The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-08-20
FIksT AMERICAN NEWSPAPER,
Some Account oi the Isoston Nevs-Let-
ter. Printed One ffuudred Yeara auo

| IL is q fact worthy of record that in
Boston was made The FIST ATTEMPT TO
set up n newspaper in North America.
and that this attempt dates back nearly
900 years-to the 25th of September, 1890.
The title of this ancient sheet was Istb-
lick Occurrences, both F5reiga and Do
rnestick. Only one number of this paper
is known to have been printed, and this
bore the date of September 25, 1890 but
whether it was suspended for lack of
patronage, or because the legislative
authorities spoke of it as a pamphlet
published contrary to law. and contain
ing reflections of very hig h nature,'
is not known. It was printed by Ben
jamin Harris for Richard Pierce. and.
so far as known, the only copy in ex-
istence is deposited in the state paper
Office in London. 1t was printed on
the first three sides of folded sheet
two columns TO page, and each about
seven by eleven inches in size, and was
to have appeared once month.
1t is still more significant and im-
portant fact that the first newspaper
that was published in North America
was published in Boston. IT was called
The Boston NegCS- letter. and the initial
number bore the date of Monday. April
"a, l7O4. IT was half sheet OF paper
in size about twelve by eight inches.
made up in two pages folio, with two
columns on each page. The title is in
Roman letters of the size which print
ers call French canon. and under it are
the words printed by authority" in
old English. The imprint is: "Boston;
printed by b. Green; sold by Nicholas
Boone, at his shop near the old meeting
house." The proprietor was evidently
John Campbell. postmaster, rs indi-
p1fp6 a
which was the only one the paper con-
tanned:
ms Neios- LeueT is to be continued
weekly; and all persons who have any
houses, lands, tenaments, farms, ships,
vessels. goods, wares or merchandise,
etc., to be sold or let; or servants runa-
way, or goods stolen or lost; may have
the same inserted at n reasonable rate,
from twelve pence to live shillings, and
not to exceed: Who may agree with
John Campbel, postmaster OF Bos-
ton. All persons in town or country
may have the NcUs-Leter weekly,
yearly, upon reasonable terms, agreeing
with John Campbell, postmaster, for the
same"
Campbell was Scotchman, and be-
sides attending to his duties us postmas-
ter and editor and publisher OF the
seUS-Letter, did some business as book
seller. Judging from copies of his pa
per, his literary accomplishments were
of limited chsrtcter, for what little
original matter there is, is poorly con-
structed, without regard to punctuation
or grammatical construction, and con-
sisted main ofhis own business advei-
tisements. The paper was chiefly made
up of extracts from London papers,
which were necessarily several months
did cOnepuuputlv lv itl Ql1pnort tVac faal1in
and its circulation limited. The paper
was issued weekly, and the second num-
Der contains three printed pages, the
fourth being left blank, evidently for the
want of news to fill up. This piece of
enterprise was apparently not appreci-
ated, as but two pages appeared in the
next number, and al.o in the issues for
many years thereafter. Up to November
3, 1907, the NeaoS- Letter was printed by
Bartholomew Green, and from that date
to October 2, III, it was Printed by
John Allen in Pudding-lane (now Dev.
onshire street). and sold at the postc flee
in Corrhill (than n part of Washington
street," At that time the postoflice and
Aliens printing Office were destroyed by
fire, and the paper was again printed by
B. Green, for John Campbell. postmas-
ter. till the end of the yeax l722.
Campbell made frequent importunat e
calls upon the public to support his en-
terprise, $50 as to enable the under
taker to carry it on effectually." In
January, l7l9, Campbell proposed pub
fishing his paper on a whole sheet,
"because with half sheet week it is
impossible to carry on all the publick
news ofEurope;" but his expectations
were far from realized, judging from
his statement that the Undertaken
n a n ran
to print half Sheet Weekly, seeing
that he cannot vend 300 at an lmpres-
sion, tho some ignorantly concludes he
Sells upwards of Thousand; far less
is he able to print n sheet every other
Week, without an Addition of 4, 6 or g
Shillings a Year. as everyone thinks fit
to give payable Quarterly, which will
only help to pay tor Press and Paper,
giving his labor Tor nothing" In the
latter part OF the same year another
postmaster was appointed, who began
the publication OF rival newspaper.
This disturbed Campbell greatly, and
when, in l72i, James Franklin estab-
| lished third newspaper, the NeIO
England Conrd,t, his ire was aroused,
and he expressed his feelings in the
Netos- Letter more forcibly than elo-
| quently, az follows:
"On Monday last, the 9TH Currant,
came forth Third Newspaper in this
town, entitled the New EnQiand Cour-
rant, by Homo non unius Negotii or
Jack of all Trades, and it would seem,
Good at none, giving some very. very
frothy fulsome Account of himself, but
lest the continuance of that style should
offend his readers; wherein with sub
mission O speak for the publisher of
this intelligence, whose endeavors have
always been to give no oifense, not
meddling with things outside his own
| Province.) The said Jack promises in
pretense Of Friendship to the other News
! Publishers to amend likeAle in Summer.
! Rehecting too. too much that my ber-
| fo,.manees are now and then very very
nnIi ,,,;sren,nse e,,t;re M nv, con5 "a or
desvors T 1sceprd r S inc 10 the Tsiart of NV
Cansc;tyS S'o and Ed1ca,;n, not soa,.;,., ~, ~
aharye nv fs,r boroS /, "; 81, 10 ,r',oa
ee,,,;ra 9ccaunt "a a,f niat,ers :, nf II Fo., "e
botb ForeioD .nS - nnnast;oI ,s,r and ,,,sii
Sttns,ad ~. tiasa So,,a,.tae,s ~ WI
half nast :" atc 0'''''' '' anu
'Thap Pms n,'s,.,.el het,voen +heso t,vo naror,
added 10 the nro"neritv | Of both ~. a