Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-06-28

which began in the night, in the steward
apartments"
These indications arc ereditable at leas
to the industry of the local editor of thos,
days. They showed that be was about
and that his budget of news did not wan
for fires, tragedies, and extraordinary Incl
dents Looser reports Of public affairs
and possibly some offensive reflections thai
they carried with them, caused the sup
preston by Julius Caesar of those publ
cations. Uuder the Emperurs they after
wards srrang into brief and itful periods
of existence. Petronius himself, was the
author of some of them that were licen-
tious and indecent beyond measure He
was of the age of Nero, who was, for a
time. highly pleased with his obscenity
But the Emperor was tickle. jealous and
cruel, and soon tired of this service to his
pleasure. Petronius was arrested, impris-
oned, and condemned to die. He escaped
a more violent end by opening his own
veins and bleeding to death in the cell
where he was confined. That was a rude
age, The refnements Of ingratitude had
been then less thoroughly practised The
politician had power; the Emperor repre-
sented list of delinquent subscribers.
The editor was left Shorter, possibly a
more welcome fate than the slow mercies
Of starvation.
We have no further accounts of anything
in the nature Of newspapers until the six
teenth century. The wars between Chris
tian Europe and the Turkish hordes, were
then raging. Mahomadonism was exert
ing its last vitality to acquire preponder-
ance of empire. To Venice alone was
consigned the task Of waging the wars of
Christendom and preserving it from over
throw at the hands Of the ruthless and
circumcised Turk. While these wars were
in progress, the Venitian government in
sitituted, as measure of policy, the issue
| of occasional bulletins recording the pro-
gress of warlike events. They were so
framed as to excite tie public fears or
hopes as might be requisite to arouse eff
fort or inspire hatred against an advancing
and audacious enemy. These bulletins
were read in the public market place by
OF GERS appointed for the purpose. A beg
garly Venetian coin called Gazetta, vas the
price of admission during their perusal
From this co;u the bulletins were Bamed,
and the term has been transplanted to ev-
cry language ii which newspapers are pub
lished. GAINESVILLE, aud Fox Lake, in Wis
consin, have borrowed it from the market
place of Venice, and it is perpetuated by
Charley Holt and Jim Fitch, but Venice
is no more. After the event of the war
had assumed the triumph of civilization,
and after the art of printing had spread
into most of the countries of Europe, the
Gazette was still read to Venetian audi
ences. Political jealousy prevented any
further distribution of news in the city of
doges till its fall aside from that read by
authority from written sheets BY the officer
of the government. The origin of news
papers in France is a still greater novelty
in history, In 1920. Doctor Renandot
was the most successful physician in Paris.
His calls were so numerous that attention
to all was Impossible The o,niable phys-
ician's success, however, was not owing to
the efficacy of his powders, pills, and blist-
erz He was an assiduous collector of all
the gossip of his times, and be retailed
with bis prescriptions the news of political
change and court intrigue, and the events
that stirred the daily course of Partisan
life, There cannot be imagined a better
cure for Mysteries than one choice bit of
scandal Aches and vapors subsided as the
brisk and loquacious doctor mingled in his
potion some virtuous lady's sip, some cour-
tier s fall from power, some significant moth
ing from the lips ofroyalty some victory won
or defeat suffered in the wars. 1t was
healing efficacy that surpassed all the
mysteries of the sadle-bags. But people
would not always be sick. Hcalth'ul airs,
atmospheric balms, and sweetness would
at times Danish fever and gout. In these
dull times the doctors budget of news
became crushing No patient or visitor,
appeared with whom be could divide his
burden. Months would elapse, and no
lady bedside, no valetudinariaDs couch
awaited the doctors gossip and physic.~
One extraordinary reriod of such hardship
as this suggested tie publication Of bis
collections of news. The government il
censed him to print and be filed an occas-
ional slip with the intelligence that had
formerly regaled his patients. 1t is mel
ancholy to relate that the doctors's physic
fell into disuse, and his professional advice
became the subject of ri1icule. But his
occasional bulletins Of news sprang into
boundless circulation and popularity. His
medicine was not taken but his paper was.
He called it the Gazette de France. 1t
was the germ of the French newspaper.
Its protector died in 1868. But he made
of it a regular publication. and it contin-
ued through the changes of French history
an existence of two hundred and one years
1t became in 1881 the organ of party of
ultraists, and was suppressed by govern
ment.
But it is in our own language, and at
the most glorious era Of our language,
that we find tie newspaper established,
| printed in columns, regularly issued, with
its variety of news, its comments on public
affairs, its advertisements and the distinct
i've title of each newspaper by which it is
known from all other newspapers whatso-
ever In April 1888, Christopher Barker
published the first number of the English
INercmie Of him 10 record remains but
the imprint on few odd and tattercd
numbers of the paper now in existence.
The biographies are silent concerning him.
II Il