Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/149

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1830-40.] WILLIAM D. GALLAGHER. 133 The first number of the Mirror, enlarged and changed to a weekly, was issued bj " Shreve & Gallagher," in November, 1833. The new proprietors, young and full of hope, went to work industriously to build up a lofty reputation for their paper. It is true that the " patronage " given to the Mirror at first, was wholly inadequate to its support ; but the editors trusted that a quick-coming future would amply remunerate them for their outlay of money and labor. Each week brought considerable accessions to their list of subscribers. Midnight often found the publishers busily engaged, get- ting off their paper to its subscribers, who were enjoying comfortable slumbers, and not dreaming of paying the printer. But they labored in hope, and thus buoyed up they continued to work manfully with both heads and hands, firm in the faith that money and reputation would come. At the expiration of the first year they found themselves largely out of pocket ; but with subscription lists on which were the names of persons in various States of the Confederacy, they entered on the second year with flattering prospects. In April, 1835, the Chronicle, edited at that time by James H. Perkins, was purchased by him and merged into the Mirror, which was thence- forth published by T. H. Shreve & Co., and edited by Gallagher, Shreve and Per- kins. It was continued by them until the close of the year, when, from ill health and other considerations, they saw fit to accept an offer for the concern, and sold it to James B. Marshall, who changed the name of the paper to The Buckeye. Mr. M. edited and published it for three months, and then disposed of it to Flash, Ryder & Co., who kept a bookstore on Third street, which was then a place of resort for the literati of the Queen City. The new proprietors secured the services of Mr. Galla- gher and Mr. Shreve as editors, and changed the name of the paper back to that of the Cincinnati Mirror. It was not long before, owing to some disagreement between the editors and proprietors, touching the conduct of the paper, the former vacated their places. They were succeeded by J. Reese Fry, who conducted the Mirror for a few months, when it was abandoned. In June, 1836, Mr. Gallagher became the editor of the Western Literary Journal and Monthly Review — Smith and Day publishers. It was a handsomely printed mag- azine of forty-eight pages. The publishers were enterprising — the editor had experi- ence — the chief writers of the West sent him articles, but the fates were against suc- cess, and, in 1837, the Literary Journal was discontinued. In the early part of 1835, Mr. Gallagher published " Erato No. I." — a duodecimo pamphlet of thirty-six pages. It was dedicated to Timothy Flint, and bore the im- print of Alexander Flash. The chief poem was entitled " The Penitent, a Metrical Tale." Among the minor poems were " The Wreck of the Hornet " (the first poem from Mr. Gallagher's pen which attracted general public attention), " Eve's Banish- ment," and "To my Mother." A flattering reception was given " Erato," and in August, 1835, Mr. Gallagher made a second selection from the contents of his hterary wallet, and " Erato No. II.," containing sixty pages, was pubhshed by Mr. Flash. The princi- pal poem was " The Conqueror, a Vision." Among the poems in " Erato No. II.," which have come down to the present generation, were " August,"; and "The Mount- ain Paths." " Erato No. III.," containing sixty pages, though pubhshed by Alexander