Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

Milwaukee Press Club

Businesses in Milwaukee

Milwaukee Press Club
Copyrighted 1895, by Milwaukee Press Club.

Roster of Members
Active
AIKENS, A. J.
ALDRICH, H. B.
ANDERSON, W. J.
ANDREWS, THOS. S.
BANNEN, JAMES.
BLEYER, HERMAN.
BLEYER, JULIUS.
BOWDISH, W. A.
BRAUX, HERMAN.
BRUCE, W. G.
BERGER, VICTOR L.
BARRY, FRANK.
CAMPBELL, H. C.
CRAMER, WILLIAM E.
CRAMER, JNO. F.
COLEMAN, E. W.
CURTIS, S. M.
COLBURN, OTIS.
DINGWALL, A. W.
DEUSTER, OSCAR.
DANKOLER, H. S.
DOUGHERTY, FRED.
DOUGLAS, M. G.
DUNLOP, W. S.
EMERSON, C. W.
EVERETT, WINTER.
FRIESE. P. W.
FRIESE, A. W.
GARRISON, JAMES.
GREGORY, JOHN G.
HOYT, M. A.
HOOKER, W. F.
HANNAN, JOHN J.
HARBACK, F. M.
KRACKOWIZER, E. W.
KING, CHARLES.
KEENE, FRANK.
KERR, GEORGE  F.
LEGLER, H. E.
LUSH, C. K.
MARKLE, FRANK.
MYRICK, H. P.
M'INTOSH, M. E.
MALKOFF, M. D.
MULHOLLAND, THOMPSON.
M'MANUS, JOS. D.
NEUSSE, GEO. C.
POLLOCK, W. W.
PECK, GEO. W.
PECK, GEO. W., JR.
PUTNAM, FRANK.
POPPENDIECK, JOHN, JR.
RUBLEE, HORACE.
RUBLEE, W. A.
REMY, O. E.
RICHARDSON, SCUDDAY.
STARKEY, D. B.
SCHINDLER, J. J.
SCHOENECKER, V. J .
SCHILLING, ROBERT.
SCHNITZLER. J. J.
TREAT, C. M.
TOFIT, A. J.
UNDERWOOD, H. G.
WALTHALL, W . T., JR.
WATROUS, J. A.
WATROUS, R. B.
WOLF, JOHN R.
YENOWINE, GEO. H.

Associate.
BOOTH, W. A.
CAMPSIE, JOHN W.
ELDRIDGE, E. C.
HOWARD, SAMUEL.
KIMBALL, M. D.
MOORE, W. L.
PAINE, C. M.
PECKIIAM, GEO. W.
SALISBURY, C. P.
SCHULTZ, H. C.
THIESE, A.
VAN LESHOUT, A. J.
WRIGHT, A. G.

Non-Resident
OSBORN, C. S.
GARDNER, W. E.
LANGLAND, JAMES.

Honorary
AUER, LOUIS.
BROWN, SHERMAN.
CARRINGTON, MISS ABBIE H
OBART, H. C.
KEENE, THOS. W.
LITT, JACOB.
MENDEL, H. M.
PABST, FREDERICK.
PAYNE, H. C.
RICHTER, AUG., JR.
WHITTEMORE, D. J.

Deceased
COLEMAN, W. W.
FOSTER, A.
KRAUS, MICHAEL.
PAGENKOPF, H. W
QUINN, ED. S.
DANKOLER, E. D.

History

More About Milwaukee Press Club

FOUR newspaper men cautiously felt their way down the dark back stairway of the old Sentinel building at 3 o'clock in the morning, November 1, 1885.  In those days the front door was locked at midnight, and there was no elevator. In the cellars of the Sentinel, Herold and Seebote the presses were clanking away, turning out the usual assortment of puffs, libels and uncolored truths. "Thirty " had been called twenty minutes before, and the quartette hurried down Newspaper Row, turned on East Water Street and headed for an allnight chophouse halfway down the block. As they munched their ham sandwiches and washed them down with the foaming brew indigenous to Milwaukee, the grain was planted that germinated and grew into a Milwaukee Press Club. It seemed a Herculean task to band the boys together in the year 1885, for strained relations then existed (now happily altered) between workers employed on the one paper and "the fellows on the other sheets." It must be admitted that ten years ago there was not the spirit of comradery that prevails today among the newspaper men of the city whether of high or low degree. Reporters on one paper regarded those on another as the incarnation of all that was unprofessional. It was suspected that among those higher in authority there was cherished a feeling for contemporaries that ached to find vent in personal peppery editorials. Archie Foster's suggestion seemed impossible of realization. Only a year or two before a futile attempt had been made in the same direction, the only relics of the Club being an elaborate constitution, with bylaws, and a vote of thanks from the managers of the Babies' Home, to whom the proceeds of a benefit entertainment were voted when the Club gave up the ghost. Whether from the cause noted, or because the newspaper men were unusually busy on the 8th of November, 1885, it appears from the minutes of the preliminary meeting held in a room of the Herold building on that day, that but a baker's dozen were present. They were Jas. Langland, Frank Bissinger, Alex. W. Dingwall, James Bannen, Geo. C. Youngs, Henry C. Campbell, Robert Strong, E. R. Petherick, Curt M. Treat, W. F. Hooker, Archie Foster, Geo. P. Mathes, Frank Markle and Henry E. Legler. One encouraging feature was that every English daily was represented. A temporary organization was effected, with Curt Treat as chairman, and Robert Strong as secretary, and everybody present was put on the assignment book to hustle for members.

