Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-29
Early Printers and Newspapers.

We make the following extracts from the ad-
mirabc address Of Hon H. T. Walton before the
Vermont Editors and Publishers Association, at
Remington, August 1ith:
1.-THE first printing press in Vermont was prob
ably brought by Samuel Gale, who was married
in Bratteboro In 1878 was a surveyor under New
York In that year, and appointed clerk Of Cumber-
land (now Windham) county court in liza. lie was |
an Englishman by birth, well educated, gentle
man in manners, and tory in politics. Az |
clerk Of the court he was Of course found on the |
court side in the Westminster massacre Of 1775, |
and for that he was arrested and imprisoned by |
the wings and his property was confiscated by |
Vermont In fact he was 80 long In prison under |
different authorities that he abandoned the coun-
try on his release by the Continental Congress
and took office in Canada and subsequently a
pension from the British government. The evil
dence that he brought the first printing press into
Vermont Is meagre, yet satisfactory The writ
ing office ESQ runs the record) OF one Pale at West
minister was confiscated to the use OF the state
by the legislature in 1880 The name Pale does
not appear In Thomas History Of Vermont,
neither does that Of Samuel Gale but it is obvi
ous that the P instead OF @ is natural clerical
error. There Is ample evidence that Gale was at
he was man Of learning and ambitious Of author
ship in t772, and actually an author subsequently
in England The most reasonable inference is
that Gale brought printing materials with him to
Vermont with the intention of using them, though,
by reason possibly Of his short residence in the
state and the lack Of printers there is evidence
that these materials were used by him.
"The next press brought for the use OF Yer
/ At,t, aNal1t ahnI uln, Ham
n. H. in 177S by Timothy Green and judah
Paddock Spooner. In both Thomas History and
zadock Thompson's Vermont, it is stated that
they set up their press at Westminster in that
year. but Thomas subsequently stated that they
first went to Hanover printed n newspaper for a
short time, and afterward removed to Westmin-
ster and printed the first newspaper in Vermont
In October, 1878 Dresden and Hanover (now but
one town., and nine other New Hampshire towns
we're represented in the Vermont legislature and
on the second day of the session 1t was voted
and resolved that Judah Paddock and Alden
Spooner be and are hereby appointed printers for
the General Assembly OF this state procla-
nation of Governor ChittendeD, dated June 3,
i779, was printed by Judah Paddock and Alden
Spooner, printers to the General Assembly OF the
state Of Vermont The first union of the New
Hampshire towns with Vermont was dissolved in
February 1879, and it is therefore probable that
.'o o,o'"e,S 'poomer ",'' ie'no'eu '"oi 'N
nl''' Dresue" W "es''ii'hs'er !" .""' 'e'' ""'
,''"o'"S "reeh N'u ua@en 'he p'i'o VI "''"
Spooner. However that may be, 1t is certain that
the first newspaper within the present limits Of
'e,"on' was ,ss"e" ~ "es'"'"''e'
18th, 1881. will describe 1t from copy in the
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p'o""'o'e !" '"o printer "u'o,.''ee"'
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w So'''o'' ~ '''e 'o"' VI N"."s'o" '"V" '"e
'u'n''' anu ''o summing "''o'''se''en' u,
'e'ho", NEWSPAPER 'o' many Year,, N"'' s",'
", ""s N'"' ~ n"'" ,"s', N'A' '.''" ~ wy
eui'or,'' e'sn' ',',es III an announcing "n "o
J'"'"o" 'es''o" VI '"e "e"o''i o""'' az "'"us''
meaning ',e 'ee's'at"re 10 cohs'uet .ne piopose'
""'" VI ''se P"''o' Ne" i''''i'''ie WIZ" 'o'
, "on'' anu IeP"r' vi '''e capture vi "ehe'"i Al
Two oo'"'"hs ana u NAH are gwen 10 heN"'u''"n
Wy war news anu '",oo 'o'u'""S " 'o,e'sa new
'''e ''S' oe'ng more 'nah can DE 'ouhu ordinarily
=" Guy "'''''' o''''"' "e"'i,Po' VI Wv
present o"y on Tue 'our'" page i"'nassH''
i"oNe.' o'n1'n'"s Il" 'ue u" 'n''i'S """ 'o''
/, p'''e 'no ",' VI oo"'e"e' ny no''oi"s "en nv
'e" i'''''''' At "''o ny uo"''io"''' 'le his. Vi
"s"'"'' '',' vi part y, New ior'
e ~ ,o'"'n'' "'''," was ',en Proposeu III western
,e''"o", az o"'''"'e " '"e ne" hampshire 'er
[ 10y t'"' was 'o'e'ea ny r-'S'ern vermont
: anu nus ''"'"uS "'o Vi prominent feature u
."' 1"'S "o"spapoiS VI 'e'non'' 10 winch VIII
"''''S "''o'' ine eu''o's -M"''he" Lyon DEM
an eNoep'on' '"'nk' W Tue general ruie'-pai'
+ niue "'en'on !" po''''ca' matters lea'hg th's
:, '"e'' oon'''uuoo'S, Among "h"h were the apleS
l. men III '''e su''e-'le A"ens' Chpihahs' btadIey
4, ~ ' ~ 80 ~ i'' "' ''''''''"'
coh'rioutiohs were frequent from Chiei Justice ly
. ie'' Jas h''o'' ihoS' w. ressehueh ,he poet ah'
prooaoiy from ohlei Justice rrehtiss' VINO was al
n associa'e WIN ressehueh ana an intimate TREND
Inns s' OF Contributors couiu DE CONSIDERABLY ex
Il tehueu' proving that the oest innds In the stat
were Jealous ior the puolic good ana some o
'hei' uouo''ess' ior 'heir own
Il Aho'"er rei'iarRaple ie''"reih early vernon
newspapers growing largely out oil the lack o
o.her matter WAS the re-pnDhct'oh IN iull o
II oine'ai puonc reports ana o'hef documents am
h '''"n'"'"S po''''cn "o'hs' Among THESE re-
r '"e"iper ohe oh A"iero'" poi''cS' ny iurgo' I"
4 eminent STATESMAN Oh fr'noe' written 10 rev. III
h'ch"ru rrce' oi Eng'ahu WHO was also yer
III eminent "s poh''cu "r'ef ana so ihuch es
d teemeu that congress invited MN 10 become
ar c'tizeh vi TINS country i"rso' paihphet pro
RI 'oHeu Noluhe py 'ohh ADAMS IN deiehse oil IN
, American CONSTITUTIONS TACT when amply prove
that the early vermont printers were exhibitin
u avery STRONG hght 10 we peope-ieedihg 'hen
~ WIN strong meat ratifr 'hah mix ior paoes
Or ihey permitted the aoest writers 10 speak 10
it themselves ana nave r'''y uouo'eu whether IN
Of olu ana comparatively h"Al NEWSPAPERS Oh vel
mont were not ior 'he 'Vo Peou''ar'es nave sue
geS'eu' po"e' 'e'ne's u puoi' '''''ois '''ah I'll
'ar more pie'eh''ous p"p,,so' our o"" uaS' isus