The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-12-29
A COMMON scoLD.
From Ben. Periey Poore's Letter. j

lrtOm Dcu- tcftcy foofs1 . IrttCi
 Mrs. Anne Royal was at that time the only " interviewer and the only female writer for the press at Washington. She was the widow of Tennessee revolution ary officer, and she first visited the capi- tai to secure pension, but failing in that she devoted herself to personal literature. Then she managed to secure an old Ram age printing press and font of battered, long primer type, with which, aided by runaway apprentices and tramping jour neymen printers, she published on Cap- itel hill for several years a small weekly sheet called tie HHskress. Every person of any distinction who visited Washing ton received call from Mrs Royall, and if they subscribed for the HHsfyess they were described in the next number in a complimentary manner, but if they de- clined she blackguarded them without mercy. When young she was a short, plump and not bad-looking woman, bu, as she advanced in years her flesh disap- peared and her nose seemed to increase in size but her piercing black eyes lost none of their fire, while her tongue wagged more abusively when she lost her
 
 as going about like virago-erran, in enchanted armor. redeeming herselffrom the cramps of indulgence by the notoriety of her eccentricities and the forced cur rency they gave to her publications"
 Mrs. Royalrs tongue at last became so uncomfortable that she was formally in- dicted by the grand jury as a common scold and tried in the circuit court before Judge Cranch. His honor charged the jury at length, reviewing the testimony, and showing that, if found guilty, she must be ducked, in accordance with the English law in force in the District of Co., lumbia. The jury found her guilty, but her counsel begged his honor the judge to weigh the matter. and not be the first to introduce a ducking stool, which had been obsolete in England since the reign of Queen Anne, as the introduction of such an engine ofpunishment might have he effect of increasing criminals of this class. If the Greek legislators would not enact punishment for a crime not un- known to them, lest 1t should induce per sons to commit that offense. the court should not permit the introduction of the duoking g-stool. lest it might lead to an in- crease of common soolds. This argument had weight. and d fine was imposed on Mrs. Royall, which was duly paid
 The Washington papers, up to this tune. contain very little of what has since been known as local news. A parade, an inauguration, or the funeral of distin- guished person, would receive brief men, tion, bu, the pleasant, gossip of the day was entirely ignored. The first one who chronicled in print Washington society as i, actually existed, giving the lights and shades. was James Gordon Bennett, the correspondent of the Neso loyk Con- riey. who afterward founded the Nt1s lo,k Herald. His accounts of social life created a decided sensation, and spurred up the other correspond, to enliven their letters with the chat of the day. It was then necessary for the cor, respondent of a paper in a northern city to mail his letter at the postoffice before |, o'clock at night to insure its de- parture by the early mornings mail north ward. Letters written to New York did not, consequently appear until the second day after they were written, while those sent to Boston rarely appeared before the fourth day. am inclined to think that the people were then better posted as to what transpires here than they are now. when despatches can be sent in a few moments at any time of day or night