Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-05
FIRST AMERICAN NEWSPAPER.
| Some Account OF the Boston News-Iset-
ter. Printed one Hundred Years Ago.

Boston WAS made the first attempt 10
set up newspaper in North America,
and that this attempt dates back nearly
200 years-to the 25th Of September, 1880.
The title of this ancient sheet was Pub
lick Occurrences, both boyeigH and Do
nieSttck. 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 il as pamphlet
published contrary TO law. and contain
ing reflections of a very high nature"
is not known. 1t was printed by Ben.
jamin Harris for Richard Pierce, and,
80 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 a month.
II is still more significant and i'm
portant fact that the first newspaper
that was published in North America
was published in Boston. 1t was called
The Boston NeUS-LeUeT. and the initial
number bore the date OF Monday, April
"a, l704. 1t 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, mt his shop near the old meeting
house." The proprietor was evidently
John Campbell, postmaster, rs indi-
Gated by the following advertisement,
which was the only one the paper con-
tanned:
This NetCs- Letter il 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 AZ a reasonable rate,
from twelve pence TO five shillin gs, and
not to exceed: Who may agree with
John Campbell, postmaster OF Bos-
ton. All persons in town or country
may have the NeUS-Leler weekly,
yearly. upon reasonable terms, agreeing
with John Campbell, postmaster, for the
same"
Campbell was Scotchman, and be-
sides attending to his duties as postmas-
ter and editor and publisher OF the
NetGs- Letter. did some business as book
seller. judging from copies of his pa
per, his literary accomplishments were
of limited character, for what little
original matter there is, is poorly CON
structed, without regard TO punctuation
or grammatical construction, and con-
sisted mainly ofhis own business adyer-
tisements. The paper was chiefly made
up of extracts from London papers,
which were necessarily several months
old, consequently its support was feeble.
and its circulation limited. The paper
was issued weekly, and the second num-
ber 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 also in the issues for
many years thereafter. Up TO November
3. l70T, the Net1S- Le1eT was printed by
Bartholomew Green, and from that date
to October 2, I'LL. il was Printed by
John Allen in Pudding-lane (now Dew
onshire street. and sold st the posto flee
in Cornhill (than part OF Washington
street," At that time the postofiice and
Aliens printing Office were destroyed by
Il. Green, for John Campbell. postmas-
ter. till the end of the year l722.
Campbell made frequent importunat c
calls upon the public to support his en-
tcrprise. $50 as TO enable the under
taker 10 carry it on effectually." In
January, 1919. Campbell proposed pub
fishing his paper on whole sheet.
because with half sheet n week il is
impossible 10 carry on all the publick
news of Europe;" but his expectations
were far from realized, judging from
his statement that 1.-THE Undertaken
had not suitable encouragement, even
TO print half n Sheet Weekly, seeing
that he cannot vend 300 at an impress
sion, tho some ignorantly concludes he
Sells upwards of Thousand; far less
Is he able TO print a sheet every other
Week, without an Addition of 4, Q OF
Shillings Year, rs everyone thinks fit
TO give payable Quarterly, which will
only help 10 pay for Press and Paper,
giving his labor for nothing" In the
latter part of the same year another
postmaster was appointed, who began
the publication OF n rival newspaper.
This disturbed Campbell greatly, and
when, in lT21, James Franklin estab-
lished a third newspaper, the NeD
England C5urant, his ire was aroused.
and he expressed his feelings in the
NesOs- Letter more forcibly than elo-
quently, as follows:
"0n Monday last, the 7th Currant.
came forth a Third Newspaper in this
town, entitled the Netc ENGLAND Cotlr-
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 U speak for the publisher of
this intelligence, whose endeavors have
always been to give no offense, 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.
Rejecting too, too much that my per-
iormances are now and then very, very
Dull, misrepresenting my candid en-
deavors (according TO the Talent of nv
Capacity and Education; not soaring