El Dorado County History

Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County California with Illustrations 
and Biographical Sketches of its Prominentmen and Pioneers. 
Oakland 1883. Paolo Sioli, Publisher. Compiled by P. Sioli.

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper, Oct 2009.

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CHAPTER XXVII. 

JOURNALISM. 

The reading matter in the mining districts, as in California in general, in the first years after the discovery 
of gold, was quite scarce ; many of the young, intelligent and enterprising men, making up the emigration 
to California, had started with a selection of books or other reading matter, but hardly one in five 
hundred had been able to bring them through toil and fatigue to the land of their destination, on account of 
overladen and exhausted teams, and most all the ballast, of no value for the moment, had been sacrificed 
to save that which was the most necessary. And now the adventurous gold-hunter did sorrowfully 
look back on the road over the deserts, or down in the dark hold of some vessel, or even down on the 
bottom of the sea, where he had lost forever what now he would estimate his greatest friend and his 
biggest treasure ; but no regretting could make up for the loss, and the American character not disposed to 
long grief, soon found himself contented with the irregular coming news from "the States," brought by 
the expressman, the exclusive dependency in those early days. A great many of the energetic young 
men were not satisfied with the reading of the stale home news, their ambitious characters would have 
liked more to take an active part in the occurrences of the social or national life, and not being able to 
accomplish their wishes in the life of the far, old home, then the time became active too, soothing the 
constant thought and longing of home, and advising the more thoughtful to settle down and build up a 
society in the new country, where every talent had so much better chance to prove his ability. This view 
once taken, what was nearer than to start a newspaper to tell all around what occurred in this new society 
and to relieve the society from the monotonous dependency on the expressman. 

	THOMAS A. SPRINGER 

Was the first man to take up the idea to deliver to this new society an organ which would communicate the 
events of the day. He was the pioneer of newspapermen not only in this county, but of the whole mining 
district of California ; the press started by him at Placerville was the first one in the interior of California, 
outside of Sacramento. The 

	EL DORADO REPUBLICAN, 

Published weekly at Placerville, was the pioneer newspaper throughout the mining camps of the Sierra 
Nevada; it made its first appearance early in the summer of 1851, and was continued regularly until February 
18th, 1854, when selling out, Mr. Springer disposed of the whole printing establishment, etc., to D. W. 
Gelwicks & Co., who in the place of the defunct Republican started 

	THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT, 

An enterprise which in spite of all the changes El Dorado county has undergone, from the time of its 
first appearance up to this day, has been managed with strong but skillful hands, cautiously and 
prudently taking care of the interest of its patrons and the public interest of the county in general Always 
faithful to the true democratic principles it has kept its place as the leading newspaper of the county up to 
this day. The Mountain Democrat, published and edited by D. W. Gelwicks and Wm. A. January, 
appeared for the first time as a weekly paper on Saturday, February 25th, 1854, at Placerville, and 
continued to do so uninterruptedly, except for four weeks after the big Placerville fire of July 6th, 1856, 
which had destroyed the office with most all its contents. On Wednesday, August 22d, 1860, it was 
changed into 

	THE SEMI-WEEKLY MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT, 

And some time about January, 1860, the beautiful pen of Geo. Pen. Johnson had been added to the 
editorial staff, on account of Wm. A. January being elected County Clerk, at the general election of the 
fall of 1859. Old habits, however, are often stronger with human beings than the best efforts of innovators, 
thus with the semi-weekly Mountain Democrat ; patrons and newspaper men both had been used to the 
old style of a weekly paper for too long a time that it was not surprising at all to see its reappearance in 
the familiar dress of the old weekly on January 5th, 1861, to which it has stuck all the time since. And 
the only change that has to be chronicled about the Mountain Democrat from that date to the present 
time, is the change in the proprietorship. D. W. Gelwicks and Wm. A. January, in 1867, sold their 
interests respectively to George O. Kies and T. J. Caystile. W. A. Selkirk then on December 20th, 1872, 
bought from the last named gentleman his half interest, together with one-third of the other 
half from Mr. Kies, who remained a partner in the ownership of the Mountain Democrat, but disposed 
of the balance of his interest, selling out to W. A. Selkirk, 1874, leaving the latter sole proprietor of the 
newspaper. In 1880, W. A. Selkirk sold the whole of his title and interest in the Mountain Democrat to 
W. R. Selkirk and E. A. Smith. The next change took place about one year after, in 1881, E. A. Smith 
sold his half interest to ^V. R. Selkirk, to be repurchased by W. A. Selkirk. 

