The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-09-01
Old Newspapers.


TO copy some Of the eccentricities and
peculiarities of the newspapers fifty
years ago and over. Item first is q
notice of newspaper corrections-always
awkward, even when most carefully
written. A newspaper in an editorial
note, apropos 10 marriage published
under the proper head, felicitated the
bridegroom on his union with "a lady
OF great beauty and fortune, and OF
every accomplishment necessary 10
render the marriage state happy" &c.
DC. On the next day the editor apollo.
gised, stating that his fluctuations were
premature" But whether the prema-
turty arose from the circumstance that
the wedding had not occurred. or be-
cause the bride had no "beauty," or no
"fortune,' or no accomplishments. ("
was left 10 the imagination of the
reader. This word premature" seems
70 be a prime favorite with the editor
referred TO. On another occasion, hav.
ing announced that a lady had fallen
out of a window, with child in her
arms, and that both the lady and child
had been killed, he the next day re-
tracted the statement as premature"
leaving his readers to infer that although
the fatal accident had not actually oc.
CURED when then the statement was
published, that it might nevertheless
be expected at any moment
II there were some stupid para graph
lists then as there are now, there were
also witty advertisers. A lady wishing
10 employ governess for her children,
desires one whose patience is mex
haustible, whose temper is tireless,
whose vigilence is unwinking, whose
power of pleasing is boundless, whose
industry is matchless, whose neatness is
unparalleled, and whose accomplishments
are universal. None others need apply.
Compensation, good home Per
contra, q governess advertises: Emusic.
To Schools and Families.-An accom-
plished theorist, emphatic pianist. and
elegantly chaste articulative vocalist,
whose ineligible system in a short time
suggests to the student an agreeable
mode of performing.
The blacking men who publish engrav-
ings Of gentlemen shaving by the re-
Election of their faces in their polished
boots, use no new device. The same
puff reflective" was in vogue over
fifty years ago. So of rhyming adver-
tlsements. The wife of the proprietor
of a famous blacking, when asked how
these metrical advertisements were oh.
tanned, answered, Bless your limo.
csnce we kegs poet"
A winter in Boston advertises. June
Is, 1877, that he has opened a wine
cellar "under the Old South Meeting
House." In his list of wines we find
"Cacavilla " and Fyall." The last is
probably another spelling of Fayal
But Cacavilla may puzzle our wine
dealers.
In the same paper, The Massachusetts,
CentineL, is an advertisement of silver
articles stolen by burglars, amongwhich
are enumerated quart can, pint can.
and pint porringer." This latter ar
ticle of housekeeping was a shallow
saucepan. very convenient, and is high
ly priced in old families now, in which
the "porringer' is an heirloom. Touch
ing porringer, it is related that when
porringers were still in use, and "lozen-
ges" as form Of giving medicine were
just coming in, an unfortunate apothe-
cary found his advertisement of Worm
Destroying Lozengers, twisted by the
printer into Storm destroying Perrin.
gers" Sugar refiners called themselves
Sugar Bakers in l7S7, and spelt mo-
lasses, mol0sses. .Nelasses is probably
nearer right. The chief item of interest
in reference to Pennsylvania, in the
copy of the CsntineL which lies before us
is, that men We're taken from the iails
Spelled "gaols,' and put to work on
the coads. six Of the wheelbarrow
men," taken from "Chester county
gaol," mastered the keeper, took away
his pistol, made him promise silence.
under peril of his life, and made their
escape. Those were primitive times.
The idea of working a gang Of convicts
on the high road, with no other guard
than one keeper, though armed with
pistol, could only have been conceived
te time when the law had some moral
atrror for evil doors.
Among other curiosites in old adver-
tisements, are found - elastic heads as
a part of the stock of hair.dresser. In
the London papers of 1903 was adver-
tised, The walk of a deceased blind
beggar Tin charitable neighborhood),
with his dog and staff
A collector Of eccentricities" in 1899,
says; " Rag merchants, paper makers,
stationers, paragraph mongers, transla-
tors, reporters, printers, hawkers, have
all to bless the public propensity for
these anonyni, anonymorum, the newspa-
pers. Certainly, newspapers ought to
be reckoned among staple commodities.
In l760 a newspaper was the mere alb.
stract and brief chronicler of the time :
now $500 it is a salmagundi Of every.
thing, and we may burn our books. 1t
is the diunarl cyclopedia, which must be
filled by the politicasters, poetasters, de.
Chalmers, profaners, extractors, detrac.
tors, ieerers, sneerers, nibblers, quib.
blers, libellers and lampooners Of the
day. Probably the man who wrote
this, in 1870, is no longer living, to
carp and criticise. His style indicates
one whose unhappy temper had not
improved with age. Though the satire
conveyed above is true in some degree,
and of some publications, the imprve.
ment in journalism has made newspa.
pers better worthy to take the place Of