Ovid Bee - March 5, 1856
Northern Californian
For several months we have received a paper from California, called the "North Californian," printed in Oroville, Butte County, by Charles G. Lincoln, in the 10th number of which, received last Friday, dated Jan. 19, we find the following announcement: --"Our readers will perceive by reference to our first page, that we have disposed of a part of the establishment of the North Californian to Messrs. Fairchild & Evans; and the business will hereafter be carried on in the name of Lincoln & Co." -- And on turning to the first page as indicated, find the names of our brother Oscar L. C., and Wm Evans, both of whom, perhaps, it may be remembered, have worked in this office, the latter in 1853, of whose whereabouts we are pleased to learn. They are both enterprising young men, and better printers are rarely found, which no doubt accounts for the neat appearance of the "Californian." They have our best wishes for their abundant success.
Coloma Argus -O.L.C. Fairchild worked here between leaving the Northern Californian and moving to Placerville, California.
Semi-Weekly Observer - Placerville, California - Began February 9, 1859 by J.D. Fairchild and O.L.C. Fairchild it lasted about a year.
Placerville Republican - O.L.C. Fairchild worked as foreman here after the Observer shut down. Then he moved to Austin, Nevada to work the Reese River Reveille.
Georgetown News - Moved and became the
Sierra Democrat
J. DePuy was employed at this newspaper office in Forest City, Sierra Co, California in 1857.Ovid Bee - May 15, 1867
Silver Bend Reporter -- Our three brothers, all practical printers, are “branching out” up in Nevada – the State of their adoption. They have long been “running” a sprightly little Daily at Austin City, under the name of J.D. Fairchild & Co., and have recently started a small neatly printed Weekly at Belmont, in Nye Co., under the firm name of Oscar L. C. Fairchild & Co., the title of w’ch heading this article, it being ‘an Independent Journal’ devoted to the Mining, Manufacturing and Agricultural interests of “Eastern Nevada.” – They have all become married men since settling there – seemingly willing to do their part in increasing the population. We wish the trio abundant prosperity in both undertakings – for having been proved, they three have all been ‘found worthy.’ We are in the receipt of the 3d No. only.Note - The paper was printed in Belmont, Nye County, Nevada. One reference, "History of Masonry in Nevada", Br. C.W. Torrence, 1944, published by the Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons, indicates that the first issue of the Silver Bend Reporter was March 30, 1867 and a copy of that number, and one dated October 26, 1867, were included in the cornerstone of the new Masonic Hall in Austin, Nevada. The information was taken from the "Reese River Reveille" of Monday, November 4, 1867. In February, Mahlon moved a quantity of surplus material and a press from the office of the Reese River Reveille to Belmont. The delay was due to the cold weather and the difficulty in finding a building that could be used to house the press.
Ovid Bee - June 26, 1867
We received June 17, our brother’s paper, the “Silver Bend Reporter” of May 18, printed at Belmont, Nye Co., Nevada, thro’ the Dead Letter Office, at Washington, in a sealed letter envelope, duly franked. The following letter accompanied it:Post Office Department,
Washington, June 13, 1867
Sir: The enclosed was received at this Department in its present condition, supposed to have been the result of an Indian depredation on the Overland Route, and is forwarded by the earliest Mail, by order of the Postmaster General.E.S. Childs,
Acting Second Ass’t P.M. Gen’l.The paper was folded in wrapper and addressed in the usual way, the only peculiarity being its soiled condition, with blood stains upon it in various placed, the blank edge of white being quite well saturated with the “Life-giving current” doubtless of some “Lot the poor Indian” or some unfortunate white man in its passage hitherward. It evidently passed thro’ some sharply contested battle, about which there is a mystery yet unsolved. Could it reveal the unwritten history of its travels, it wou’d no doubt prove highly interesting as well as horrible.