And they did. The growth of the Club was rapid, and the Milwaukee Press Club today is one of the most flourishing in the country. By bringing the members of the profession together socially, the asperities of business competition have been confined to business hours and business places, and the younger members of the press gang have come to realize that there are a lot of jolly good fellows working on papers other than the ones for which they scratch for a living. The unique rooms occupied by the club are the delight of all the Bohemians from abroad who have visited them, the public entertainments are social events; and the influence of the Club outside its own membership has been to elevate newspaper men and their work in the estimation of the community.

It has become the unwritten law of the Club to elect its officers from president down from among the younger active workers on the press, and this rule was suspended but once.

The first election was held November 15, 1885, and resulted as follows :

President JAMES LANGLAND.

First Vice President GEO. C. YOUNGS.

Second VicePresident HERMAN BRAUN.

Secretary JERRE C. MURPHY.

Treasurer ALEX. W. DINGWALL.

Executive Committee H. P. MYRICK, L. W. NIEMAN, HERMAN BLEYER, FRANK BISSINGER, C. M. TREAT.

The offices were thus distributed with geometrical precision so as to give the different papers representation. That was ten years ago, of course. In recent elections, the disposition has been on the part of the men on one paper to elect as officers representatives from the other papers in preference to their own coworkers just to show that there are no hard feelings.

Jerre Murphy notified the Club at its next meeting that he must decline the honor accorded him, and Henry C. Campbell was chosen Secretary in his place.

The first entertainment was given at the old Academy, December 9, 1885. It is remembered to this day as something unique in that line. The programme lasted, with the numerous encores, till past midnight, and the audience remained in their seats till the end, and seemed loath to go even then. It was the first and last time in the history of Milwaukee theaters that some of the best known people of the city sat contentedly (or otherwise) in the back row of the top gallery. The sale of tickets was so unusual that it would have been necessary to enlarge the theater to accommodate all who wanted to go. Tickets were 50 cents a piece, and on the programme were such attractions as Abbie Carrington, Thomas W. Keene and a long list of others.

The rush to secure good seats was immense. When the box office opened, there was a line of men and boys in waiting that reached a block and a half away, and some of them had been waiting since midnight. The financial result of the entertainment is shown by 'the records to have been as follows: Gross receipts, $982 75

Expenses, 85 50

Profits,  $897 25

A suite of rooms was secured on the second floor of the Herold building. W. W. Coleman, proprietor, signified his sympathy with the boys by offering to pay an annual membership fee of $100. Up to this time the membership qualification was applied strictly to the newspaper men gaining a livelihood by means of newspaper work. It was apparent that to draw such a close line meant the exclusion of a desirable class of membership comprising wellknown exnewspaper men, and those intimately associated with the various phases of newspaperdom, though not dependent upon that work for their daily bread. As the spirit of goodfellowship in the Club began to expand the constitution was amended so as to include among those eligible to membership a new class to be known as "Associate Members," "to consist of editors of newspapers in the State of Wisconsin, persons formerly connected with newspapers and occasional correspondents." Associate members are entitled to all the privileges enjoyed by active members (including payment of initiation fees and dues) except voting and holding office.

January 3, 1886, the board of officers was unanimously reelected, W. J. Anderson being chosen to fill a vacancy on the Executive Board. During this administration the Club indulged in the luxury of a pool and billiard table, the plan being to pay for it from the proceeds of the fee charged players. It became an unwritten rule that the loser should pay five cents per game for each cue in action, and thus the poorest players paid the lion's share towards the purchase of the table, on the principle that they were paying for their experience. Henry Campbell and the writer purchased this experience in the largest quantities.

