GAZLAY, WARD M—In 1804 Ward M. Gazlay appears on the scene for the first time. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and became engaged in the printing business at Goshen as the purchaser of the Friend of Truth, the successor of the Repository and the Patriot. He changed its name to that of the Orange Eagle. His office was destroyed by fire in 1805, and with the remnants he drove into Newburgh, purchased the Recorder of the Times, of Dennis Coles, and changed its name to the Political Index, under which name it continued until 1829. The Recorder claimed to be Republican in politics, but was generally regarded as representing the Federalists and Burrites. When Mr. Gazlay merged the Times with his Goshen paper, and evolved therefrom, at Newburgh the Political Index, the interests of the Republican party were apparently consolidated. It supported Jefferson and Madison, and the War of 1812. Jonathan Fisk wrote the editorials for the Index, and with the inspiration of this able man's articles, the Index cared little for its only contemporary, the Orange County Patriot, a Federalist paper, and the latter retired to Goshen, whence it came, to become the Goshen Democrat. He sold his Index to Charles M. Cushman, in 1829. Mr. Gazlay served as a magistrate in the village of Newburgh for some years, and died there in April, 1836, aged fifty-four years. His wife was Bridget, daughter of Jonathan and Bridget Carter, by whom he had three sons.
BEACH, CYRUS; PRATT, LUTHER—At Montgomery, May 6, 1806, appeared the names of Cyrus Beach and Luther Pratt, as printers, or rather publishers, "for the proprietors," of the Orange County Republican. The proprietors were twenty-four "patriotic citizens of the county." Pratt's name remained connected with the paper until 1818, when it became the Independent Republican, with James A. Cheevey as its proprietor.
HENDRIE, R. C. S—The name of R. C. S. Hendrie appears in Goshen between 1822 and 1834, through coming into proprietorship of the Patriot. He sold it to F. T. Parsons, who changed its name to the Goshen Democrat, February 22, 1834. In 1843 Mr. Hendrie started the rue Whig, and two years later sold it to Mead & Son, who united it with the Democrat under the name of the Democrat and Whig.
CROWELL, T. B—T. B. Crowell appeared in 1812 as the publisher of the Patriot, and in 1822 as its proprietor. Then he passed from the scene.
VANDYCK, HENRY H.—In 1832 the name of Henry H. Vandyck appears, in connection with the purchase of the Independent Republican at Goshen. In 1836 he was elected to the State Senate. In October, 1839, he became proprietor of the Newburgh Telegraph. His course in favoring the building of the Erie Railroad—a terrible commercial blow to Newburgh—was so displeasing to the people of Newburgh that he disposed of the paper to Elias Pitts, and left. He went to Albany, and became editor of the Albany Atlas, and was later elected Comptroller of the State. He was a Democrat of the Jackson school.
VAIL, LEBBEUS L.—Lebbeus Lothrop Vail was born at Middletown, in 1793. His father was Squire Izaiah Vail, a farmer and miller, and his mother, Azuba Horton. Mr. Vail, after engaging in various occupations, finally started at Goshen the Signs of the Times in 1832. In 1843 Vail and Denton started the Democratic Standard, which afterwards came into the possession of his son Hector, who changed its name to the Goshen Clarion.
Mr. Vail was a highly popular citizen, and was elected county clerk for two terms by handsome majorities. He died in 1849, and was buried in Middletown, but the remains were afterwards transferred to Goshen. Mr. Vail was married to Sally Moon, who lived until 1876.
CUSHMAN, CHARLES M.—Charles M. Cushman in 1829 purchased Gazlay's Political Index at Newburgh. He changed it to the Orange Telegraph and later to the Newburgh Telegraph. Mr. Ruttenber says of him that he was a descendant of Robert Cushman, one of the original company of Pilgrims who sailed for the New World August 5, 1620 (O. S.) He was born in Washington County, N. Y., March 20, 1802, served as an apprentice in Rutland, Vt., and subsequently in Boston; and retired from printing in 1839. He was one of the founders of the Newburgh public libraries, and also helped to establish the Quassaic Bank, and also the Newburgh Savings Bank. In 1853 he was chosen to represent the first assembly district of Orange County in the legislature. In June, 1832, he married Mary, fourth daughter of Captain John Birdsall. He died without issue at Rhinebeck, June 1, 1859.
SPALDING, JOHN D.—A contemporary of Mr. Cushman was John D. Spalding or Spaulding. He was born in Salem, Mass., January, 1800, and came to Newburgh in 1815 with his father, the Rev. Joshua Spaulding, of the Presbyterian Church. He served an apprenticeship as "devil" with Ward M. Gazlay, was subsequently connected with the Newburgh Gazette and the Journal, for about thirty-eight years. He married Elizabeth L., daughter of Rev. John Johnston, D.D., of Newburgh, and died August 22, 1853, in his fifty-fourth year. He was survived by several children.
PITTS, ELIAS—Elias Pitts practically succeeded Mr. Cushman in Newburgh journalism. He was born in Columbia County, N. Y., in 1810, graduated at the Kinderhook Academy, served an apprenticeship in the Kinderhook Sentinel, and became interested in the paper. Later he was in the editorial department of the Rochester Advertiser, and succeeded Mr. VanDyck on the Newburgh Telegraph in the winter of 1840, which continued until 1850. He was next heard of at Poughkeepsie as editor of the Poughkeepsie American. Soon after 1853 he received an appointment to a clerkship in the State Department at Washington, which continued until his death at Washington, July 21, 1854. His first wife was Elizabeth, daughter of John Jamieson, of Newburgh. His second wife was Margaret, daughter of John Whited.