In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printings (1899 and 1901) are folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1834, Washington County
From Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri (1901), Saint Louis : the future great city of the world : with biographical sketches of the representative men and women of St. Louis and Missouri (1876), Encyclopedia of the history of St. Louis, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (v. 2) (1899)
DANIEL M. HOUSER.
OF dil the ventures in the great world of business, probably the most precarious is the publication of a newspaper. No other pursuit is attended with as much and as incessant labor, and certainly none other is liable to so many anathemas. In many cases it is but a very thankless undertaking, the great majority venturing upon this doubtful ground, merely to find themselves shipwrecked after years of toil and labor. To make a success of a newspaper enterprise, requires more than ordinary sagacity, and it must be acknowledged that the great defect in most of the newspaper publications of the day is the total lack of proper practical management, without which no publication, however ably edited or brilliantly written, can possibly hope to succeed.
Among those in St. Louis who have made life a success in the paths of Journalism, is Daniel M. Househ, one of the proprietors, and principal business manager, of the Glohe-Democval.
Mr. Houser was born in Washington county, Maryland, December 23, 1834. The family date their first arrival in America back to 1740, when they first settled in Pennsylvania, from which State his paiernai grandfather emigrated to Maryland. In 1839, when Daniel was but four and a half 3’ears old, his father removed with his family’ to Missouri and settled in Clark county, where the boy attended the county.schools. In 1846, the family came to St. Louis, and from 1847 to 1850, Daniel attended the public schools of this city.
His first adventure upon the great sea of e.vistence was in 1851, when ho entered the Union office, then edited by Captain Phillips, ns office-boy. It was here he began to acquire that knowledge of the newspaper business which he has since brought to such perfection. In 1853 the Union was merged into the Missouri Democrat, Mr. Houser still retaining his position in the office. The paper wiis at that time owned by Messrs. Hill & McKee. In 1855, the late General Frank P. Blair, bought Mr. Hill out, when Mr. Houser took the general management of the office, filling the position of book-keeper also. The Democrat was the first abolition paper published in a slave State. It was a bold undertaking, but it was in the hands of brave men, fortified by the honest convictions of right.
In 1862, Mr. Houser purchased the interest of General Blair in the Democrat, becoming a member of the firm of "McKee, Fishback & Co. and for ten years he conducted the financial department of the establishment. How ably he filled that position, was demonstrated by the success and standing of that journal at the day of its sale. The paper yielded large profit.s, and its political influence was second to no journal in the West. In March 1872, the paper changed hands, and Mr. Fishback became its proprietor, Messrs. McKee and Houser retiring.
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On the 18th of July 1872, the first number of the St. Louis Globe made its appearance, with William McKee as editor-in-chief, and Mr. Houser as business manager, which was well received by our citizens. Upon this paper Mr. Houser put in some of the best and most useful years of his life. It immediately sprang into a vigorous existence, took a leading position among the journals of the West, and from the beginning commanded the respect even of its political enemies.
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Mr. Houser was married in 1862 to Miss Maggie Ingram of St. Louis. His family consists of three children, two boys and one girl.
In addition to his connection with journalism, Mr. Houser is connected with some of our most prosperous banking corporations, and has ever taken a lively interest in all the public institutions of the city.
Although his position has ever brought him in contact with politics and politicians, he has never sought office, but has ever contented himself with attending strictly to his own private affairs. Thoroughly practical in all his views, the great success which has attended the St. Louis Globe is in a great measure due to his skillful management. In his friendships Mr. Houser is w'arm and constant, and those who possess it regard it as an invaluable boon. He county his own friends by the thousands, and a business connection of over a quarter of a century has earned for him the confidence and esteem of our entire community.
As printed in Saint Louis : the future great city of the world : with biographical sketches of the representative men and women of St. Louis and Missouri (1876). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Houser, Daniel M., president of the Globe Printing Company, is the son of Elias and Eliza Houser, and was born December 23, 1834, in Washington County, Maryland. In 1839 his parents removed to Clark County, Missouri, and from there to St. Louis, in 1846. In his early youth Mr. Houser obtained what tuition the common schools afforded, and was well grounded in the rudiments of education when, at the age of seventeen, he set out to make his own way in the world. He began in an humble place in the workrooms of the “Union” newspaper, and was with that paper when Hill & McKee purchased it and merged it into the “Missouri Democrat.” The general history of this institution, now known far and wide as the “Globe-Democrat,” is given in the article on "Newspapers.” To have been identified with such a lever of power and influence for nearly half a century already, with
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De i through his journal пу ad 10 eei almost every project de ano is found ч i city his name 8 he b interests of the rec less-to say that all such his influence wherever it can be exerted. In 1862 Mr. Houser married Miss Margaret Ingram, of this city, of which marriage two sons and one daughter were born. Both sons are employed in the business department of the “Globe-Democrat.” Mrs. Houser died in February, 1880, and nine years later Mr. Houser was married to Miss Agnes Barlow, daughter of Stephen D. Barlow, deceased, by whom he has had four children. Daniel M. Houser is without ostentation, and has never sought notoriety of any sort. He is a plain, practical business man, with a kind heart and an evident purpose to do the right thing. A good deal of his money has been spent in a way to adorn the city architecturally, and it can well be said of him that he is deserving of the cordial respect and esteem of his fellowcitizens. In the latter part of November, 1897, having positively declined re-election to the directory of the St. Louis Exposition & Music Hall Association, the general manager was requested by the board to express to Mr. Houser their great regret at his decision. In conveying this regret Mr. Frank Gaiennie said: “Your unselfish and disinterested work in behalf of the Exposition for fifteen years attest your loyalty to it and your public spirit in everything that has the interest of St. Louis at heart. Your unanimous nomination by the board would have been ratified by the stockholders at the election. Your uniform, courteous and considerate manner will long be remembered, and the good wishes of all will follow you for your future welfare.” At the present time Mr. Houser is one of the chief promoters of the Louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition, which will be held in St. Louis in 1903.
