The Nevada Democrat., 1856-12-03
Pioneer Nensnansr

AnS NctoSDupcT AeC0T0y TeCeHtly puDusne0 Dy
Messrs. Lay & Brother, contains an immense
mass of Interesting facts in:reation to the origin
and progress of that tremendous engine for good
or evil-the Newspaper Press-in the Old and
the New World. From this valuable work we
CLEAN few facts in relation to the pioneer pa
pers in this country.
The first attempt to establish q newspaper, in
North America, so far as can be ascertained,
was made in Boston in 1890. A copy of prob
ably the only number of this journal is in the
the State paper Office in London. 1t is dated
September rs, l690-a sheet of four ouarto pa
ges one of which was blank. 1t was devoted to
q record of passing events-foreign and domes-
tic. 1t was spoken of by the Legislative author
tiles as pamphlet, which tcame out contrary
to law, and contained reflections of very high
nature" This pioneer journal was printed by
Richard Pierce, for Benjamin Harris.
In 1890, Gov. Fletcher, of New York. caused
Wm Bradford-who came to this country with
William Penn-to reprint London Gazette,
containing an account of an engagement with
the French.
But the first regular American newspaper was
undoubtedly the "Boston News Letter." which
was commenced on the oath of April, 1704 by
John Campbell, Scotchman, who was the Post
master OfBoston, and also Bookseller. 1t was
twelve inches by eight, two pages folio, with
two columns on each page, and printed in small
plea type. The publisher set forth its claims as
follows: "This News Letter is to be continued
Weekly; and all persons who have any Houses,
Lands, Tenements, Farms, Ships. Vessels, Goods
Wares or Merchandise, &C., to be sold or let or
Servants Runaway, or Goods Stole or Lost, may
have the same inserted at reasonable rate
from twelve pence or five shilings and not TO en-
ceed; who may agree with John Campbell, Post
MASTER" Notwithstanding these strong induce
ments to advertisers, the News Letter did not
abound with advertisements, for sometimes it
had one but about as often none. At the end of
fourteen years, the circulation of the paper was
only three hundred copies. When it was six
copies would be printed on q whole sheet of let
ter paper, one half of which would be blank, on
which letters might be written.
In l7l9, new postmaster had been appoint
ed, and in December of that year, he started the
second Anglo American newspaper-the "BOs-
ton Gazette, William Brooker, proprietor
The last News Letter took umbrage-( -(some-
thing that does not need shaking before taking)
at the introductory advertisement" of the
Gazette, and this was the exciting cause of the
first of those terrible newspaper wars that now
so frequently convulse editors and communities
in this country.
The third American newspaper, was the
american Mercurie," which appeared in Phil
adelphia, on the 22d of December, I7l0, from
the printing Office that Wm Bradford had estab-
lished, and which was then under the control of
hisson.
The fourth-the "New England Courant''-
was established at Boston, August 18th, l72l,
by James Franklin, elder brother to Ben, the
immortal. Mr.. Franklin, as a reason for
third newspaper in Boston, stated that the News
Letter was "a dull vehicle of Intelligence;"
whereupon, Campbell said Franklin "was jack
of all trades and good at none" The Courant
responded tartly in what the News called "hob-
bling verse;" This war of words stimulated
Campbell to publish his Letter for two months
whole sheet. In 1872, Campbell sold his pa
per to b. Green, who died in 1888. when John
Draper, his son-in-law, took it and continued its
publication until l744, when he died, and his
widow continued its publication until 1776.
1t was then discontinued.
The Boston Gazette, with various publishers,
was continued till 1852
Franklin was an independent man in spirit, If
not in purse-and the Courant was an out-spo-
ken paper. The Legislative Council accord
ingly took the Courant into consideration, and
its publisher was imprisoned for four weeks, but
this did not crush the spirit of the journal, the
Council Insisted that the contents should be su-
pervised by the Secretary of the Province
Franklin refused to submit his "copy," and the
paper was issued with the name of Benjamin
ETaukuh ~ puUiisneT, WHO Was tneh Ill appFen-
tice in his brothers. Office. The Courant died
i'm 1927.
The fifth Anglo-American newspaper
"New York Gazette appeared Oct. 16, 1925,
printed by William Bradford, who, though at
that time sixty-fve years old, continued to pub
lish it seventeen years, when he sold it TO Jas.
Parker. Files of it are to be seen in the libra
ry of the New York Historical Society, and it is
said to be neat specimen of Typography
Printers Register.