1, 1873. Irvin A. Lamphere is the present proprietor. It is republican in politics. January 1, 1874, Wm. W. Secord established The Reflector, at Bangor. It is republican in politics, and C. C. Phillips is the present proprietor. The Advertiser, Lawrence, was established February 10, 1875, by Theodore L. Reynolds. It is independent in politics, and is published by its projector. Pro Bono Publico, is the name of a monthly literary paper, published at Paw Paw, by George W. Matthews, who established it January 1, 1874. WASHTENAW COUNTY This county has a population of 38,723, and ten papers. Two, The Chronicle, fortnightly, and The Palladium, yearly, are University publications. The School is an educational publication, issued at Ypsilanti. The other seven are weekly papers. In 1829, a paper called The Emigrant, was started at Ann Arbor, by Thomas Simpson. It was neutral in politics. When The Emigrant was a year old, Judge S. W. Dexter took the paper, changed the name to The Western Emigrant and made it an organ of anti-masonry. New proprietors subsequently changed the name to The True Democrat and Michigan Argus. The present Argus dates from 1846. E. B. Pond is the present proprietor. It is democratic in politics. The Sentinel, Ypsilanti, was first issued by Gen. John Van Fossen, in December, 1843. C. Woodruff & Son are the present proprietors. It is democratic in politics. The Peninsular Courier and Family Visitant, Ann Arbor, was established in June, 1861, by Charles G. Clark. It is republican in politics, and Rice A. Beal is the present proprietor. The Commercial, Ypsilanti, was established March 1, 1864, by its present proprietor, C. R. Pattison. It is republican in politics. The Enterprise, Manchester, was established October 17, 1867, by George S. Spafford. Matt D. Blosser is the present proprietor. It is neutral in politics. The Leader, Dexter, was established January 1, 1869, by J. H. Wickwire and L. D. Ally. It is independent in politics, and Archy McMillan is the present proprietor. The Herald, Chelsea, was established by its present proprietor, A. Allison, in 1871. It is neutral in politics. The University Palladium, an annual, was established in 1857, by the class of '58. It is issued by the secret societies of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. In September, 1869, the students of Michigan University commenced the publication of The Chronicle. It is continued fortnightly. The School, an educational monthly, issued at Ypsilanti, was started in January, 1872. C. F. R. Bellows & Co. are the present proprietors. WAYNE COUNTY Sketches of the history of the Detroit daily papers, are given in another portion of this work.* and it now remains to the compiler to do such justice as he may to the numerous and influential journals of the county, aside from the dailies. Wayne county has a population of 144,903, and the compiler has received * Pages 62-66. returns from twenty-two publications in the city and county, exclusive of the reports from the daily journals. To Wayne county belongs the honor of having given birth to the first paper ever printed in Michigan. It was called Essaie du Michigan ou Observateur Impartial (Michigan Essay or Impartial Observer), and was first issued August 31, 1809, by Father Gabriel Richard, the Roman Catholic priest in charge of the parish, James M. Miller being the printer. It was printed mainly in French, but had an English department, and was devoted to news and the discussion of current topics. It issued only eight or nine numbers, when it ceased to exist for want of patronage. As near as can now be ascertained, Detroit was without a paper, after the death just chronicled, until July 25, 1817, when The Detroit Gazette was born, Sheldon & Reed being the projectors. It was a four-paged weekly, three pages being printed in English, and one in French. This ends the material at the disposal of the compiler, regarding the early history of the Wayne county press, and he now proceeds to note the living papers of the city and county, as near as may be, in the order in which they were established. The Michigan Farmer was established in 1844, by D. D. T. Moore, now of The Rural New-Yorker. It is devoted to the interests of agriculture, has no politics, is issued weekly, and R. F. Johnstone and Robert Gibbons are the proprietors. The Volksblatt, a German paper, issues a daily as well as a weekly edition. It was established May 1, 1853, by Schimmel & Bro. In politics it is independent-democratic, and M. & P. Kramer are the present proprietors. The Peninsular Journal of Medicine was established in July, 1853, by Drs. E. Andrews and Z. Pitcher. It is of monthly issue, and is devoted to medical interests, and J. J. Mulheron is the present proprietor. The Michigan Journal is a German paper, issuing a daily and a weekly, as well as a Sunday edition. It was established June 13, 1855, by A. Casper Butz. It is republican in politics, and F. Cornehl, Jr., and F. Pope are the present proprietors. The Detroit Commercial Advertiser was established in 1861, by its present proprietor, Wm. H. Burk. It is neutral in politics, and of weekly issue. The American Observer was established in January, 1864, by its present proprietor, E. A. Lodge, M. D. It is a medical journal, of monthly issue, and devoted to the interests of homoeopathy. The Detroit Journal of Commerce was established in 1865, by S. K. Miller. It is of weekly issue, its scope is indicated by its name, and R. A. Sprague is the present proprietor. August Marxhausen, July 1, 1866, issued the first