The second annual election, held January 4, 1887, resulted as follows:

President JAMES LANGLAND.

First Vice President GEO. C. YOUNGS.

Second Vice President W. A. BOWDISH.

Secretary HENRY C. CAMPBELL.

Financial Secretary JAS. BANNEN.

Treasurer ALEX. W. DINGWALL.

Executive Committee GEO. H. YENOWINE, HERMAN BLEYER, H. P. MYRICK, W. J. ANDERSON and GEO. P. MATHES.

In April following, Geo. C. Youngs and Henry C. Campbell purchased the Florence News, and their departure from Milwaukee necessitated their resignations. Thereupon Julius Bleyer was chosen First Vice President and Chase S. Osborn Secretary.

The first spirited contest for the presidency occurred at the succeeding annual election, several ballots being required to determine:

President JEROME A. WATROUS.

First Vice President JULIUS BLEYER.

Second Vice President HENRY E. LEGLER.

Secretary W. A. BOWDISH.

Treasurer A. W. FRIESE.

Executive Committee JAMES LANGLAND, W. J. ANDERSON, GEO. P. MATHES, GEO. H. YENOWINE and C. M. TREAT.

There was another warm contest for President at the next annual election, January 3, 1889. Five ballots were taken before a choice was declared:

President H. P. MYRICK.

First VicePresident GE0. H. YENOWINE.

Second Vice President EDGAR W. COLEMAN.

Secretary W. A. BOWDISH.

Treasurer HENRY C. CAMPBELL.

Executive Committee CHAS. K. LUSH, M. A. ALDRICH, HERMAN BLEYER, J. A. WATROUS, E. W. KRACKOWIZER.

This year a new constitution was adopted, after the model of the Chicago Press Club's constitution, and the provisions of this document obtain now. The purpose of the Club, as stated therein, is "to bring members of the newspaper and literary professions together in closer personal relations, to further goodfellowship and to provide members with comfortable Club rooms."

January 8, 1890, occurred the fifth annual election. President Myrick was presented with a diamond scarfpin and reelected, the officers for the ensuing year being chosen as follows:

President H. P. MYRICK.

First Vice President GEO. H. YENOWINE.

Second VicePresident E. W. COLEMAN.

Secretary FRED. F. HEATH.

Treasurer A. W. DINGWALL.

Executive Committee H. P. MYRICK, GEO. H. YENOWINE, HERMAN BLEYER, C. K. LUSH, JAS. BANNEN, GEO. W. PECK, JR., W. J. POHL.

Fred. Heath resigned as Secretary, after serving four months. His successor was M. E. Mclntosh.

In January, 1891, the following officers were chosen:

President GEO. H. YENOWINE.

First Vice President E. W. COLEMAN.

Second VicePresident HERMAN BLEYER.

Secretary M. E. McINTOSH.

Treasurer A. W. DINGWALL.

Executive Committee GEO. H. YENOWINE, C. K. LUSH, JULIUS BLEYER, L. W. NIEMAX, GEO. W. PECK, JR., JOHN R. WOLF, GEO. CLEMENT.

At the annual election in January, 1892, the election resulted as follows:

President JAMES BANNEN.

First Vice President W. A. BOWDISH.

Second VicePresident  W. J. POHL.

Secretary F. F. HEATH.

Treasurer A. G. WRIGHT.

Directors H. P. MYRICK, M. E. MCINTOSH, C. K. LUSH, JULIUS BLEYER, GEO. W. PECK, JR., JOHN R. WOLF.

Succeeding elections up to date have resulted in the following official boards:

JANUARY, 1893.

President HERMAN BLEYER.
First VicePresident WM. J. POHL.
Second VicePresident CHAS. W. EMERSON.
Secretary RICHARD B. WATROUS.
Treasurer A. G. WRIGHT.
Directors GEO. H. YENOWINE, W. F. HOOKER, and old members.

JANUARY, 1894.

President WILLI AM A. RUBLEE.

First vicePresident M. A. HOYT.

Second Vice President C. W. EMERSON.

Secretary J. D. McMANUS.

Treasurer A. G. WRIGHT.

JANUARY, 1895.

President JULIUS BLEYER.

First VicePresident WM. F. HOOKER.

Second Vice President JOHN R. WOLF.

Secretary WM. DUNLOP.

Treasurer A. G. WRIGHT.

Directors for Three Years J. D. McMANUS and CHAS. W. Julius Bleyer. EMERSON.