Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

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PIONEER IHISTORY OF ING1lAM COUNTY

settlers depended for supplies, were maple sugar and black salts.
That spring the maple sugar crop was an entire failure, so the
settlers had to devote more time than usual to raising a crop of
grain for the coming year, but killing frosts in June and July
entirely destroyed the wheat, corn and potatoes. Under those
distressing circumstances, the only resort for those owning land
was to mortgage their farms, frequently paying as high as 25 per
cent interest, for means to live until the next regular maple sugar
season should afford them relief, while those who could sold out
and left the country. Think of starting a newspaper in a village
with only seventy voters, under such circumstances. We distinctly remember the first money that was paid into the office.
It was about three weeks after the first paper had been issued, when
Dr. McRobert came into the office and paid for three months subscription, leaving us a Spanish silver quarter. Small and insignificant as the sum was, we never had money come more timely,
for important letters had lain on our desk for a long time because
we had not the money for postage.
The News was started as a neutral paper, and the price $1 per
year. This was advised by the men who first encouraged the enterprise, and was published as such until 1860, when on account of
the withdrawal by the Democrats of all patronage, we felt it our
duty to enter the political field and labor for the success of the
party of our choice. This step at once separated us from the
Democrats, and speedily brought down their united strength
against us. They fought us just as hard as they fought the Union
during the rebellion, and with about the same success. Their
object was to drive us out of town, while we stubbornly refused to
go. They sought to destroy the office, but finding that we were
prepared to defend our property, they next resorted to personal
attacks that resulted in frequent-well,we will leave it to our
Democratic friends to tell how it used to turn out. It never
cost much for liniment to cure our bruised body after one of these
"shindies." If we are not mistaken, they don't believe it at all
profitable to "lick" a Republican editor.
Several amusing incidents occurred as the result of the political
change of the paper, one of which we will relate: One individual
called upon an attorney for advice as he proposed to sue the
editor of the News for damages, claiming that he subscribed for a