The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-03-10
Women in the Printing Office.

reference has been made to the
Declaration of Independence; printers
may not know the TACT, but even that
Impzftant document was originally
printed by a lady, Mary Catharine
Goedard. There were women in those
days. To print that immortal State
paper In the year 1777 was to run the
risk OF losing ones head
Miss Goddard was a sister of Will
liam Goddard, the first printer in
Providence. r. /. He also published
the Maryland Journal in Baltimore
in the early part of the Revolution
When Benjamin Franklin became
Postmaster-General after Congress
had superseded the British govern
ment, he appointed Goddard Comp
troller and Surveyor of Post Roads.
While he was thus engaged in public
matters, his sister conducted the af-
fairs of the printing house with
ally perform the duties of thorough
r<iter, while remaining clear sighted,
| orderly and energetic in the manage
ment OF the business.
Anne Franklin entered the printing
Office il 1882. Her husband. James
Franklin, (brother of Benjamin)
established himself in Newport, r l.,
in that year, but he died soon after,
| and his widow carried on the business
successfully for several years. She
became Printer to the Colony" and
published pamphlets, supplied the
| public offices with blanks of all kinds,
| and also carried on general publish
ing business. The Newport Mercury.
now regularly issued. grew out of this
| printing office in 1856 and is, with
one exception, the oldest newspaper
in the country. In 1745 Mrs. Frank
lin printed for the government an
| edition of the Laws" containing $40
pages considerable of an underta king
for woman in those days.
Mrs. Cornelia Bradford, wife of
Andrew Bradford, was among the
first of our women printers. She car
ried on business with great energy for
many years after the death of her
husband, which took place in 1742.
The Bradfords, both husband and
| wife, stood among the best Of the early
printers of Philadelphia.
Mrs. Hassebotch was the wife of
Nicholas Itassebotch, the first printer
of Baltimore She succeeded to his
business at once, and prosecuted it
with talent and energy. The follow
ing anecdote is related in connection
with one of her most important pub
lications: in 1873, missionary had
a Bible in his hand, explaining it to a
parry of Indians. He pronounced it
to be the Gospel, the Truth. the
Word of God WHAT said one of
them; did the Great All-Powerful
make this work 2 Yes replied the
missionary, it's his work The In
Tho l,foral oF ho
words, answered Indignantly, L be-
Eoye it to be a great lie. [ go to
Baltimore last month when | see
Dutch woman make him; the Great
Ss2.Slt -Hant no Dutchman help him.
Mrs. I'll. Boyle published paper at
Williams burg Virginia, in IVA. 1t
favored the Crown, and lived but
short time. Mrs. Boyle was good
printer, however, and fully understood
her business.
Mrs. Elizabeth Timothee, after the
death of her hus band in 1773, contin-
ued publishing the Gazette in Charles
ton, $. G.. She conducted it for two
years, when, her son becoming of age,
she passed it over to him.
From all accounts, the early women
printers in the United States we're as
remarkable as Journalists, as in the
more mechanical work of publishing.
In all the records of those days, it is
in no instance limited that the news
papers were not fully as well edited,
and as energetically published by
women as by men.
Mrs. Mary Holt, widow Of John
Holt, was publisher of the New York
Journal in 1893, a paper which has
already been conducted by a woman
printer and journalist, Mrs. Zenger,
forty five years before This publ
cation performed marked services for
the revolutionary cause, and as a re
ward, the publisher, Mrs. Holt, was
appointed printer to the State of
New York, the only woman recorded
as ever having filled this office.
Last mentioned, but not least in
merit and reputation, is Mrs. Jane
Atkin. This lady, at the death of her
father in Boston in 1902, continued
his business with talent and indus
try remarkable even among women of
was high from the excellent character
from her press She was also noted
as thorough printer and a severe and
accurate proof reader.
Mention should perhaps be made of
Margaret Draper, of Boston, as she
conducted unaided, the Boston News
Letter. the first regular newspaper
published in America. She was not
one of the Republican women, how
ever, and when the British evacuated
Boston she went to England, where
she received a pension from the gov
ernment
In the light of these facts, now mat
ters of history, let US not claim for
this decade the honor of having intro.
duced women into the printing office.
Women opened for themselves this
extensive and worthy field of labor,
and the success which has always at
tended their efforts is the best proof
of their capacity as printers, publish
ers, and ournalists-Rowell's News
pape- Reporter.
Talking of Doctors Fees.
Talking of doctor fees. reminds us