superabundant harvests, and smiling in the light of the richest blessings of a bounteous Providence, it died of want. . . Grief is not wordy, and its requiem must be chanted by others. To the friends who assisted it in life we tender our heart-warm thanks. We are not conscious that it had any enemies; if it had, in its name we forgive them all."

During a portion of this time the Better Covenant, a Universalist paper, was printed at the Pilot office. Its editor was William Rounseville.

February 17, 1843, J. Ambrose Wight began the publication of the Winnebago Forum, a Whig paper, with material which had been used in printing the Rockford Star. Mr. Wight came from New York. He attended the academy at Bennington, Vermont; and among his classmates were Henry Ward Beecher, and Rev. E. H. Chapin, the eminent Universalist divine. Mr. Wight was graduated from Williams college in 1836, and immediately thereafter he removed to Illinois. His first visit to Winnebago county was December 11, 1836, in company with Timothy Wight, of Chicago. Mr. Wight thus refers in a letter to that time: "Rockford had not arrived. I remember

that there was a beginning of the 'Rockford House,' but the building had gone no further than a cellar, and some timbers hewed and lying on the ground." Mr. Wight proceeded to Rockton, where he was interested in a general store until 1840, when he engaged in farming for a time. Mr. Wight says of his life in that village: "I had not gotten to be very rich in goods at Rockton; but I did get a wife there. She was the oldest

daughter of Rev. William M. Adams, who died in March, 1842, at Mineral Point." In 1841 Mr. Wight came to Rockford, and read law with his brother, James M. Wight; in the summer of 1842 he was admitted to the bar and began practice. He served a short time as deputy postmaster under S. M. Church, in 1842.

Mr. Wight retired from the Forum August 18, 1843, when he sold the paper to Mr. Colton. The terms were easy. Mr. Wight said: "He asked me my price. I told him if he would take it off my hands, we would be square." In April, 1844, Mr. Wight removed to Chicago, and became editor of the Prairie Farmer. The paper during his management of thirteen years achieved great success. In 1849 he was also associated with William Bross, in the editorial management of the Herald of the Prairie, the western organ of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches. He purchased Mr. Bross' interest in 1851,

and two years later he sold his own interest. In 1856 Mr. Wight entered the ministry, and became pastor of the Presbyterian church at Olivet, Michigan. He remained in this pastorate until forced by ill health to resign, in 1863. The next year he was an editorial writer on the Chicago Tribune. In 1865 he accepted a call from the First Presbyterian church of Bay City, Michigan, where he remained until 1888. Mr. Wight was an able minister and a brilliant newspaper correspondent. His alma mater conferred upon him the title of Doctor of Divinity in 1871. Mr. Wight died November 14, 1889, at Bay City, at the age of seventy-eight years.

Austin Colton was more successful than his predecessor in the management of the Forum. He was a native of Northampton, Massachusetts. He had learned the printer's trade in the office of the Massachusetts Spy, and was subsequently employed for a time in Harpers' publishing house in New York. Mr. Colton came west in April, 1839, and arrived in Rockford in the following month. He was employed in the pioneer's vocation of log-building, fencing, and farming about four years, when he "purchased" the Forum. Mr. Colton continued the paper under the old name until the close of the first volume in February, 1844, when he re-christened it the Rockford Forum. Under his management the Forum became the first successful newspaper in Rockford. Its circulation increased from two hundred to six hundred. After Mr. Colton had "written for glory and printed on trust" for ten years he concluded to retire from the business. In December of that year he sold his plant to E. W. Blaisdell, Jr. Mr. Colton became a farmer, and continued in this vocation until his retirement from active life. This veteran editor died November 2, 1893, at the age of seventy-six years. Mrs. Colton still resides in Rockford. A. Lincoln, Albert L. and Royal F. Colton are sons. Miss Miriam Colton is a daughter.

Mr. Blaisdell took his brother, Richard P. Blaisdell, into partnership. The Republican was published until 1862, when it was purchased by Elias C. Daugherty, and merged into the Rockford Register, of which he was proprietor.

Elijah Whittier Blaisdell was born July 18, 1826, in Montpelier, Vermont, where he resided until the removal of the family to Middlebury. Later his father, who was a printer, removed to Vergennes, where he published the Vergennes Vermonter, which was founded by Rufus W. Griswold, whose "Poets and Poetry of America" is well known. The son succeeded the father

as editor of the Vermonter; and while editing that paper, he was appointed postmaster of Vergennes by President Zachary Taylor. Mr. Blaisdell held this office four years. He came to Rockford in the latter part of 1853, and about January, 1854, he began his journalistic career in this city as editor of the Forum, and changed the name of the paper to the Republican. Mr. Blaisdell attended the meeting in Bloomington May 29, 1856, at which the Republican party was organized in Illinois. Abraham Lincoln addressed the convention; and Mr. Blaisdell then became convinced that Mr. Lincoln would lead the new party as its candidate for the presidency. General Palmer, in his book, The Bench and Bar of Illinois, says the Republican was the first paper to support Mr. Lincoln for the office in which he won immortal fame. Mr. Blaisdell was elected a member of the legislature in 1858, and voted for Mr. Lincoln for United States senator. After serving his term he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced for many years. Since his retirement from active life Mr. Blaisdell has given attention to literary pursuits. He has written The Hidden Record, a novel; The Rajah, a political burlesque; and a drama, Eva, the General's Daughter, founded on incidents of the Black Hawk war. He is now editing a volume of miscellaneous poems, of three hundred pages. Mr. Blaisdell has been twice married. His first wife, Frances Robinson, died soon after he came to Illinois. His present wife was a daughter of Judge Ville Lawrence, of Vermont, and sister of the late Chief-Justice Lawrence, of Illinois. Another daughter of Judge Lawrence married John Pierpont, who was chief-justice of the supreme court of Vermont. Mr. Blaisdell has five sons: Byron Richard, of Chicago; Elijah Warde, an artist residing in New York City; Henry, George, and Shelley Pierpont, of Rockford.

