The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-09-06
THE EARLY MAINE PRESS.

THE EARLI Mhlnb fhboo'
The iirst paper published in Maine was
issued Oh the iirst day Of January, 1888,
by Thomas Is. Waite, in the town Of Port
land Chen called Falmou,h). The title
was the Falmouth Gazette. II was soon
after called the Cumberland Gd;dte, the
scope Of its publication being enlarged. In
a short time the name was again changed
so ms to embrace the whole eastern country,
and il was called the Esiern Herald. Tho
second paper was also printed in Falmouth.
Il was called the Gd:eiie Of Maine, and was
published by Benjamin Titcomb. We do
not know the daic Of It's first publication,
bur in 1876 il was united with the Herald,
and was published scmi-wcekIy by John X.
Baker, II lived one year only. Ia 1897
r. A. jerks started tho Portland Gd:sfie.
and about the samc time Rand & l'udck
started another paper, the Oriental Tiniu-
PIT. The Gd.fiie was soon called the I'D.
rertisr, under which name il is still pub
Iished. The Eastern Argus was started in
1903, and still lives.
Tho first paper published in New York
was IN 1875; in Rhode Island, in 1882; in
New Hampshire, in 1856; in Connecticut,
in ITS; in Vermont, in 1881; in Maine,
in l7s5; and the first weekly published
newspaper in North America was in Bos.
ton, April q, 1904, by John Campbell, ul.
though there was a weekly publication in
pamphlet forn issued in Boston, Sept. 25tl,
1000, by Richard Pierce for Benjamin llar-
ris. That Of l70I was called the Boston
.Nrcs Letter. After an existence Of four
teen years il reached circulation Of 300
copies. II was printed on whole sheet of
writing paper, one-balf Of which was blank,
so that the purchaser might write his own
private letters thereon! II was published
regularly for seyenty-two years.
Speaking Of Benjamin franklin the
Printer and Editor, Hon. Charles Holden
in n late address says: 1.-The prospect of
the printer, in. those early days. Of get
ting a decent living from his profession
in this wide land, may be inferred from an
incident well authenticated. When Frank.
Inns mothcr.in.law discovered that the
young man had hankering for her daugh-
ter, that thoughtful old lady said: She did
not know so well about giving her daughter
to a printer; there were already two pnnt-
ing offices in the United States, and she
was not certain the country would support
them. II WINS plain to her that the young man
would depend upon the profits Of thir'l,
and this was rather doubtful chance. u
sucI, objection was urged to wouh.bc-
son.in law when there were but two print.
ing Offices in the country. how ran print
or hope to get wife now, when the cen-
sus shows the number Of printers to he fif-
teen thousand and sixty seven
Il was in these troublous times,-whrn
men conicndcd for the rights Of man, and
especially the right TO form opinions and to
prOmuIgate tliem,-thut this bold defender
of those rights. this patriot, became more
and more fixed IN the love Of those demo.
cratic opinions, which he adhered to, TO the
last days Of his lie. The art into which he
was at so early an age indoctrinatci. both rs
printer and editor, was his admiration al
ways. How strikingy is this illustrated in
the manner in which his will commences.
lie begins lint solemn document: u, len.
ianin Eranklin, printer. and late minister
plcnipotentiary To the Court Of ST. James
putting his beloved hnndicmft before all
tho honors he had received at foreign courts
or nj home.
How touching were the words Of the old
schoolrnastcr of Newburypor (who died
while since M life and senses were going
ont together: at is growing dark, school
may b. dismissed. But not more touch.
ing and suggestive were they, than those Of
Franklin, that sturdy friend Of the people.
who, ns he drew near the grave, saw the
earthly honOrs bestowed in long life upon
hi peerless powers, fading from his feeble
sight, but felt towering over them all IN his
memory and affections, the type, the case,
the press, the editorial labors Of his curly
days; the newspaper in which he asserted
the rights Of man, and withs'ood the arro-
gance of place. These children OF his
youth, how they doomed up before his mem
tai vision. and became exceedingly bcauti.
FIJI and he exclaimed in ecstacy, Il, Ben
iamin Frnnklin, printer" Down to the
very gaies Of the unseen world be- carried
his love of the art Il WIS noble tribute
to that of which he was pro'ul, ut an hour,
too, when the drnma Of life was about To
close, aud hc was contemplating that vast
ocean he must sail 30 soon.'