There is one incident in the history of the Mountain Democrat of which we have to make reference, 
because it gives an idea of the importance it was credited for by the government; it was in November, 
1862, when the war was going on East, that the commander of the military department of the Pacific 
coast, General Wright, issued an order prohibiting the transmission of the Placerville Democrat through 
the mails and express companies. This was done on account of exercising the right of every free man 
and citizen of this Republic to utter his own opinion, though differing from that of the ruling power. 

Of the proprietors and editors of this paper, D. W. Gelwicks has filled the office of State printer, while 
Wm. A. January is the present Secretary of State. Thos. A. Springer also held the office of State Printer 
once. 

	THE MINERS' ADVOCATE 

Was issued for the first time in the Summer of 1851, at Coloma, James R. Pile & Co. proprietors, D. W. 
Gelwicks editor and D. G. Waldron, business agent. The Miners' Advocate being the second newspaper 
of the county, and of the whole mining district of California, appeared weekly, representing the Whig 
party in politics. After about two years from the time of the first issue, the printing office, with presses, 
etc., was purchased by John Conness and T. M. Reed, who commenced in the Summer of 1853 to issue in 
place of the Miners' Advocate, 

	THE EMPIRE COUNTY ARGUS, 

A weekly like its predecessor, edited by N. W. Fuller. 

The Miners' Advocate, however, was transferred to Diamond Springs, from where it made its reappearance 
a short time after having been discontinued at Coloma, being edited by Fred. A. Snyder up to July 
23d, 1854. 

Fred. A. Snyder died on an excursion at Lake Bigler. He had crossed the plains in 1849, and had 
been elected a member of the Legislature from San Francisco, in 1852 to 1853; but resigned his seat in 
that Honorable body and broke with his party on account of principle difficulties. He was born in Monroe 
county, ILL., and graduated from McKendree college, studied law thereafter and was admitted to the 
bar when only 19 years. Hon. Wilson Flint gave the following account of F. A.. Snyder's last resting place 
near Lake Bigler : "Passing down the valley we saw the grave of Major Snyder. It is a solitary place, the 
long pine boughs above mourn with a lonesome wail, and shaken by the desert breeze fall sadly as mourners 
upon the little mound that contains what was once a warm and noble heart." 

The Miners' Advocate, having made regular issues until December, 1855, changed hands again, and became 
the property of Dr. Bradley, of Placerville,. who took hold of it from the quoted date and published 
it from January 1st, 1856, as the 

	EL DORADO COUNTY JOURNAL, 

A weekly paper like the former, and representing the same political principles as that paper. The press 
that has been used to print both these papers on, is said to be still in activity, serving the same old 
purpose at Folsom. 

The Empire County Argus, representing the Broderick wing of the Democratic party, D. P. Tallmage 
editor, continued under the same proprietorship up to the end of 1855, when it became the property of 
Messrs. Forbes* and Woods, who conducted it as one of the best newspapers of the State, but becoming 
embarrassed, were compelled to discontinue the issue of the Argus; on November 8th, 1856, they bade 
farewell to the patrons of the paper, closing their valedictory in the following beautiful language : 

"Coloma is a pleasant place to live: beautiful and picturesque in itself and scenery surrounding, and 
boasting a population of brave and generous men and women as ever breathed God's mountain air; and now 
that business pursuits constrain us to seek some new field for usefulness, we feel like one who quits the 
scenes and associations of youth to go out into the cold world, looking in new lands for fortune and for smiles 
in strange faces. But it must be so, and we shake off for the time these pleasant reflections, and go forth to 
do and bear what the fates have in store for us. We leave Coloma as we have left a hundred places before, 
with a brass rule in our pocket, and a light heart in our vest, bearing away little of malice or lucre, but 
priding in the good will of those among whom we have been sojourning. Long years from now, if life 
be spared, we shall still turn back to memory's page where are written the bright lines of to-day's 
experience; and as we now quit it with regret we shall ever return with pleasure to Coloma, feeling in the 
heart's quickened throb as we look down the hills which stand sentinel around the golden valley, that merry 
tingle of the jubilant blood which thrills the soul as we draw near home." 

Coloma thus would have been without a newspaper, and to prevent this the people of old Coloma went in 
for the deficiency, which again brought to light The Empire County Argus, and enabled it to reappear 
thereafter regularly until July 23d, 1857, when it was sold to H. F. Smith & Co., who removed it to Placerville, 
where it came out after three weeks' suspension on Thursday, August 13th, as the Tri-Weekly Argus, Capt. 
W. Frank Stewart, editor. The Tri-Weekly Argus was succeeded on February 13th, 1858, by the Tri-Weekly 
Index, published by Langard & Phelps; the Tri-Weekly Index, by the Tri-Weekly Register, and this by the 
Semi- Weekly Register, but their career getting shorter and shorter. Finally the property came into the hands 
of Messrs. O. L. C. & J. D. Fair child, who started the publication of the 

	*W. J. Forbes, editor and publisher of The Empire County Argus in 1854 to 1856, died at Battle Mountain, 
	 Nevada, in November 1875. 


