Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-27

and .Scisaces, and Pennsylvania Gazette.
Franklin, after his return .froln Engl and
was one of its editors and publishers, but
. it may readily be imagined that the title
was TOO ponderous even for bis genius 10
snstai:4, It was not until after the close Of
the, Revolution that the publicstion OF a
daily newspaper was attempted. IN this
country, Ia 1884, John Dunlap,
who had for thirteen years publish
ed in this City the PennSyt eanta
Packet and General AdvertjSer as weekly,
issued a daily RndeE that title, which
was continued until 1887, when it was
merged into the North american. and IN
1S47 was consolidated with the United
States Gazette, aud is still published under
the titls- of the North ,Ansericda and United
States Gazette. This paper therefore
claims to be the oldest daily in the United
States. T. scsa 1q-3 9iEA a4safA -
eyos en- THE FIRST BIBLE. rs Hsd5
( There is preserved in the Philadelphia
Library a copy of sAitkea's Bible, printed
in Philadelphia in 1882, which is claimed to
De the first edition of the Scriptures printed
in America. It is Of ordinary daodecino
size, in double column, and printed on
tolerably fair paper and type. 1t was, no
QOAbby q 1td4OcOlllo CODE III It's u1yS
ea4t ~. PENN's TREATY. a.gc z odi
L omitted TO state in former letter in
connection with the reference to the Penn
treaty monument, that the original manu-
script Of Penn's treaty with the Indians is
preserved in the Pennsylvania Historical
Society in this city. It is a curious and
Interesting documents somewhat dilapidat-
ed from hard usage in early stisnes. There's
it is as it was signed on that memorable
occasion, and there are stu qaite legible
the marks or rude signatures OF the chiefs
with their interpretations. has .3zcIaf'o
~ ae THEATRICAL. ,sbqi
1t is claimed that the first theatre In AM
erica was opened at Williamsburg, Virginia,
Sept. 5, 1852, bat there appears to have
been theat ical performances in Philadel-
plia more than three years previous to that
date. Col. Forney, in his "Anecdotes
of Public Men," says: "The frs
theatrical performance In Philadelphia
Of which there is any mention was
ia January Of 1749, evidently conducted by
homemade ThesPiaDs. In 1854 some gen.
uine artistes arrived, called 'HallaIn's Com
paDy,' and got license to open their
.New Theatre in Water street, III William
Plumstead's store, corner of the first alley
above Pine street. Here they acted 'Fhe
Fair Peni5ent' and Miss in Hsr Teens as
| their first effort. Boxes, IS; pit, As gallery,
Is. Sd. In 1853 they opened at the corner
OF Vernon street, then beyond the city
sounds, 50 as to be out of Che reach of the
city authorities. They were violently as
sailed by the Friends, and they made every
effort to eFada this hostility by calling their
entertainment 'UOncert of Music and
by playing George BarnwelP 'for the ben
ei5 Of The College of Philadelphia and
| ito improve youth in the divine arr of
! psalm and church music The British oc-
cupation Of Philadelphia revived the drama.
| They used the Southwark Theatre, the
performers being officers Of Howe's army,
| the proceeds gong to the widows and or
| phans of the soldiers. Major Andre and
| C2pt. Delaney we're the scene painters. Ia
1893 the Chestnut street Theatre, north =
west corner OF Sixth and Chestnut, was
erectCd, under the name Of the
'New Theatre in opposition to the
| Southwark Theatre, known afterwards as
| the Old Theatre. This is the house pat
| ronized by Washington, the statesmen in
! Congress, the Cabinet and their families.
| The first President and Sll his successors
were constant attendants at the theatres,
although it was soma years before such an
institution was built in Washington City
| after it became the National Capital. The
habit of attending places Of public amuse-
met had no exception in cur Presidents.
II was good way 10 see and be seen by
the people. Mrs. John Adams wrote in
eulogy Of the New Chestnut, in Philadel-
ph,a; and her husband, the second Presi-
d5nt, attended of course. JeffersOn's res
iieIce in France, bis musical tastes, his
fJLdness for polite literature, a.lmade HIM
like the stage. Madison, Monroe, ana
John Quincy Adams were all men of le.-
tiers, and the latter as late as 1915 had
quite a discussion with James II. Hackett
On the character of Hamlet. Jackson went
frequently to the play, and Van Buren, FOL-
loved his example. So of John Tyler,
Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Blu
chanan. Lincoln was killed in the theatre.
Andrew johnson liked the drama when he
was in Congress, and did not give it up
when hs was Chief Magistrate. General
Grant conforms to the custom of his pred
ecesSors." VERI GREEN.