Note -Newspapers formed an integral part of early Belmont. There were three papers that originated in the early years: The Silver Bend Reporter, The Mountain Champion and The Belmont Courier. The Silver Bend Reporter was the earliest and the first issue was published on March 30, 1867. The paper was run by Oscar Fairchild and Mahlon, his brother, was the editor. The paper started out, as most did, as a weekly, but was soon twice a week, published on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Things did not work out for the paper, the reason is unknown. It closed on July 29, 1868, and was moved to Austin. Evidently, Mahlon was disgusted with Belmont and let it be known in the final editorial: "The local support received by the Reporter has amounted to but a moiety of what it should have been and with business as it now is at Belmont, even the local columns of a weekly newspaper can contain but meager scraps of information swelled to importance only by an imaginative brain and painted by some valuable pen." He added, angrily, that because Austin had always been the true center of attention in Nevada, he would move the newspaper there. Despite his attitude, the paper was crammed full of advertisements from local businesses.
Ovid Bee - February 19, 1868
REESE RIVER REVEILLE – We read with much interest the contents of the above named paper, published at Austin, Nevada, which has lately been added to our exchange list. It is a daily, about one-quarter the size of the GAZETTE, and though small is spicy. The terms are only $24 per annum! To pay the difference in exchange, we propose that brother Fairchild appropriated in our name a small mining tract on Lander Hill, and sell it out at the first favorable opportunity’ after taking from the proceeds sufficient to pay his demand, he may remit balance by draft – not one of Lincoln’s kind, however. – Geneva Gazette.We are also in receipt of the Daily Reveille, spoken of above, printed by our Brothers. No wonder our friend PARKER likes the paper for it is edited, and ably too, by an Angel! [Corydon was referring to Myron Angel, a cousin to the Fairchilds.]
Oakland Daily News - in 1871 O.L.C. Fairchild and William Gagan bought this paper. Fairchild became sole proprietor on Gagan's death in 1873. He remained there until 1877 when he returned to Nevada.
From the Stockton Daily Independent - Monday, 2 Oct 1871
OAKLAND ‘DAILY NEWS’ -- Oscar L. FAIRCHILD, for years editor and proprietor of the Reese River ‘Reveille,’ Austin, Nevada, has purchased an interest in the ‘News,’ and the same hereafter will be published by GAGAN & FAIRCHILD. The ‘News’ is one of our most valuable exchanges, and we expect it will take still higher rank under the new management.
Tuscarora, Elko County, Nevada - Two newspapers began publication in 1877. The Tuscarora Times started on March 24 under the guidance of E.A. Littlefield, also publisher of the Elko Weekly Post. The weekly publication was issued on Saturdays at a cost of $5 per year. On May 23, C.C.S. Wright began publication of the Mining Review. The paper came out twice a week initially but later became a daily. The two papers enjoyed a friendly competition, so much so that the two papers merged on January 3, 1878, and the Tuscarora Times-Review was born. The new owners were Oscar Fairchild and John Dennis. The paper was a daily and was not published on Mondays.
A new newspaper tried to challenge the powerful and revered Tuscarora Times-Review. In 1881, that paper had been cut back to a weekly by owner Oscar Fairchild. The Daily Mining News made its first appearance in January, 1883. The paper was run by Harry Fontecilla and despite high hopes for success, it was never able to gain a footheld with the presence of the Times-Review.
During 1895, the Tuscarora Times-Review shrank to two pages and then shut down on October 5 . The Fairchild newspaper legacy was over. Oscar Fairchild, who had come to Tuscarora in 1877, died of heart failure in June, 1897, at the age of 67. Both he and his son, Tracy, had run the Tuscarora Times-Review from its inception. Besides running the paper, Oscar ran a dairy near town and served as postmaster for 10 years. Before coming to Tuscarora, Fairchild had run papers in Placerville, California; Virginia City; Pioche; and Belmont. He also had founded the Reese River Reveille in Austin.
The Town That Died Laughing
The story of Austin, Nevada, rambunctious early-day mining camp, and of its renowned newspaper,
the Reese River Reveille.
- Quoted from the end flap of the book
by Oscar Lewis
Little, Brown and Company
1955Oroville Mercury - Oroville, California - Mahlon was editor of this paper from 1882 to 1884.
References:
The Ovid Bee - Editorial Columns
The Town That Died Laughing
Last Update October 28, 2005
Copyright 2001-2003, Mark W. Swarthout, Esq.