The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-17

I'ce1t power, IN working ont thai design and
God said Lot there be light, and there was
light, and God saw the lights that it wal
good, and God divided the light from the
darkness" This was the first act in that di-
vino drama which win not be completed, I'M.
I'll there shall be new heaven and new
earth, where there shall be no night; and
the dwellers there shall need no candle
neither light of the sun, for the Lord God
giyeth them light. Light therefore was the
beginning and is destined to be the end Of
Of Gods work for man. Without light the
earth would have had no heat, mo vegetation
fer the support of man or beast, no beauty
sky and landscape of form and flower, nc
beauty that man should desire il, but utter
darkness. Most filthy, therefore. utter dark
ness was Christs synonym for hell. Since
then, iGOd himself, gave to light the frs
place and the highest dignity in the order Of
his own works. and is at least to make it his
greatest glory, for God himself is the light
and the glory of heaven, it is not presump-
tious to say that the light Rivers of the
earth are entitled to stand in the first ranks
among all orders of men and to be honored
by all, precisely to tho degree they honor
themselves in the noble professions into
which they have been called.
And who are the light-giversf or
old they were manly the prophets,
priests. apostles, historians. philosophers.
poets = Christ being the greatest Of teach
ers, the highest of priests the light
of the world. In our day they are the
teachers of all true knowledge. the
preachers Of all truth, and boldly add. the
hsralds Of good tidings to all men. the edi-
tors, publishers and printers whose duty it
IS TO gather up all that is good from all tight
giveTs and send it as the sun sends its rays
into every corner of the earth refreshingand
gliding all ii touches, and gladdeninp ali who
behold it. We have been wont, after the
best authors, rulers and statesmen, to give
the highest hOnOrs to the learned professions
the teachers. the preachers, the lawyers
and the physicians: but pray tell me what
profession needs so much learning as that
Of the editor His field Is the world nav
it embraces both worlds: it covers kingcraft
and priestcraft, all the professionally arts
all sciences, all literature-in short, ali
knowledge, human and divine, all phases of
a, practical life, all fancies of the ideal aud
allthe promises of the eternal. The editor
should be a walking dictionary and encyclO-
pedia combined: his head should contain all
the libraries within his reach: his Judgment
should be perfect his heart pure, his person
al character spOtless and his hnnd ant i'm
and gathering up the lightest trifes TO
amuse. Many editors have reached nearly
up to this ideal many more have approached
it: and am glad that the general tendency
is in the right direction. journalism has
come to be recognized in some of the col
leges as high profession, aud within the
last quarter of century the colleges of Yer
mont have sent out men who have adorned
it. Raymond and SpauldIng were giants
among the editors of New York City. and
hoth Ora1nn Of ha ir,fxr IS
Vermont. And to the credit of the practi-
al printers, who have had no advantages of
high school or college, will Q. ly name Hor-
ace Greeley.
This brings Inc to the practical printers
from the highest to the lOwest-as light
givers; from the foreman down through
the cOmpositors and pTosSmaa and
women to the smutty little devil' Of the
printing office, they are light
giyers. and pre-emlnently SO. The
statesman, the preacher, the jurist, the atl-
thor, the editor, are capable of being great
lights in the world, but only through the
practical printer Christ personally adj
dressed few thousand of people, while
through the practical printer he has spoken
to millions upon millions, and will speak to
them until all shall have heard he Glad
news of salvation. Without the printers.
the orator, the statesman, the jurist, no
matter how great, could address at most but
a few thonsands Of people the poet and his
toriann could only go from house to house
aud from inn to inn and repeat their tales as
Homer aud the TrOubadOuTs, or write out n
few copies and deposit them in libraries; but
the printers make all the world their audi
ence; the publishers and pratical printers
then, for their great usefulness are fairly en-
titled to stand in high estimation by the side
of authors and editors whose works they is
sue to the world, crystalized and perpet-
uated on the printed page tn instruct or a e.
muse not merely the people of their own day
but Of many future generations. On another
occasion, this theme may be prOtitably de-
Yel0ped by some one more competent than i
am into an elaborate discussion of the dig
nifty and duties and the responsibilities of
the profession which this association repre-
sents: nave suggested 1T for your reflection
hopeiul mat your own considerations of it
VIII leau you to higher aims better im-
prOvement of your great topp1rtunifies aud
public. ~ VIZ
Aud now, turn to a topic more pertepent
70 70 'uls occasion, to wit: the earle
est printers in Vermont. They were not
bnsSS s ad 9 hei9 s9 sb but az c@p9sE e. on
for there were but few people then even
within the limits of the whole State, and no
mail routes, so that the subscription list
must necessarily have been small. Never
theless the first light-glvers were very use
full to the state which had been compelled to
go elsewhere for the state printing; and use
full also to the people within their reach Civ
ing the news OF the day and discussing sub
jects Of the greatest public Importance. But
more largely they were useful in stimula-
ting a taste for reading, and o.
demand e5 for more printers, books
tennial year, the profession in Vermont ranks
fully as high as In any Other section of the
country, outside of the metropolitan cities.
Let US then accord due hOnOTs TO tine first adj
yenturers in the field of Vermont journalism.
ha NPaf min tim IN
badly brought by Samuel Gale, who was
married in BrattleborO in 1913, was a sur
veYOr under New York in that year, aud ap-
pointed clerk. of Cumberland (Wlndham
county court III 1774. He was an English
man by birth, well educated, gentleman in
manner, and q Tory in politics. As clerk of
the court, he of course fought ON the court
side in the Westminster massacre of 49,
and for that he was arrested and imprisoned
by the Wings, and his property was cOniis-
Gated by Vermont In fact he was in prison
so long under different authorities, that he
abandoned the country on his release by the
continental congress, and took office in Cana
d2, and subsequently n pension from the
British government. the evidence that he
brought the first printing press into Yer
mont is meagre, vet tolerably satisfactory
The writing Office" SO runs the record of
one Pale, at Westminster, was contscated
to the use of the state by the legislature of
lloO. The name Pale does not appear in l
Thomas history of printing, neither does
thatof Samuel Gale; but it is obvious that the
'P" instead of the &c" is natural CLERICAL
error. There is ample evidence that Gale was
at Westminster ia 1774-5, as clerk of the
court; that he was man uf learning. and
ambitious of authorship at Philadelphia in
l772, and actually an author subsequently
in England The most reasonable Inference
is that Gale brought the printing materials
with him to Vermont with the intention of
using them, though by reason possibly of his
short residence IN this state aud the lack Of
printers, there is no evidence that these ma
terias were used by him.
The next press brought for the use of Yer
mont was established at Dresden, now Han
over, NJ H., in IT'S, by Timothy Green and
Judah Poddock SpOOner. In both Thomas
history and ZadOc ThOmpson's Vermont,
it is stated that they set up their |
press in Westminster in that year.
but Thomas subsequently stated that they |
first went to Hanover, printed newspaper |
for short time and afterwards removed TO |
WestpiDisteT, and printed the first newspa- |
per 10 Vermont In October, 177S. Dresden |
and Hanover aud nins other New Hamp- |