Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-27

thirty-four years, the art of printing pro-
crossed from the solid wooden page to the
separate leaden letter, and then the great
Illuminating rays of the art prcservatiye OF all
art, began It's splendid career.
The earliest printed newspaper is supposed |
to be "The English Mercurie," which was
published at London by her highnesses printer,
in 1858 and during the reign of Queen Eliza. |
BETH. 1t was issued monthly in the interest of |
the government. In a paper called "The Secret |
OWL" printed and published in 1868, find the
"a perfect mermaid was, by the last great
wind, driven ashore near Greenwich, with her
comb in one hand and her looking glass in the
other. She seemed to be Of the countenance |
of most fair-and beautiful woman, with her
arms crosscd weeping out many peariy drops |
of salt tears; and afterwards she gently turned |
herself upon her back again and swan away
without beng seen any more"
am not sure but such an item OF news
would be greatly relished by our more modern
newspaper. Indeed, am quite positive that
most of the editors would have been glad to
have personally gathered the item-to say
nothing of the mermaid.
The earliest printing done in England, was by
VIM. Caxton, in the year 1414. He published
several books, and created a great sensation by
his novel mode Of communicating ideas. 1t
will be observed, that the first newspaper did
after the publication of the first book by
Cayton.
The first press on the American continent,
was set up in the year 1858, at Cambridge, Mass.
The first printing done was at the same place
in 1859, or 1875 years after the first printing was
executed in Europe. The first practical printer
was Stephen Daye, who worked on this first
printing press. The first publication was at
Cambridge, Mass, called the Ifeeman's Octh.
The first foundry for making metallic type,
and the first metallic type ever cast on this
continent, was located at Middlesex, C0nnecti-
cut, in the year 1869.
What is remarkable is the fact, that the first
school in America, was opened on the penin-
sula Of Boston, Mass, in 1880 a few years
founded at Cambridge, which is now the IA
nous Harvard College; thus grouping together
the first press, the first printing, the first
printing office, the first newspaper, the first
book, the first practical printer, the first rail-
road the first school, and the first college on
the American continent-all within the limits
Of the good old State Of Massachusetts! Truly,
she is the mother of teachers. the mother of
literature, As Webster said, "she needs no
defense--there she stands"
Massachusetts expressed her appreciation of
the introduction of this first press, by entering
the following decree at general court:
"Steeyen Daye, being the first that sett up
| on printing, is graunted 800 acres of land,
| where it may be convenient without prejudice
| to any town."
Like most printers, Daye appears not to
| have made his business very profitable, for, by
| the records, it seems that he was under the ne
cessity of pledging one of his lots in Cam
bridge as security for the payment of debt
| In the purchase of "cow, calf and heifer."
Nowadays some of our editors pledge their
lots for tobacco and cigars, and all
goes mp in smoke. But however IN
| fortunate Dave may have been, l
| think Massachusetts set an excellent example
and / am not sure but it would be good idea
| for young and ambitious men, who are anxious
to start papers in some of our frontier counties,
| to first secure of the owners of towns, two or
| three hundred acres of land, and then go in
| on their muscle and their nerve. Brain-work
| is at least as valuable as calicoe and nobody
would think of buying calicoe and not paying
| for it, and nobody ought to think of buying
| brains without u proper remuneration. But
after all, the editor should give an equivalent
| for what he receives. He can't send out a
| blank paper and get or expect support. He
must give the public qaid pro quo.
In 1704 appeared the first newspaper on the
American continent, just 116 years
| after the first appearance of the first
| NeicS Letter, and was published at Boston, by
| John Campbell. 1t was the sole newspaper OF
| the country for fifteen years, or until 1719,
| when second paper was established in Bos-
| ton and the same year appeared another paper
| in Philadelphia. The Oldest newspaper now in
the United States, is the Newport Or. ~ Mer-
curry, which appeared in 1856, or 125 years
ago, and what is singular it has the same name
| as the first paper in Europe. The changes
made in III years, or since the first appearance
of the first newspaper, truly wonderful
Then slavery existed In a good part of the
| American Union. Even Massachusetts, with
all her advanced ideas and literary achieve
ments, held slaves. Even John Campbell, the
| first editor, in his own first American paper
asked the public to read the following adver.
| tisement:
"To be sold by the printer of this
paper, the very best negro woman
| in town, who has had the small
| poX and the mcasles-is as hearty as horse, as
brisk as bird, and will work like beaver.''
! John and his slave, and slavery itself, and all
| the paraphernalia of the peculiar institution
| sleep in the grave, and where John and his
| devil worked the old hand press in Boston to
| sional shout for slavery, great and powerful
| presses now clank their brawny arms and throw
| out to the world thousands of copies of spot
| less sheets, that sing of a free country and O
! free people. One of the great instrumentalities
which was used TO effect this result, was the
newspaper press. 1t was this that cried from
| its battlcments, 'Down with slavery" It was
| this which urged our union soldiers on to bat.
| tie. 1t was this that encourag ed and upheld
| our statesmen in their defense Of right, aud il
| is this which to-day continues to uphold the
| greatness, the freedom aud the grandeur of our
common country.
The early presses used by the profession,
were very crude, even so late as the year 1923
The Ramage press, so we'll known to old
rivata xtth
wooden posts--1 cross beam and platten, the
latter suspended from a screw, which was op-
Grated by long iron bar inserted in wooden
instrument. The type were linked by deer
skin balls, the skins being filled with sleeps
wool and nailed to wooden handles. In the
| year 1925 followed the Introduction of iron
hand-presses, called the Franklin, the Taylor,
ETC., and then came into use machine presses.
Major Noah, of the New York Mercury, and
father of Major Noah, formerly resident of
| st. Paul, and himself typesetter, (now private
secretary OF Hon. Alexander Ramsey, import
ed the first machine press ever used in this
country. 1t printed at the rate of from 600 to
] 600 papers per hour, and at that day-about
the year 1S30-was considered great achieve
ment. Then came the Adam press, for news
paper and book work, and then came Hoe &
great machines, which now. turn off from
B 1000 TO 10000 copies per hour In the
language of Gallileo, the world does move,
And when ] look back and contemplate the
devil behind the dlsky old hand press, smutty
with ink, tired with work, the football and
scapegoat of all the incentive been there, gen.
tlemcn) when / come TO realize that this devil
has been dispensed with, and that Beecher has
abolished hell, / am forced TO believe that there
has been great progress in the religious world,
as well as in the art preservatve of all arts, and
that if We continue to progress in the same
ratio in the future as We have in the past, that
that blissfU period will soon arrive, when it
will require no ehariots to convey us to heaven,
for we shall need no change.
The press of Europe: ,thoughthe number of
papers is less, yet in the aggregate circulation
is fully abreast with that of America, and in
some respects, ahead of II. 1t is not so free,
from the fact that here it is untrammelIed;
there il is Under the surveillance of tie nnyern.