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MAJOR BITTERS.— During the month of roses, in 1820, John
Bitters, the son of a German soldier, who chose death rather than
subserviance to George IV., was united in marriage at Martin's
Creek, Northampton county. Pa., with Miss Sarah Ann Major, a
young lady of Scotch parentage, to whom were born eleven children,
Maj. Bitters, the subject of this sketch, being the eighth child and
fourth son, born Sept. 21, 1835. When but eleven years of age Major
Bitters went forth to earn an independent livelihood, and until 1854.
when he took an apprenticeship at the Gazette oflfice, in Berwick.
Pa., he paid his parents over three hundred dollars out of his very
meager earnings. In less than one year's time he was advanced to
the foremanship of the office and at the commencement of the Buch-
anan presidential campaign, in 1856, published a campaign paper at
Bloomsburg, Pa., with Frank Snyder as financial partner. Before
election day the "Campaigner" suspended for want of patronage and
the material was moved to Orangeville, Pa., where the publication of
the Orangeville Democrat was established by the same firm, but the
revenue was not sufficient to prevent a treasury deficit, and Major
resolved to accept the advice just offered by Horace Greeley — to go
west and grow up with the country. As foreman of the Democrat
(which was a republican paper) at Danville, Pa., he earned sufficient means to carry him to Indianapolis, Ind., where he served a few
weeks on the Journal, and thence to Peru, about Christmas time in
1856, where he resided until the 6th of October, 1873. During his
residence in Peru, on the 4th day of March, 1858, he was united in
marriage to Miss Maria Rose, to whom were born three sons and
one daughter. Two sons died in childhood. Albert and Maggie
are yet living, both married and residents of Rochester. Major en-
listed as a private soldier in Company K, One Hundred and Fifty-
fifth Indiana volunteers, which was mustered in at Indianapcilis in
February, 1865, and mustered out at Dover, Del, in August of the
same year. But most of his time in the army was given as second
leader of a regimental brass band. Under his skillful services the
Peru Republican developed from an insignificant country paper,
printed on a hand press, to its present proud proportions. The purchase of the Rochester Union Spy was a venture that no one with
a less degree of adhesiveness would have undertaken, but the debt
incurred was paid in due time and the office and the paper very much
improved. Three years later he sold the Spy office and purchased
the Union office at Rensselaer and changed the name to Rensselaer
Republican. In July, 1880, he sold out and returned to Rochester,
engaging in the real estate business with A. C. Elliott. In 1882 he
established the Rochester Tribune, which he sold to W. I. Howard
& Son a year later. In November, 1884, he repurchased the Spy
office, which under the management of W. H. Mattingly & Bro.
had been rechristened the Rochester Republican. On the 5th day of
February, 1886, he added the publication of the Rochester Daily
Republican, now in its eleventh volume, of which, together with the
Weekly Republican, M. Bitters & Son are the sole proprietors. In
1892 they purchased the Rochester Tribune and consolidated it with
the Republican. Major Bitters is a successful editor and publisher,
but the principal qualification he possesses is adhesiveness. Early
and late he is engaged in looking after the welfare of his paper, and
largely through his progressive ideas Rochester has developed from
the usual old-time conditions of a country village to an admirable
little city, well ordered and beautified with elegant residences, commodious churches, school houses and other metropolitan advantages
of which the people are justly proud. Politically Major Bitters was
born and raised a democrat, and remained such until the democratic
attempt at the extension of slavery, which aroused him to the support
of John C. Fremont and soon after he identified himself with the
republican party. Religiously he was born and raised a Presbyterian, but at maturity he united with the Methodist church and was
an active worker for twenty-five years. In 1880 he commenced the study of evolution as presented by Darwin, Huxley, Spencer and
others, and this knowledge is steadfastly maintained.
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