Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-06-20
Early Vermont Printing.

Early Vermont Printing.
The Vermont Journal of Windsor,
which is a live, we'll edited newspaper. in
a premature celebration of its centennial
last week made some statements that are
under the circumstances surprising. Con-
nected with the history of the Journal Is n
story of early Vermont printing that is
not in some of its most impo tant parts
clear enough to be told without further
study and perhaps not even with such
further study. But certain things are so
we'll known that so bright paper as the
Journal is not doing its duty when in
photographed work it misstates them.
The coolest inhabitant" is always believed,
and the Journal comes so near deserving
that title among our state newspapers,
that on that account as we'll as its we'll
deserved reputation for truth Its wrong
stories about itself will get believed unless
it corrects them.
Under date of June Is it says "this
week, one hundred years ago Spooner'
Yermont Journal made its bow 10 the
public" The fact is that August z, 1888,
The Vermont Journal and the Universal
ADVERTISER made its bow and the name
was changed to Spooners Vermont Jour-
nal March 20, 1892. The journal is moi
to be excused for having forgotten its
"christened name" if it is for forgetting
the day and month of its birth.
1t further states that mo other news.
paper was ut that time printed in this
state" Anthony Haswell and David
Russell were then publishing The Vernaont
Gazette or Freemaen's Depository at Ben
nington. Haswell and Russell's paper
was the second established in the state and
its first issue was June 5, 1888, more than
two months prior to the appearance of the
Journal.
The journal elsewhere, in an article by
Simeon Ide, gives the name of the firm
founding it as "Spooner and Hough'
whereas it was Hough and Spooner; and
it surmises that this firm continued "about
eleven years." the fact being that Hough
and Spooner dissolved partnership Decem-
Der 10, 1888, and the last issue bearing
their names was December % of that
year.
But the Journal makes much worse
mistake than its correspondent, Mr.. Ide
for it says "Mr. Spooner removed with
his family from Westminster early in the
year 1888, and as soon as arrangements
could be perfected began the publication
of the Vermont Journal about the l4th Of
June of that year." and adds in q note
"There is good reason to believe that
George Hough was associated with him
during a short period" We should say
SO!
The Journal makes the mistake of con-
founding Alden Spooner with his brother.
Judah Paddock, though this error does no
harm as Mr.. Ide's article clears that matter
up. And right here it may be said that
while it is easy enough to blame the
Journal for making mistakes as to fac,s of
hundred years ago "we're all poor
critters" and should we branch out and
tell what we believe to be the truth about
some of this early printing our friends Of
the Journal would soon be proving that
we didn't know much about the matter
As an illustration of the work of tho tooth
of time this samo Alden Spooner, October
-, 1870, had forgotten the year that he
came up the Connecticut river TO do
printing.
In 1778 Judah Paddock Spooner and his
brother Alden Spooner established a
printing Office in what is now part of
Hanover, New Hampshire, then called
Dresden, and in one sense in Vermont
because this state by the annexation
doings Of that year then had jurisdiction
there. And on the 10th day of October,
1873, the Spooners were by the general
assembly of this state appointed printers
for the general assembly of this state"
Alden Spooner in a petition dated at
Windsor, Oct. Is, 1890, says to the gen
eral assembly that he "in the early age Of
this state, at the earnest solicitation of the
trustees of Dartmouth college, in Dresden
then in the union with the state of Yer.
mont, established the first printing press
in the state in the year 1779," and that at
the next session of the legislature the
House passed resolution appointing him
"Printer TO the State.' Alden had forgot
ten the year he came for he went 10
Dresden in 1878, and he had also appa.
rently forgotten about his brother. But
Judah was not much better to remember
if in the following extract from petition
of his dated October IA, 1895, he referred
to the Dresden printing; he says he
"removed into this state at the Request
of the Governor and Council of this State
and set up the printing business at time
when no other printer had set up" Per-
haps, however, Juhah refers 10 the West
minister enterprise.
The Spooners did good deal of print.
ing for the state at Dresden, and there
published in 1879 the first general body of
laws enacted for the state. But some of the
stale printing was done down country and
there were various efforts 10 get printing
office set up within the present borders of
Vermont. There was Timothy Green
of New London, Conn, who had son
Timothy, and they were descendants of
Samuel Green who was the second printer
in New England, the FIRST being Day of
Cambridge, Mass.
The annexation schemes being tempo.
rarily given up, October q, 1870, the
general assembly passed this resolution;
Whereas, it is absolutely necessary that
printing Office be erected within the
Iipoitc IF thio state IN pript ha lo INC . n,