The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-11-10

what It is-the freest and the greatest.
How much Of the freedom and splen.
dor of this Republic is due to the Press,
and how much to gallant courage in the
tented field and eloqNence in the forum, il
may not be delicacy here to inquire. II
is enough to know that the Press is here,
and is what it Is. 1t is enough that the
muskets and cannon Of a great State like
Wisconsin lie peaceably and undisturbed
beneath one small roof under the shadow
of this building, while the presses and the
types of the State are institutions almost
in every neighborhood, side by side with
the Free Schools. And our Press is the
fitting prototype Of this Western World.
1t is no scion of aristocracy-no first son,
iuherting wealth and power. It's strength
is its own creation, gotten by its own
merits and strong right arm. It's power
dates not back to castles and stronsholds,
to knighthoods or to Kingdoms; it has no
ancestry, no legends, no coats of arms; it
is the Genius Of Progress-a young giant
whose family records are yet unwritten.
And we, whose fingers have fashioned
the writings, and brought into line one
after the other the leaden types which
have given them shape, may well be
proud Of humbly ministering in the dusty,
grim Printing Office-the Temple of the
Press. Few enough of US have S: en- the
inside of colleges, and fewer Of us will be
found to say anything against those insti-
tutions Of learning which may well be
cherished; but how many there are in this
room who owe a lifetime Of gratitude to
that poor boys college, the Printing Of
fee! The college where the pupil is not
only taught, but clothed and fed; and
upon whose catalogues will be found the
names not only Of an army Of ilustrious
living, who VIII bear willing testimony to
the efficacy of that training host
Of glorious dead, the memory of whose
deeds The world keeps forever green.
We would like to have hal it in our
power TO give something Ike a history
Of the progress Of tie Newspaper bust
ness in this State up to the present time.
Personally, our advantages for making
such q compilation, have been very good
as we have been connected with The Press
thee almost since its establishment; but
of late years we have been SO engaged in
other ursuts, that, with the rapid multi
plication ofnew presses within q few years
past and the changes among the old ones
we almost feel like an old fireman who
does not ''run with the mashecn" any
more. We have not seen, for a year
past, full list Of newspapers in W:scon-
sin. Last year the GAINESVILLE Gazette
published list fone hundred and sixty
three, Of which twenty three were daily
sixteen semi or tri-wcekiy, and one hun
dred and twenty four weekly. When we
came to this State, then Territory, but
ten Of all these were in existence. There
were more than ten papers; but they
have disappeared from the stage, or have
changed names and proprictors. From
Green Bay southwark rs far as Madison,
as far as ''the light Of the press was con-
cerned, it was one dense darkness.
Our tall friend, Bcriah Blown, was pub
fishing his Democrat weekly in a small
brick building here, which wo have often
looked for lately, but have not found. 1t
was in the rear of the Capital House
somewhere; and now instead Of the click
of the types and the measured throbs of
the hand press which made that spot
classic ground, you would be likely to
hear little else than discussions as to the
speed of certain crack horses; and instead
of political leaders and arguments, the dis
putes there are more likely upon bolts and
leaves. John Y. Smith then published
the 1rgus, aud Mr.. Wyman the Express.
They were all tall men in those days.
Our friend Atwood was then in the liz
press establishment, we believe. He is
the only one of those times left at his post.
In Milwaukee Gen. King was or ragged in
tha Sentinel, and John A. Brown in the
Courier. The Sentinel was the only
daily in the Territory. Mr.. Holt was
publishing the Gazette, we believe, at
Janesyille-and he stands up to the rack
vet. AT about that time Mr.. Wright
commenced the publication of the Patriot
at Prairie du Chien-a good, generous
hearted man. who has gone to that hap
Ply land where delinquent subscribers neE-
er 90. Then the Fond du Lac Journa
sprang up, under the editorship of John
o. Henning. At Waterfowl our long
time friend Hadley OaIl men all til
while) started the Chronicle. We wei
reco!lect our first visit to his Office. H
was working offhis paper alone on an oil
fashioned Ramagc press-two pulls to