, 1873-03-02
HARPER's MAGAZINE.
Frederic Hudson'a work on Journalism In
the United States" gives o. S. Conant the ma

HARPER's MAGAZINE.
Frederic Hudson'o work on Journalism il
the United States" gives o. s. Conant the ma
terials for paper on
NEWSPAPERS AND EDITORS. =,
Authorities have differed widely as to the na'
tion and city entitled to the honor OF having
etarted the first printed newspaper:
For many yeasa It was supposed that the credit be
1ongcd to England. 1t claimed that the British
ton. t WIS WIS called 3 the Eg,is1 lsrea;4 aad printed
July 23, 1888; but it has been shown that this copy
m ea , G so sp9
typo and paper were, Of modern origin, and
fabrication pretcndng to give the Of the Span
ish Arnadaz which Tas DESTROYED IN the English
Channel by Drake and Howard day or two preytous
TO tho date Of the sheet There were sesen numbers
Of this spurious lfercnfis produced-four in manu-
Venice has also claimed the honor Of leading the way
thus named because it sold for email piece Of money
1870 md 1t is pretended that copies Of this paper Of
that date are In one OF two collections in London;
bo a a o tie e I "
to this high honor. A paper caued the Gazette,
according 10 trustworthy authorities, printed in
Peter schoHer cast the first metal type in matrices
Nuremberg, with the first paper in the fifteenth ccn-
tury also ClalUA QQQ0T paper
teenth century Thers i an sncently-printed sheet IN
tho Lsb collection which antedates III others except
the aheot Of 1457 and the Chronicle Of Cologne It is
bears the date Of February, 1854 The British Mu-
se,1,n, it is aad, Inns duplicate Of this Sheet
rst printers and he frst printing but aso Of he rst
printed newspnper 1t he's also another claim TO dis
tlnchon. In 1cl5, Egenof Eurmel started Die Frank
the world. This Journal Is stu published; and the
City Of frankfort is to erect monument In honor Of
it's founder aud editor as the father Of newspapers.
The story Of the first American newspaper,
brief as was it's Iife is full Of curious interest.
Seventy years after the landing OF the Pilgrims
on Plymouth Rock, aud ESQ years after the in
rention Of printing, a newspaper was issued in
Boston:
It lived one day, and ouy one copy is known to favo
been preserved. That copy WIS discovered By the his!
stateP Psper oface in London, vhile engaged IN r.
pioneer Of American tou1nshsm was published by
Benjamin Harris nt the London Conee-Houge, Boston,
and Wis printed for him by Msha1d 5 Pierce on
centuries after the discovery Of the New World by
Columbus. The paper Was printed On three
rith two columns to page, and each page about Il
inches By In sze. Harris Eroposed TO issue his paper
once month, oftener II there should be 'gut Of
nurbcr. contained several columns Of home and for
eru gossip without word Of editorial comment. Un-
for tho Euccess Of 11R unuellah1ngr ne
nrInted one OF two items Of local and military
which set the official busybodes in ferment Of In
guation The Legislative authorities soleun1y deter,
mued that the psper came cut contrary to law, and
that It contained "redectons Of very high natuse"
10 prevent Mr. Harris from issuing second number,
they forbade "nuJhing in print without license first
obtained from those authorized by tie Government to
grant the sae" In this way tho fsst American NEWS
paper to gref and but for the accidental pres
sryaion Of single copy tn London, lis very aa1ne
would h.ye passed Into oblivion
The progroas of American Journalism was
slow during the first century OF
ts history. The appetite for news grows With
What it feeds on. When mail facilities we're
,cant, and newspapers we're meagre and dull,
he demand for this kind Of reading was limit
ID. With increased facilities for transporting
he mails and for collecting news, the taste
;pread and became more e4ncting. There was =