number of Familien Blaetter, a German weekly. September 1, 1868, he commenced the publication of the daily Abend Post, and continues to issue both papers. In politics they are independent. The Detroit Review of Medicine and Pharmacy, is a weekly medical jour nal, which was established in 1866. It is now issued by The Review Publishing Company. The Home Messenger is a monthly publication, which was established in December, 1868, by the ladies composing the Board of Managers of the Home of the Friendless. It is conducted in the interests of that charitable institution. The Herald and Torchlight is a weekly religious paper devoted to the interests of the Baptist denomination. It was started as a bi-monthly, in Kalamazoo, January 1, 1871, removed to Detroit and established as a weekly, January 1, 1874. Rev. L. H. Trowbridge, the founder, is still the proprietor. The Song Journal is a musical monthly, established January 1, 1871, by J. Whitney & Co. C. J. Whitney & Co., are the present proprietors. The Western Home Journal is a weekly religious publication, devoted to the interests of the Catholic church, which was established by its present proprietor, James O'Brien, September 28, 1872. The Scientific Manufacturer was established by R. A. Sprague, in September, 1873. It is of monthly issue, and devoted to scientific and manufacturing news. Our Dioceses, the official organ of the Episcopal church in Michigan, was established by its present proprietor, Rev. J. T. Webster, November, 1873. It is of monthly issue. The Public Leader, a weekly paper, "the organ of the wine, beer and liquor trade of the northwest, with branch offices at Chicago and Milwaukee," was started by The Leader Publishing company, May 1, 1874. W. J. H. Traynor is the present proprietor. The Amphion is a musical monthly, which was established September, 1874, by Whittemore & Stephens, and is continued by their successor, Roe Stephens. The Michigan Christian Advocate is a religious weekly, devoted to the interests of the Methodist church. It was established in January, 1875, by the Methodist Publishing company, who continue to issue it. Truth for the People, an independent weekly paper, was started January 1, 1875, by Mrs. Margaret J. E. Miller, and she still continues to issue it. This completes the list of Detroit publications. The following papers are printed in Wayne county, outside the city of Detroit; The Wayne County Record, a semi-monthly publication, neutral in politics, was started by its present proprietor, Samuel H. Little, July 15, 1869, at Northville. The publisher had a remarkably hard time, caused by lack of money, experience, and subscribers, but pluck and patience at last brought their reward. In May, 1870, D. E. Thomas established the Wyandotte Enterprise. In May, 1871, Henry A. Griffin became proprietor and enlarged the paper. Up to that time the paper had been printed in Detroit, but Mr. Griffin associated with him Morgan Bates, purchased printing material and printed the paper at Wyandotte. In January, 1872, the firm was changed to Griffin & Nellis. January, 1873, the paper was enlarged to nine columns, and the name changed to the Wayne County Courier, and has continued to be issued by the last-named proprietors. It is independent in politics, with republican leanings, and is of weekly issue. November 18, 1875, at the village of Wayne, Wm. W. Secord established an independent weekly paper, called The Pilot, and has continued to publish it. WEXFORD COUNTY This county, with 3.011 population, has two papers, both weekly. The older is The Wexford County Pioneer, published at Sherman, which was established by Cooper & Tucker, April 30, 1872. Charles E. Cooper is the present proprietor. The paper is republican in politics. The Weekly News, Clam Lake, was established July 1, 1872, by Clark L. Frazier. J. A. & O. Whitmore are the present proprietors. The paper is republican in politics. * See appendix. THE ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY HISTORY OF THE SUBSTITUTION OF SOLITARY IMPRISONMENT FOR MICHIGAN STATE PRISON, The State of Michigan having abolished capital punishment, inquiries are often made in relation thereto, and for the information of those interested the following statistics are compiled. The law substituting solitary imprisonment for life, for the death penalty, went into effect March 1st, 1847, since which fifty-eight have been convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to solitary confinement in this prison at hard labor for life. Of these fifty-two were males and six females. The following table shows the whole number of convicts committed to the prison each year since its establishment, the years and number each year in which life solitary convicts were received, and the percentage of life solitary convicts since the change from the death penalty: Percentage of first eleven years of life solitary convicts... Decrease 2.73 1.28 1.45 With the exception of the years 1866-7, immediately following the war, the foregoing table shows a marked decrease in the convictions for murder, and more particularly as compared with the convictions of criminals for other offenses. There were no other convictions for murder in 1850 and 1853. Population of the State in 1850... Estimated population of the State in 1869, Dec. 1. In 1850 there were 50 criminals committed to prison, or one in. 397,654 509,374 749,113 803,745 1,100,000 .7,953 Inhabitants. 66 66 The ages of life solitary convicts at the time of committal were as follows: 3 were. 1 was. 18 years of age. .19 66 |