 He began publishing the weekly "New London News" at New London in 1874; when that failed, he started "The Telephone", later the "Juneau Telephone", at Mayville in 1877.Pettibone had recently purchased the "Horicon Reporter" in Horicon in 1886 when he was elected for the 13th district of the Senate (Dodge County) as an Independent for a four-year term of office, receiving 4,621 votes, against 3,722 votes for Jacob Beldon (political affiliation unknown), and 337 votes for Prohibitionist 0.H.