	SEMI-WEEKLY OBSERVER, 

Which made its first appearance at Placerville, on February 2d, 1859, being published twice a week; it was 
printed on the same press. used by the above named papers ; it was independent in politics and had Capt. 
W. Frank Stewart for editor also. After having been published regularly for one year the Observer was 
discontinued, and took leave from its patrons on February 4th, 1860. 

The first newspaper of Georgetown was the 

	GEORGETOWN NEWS, 

A weekly paper that appeared for the first time on Thursday, October 12th, 1854, J. Wing Oliver, editor 
and proprietor. The News was a Whig paper; Georgetown always had been the stronghold of the 
Whig party and afterwards became that of the Republican party in the county. On Thursday, February 
1st, 1855, the ownership of the News passed into the hands of Theo. Piatt, Jr., J. W. Oliver as editor ; with 
the issue of May 24th, 1855, Mr. Oliver ceased his connection with the News, and J. G. McCallum took 
his place, and a half interest in the paper, which was published until October 15th, by McCallum & Piatt. 
The next issue appeared on November 8th, 1855, and was published by Piatt & Shaw. But its lifetime was 
counted : a few months later, already it belonged to those things that are gone by. 

At Placerville Messrs. Childs & Wadsworth, about July 1st, 1855, undertook to publish a weekly paper ; 
the Placerville American made its appearance a short time after, Richard Cole, editor, but it seems it did 
not make a success, and its existence was but limited. 

The year of 1860 brought new life in the newspaper enterprise ; and Coloma took the lead with the issue 
of The Coloma Times, published by George O. Kies and S. B. Weller. The first number appeared in 
March, 1860, and thereafter continued with regular weekly issues until October, 1861, when it was 
transfered to Placerville, where it appeared as The El Dorado Times, published by George O. Kies ; the first 
issue being dated November 30th, 1861 ; the Times being Union Democrat in politics. 

At Placerville Hon. J. G. McCallum started a semi-weekly paper, The Central Californian, that 
made its appearance on August 4th, 1860. It was started as a campaign paper, advocating the election 
of Douglas and Johnson. Richard Cole was the editor, who was succeeded from January 1st, 1861, by 
O. D. Aveline. The El Dorado County Union was the next thereafter, being issued first as a weekly, on 
Wednesday, June 28th, 1861, but changed into the El Dorado County Daily Union with its issue of 
Thursday, July 20th, and appeared as a daily to the end of the month, when it ceased without taking 
leave. Richard Cole was the editor of the Union, which represented Democratic principles. The press 
and other property of the Union then became the property of Messrs. Fumerton & Yarnell, who began 
to publish The Placerville Weekly News, a Union Democrat paper, issued for the first time on Wednesday, 
August 14th, 1861. 

The Semi- weekly Placerville Republican, published by D. DeGolia, was first issued on Wednesday, 
August 7th, 1861. Mr. Bowman, of San Francisco, was its editor, and he was succeeded sometime later 
by Thomas Fitch. The Republican, however, had but a brief existence, its last number was issued not 
quite a year after it made its first appearance, on June 26th, 1862. After a sound slumber of about ten 
years Mr. B. F. Davis revived the Republican, publishing it as a weekly, under the name of 

	THE PLACERVILLE REPUBLICAN. 

Its management has proved the clever business hand of the owner, from the first issue in 1872, to 
this day, according to its name advocating the principles of the great Republican party. 

The Gem was the name of a small publication, 6 1/2 by 9 inches in size; the first number appeared at 
Georgetown, on April 12th, 1872, owned and edited by E. L. Crawford, who took leave from his patrons 
after a regular weekly issuance of five years, on April 6th, 1877. Thereafter Georgetown was again without 
a newspaper, until April 9th, 1880, when Mr. Horace W. Hulbert, who had a great deal of experience in 
the newspaper enterprise, came here and started the Georgetown Gazette, a weekly paper intended to 
interpret Republican ideas. 

The last one out is the Lotus Press, published every Tuesday by G. W. Gallanar, at Uniontown 
(Lotus). The Press in its first issue of June 27th, 1882, explained its stand-point, saying: "We have 
the success of El Dorado county at heart, and intend to do our mite towards its advancement."