The City Of Chester.

six columns and otherwise improved it. He continued its publication until April 15, 1882, when he sold it to the Times Publishing Company, its present owner. The latter had purchased The Delaware County Gazette, which, under the title of The Delaware County Paper, had been established, in 1876, by Col. William C. Gray, and subsequently passed into the ownership of John McFeeters, then Maj. D. R. B. Nevin, who changed its name to the Gazette, and finally of A. Donath. The Times, under its new management, has shown great energy, and to keep pace with the increase of circulation and advertising patronage has been enlarged three times, until now it is one of the largest daily papers published in the State, excepting those in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It is ultra Republican in tone and well edited.

The Weekly Reporter, an octavo publication, advertising legal notices, and reporting in full the opinions of the courts of Delaware County, was established March 31, 1881, by Ward R. Bliss, Esq. Mr. Bliss has continued The Weekly Reporter with marked ability. Recently the opinions which have appeared in the Reporter have been published in a handsome volume, entitled "Delaware County Reports."

In 1882, The Chester Business Mirror, a monthly advertising paper, was published by Edward Frysinger, and is now well established.

In August, 1842, Edward E. Flavill and Mr. Jackson published The Chariot, an advocate of the cause of temperance. The paper was printed in Philadelphia, but after a few numbers had been issued it was discontinued.

Occasionally, in 1848, a small folio, The Owl, was published in Chester and circulated at night. It was very personal in its articles, and although many of its gibes and hits are pointless now, at the time of its publication it caused much excitement in the ancient town.

In April, 1850, S. E. Cohen, a new agent in the borough, began the publication of the Chester Herald, issuing it monthly, subsequently changing it to a weekly sheet, and finally discontinued it at the end of twelve months.

In 1857, The Evening Star, a literary paper, made its appearance under the auspices of the Washington Literary Association, being at that time edited by Edward A. Price and Miss Kate Taylor, but, as with many similar publications, interest in it abated, and it was abandoned.

On Oct. 27, 1866, the Chester Advertiser, a weekly advertising sheet for gratuitous circulation, was issued by John Spencer and Dr. William Taylor. April, 1867, Mr. Spencer ceased to be a partner in the enterprise, and Dr. Taylor continued its publication until the following October, when it suspended.

In 1869, H. Y. Arnold and Wilmer W. James began the publication of a weekly advertising sheet, - The Independent. Arnold soon after withdrew, and James associated J. J. Shields with him in the enterprise, until 1871, when the latter retired, and James continued the paper until 1874, when it was discontinued.

The Delaware County Mail was established Nov. 27, 1872, by Joseph T. DeSilver & Co. Nov. 27, 1876, it was sold to the proprietors of The Delaware County Paper, and merged into the latter publication.

The Public Press was issued May 3,1876, by Thomas Higgins and Robert Simpson, but its publication was suspended during the same year.

The Commercial Advertiser, a Democratic paper, was published by J. M. Stowe & Co. in February, 1878, but after a few issues the publishers abandoned the enterprise.

In 1877, during a revival of the temperance movement, Andrew J. Bowen began the publication of The Temperance World, and after several issues changed the title to The Chester World. In a few months interest in the paper ceased, and it finally was discontinued.

In October, 1883, the first number of The Brotherhood, a monthly journal devoted to the interests of the Brotherhood of the Union (H. F.), was issued by the Brotherhood Publication Company, Charles K. Melville, editor. The paper is printed by Melville & Hass, and is the official organ of the order in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The County Bridges. - The first bridge erected over Chester Creek, where the King's road (the present Third Street) crosses that stream, was a drawbridge. In 1686 the court ordered the building of a horse-bridge over the creek, near Chester, as the King's road at that time did not pass through the borough, but to the north of the town, through the present borough of Upland, where a horse-bridge had been erected shortly after Penn's arrival, for at court held 6th day of First month, 1687, "Nathin^l Evins, Supervisor of y^e King's wayes for Chester, presented Caleb Pusey & Jno Hodskins [Hoskins] for not laying y^e planks on y^e bridge over Chester creek." There is no evidence that the order of the court as respected that bridge was ever carried into effect; indeed, the contrary seems to be negatively established, for at the December court, 1699, Ralph Fishbourne presented a petition "for a convenient road from the west side of Chester creek, where the ferry is kept for to lead to the now King's road." The court thereupon appointed six viewers to lay out "the said roadway in the most convenient place they can for the convenience of the inhabitants."

In 1700, the inconvenience arising from the roundabout way became such an annoyance to the traveling public and the inhabitants of the borough of Chester that a determined and successful effort was made to change the route of the King's highway, so that it should pass through the town and nearer the river. To avoid interrupting the free navigation of the stream, it was determined that the creek be spanned by a draw-bridge. Accordingly, in that year, an act