In September, 1848, Henry W. De Puy established the Rockford Free Press, as a Free Soil or Barnburner organ. It was published until February, 1850, when it was discontinued for want of patronage.

The Rock River Democrat was founded in June, 1852, as a Democratic paper, by Benjamin Holt. David T. Dickson afterward purchased an interest. In 1855 Rhenodyne A. Bird purchased Mr. Holt's interest. The paper was published by Dickson & Bird until May 1, 1864. It was then purchased by Isaiah S. Hyatt, who continued its publication until June 12, 1865, when the plant was sold to the Register Company.

Elias C. Daugherty founded the Rockford Register in February, 1855, as a Republican paper, and a strong opponent of the extension of slavery. Mr. Daugherty continued its publication until June 12, 1865, when the business and that of the Rock River Democrat were purchased by a stock company, known as the Rockford Register Company, by whom the paper was published for many years.

The Rockford Wesleyan Seminary Reporter was begun as a monthly publication in October, 1857. Only four numbers of this paper were issued. It was published by Rev. W. F. Stewart, in the interest of the proposed Wesleyan seminary.

The Democratic Standard was founded October 30, 1858, by Springsteen & Parks, as a Democratic organ. After about a month the Standard was published by Henry Parks alone, until February 5, 1859, when David G. Croly became proprietor. On the 18th of May following the proprietorship was changed to D. G. Croly & Co. The company was John H. Grove. On the suspension of the News, April 30, 1860, and the retirement of Mr. Croly, the publication of the Standard was continued by John H. Gove and James S. Ticknor for a few months. The paper was then sold to James E. and Joseph H. Fox, who established the Daily News. It was a Republican paper, and the first number was issued December 1860. A few weeks later they began the publication of the Weekly News, which was continued until September 21, 1861. The plant was then sold to E. C. Daugherty, and its publication was discontinued.

The first Daily News was established by David G. Croly, February 8, 1859. The paper was neutral in politics. Its publication was continued until April 30, 1860, when it was suspended for want of patronage.

Mr. and Mrs. Croly won national reputations in journalism and letters after their departure from Rockford. David Goodman Croly was born in New York City November 3, 1829. He was a professor of phonography, and a reporter for the New York Evening Post and Herald before he came to Rockford. After his retirement from the Rockford News Mr. Croly became city editor of the New York World, and later was its managing editor. Mr. Croly's active journalistic career closed in 1878, when he retired from the editorship of the New York Graphic. He was the author of biographies of Seymour and Blair, History of Reconstruction, and a Primer of Positivism. He died in 1889.

Jane Cunningham Croly, more familiarly known as "Jennie June," was born in Market Harborough, England, December 13, 1831. Her father came to the United States when she was ten years old, and settled at Poughkeepsie, New York. She married David G. Croly in 1857. In 1860 Mrs. Croly became editor of Demorest's Quarterly Mirror of Fashion, and when that periodical and the New York Weekly Illustrated News were incorporated into Demorest's Illustrated Monthly, she became editor of the new journal, and retained this position until 1887. Mrs. Croly has also been editorially connected with several other New York papers. Mrs. Croly's pen name of "Jennie June" was derived from a little poem written by Benjamin F. Taylor, sent to her when she was about twelve years old by her pastor at Poughkeepsie, with the name underlined, because, he said, "you are the Juniest little girl I know." Among Mrs. Croly's books are: Talks on Women's Topics, For Better or Worse, A Cookery Book for Young Housekeepers, Knitting and Crochet, Letters and Monograms. In 1856 Mrs. Croly called the first woman's congress; also the second, in 1869. In 1868 she founded the Sorosis, and was its president until 1870, and again from 1876 to 1886.

The Daily Register was started by E. C. Daugherty, June 1, 1859, as a Republican paper; but it was discontinued at the end of three months. Its publication was resumed in 1877.

The Rock River Mirror was established September 6, 1859, by Allen Gibson. It was neutral in politics, and was printed at the Register office.

The Spirit Advocate, published in 1854-56, was noted in the chapter devoted to Dr. George Haskell.

The Rockton Gazette was started in 1857, by Funk & Phelps. Soon after its first issue Mr. Funk retired, and its publication was continued about a year by H. W. Phelps. The paper was not well sustained, and the printing material was removed to Burlington, Wisconsin.

The Pecatonica Independent was established in May, 1859, by J. E. Duncan. Its publication was continued a little more than a year, when the plant was removed to Darlington, Wisconsin.