the plant, it passed into the hands of J. J. Mayes, John Mallet and A. G. V. Crotts, and in a short time ceased publication. There have been two German papers, of Democratic proclivities, published here, one by Mr. Rosenthal many years ago. The latter was called The Post, edited by Louis Meyer, about ten years ago, but both these papers were short lived.

The Vincennes Commercial was established in March, 1877, by S. F. Horrall & Sons, and was Republican in politics. On February 15, 1881, it was sold to the Commercial Company, with J. C. Adams as editor and manager. In April, 1882, it changed its editor and proprietor, becoming the property of T. A. Adams, who still continues its publication in daily and weekly editions. The paper has been placed by him upon a sound financial basis.

The Knox County Democrat, now edited and published by Messrs. Garrard & Quittle, was started about the year 1891, by Mr. Allen Campbell, who published it for a few years and then disposed of the plant. Like many other junior enterprises, it met with reverses, as it had keen competition in older established papers. The present proprietors seem to understand their business, and no doubt pluck and energy will finally crown their efforts with success. The last paper published here was established by a stock company, advocating Republican principles and seeking

popular favor. It is the Capitol, and was edited by George Cook. Its first issue was on February 4, 1899. In March, 1902, Mr. Cook withdrew from the Capitol, and the paper is now published and edited by F. W. Curtis, Perry C. Green and Ralph Dukate.

LIBRARIES-THE VINCENNES UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.

In the year 1808 there was organized the Vincennes Historical and Antiquarian Society following the organization of the Vincennes University, and it was originally intended to be an adjunct to this latter institution. This society flourished for some years, during which time many valuable books and paleontological specimens were accumulated. But just as the university was preparing to build up a flourishing institution, the newly fledged State of Indiana presumed that she owned everything in sight, and proceeded to confiscate the university's property, which had been acquired by that institution under act of Congress, and to give the proceeds to Bloomington College. This unjust and unprecedented procedure not only paralyzed the school, but gave a death blow to the Historical and Antiquarian Society, as it was to rise or fall with the university. It had accumulated many rare books and specimens of value, but from this time forward it eked out a sickly existence, and finally gave up the ghost, and much of its property was lost. Many years afterwards a few persons of a younger generation, bought up all the shares of stock that were in existence, and, for a small consideration, conveyed the remaining assets of the society to the resuscitated university, which owns the library and antiquarian speci