Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-15
BEN rRAxKLIN's GAZETTE.
What was Read ThrOugh the
spectacIes OF Our Great
Grandfhthers-PhiladeI.
phia's First Paper.
philadelphia Times,l

-~-----
Philadelphia nmes,l
The Pennsylvania Gazette was
"printed by B. Franklin, Postmaster,
at the New lPrinting Office. near the
Market" and the issue Of the date
mentioned was Numb. 962." From
an original copy, now before the
writer. of May n, l747, it is seen
that the FIRST and second pages were
devoted to European news, with a few
American items, and that the third
and fourth pages were set apart for the
use ofadvertisers.
The first items, dated Hague
March ~ tells of melancholy lnun-
dation" whereby Utrecht and lIeyden
suffered severely. Following is a bit
of news from Liege, around which
Imperial troops were marching; Just
below is a Parma item about fifty
pieces of cannon to be used in the
seige of Genoa, and further down the
column appears the intelligence that
France had spent l89 millions of livres
in the cruel war with England. An
extract of a Letter from very au-
thentick Perfon at Stockholm, dated
March IL" gives particulars to the
effect that "Emprefs of Rufia will,
before the end Of June, have above
4OO, 900 Men on Foot" Then, as 1t
Roman type we're unequal to the prop
er telling Of actual battle news, there
comes in italics the following para
graph:
Genoa. March 4. Submitting has with
in a dav or two begun again, One of the
Auftrian detachments has attempted to
furprize, in poft near Vollri, the indie
pendent company of Barbaroha, but that
company defended itself with so much
bravery, that the enemy were Obliged TO-
retire with the lofs of feveral killed and
wounded, their Commander being OF the
number Of the latter.
From London are accounts Of many
disasters TO shipping at the hands OF
the enemy and Of pirates as well, and
on the second page are found budgets
from Boston aud New York. In the
Boston News is the following:
Bya Letter from the COAT of Guinea
dated the l4th Of January laft, by Way
OF Barbados we have Advice that Capt.
Bear of Rhode Ifland, being off Cape
Coat Cattle with Number Of Slaves and
comfortable Quantity of Gold Duff on
board. the negroes rOie upon the crew,
and killed the Matter and all the Men,
except the two Mates who jumped over
hoard, and by fwimming, favd their
Lives.
Before quitting the news for the ad-
vertisements poor Richard tells his
readers the names Of the vessels that
had Entered Inwards" at the "Cuf-
ton Houfe," and Immediately below is
list Of the Vessels that had En-
tered OutWards.
The many editors Of this day who
SO conduct their papers that the ad-
vertisement are mora interesting than
the news and miscellany may be graf
fled TO learn that the pioneer ofjourn-
alism give them an illustrious prece.
dent in the matter. Whatever the
Philadelphia reader Of 17H may have
thought Of it, the Philadelphia reader
of 1881 finds the advertisements in the
Gazette much more entertaining than
the correspondence. A fair specimen
of the former is appended
PHILADELPHIA May q, l747.
RUIZ away about three weeks ago, from
/ the fnow Bonnetta-packet, Charles Lyon,
matter, failer, named William Crofs, an
Irishmsn, and has good deal Of the
brogue on his tongue, about IS years Of
age, about foot and half high, we'll
fetfellow, and much pOckiretteni Had on
when he went away, an old hat, linen
cap, blue jacket, and white flannel one
under it, trowfers, good yarn fIOckings,
and old shoes. Whoever takes up faid
CrOfs, and fecures him, 70 as he may be
had again. fhall have Forty-fhillings re-
ward, payed by
SAMUEL POWELL, junior.
II. B. he had q months pay from
owners Of said vefel, and Is fuppofed to
be lurking about town.
NUTMEGs AND BATTLE PICTURES
Smith and James must have been
among the leading mercantile houses
then, for they required half column
to tell Of oznsbrigs, z eight garlix,
hollands, cambrieks, nutmegs, sets Of
! flowers and butterflies, brass ink pots,
allom, snuff boxes, representations Of
the battle of Culloden, frying PANS
and other articles too numerous to
mention" that were Just imported
from London 10 the ship Bolton, Ed
ward bowers commander, And TO be
sold for Ready Money, at their store
t on Iirael Pemberton's Wharf. :
/ Thomas CsdWallader gives notice
that AL who have any demands upoI
the eftate Of Martha CadWallader are
| de6red to bring in their accounts K
d Samuel Morris, tanner, at the lower
E end Of Second ftreet." In those day
E the reader learned Of robberies from
D the advertising columns, as witness
the following:
t Philadelphia, May q, 1747.
b WHEREAS, on the 2lft day Of Apr
T laft, fome perfon or perfons enter'd til,
e uOWIe OF limo ny CthFlus OF Tue NDfLu
$ ern Liberties Of the city Of Philadelphia
!, broke open his eferutore, and ftole the fol
: lowing goods, viz; A gold necklace ant
: ocket, and a gold locket. and a pair o
2 gold buttons. FIX FLYER teafpoons, and tw,
d large FLYER fpoons, a bed quilt, and fomi
n bed linnen, fet Of fine hugabag napkins
and fundry other Things, 70 the value 0
Is 40 Pounds, or upwards. If the perfon il
e Whole pofetfion the above mentionet
= goods are viii return the fame 70 fai,
81 Timothy Scarth in eight days from tn
IS date hereof, there fhall be no queltion
g afked concerning the fame, or If any per
1t fon will inform faid Timothy Scarf
le where faid goods are, he fhall receiv
n Five Pounds reward, paid by
a TIMOTHY SCARTH.
le When the foreman Of the Gazett
n. off ce came to make up the paper f.
4 that issue be found he had FIVE inche
o. left, and as il to fill out he babe gooC
TO bye as follows: