Introduction
JOHN C. HARPER was the son of John Harper, an Irish immigrant who was born September 15, 1799 in Ballymeena, and Nancy French, born in Ireland in 1811.
John C. Harper was the oldest child, born in Pittsburgh PA on February 10, 1833. He was followed by brothers William and Samuel and sisters Nancy and Margaret, two other sisters died as infants. His father passed in April of 1846, his mother however lived to be 90, passing in Pittsburgh in 1901.
After attending public schools in Pittsburgh John C. Harper entered Washington and Jefferson College. By 1854 he was working as a reporter. In 1864 he co-founded the Sunday Leader which evolved into the Pittsburgh Leader. He stayed in Pittsburgh until 1877, when the ill-health of his wife gave him cause to move to Philadelphia. In 1884 he came to Camden to assume the position of editor of the Daily Courier, a position he held until his death on May 9, 1918. He was survived by his wife Caroline, daughter Mrs. Annie Bingham, son William, and his younger sister Margaret.
A keen judge of talent, John C. Harper hired S. Conrad Ott as a reporter for the Daily Courier in 1889. By 1891, Ott, not yet 24 years old, was promoted to City Editor, a post he held until leaving journalism to practice law full-time in September of 1902.
John C. Harper’s brother William Harper was also a career journalist. William was working in California during the Civil War and worked for the San Francisco Call up until his death in 1882. Brother Samuel served in the Union Army before returning to Pittsburgh, where he passed in 1889.
John C. Harper Dies at Shore
Camden Daily Courier —
Editor of Courier Was in Newspaper Business More Than Sixty Years
HOLD FUNERAL ON SUNDAY
After a life-time spent actively in the newspaper business, John C. Harper, editor of the “Camden Daily Courier,” died a this [sic] home, at 118 Brighton avenue, Atlantic City, at three o’clock yesterday afternoon. He was one of the oldest newspaper men in the country, entering the business over sixty years ago. He was editor of the “Courier” for thirty years.
This venerable journalist began his newspaper career at the age of eighteen years, following his graduation from Washington and Jefferson College, at Cannonsburg, Pa. The late United States Senator Matthew S. Quay, Republican leader of Pennsylvania, was a classmate. The late James G. Blaine, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and once candidate for President, also attended this college.
John C. Harper was born February 15, 1833, in Pittsburgh, Pa. After acquiring a public school education in Pittsburgh, he entered Washington and Jefferson College. As a boy he entered a job printing office and became a compositor and pressman. In 1854 he was the sole reporter of the Pittsburgh Dispatch. That was before the days of telephones and street cars, and he covered his assignments on foot. Subsequently he filled a similar position on the Pittsburgh Chronicle and later the Post. In 1861 he became city editor of the Pittsburgh Commercial, and from that position advanced to assistant editor. In 1864 he joined in the establishing of the Sunday Leader on which the present Pittsburgh Leader, a daily newspaper, was founded. Fifteen dollars was expended in founding this paper and in 1912 it sold for over $2,000,000. In 1873 he aided in the founding of the Pittsburgh Evening Telegraph and became managing editor.
Following the great railroad strike riots in Pittsburgh and on account of the ill health of his wife he removed to Philadelphia in 1877 and was successively employed on the Press, News and Call. In July, 1889, he came to Camden and became editor of the “Daily Courier,” which position he filled until the time of his death.
He is the only surviving reporter of the great mass meeting of the citizens of the United States held at Pittsburgh on February 11, 1856, called to take action regarding the proposed extension of slavery to States north of Missouri. The three days’ conference laid the foundation of the Republican party, which was organized in Philadelphia the following June. The newspaper men present included the late Whitelaw Reid, former ambassador to Great Britain; A. Bakely Hall, afterward Mayor of New York City; Douglas C. Loview, the McLaughlins, of New York, and Russel Errett. Horace Greeley, the famous New York editor, was among the notable Abolitionists present.
