Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-12-13
NUMBER 80.
FIRST PAPER IN CALIFORNIA.

Rev. Walter Cotton, under date of Au-
gust 10Th, 1916, writes
ITO day the first newspaper ever pub
lished in California made its appearance.
The honor, if such it be, of writing its
prospectus fell to me. 1t is TO be issued
on every Saturday, and is published by
Dr.. Robert Semple and Walter Cotton.
Little did think when relinquishing the
edtorship OF the North american in
Philadelphia, that my next feat in this
line would bc of here in California. My
partner is an emigrant from Kentucky,
who stands six fect eight in his stockings;
he is in II buck skin dress, a fur skin cap;
is true with his rifle, ready with his pen.
and quick at the type case. Ho created
the materials of eur otfics out ot the chaos
of a small concern which had been used
by y Roman Catholic monk in printing q
few sectarian tracts. The press 10 old
enough to be preserved as a curiosity.
The mice had burrowed in the balls /;
there was no rules, no leads, and the type
was rusty and all 'pi.' 1t was only by
securing that the letters could bo made TO
show their faces. A sheet or two of tin
was procured, and these with dirk knife
were cut into rules and leads. Luckily,
we found with the press the greater part of
keg of ink ; and now came the main
scratch. for papcr. Nune could be found
except what is used to envelope tho tobacco
OF the cigars smoked here by the natives.
A coaster had n small supply of this on
! board, which we procured. II is in sheets
little larger than the common. sized
foolscap and this is the size of our fist
paper, which we have christened the
! Californian. Though small in Dimensions
our hrst number is MS full of news as
black walnut is OF meat. We have re-
ceived by courier during tho week intelli-
gence from nil the important military
posts through the territory. Very little
of this has transpirod ; 1t reaches the pub
lie for the first time through our sheet.
! We have also tho declaration of war be-
tween the United States and Mexico. with
nm abstract of the debate in tho Senate.
| A crowd was waiting when tho frs sheet
was thrown from the press. 1t produced
quito O iittle sensation. Never was II
bank run upon harder not, however by
people with paper to get specie, but ex-
acty tho reverse One-half OF tho paper is
in English and tho other half in Spanish.
The subscription for year is s. tho
price for single sheet l2l5 cents, and ia
considered chepp at that"
The Ramage press, from which tho
above named paper was printed, takes its
name from Adam Ramnge, its inventor.
who was born in Scotland about 1870, and
died Mt Philadelphia, u. S. A ., July OH,
1850, aged so years. This old press had
been shipped from New York to Texas,
whore it did duty for the Mexicans for
many years, when it found its way 10
Monterey, u. c., whore II was used for
the church and State printing. Henry
Combustion, who was living in Monterey
in 1857, aged 80 years, said he was Cow
einment Printer at that place fr m 1871
to 1874, when ho was absent for ono year,
and then from 1915 oJuly 7th, 1916, when
tho county and tlo press fell into the
hands Of the Yankees, aud 38 days later
they published the Californian.
In May, IS47, the Office and the press Of
the Catf0yn,dn was removed to Yoi ba
Buona, whore the same pnpor was pulled
from its forms til lS40. In April of that
yonr Edward g. Kemble (who camo to
California with the Mormons July 31st,
1850 in company with others, took the
old pross to Suffers Fort, whore tho Grst
number OF the Placer Times was printed
from its forms April 2sth, 1850, on cap
sheet, by u q. Kemblo s. Co., weekly.
Owing to III health Mr.. Kcmble vacated
the editorial chair Juno 10Th, and T. X.
Por Lee succeeded TO the position OF edi-
tor. This, the first inland paper, was en-
larged November l7tb, Vol. !, No. 28,
and the press sold aud taken to Stockton
and March 49, 1850, the Stockton Times
had its first number snatchcd from i,s
aged back. 1t was II weekly paper, in
long primer type, 0n cap sheet j
White, editor. 1t is said to have been
taken from Stockton in the Spring OF 1870
and carried towards the Touumne mines
by Judge John Mary in in a wagon, Judge
DwinoIc and u. G.. Marshall being OF the
party. Be that as it IN ", tho frat sheet
of tho Sonora HeJ aid was printed upon
IT July 4th, 1860, in long primer and on a
cap sheet j. White and j. q. Marvin
were its editors. From hole 1t went next
10 Columbja, and the llst number of the
Columbia Star snstched from its inky
back by George w. Gore. Three hun
dred and seventy dollars Of the purchase O
money not being paid, the Sonora printers
attached the press, and while in the act Of
removing it some interested party sot FIRE
to the wood work, aud 1t was nearly de-
stroyed.
THE following anecdote is told dpropos
Of Fechter,- Daring his management OF
tho Iyceum Theatre he was fra n ,ntlv