As printed in Encyclopedia of the history of St. Louis, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (v. 2) (1899). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Houser, Daniel M., president of the Globe Printing Company of St. Louis, was born December 23, 1834, in Washington County, Maryland. In 1839 his parents re- moved to Qark County, Missouri, and from there to St. Louis, in 1846. In his early youth Mr. Houser obtained what tuition the common schools afforded, and was well grounded in the rudiments of education when, at the age of seventeen, he set out to* make his own way in the world. He began in an humble place in the work rooms of the "Union" newspaper, and was with that paper when Hill & McKee purchased it and merged it into the "Missouri Democrat.*' The ereneral history of this institution, now known far and wide as the "Globe-Democrat,* is given in the article on ''Newspapers of St. Louis." To have been identified with such a lever of power and influence for nearly half a century already, with the prospect of many years more of continuance, is itself a distinction of extraordinary note. With his foot upon the ladder, Mr. Houser rose until in a few years he was a bookkeeper, and then general business manager. He had just attained his majority when the interest of the senior proprietor of the "Democrat" was absorbed by Francis P. Blair, who was then planting the seed of his future political career. On the retirement of Blair, who remained but a short time in the firm, a pecuniary interest in the new organization fell to George W. Fishback and D. M. Houser. In those days a newspaper partnership meant no such immense outlay of money as is involved in modern city journalism, nor were the demands of readers upon publishers anything like such as they are now. Advertising and circulation patronage were both limited, and it is a feature of Mr. Houser's long career that the wonderful evolution of the newspaper business in the last half century has been conspicuously participated in by him. Able and fortuitous as has been the editorial management of the **Globe-Democrat," the paper never could have attained the success it has except by the application of systematic business methods. A liberal expenditure of money in the collection and transmission of the latest news, competent and properly distributed agents, ample provision for the composing and press rooms, and attention to the innumerable details of the counting room, require executive ability of the highest standard. The combination of talents that can look to these is exceedingly rare and admits of but a single test — success. Up to the death of William McKee, that veteran of the press was president of the Globe Printing Company, the corporate name of the "Globe-Democrat" concern. Mr. Houser succeeded him in 1879. He was for many years a director of the Western Associated Press, and shared with Richard Smith, W. N. Haldeman, Murat Halstead, Joseph Medill and other well known newspaper men in planning the operations of that great surveyor of the public's intellectual aliment. He was one of the incorporators and original directors of the St. Louis Exposition, and has been very prominent in promoting that enterprise, both through his journal and individual effort. In the latter part of November, 1897, having positively declined re-election to the directory of the St. Louis Exposition & Music Hall Association, the general manager was requested by the board to express to Mr. Houser their great regret at his decision. In conveying this regret Mr. Frank Gaiennie said: '* Your unselfish and disinterested work in behalf of the Exposition for fifteen years attest your loyalty to it and your public spirit in everything that has the interest of St. Louis at heart. Your unanimous nomination by the board would have been ratified by the stockholders at the election. Your uniform, courteous and considerate manner will long be remembered, and the good wishes of all will follow you for your future welfare." At the present time Mr. Houser is one of the chief promoters of the Louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition, which will be held in St. Louis in 1903. In national and State politics he has long wielded a potent influence, both through the journal of which he is manager and by personal effort. A Republican of the staunchest sort, he has rendered services of great value to that organization, asking from it, however, nothing for himself in return and evincing no desire for political preferment. In the year 1900, however, the Republicans of Missouri, in State Convention assembled, showed their appreciation of these services by paying him the high compliment of making him one of the four delegates at large from Missouri to the Republican National Convention of that year, by a unanimous vote. As the head of the Missouri delegation, he sat in the memorable Philadelphia Convention which renominated President McKinley and named Theodore Roosevelt for Vice President. In 1862 Mr. Houser married Miss Margaret Ingram, of St. Louis, of which marriage two sons and one daughter were born. Both the sons, who were young men of rare promise, were employed in the business department of the *'Globe-Democrat/' until they were in turn stricken down by disease and died in the flush of manhood. The first Mrs. Houser died in February, 1880, and nine years later Mr. Houser was married to Miss Agnes Barlow, daughter of Stephen D*. Barlow, deceased, by whom he had four children. Daniel M. Houser is without ostentation, and has never sought notoriety of any sort. He is a plain, practical business man, with a kind heart and an evident purpose to do the right thing. A good deal of his money has been spent in a way to adorn the city architecturally, and it carr well be said of him that he is deserving of the cordial respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
As printed in Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Frank Gaiennie George W. Fishback (b. 1828)
The printed record stops around 1901. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.