Mr. Harper was almost a life-long Republican. He belonged to the original No Nothing Party and later became an Abolitionist. When the great Republican party was formed in 1854 and Freemont was nominated as its candidate for President, Mr. Harper aligned with the new party and remained steadfast in his confidence in the party until his death. He was radical in his views concerning politics and never deserted the old party ship, no matter how stormy the tempest raged. He never held political office. Once he was a candidate for the school board of Pittsburgh and was defeated through malicious lies published by a fellow newspaper man. That ended his ambitions in the political world.
Opportunity once knocked at his door and had he accepted the call, the foundation of a great fortune undoubtedly would have been laid. Andrew Carnegie, founder of the great steel industry of the country, was a messenger boy in the same building in which Mr. Harper filed his copy as a reporter. Year later there were oil booms and steel booms that fell through in Pittsburgh. Most of them were “get-rich-quick” schemes, and young Carnegie was considered a dreamer when he launched a boom which later developed into the United States Steel Corporation. Mr. Harper and Mr. Carnegie were friends, and when the latter began the booming of his steel proposition Mr. Harper had become an editor. Carnegie offered him a large block of steel stock for almost a song in return for which Mr. Harper was to give him advertising and editorial space. Because other schemes had failed, Mr. Harper rejected the offer.
When the late editor first entered the newspaper business all of the modern appliances of the great enterprise were undreamed of. The President’s message to Congress was sent overland to St. Louis by couriers on horseback because railroads had not linked the East and West, and from there it was sent to Pittsburgh by flat boat up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In these days the President’s message is often sent two weeks ahead of time in stereotype form, except during war times, when it is flashed from Washington by telegraph while he is speaking. One of the newspapers of which Mr. Harper was editor pulled a great “beat” on handling the President’s message in the old days by having a composing room rigged up on a flat boat. When the message arrived at St. Louis the compositors began setting the address, and when Pittsburgh was reached the form was ready to go to press. Other newspapers had to set the message after it reached the Smoky City and, of course, were several hours late.
The deceased is survived by a widow, Mrs. Caroline R. Cooke Harper, who was born at Harrisburg. They had been happily married for more than sixty years. Two children survive, who are Mrs. C. D. Bingham of Chicago, and W. C. Harper, who resides at his parents’ home at the shore. They also have six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Mr. Harper was a personal friend of United States Senator George Oliver, of Pennsylvania, years ago, while the Senator was practicing law at Pittsburgh.
Nearly all his life the aged editor enjoyed unbroken health, and for years traveled back and forth from his home in Atlantic City to the “Courier” office daily. He was stricken three weeks ago with Bright’s disease, and complications quickly followed. His widow is an invalid and his devotion to her was of the noblest character.
The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon, at 3:30 o’clock, with Rev. Charles D. Sinkinson, pastor of the Methodist Protestant Church, officiating. Well-known men will be pallbearers as follows: United States Senator David Baird, George A. Frey, publisher of the “Camden Courier”; S. Conrad Ott, Esq., Frank F. Patterson, Jr., County Clerk of Camden; former Postmaster Louis T. Derousse, Postmaster Harry M. Knight and Walter L. Tushingham, business manager of the “Camden Courier.” Interment will be made at Pleasantville.
John C. Harper Is Laid Away at Pleasantville
Camden Daily Courier —
The funeral of John C. Harper, editor-in-chief of the Courier, who died last Thursday at the advanced age of 86 years, took place yesterday afternoon from his home at 110 North Brighton avenue, Atlantic City. The services were in charge of Rev. Chas. D. Sinkinson, pastor of First M. P. Church, Atlantic City, who spoke very feelingly of the long and useful life of the deceased. There was an abundance of floral tributes. A delegation went from Camden, composed of professional associates and friends.
The pall-bearers were City Treasurer George A. Frey, County Clerk Francis F. Patterson, Jr., Postmaster Harry Knight, former Postmaster Louis T. Derousse, Charles J. Haags, city editor of the Courier, and Louis Gates, foreman of the Courier “ad” room.
Interment was made at the Pleasantville Cemetery.