The most recent of the old school of second generation journalists to pass away was the Hon. Isaac V. Montanye, of the Orange County Record, at Washingtonville, who died December 6, 1906, and in December, 1907, Edward Ruttenber of Newburgh.
There now remains on the stage of life only Mrs. Hasbrouck of the second generation; and of the third generation, Gilbert Van Sciver, Middletown; Isaac F. Guiwits, Kansas City; Samuel Ritchie, Newburgh; William H. Nearpass, Port Jervis; William T. Doty, Port Jervis; Evander B. Willis, California. These are named in the order of their appearance in the journalistic field of Orange County, rather than with reference to their ages.
VAN SCIVER, GILBERT—Probably the oldest male printer in the county to-day is Gilbert Van Sciver, of Middletown. He has been almost continuously "in the harness" since 1852 until two years ago (1906), when the Press and Times of that city united. He became an apprentice in the office of John W. Hasbrouck's Whig Press in 1852, when the office was located in the building on North and Depot streets, opposite the carpet-bag factory. In 1857 he went to New York and was there employed as a journeyman for eight years. In 1865 he returned to Middletown, and was re-employed in the Press office, and there remained until the paper lost its identity and merged with the Times.
NORTON, JAMES H.—August 10, 1854, the name of James H. Norton first appeared in Orange County journalism. On that date Mr. Norton purchased the Tri-States Union of Port Jervis, of Lucius F. Barnes, and there then entered Orange County a journalistic genius—a talent that was destined to cut a most important figure in the newspaper life of the county and far beyond its boundaries. James Henry Norton was born at Goshen, Connecticut, in May, 1823, and after a common school education in his native town, he was admitted to the bar before he was twenty-one years old, and was appointed District Attorney of Wayne County, Pa. He finally decided to abandon the law for journalism, and purchased and edited the Wayne County Herald at Honesdale, and some years later sold the plant and went to Boonville, Oneida County, N. Y., where he started the Boonville Ledger in partnership with H. B. Beardsley. From Boonville he came to Port Jervis in 1854 and purchased the Tri-States Union, which he edited until 1861. In 1862 he removed to Middletown and purchased G. J. Beebe's Middletown Mercury, which he and Isaac F. Guiwits made the brightest country newspaper in the United States. In 1867 he disposed of his interest in the Mercury to Isaac V. Montanye, and April 22, 1869, he and William H. Nearpass started the Evening Gazette, tri-weekly, at Port Jervis. A few years later, in company with W. H. Nearpass and I. F. Guiwits, he organized a concern known as the Franklin Printing Company, for printing "patent insides" for country newspapers, and in 1882-3 started The News at Middletown, which he sold to Charles Conkling. His later work was as correspondent for the Sun, Herald and Times. In 1847 he married Miss Elizabeth Monson at Bethany, Pa. He died January 20, 1894, at his home in Middletown, and his remains rest in Hillside Cemetery.
GUIWITS, ISAAC F.—Shortly after Mr. Norton came to Orange County, he induced a bright young printer from "up State" to join him in Port Jervis as a journeyman, and Isaac F. Guiwits came, then a mere boy. But he had talents, and Mr. Norton knew it. Young Guiwits accompanied Mr. Norton to Middletown, and the two made the Middletown Mercury the great country newspaper that it became in the '60's. In 1869 Mr. Guiwits started the first daily newspaper in Middletown, the Daily Mail. Later he was connected with the Franklin Printing Company, and when that merged with the New York Newspaper Union, and became the Union Printing Company, Mr. Guiwits still retained an interest and a position, and he was sent to St. Louis and later to Kansas City to manage a branch of the concern. His wife, who was a Miss Mackey, of Middletown, died four years ago, since which time Mr. Guiwits's health has steadily declined. Three years ago he went to Los Angeles, California, where he died at the age of sixty-nine, March 25, 1908. Mr. Guiwits was one of the most graceful writers that ever adorned the Orange County press.
FRIEND, DR. JOSEPH D.—One of the able editorial writers on the Democratic papers in Middletown from about 1860 to his death in the '80's, was Dr. Joseph D. Friend. He was a regular medical practitioner, but preferred newspaper work, and many of the stirring editorials in the Mercury, the Mail and the Argus were from his trenchant pen. For a time he owned the Mail, and when it was merged with the Mercury, he became a partner with George H. Thompson, from which he retired in 1874. Dr. Friend was a genial, whole-souled man, and the writer remembers him as one who gave him encouragement, kind words, and good advice at a time when such were needed and did the most good.
NEARPASS, WILLIAM H.—William Henry Nearpass was born in Montague township, Sussex County, N. J., May 9, 1840, being the son of Michael Nearpass and Charlotte E. Stewart. He removed with his parents to Port Jervis in 1856, and attended the schools there until he was nineteen, when he embarked in mercantile pursuits which he successfully pursued until he retired from business to devote himself to journalism. With Evi Shinier he became the proprietor of the Gazette, and has retained his interest in that successful publication ever since.
Mr. Nearpass has always been an active Democrat and very influential in his party's counsels, having held various village offices, and elected supervisor of the county nineteen times.
Mr. Nearpass has always enjoyed the highest esteem of his fellow citizens, for his character has ever been above reproach, while every public duty has been faithfully and ably discharged. During the many years he has been the editor of the Gazette, he has never used its columns for the gratification of private spite or the furtherance of selfish interests, but has always hewed close to the Golden Rule in all his walks of life; and now the afternoon of his career finds him with a blameless life, a clear conscience, a love for his fellow mortals that no faults of others, injuries, assaults or misconceptions have ever chilled.
Mr. Nearpass was twice married, his first wife being Miss Anna W. Newman, of Brooklyn, L. I., who died in 1879. On September 8, 1881, he married Miss Josephine Westfall near Port Jervis.