Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-05-17
AMONG THE OLD FILES.
LOCAL HISTORY IN NEwsraPERs,

AMUNU 1HE UlID FILES.
LOCAL HISTORY IN NEwsrAPERs.
Advertising In the Last Century-Some Re-
miniscences Of Lancaster In "Ye
Olden Time.''
1t is very common for persons in the
possession of copies of old newspapers to
bring them to the attention of the press OF
to day and have their quaint contents
noted as interesting specinens of the art
preservative of other days, or of the con.
trasts of journalistic methods, or as reflec.
tions of the changes in social life or valu-
able records of local history. Such a re
view of the contents of these earlier pub
lications Is generally of interest, at
least in the community in which they were
published. 1t is not generally known that
in the lNTELLIGENCEE Office are care
fully preserved, in good condition,
one of the oldest AID most in
teresting and valuable files of news
papers in the state, the columns of which
are consulted almost daily by antiquarians,
historians and others engaged in going
up the river Of time. Tho old newspapers
differed very widely from the correspond
ing publications of today, in that they
allotted little space to local or editorial
writing, it being taken for granted appa
rently that people knew what was going
on about them and formed their own
opinions ; to foreign events, state and
federal politics and to advertisements the
greater part Of their limited space was
given up. 1t is in the examination of the
oHv hot -c L.
facts bearing on the social life and local
events of the earlier days can be found.
1t is proposed as an illumination of our
local history to present from these files in
the INTELLIGENCER Office a series of
fragmentary and skeschy views, taken
almost at random and without much con.
tinuity, but of sufficient number and
diverse quality to afford its readers, at a
distance of three quarters of century
and more, an Insight not only of Journal
ism in that day, but of the current life OF
the community.
Not Rash, Yet Not Fearful
In the issue for June II, 1895, of the
Lancaster Journal which a few years
later was consolidated with tho INTELII.
GENCER, the editor flies at his masthead
the motto "Not too RAsH-Yet not FEAR.
FUL-Open to all PARTIES, but not infu
enced By ANY" 1t was printed by Willcocks
& Hamilton, at Euclid's Head, in King
street, at fifteen shilliDgs per annum, and
advertisements, essays and articles OF
intelligence were thankfully received, u
while ut the same place all manner of
printing was performed with ''fidelity,
accuracy, elegance and expedition"
Historic Ads"
The weekly Journal, less than half the
size of the present daily INTELL1aENCER,
with three wide columns on each page,
was set in bold type, loaded and it's first
page was given up entirely to advertise
ments, most of them with single display
line. According to the announcements OF
these, it seems that at that date
VIM. P. Atlee had just succeeded Robert
Reed, deceased, as coppersmith, next dool
to Samuel HumeS, chairnaker 50 reward
is offered for Il leather purse and $50 iu
gold and bauk notes. lost by a passen ger
in Doersch's stage between Philadelphia
and Lancaster and precisely the same
amount for = servant lad named Joseph
Kennard, who ran away from his master,
VIM. Burton, in Leacock township, and
is suspected of stealing five good sheets
from 4 near neighbOr on the same night
Jacob Lain, secretary of the Republican
society, summons special meeting of it
at 2 p. m. at John Bausman's house
the school books advertised are Scott's
selections, Webster's speller and Dill
worth's assistants Parson Osgood's
(pOliticaD sermon is also on the counter
$40 reward is bid for n negro wench runa-
way from Fredericktown. Md; and $50
for likely six.foot refugee from the Cecil
county jai), !, who smokes sesars, wears false
queue and has "narrow and brown fore
teeth ;" $50 is offered for the return of an
apprentice, "a years old with face red
dened by fire at Jacobs Spring forge sc
for horse stolen in Manor township and
Sc moro for tho thief. A marble mortar
north OF the court house was the sign OF
q dru. store 4 mill saw, next door tO
where Sheriff Miller used to live," fixed
the location of Philip Schaeffer's hardware
store and nail factory, while John Moder
well had opened his store in the same
nelghborh0od fOI general merchandise
News OF tho Day.
The Legislature had just passed fec
bill, to which is given page of the paper
cOmmotiOns arc reported from Holland
and Franco the empire of Prussia and
the republic of France have made pr ace
and the tardy returns from New York in
dictate the election of Mr.. Jay for gov
ernOr.
Art and literature were not neglected in
those days. Several piano fortes are ad.
vertised for sale ; Mr.. Porter had opened
a school in tho yellow house in Queen
street, where he offered to instruct few
young ladies in writing on an improved
method and to admit few more arithme
ticians David Doyle also advertised to
instruct the youth in English and classical
studies in the house adjoining the south
end Of the Calvinist church yard. An ad-
jourEcd civil court was to be held on July
q.
In a late issue, among the foreign news,
is the statement that company Of French
dragons in passing over tho ice upon the
Zuyder Zee, rode alongside Dutch man
of war, boarded and made prize of her.
A correspondent issues proposals for u new
mode of swearing, suggested such impro-
cations as "Jack in q lanthorn," "Hintel
Tintel's high priest" and honnorficabil.
itudinity," as substitutes for the profane
and expletive mOnosyllables then and now
in common use.
In three Or four numbers the only local
item Is that tho Masons of lodge 43, on
St. Johns festival day, June "a, met at
their lodge room, at Leonard Eicholtz's,
at 10 q. m. dispatched their business,
baDqueted at 2 p. m. and after hilarious
and harmonious evening all retired in
perfect decorum''-the invariable practice
of their successors.
Freedomh Natal DAY.
When the fourth of July came around
the Lancaster troop assembled in uniform
to celebrate it. At Garvar's Spring