The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-28
AMATEUR NEWSPAPERS.
What Young America Is Doing with the Pen.
the Composina Silcl. nnd the prcss

In October, 1872, in Philadelphia, Mastep
Thomas Cundie, then fourteen years of AGO.
printed and published the P0rtfoio II vas +,
small quarto, very readable, and WA publiahod
weekly for five years. The next recorded enor,
Of youthful publishers was the Grdrcsenl Item.
published In 1853. In 1853 the Coos Herald was
published In Lancaster, Pa, weekly that aour-
ished until the opening OF the war, in 1851. Ths
Bath Union, published In Bath, y. Y, followed,
aud many little papers succeeded these, tho
great difficulty with the lads being lack ~ a
suitable printing press. The boys, pleased with
the exercise Of composition, type setting, and
printing, struggled to excel each other In purity
Of diction and beauty OF typography. Thcrs
are now hundreds OF amateur journals. The
curriculum Of this school Of journalism Includes
not only reporting, editing, type setting, aud
publishing, but often designing and engraving.
With the growth In number OF papers from
amateur presses followed the organic ltion "
an Amateur Press Associ tion," on Sept. II,
1862 In the city Of New York. II was called dur
ing the nfst year, The Amateur Printers As.
ISOLATION" then the Amateur Press Assoca.
tion;" but at the fifth convention, held I'm Pitts
bureh, July II, 1871, the name was changed to
that which IL now bears, THE National ANA
tcur Prcss Association
Tho rauid Increase IN the number OF amateur
papers, and the inability Of many ofthe publish
crs 70 attend the national conventions, necess
STATED the organization OF State Conventions,
which have been well attended and supported
The Empire State Association was organized
In syracuse, Aug. 70, 1873, Master l.. IL. Lestheld
OF New York city being elected its President.
Under the auspices Of this association two EXIT
billions have been held, at which prizes were dis
tributed for the best specimens OF workman
snip. The first Of these was the United states
Amateur Exhibition ut hath, n. Y, May l. 1874,
This was well supported, but numerous bicker-
complained OF favoritism in the awards. At
Rain the Hest Nam
IhcH, Chattanooga, Tenn; oest puzzle depart
ment, sat Points" In our Gem, syracuse.
Gem.
The III feeling which resulted from this exhi-
bition having worn away, the BOYS were stimu-
lated To- another and more extended effort IN the
same direction, and on October 10, 1874, tho
world Amateur Exhibition was held in be
Roy, N. Y. IL was carried out on the same prin-
ciple AZ the show at Bath. but far more success-
fully, and gave entire satisfaction. The premi-
uns on that occasion were best printed paper,
The Idlcr, brooklyn, N. Y; best edited paper.
Boys Herald: New Haven. Conn; best wood en-
craving, A. II: Severns, Boston, Mass; best edi-
ted puzzle department. Under Cover" by
4" Canoe In our Boys; best edited amateur
news department, Amateur Directory In the
Empire Herald conducted by Chas. A. Barnes
best edited miscellaneous department, stu
Tenn; best written sketch, j. II, Converse,
Newcastle. Maine best batch OF puzzles {. NJ.
Kendall, Boston, Mass; best written poem Nv.
paper, Amateur JOuin1t, Drooklyn, l.. ID.
The American Amateur Editors Association
awarded the palm OF excellence to Harry ID.
Brown OF Weedsport, n. Y, hut at present
Charles III. Ingersoll OF Elyra, OHIO, Is said to
produce the best specimens Of amateur printing
Since the exhibition at lie ROy, however. the
boys have been concentrating their energies for
tue Centennial Exhibition at Phllddelphla.
An Amateur Journalists Centennial Associa-
tion was organized last fall with the following
OH ,ers: WIN. L. Miller of New York, President
VIM. $. Hillyer, Nice-presidcnt w. y. Stewart.
Treasurer; aud j. i. Slyer, Jr., Secretary. This
organization will act with Mr.. Geo. l.. Nowelt
la placing the amateur press properly before
the visitors to the great Worlds Fair. press
will he kept going each day and "A copy or each
Gle In the newspaper payilion, the expense
| being maintained by tue entire body OF amateurs.
There are over 30 youths, viIylu! in age from
| 10 TO Oyears. printing these emUrs new sDatrs.
The sheets vary In size from pages Of 3xf
! inches to ID pages of 13Nl5 inches, and nearly
| every topic under the sun has been discussed in
them. Politics ana religion have been cscnewed
! by most Of them. however. in consequence OF
the chickering's they gave rise to. An Imdttur
| ReIrlbiicIn 10, however, published ia Chicago,
! and an An itcir ID, GOcrN somewhere lIrther
| West, which devOtes space to pOlitic.. Tue
! brooklyn DIUy Press and Dtuy amateur, which
! gave admission to political articles, were com
| PEELED 10 succumb III ls,4, and since thea. with
| the two exceptions noted, II has been a .Dooed
| subject.
| Many OF the little sheets publish Girls De-
| partment," but the misses are slow to take adj
vantage OF this opportunity Afforded them. A
! few edit sucn departments In cities, out IS
| general thing they are shy, and only one mas tue
| audacity To publish a paper, aud she down IN
| the wilderness VI Maine.