The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-29
Correspondence Of Commercial .8dre1tiSer.
THE ANNIVERSARY OF PRINTING
BOSTON. June IS. 1910,

BOSTON, June 70, IS4U.
arrived here yesterday, in season to attend
the celebration, for which the Bostonians have
been been preparing for some time, of the four
hundredth anniversary of printing with move
able types. A regular holiday made of it
among the trade. The streets where the print
ing business is principally carried on were deco
rated with flags stretched across them The
offices were closed, as were also the different
bookstores in the afternoon, and No morning pa
pers are to be issued to-day. The procession
was formed at the State House, at three O'Clock,
and proceeded through fremont and several
other streets to Faneuil Hall, where prepara-
tons had been made for the celebration of the
festival. The large room was appropriately de.
cororated Directly behind the chair of the pre-
siding officer statue of Faust. On the
columns of the building, one letter upon each,
was the inscription, cart of printing invented
1440." On sign boards, arranged completely
around the Apartment, were the names Green,
Thomas, Ramage, Dodge, Wells, Ronaldson,
Guttenburg, Franklin, Schaeffer, Clymcr, Cax-
ton, Caslon, Stanhope, Bramah, and Napier.
Mr.. Buckingham, the veteran editor of the Bos-
ton Courier, presided. On his right hand was
the mayor of Boston, on his left a clergyman
believe the Rev. MIR. Young. After the good
things which had been amply provided were pro-
perly discussed, Mr.. Buckingham opened the
intellectual feast with sketch of the history
printing, interspersed with amusing "reminiscences
and anecdotes. The first toast called out the
mayor of Boston, who made smost humorous
speech. He said that the magnitude of the sub
ject made it impossible to dilatc upon the bcne-
fits of the art Of printing. You might well
speak about the benefits of the sun. So he
should content himself with talking about the
evils engendcred by the press.
The most fragrant of these, he considered the
encouragement which it gave TO the manafac-
ture of public speeches, which had now become
50 common, that ii he asked what were
the principal products of the New England
states, he should not answer granite and ire, but
public speeches This was all the fault of the
press; folks would not take the trouble OF MAX
ing addresses, if it were not for the pleasure of
seeing in the paper next day, that Mr.. So-and-so
electrified a most delighted audience with the
most thrilling eloquence. Nay, such was the
bcnevoence of the press, that if any gentleman
YVES particularly dull or stupid in his remarks,
it was announced that Mr.. Blank made most
sensible speech.
His honor the Mayor, was succeeded by
member of the state Legislature, whose name as
announced, ! did not catch-a most capital
speaker. During the evening, addresses were
delivered by the attorney general Of Massachu-
sets; MIR. Bancroft, the historian; III. d. NJ.
consul, Mr.. Grattan; DIR. Howe, principal of the
institution for the blind; MIR. Prentiss, editor of
the New Hampshire Sentinel; the editor Of the
Farmers Cabinet, and several other gentltmen,
whose names did not learn. An ode oil pccu-
liar appropriateness to the occasion, and chaste
and beautiful composition, was read by Mr..
Shepherd, formerly an apprentice to the printing
business, but now an undergraduate of Har-
ward university
The whole affair went off we'll 1t was such
celebration as none can get up in so good style
as the Bostonians. have but one fault to find;
there was too much selfshness displayed There
was no allusion to any other place than Boston.
WITH my otvn Iifnifed oCuflalntancP- / notiead
gentlemen connected with the trade from Con-
nccticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, and no
doubt several other states were represented yet
not sentiment was uttered that called for an
acknowledgment from any of them. It was all
Boston, Boston, Boston; and, aioreigner unac-
quainted with the country, who might have been
present, must have supposed that Boston was the
United States of America.