Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 260] is a striking ilustration of what persistent and well-directed effort will accomplish in furthering an enterprise. With a modest beginning it has developed from year to year until the publication has become one of the most substantial in Western Pennsylvania. No effort has been spared to make the paper popular with the people, and that it has wonderfully succeeded is attested by the circulation books.
A daily and weekly are published—the daily has a very extensive circulation in the city, while the weekly goes into nearly every household in the county.
The Daily News was established seventeen years ago. It was the outcome of the Index, a weekly newspaper published in New Castle. The Index was founded by W. J. Bannan and W. P. Miller. The reason for founding the Index was probably the same reason which actuates most newspaper publishers—to obtain gold, silver and coin of the realm. The reason assigned by those publishers was "for the promotion of the cause of temperance." However, much like other "bluffs" as this was, it is nevertheless true that The News has adhered closer to the "cause of temperance" than ninety-nine out of one hundred newspapers posing as public benefactors. It has never published an advertisement of intoxicating liquor during the seventeen years of its existence. Ex-Register and Recorder J. T. Gleason, J. Edd Leslie, Charles B. Power and George W. Shaw, present editor of The News, J. P. Reynolds, were all connected with The News, as editors, publishers, and managers during its infancy. The two last-named gentlemen were among those instrumental in starting The Daily City News, as it was then called. It was a publication separate from the weekly Index, and was started on its mission (by the way, the publishers of The Daily City News purposed filling "a long felt want") in the fall of 1880. The Index and The Daily City News joined hands and became The News, daily and weekly editions, when the wintry days came.
The late George E. Treadwell became first part owner, and finally, when ill health compelled W. J. Bannan to go West, full owner of the paper. He organized a stock company known as The News Company, giving his employees shares of stock. These employees' shares finally were re-bought by Mr. Treadwell, and to-day the stock of The News Company is owned entirely by the estate of George E. Treadwell, and the paper is controlled by Mrs. G. E. Treadwell. Fred L. Rentz is now manager of The News.
The paper has been a party to some heated controversies. It has won and lost some political fights. It has taken its position on all questions with one motive alone and that motive has been "Right." If it is true that every man has his price it is equally true that the price has never been high enough to touch the editorship of The News. It is the writer's opinion that no price could ever have influenced the controllers of The News.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 16 May 2001