St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-04-27
The North Star in 1906.

The North Star in 1906.
THE FIRST AND ONLY NEWSPAPER
WITHIN A GREAT DISTANCE FOR A
LONG TIME.
The meeting of the legislature at
Danville in 1905 probably was the
means of adding much to the proml-
nence of that place, and brought 1t
more favorably to the notice of people
living at a distance, who thereby
learned that the place had inviting
openings for professional and other
branches of business. About the first
of January, 1906, a little more than two
months after the adjournment of that
legislature, Ebenezer Eaton began the
publication of the North Star news
paper at Danville. During the first
few months that printing Otfice was in
small building previously used for Il
Jail, which stood on the east side of the
public square but sometime during
that year the office was removed to Il
more spacious and convenient building
next west of the court house, where
the office was permanently established
in the west end of that building, and
Mr.. EatOn's family in the east end.
Mr. Eaton was then fresh from the
Office of Isaiah Thomas, the renowned
publisher, and was acquainted with all
the details of his business. He was
then in the prime and vigOr OF life, be-
ing not far from forty years of age,
and having a wife and four or five
children. Eaton had good natural
abilities, was of inviting presence, of a
genial, social nature, well informed,
instructive in conversation, had posi-
tive convictions, and was a pronounced
friend and Jealous advocate of Jeffer-
son, who, five years before, had risen
to popular favor and power over the
PROSTATE aspirations and hopes of Mr..
Adams. Among the other qualitica-
tions of Mr.. Eaton, he had that partic-
ular one which printers boast so much
about, to wit, the essential virtue OF
being poor, which was powerful in
centive to industry and frugality and
very etfectual in his case.
The starting of a newspaper at the
present time, even in "A small town OI
village in almost any part of this cOun-
try, when there are such vast numbers
of all kinds of periodicals and univer-
sal desire for reading, would not create
much surprise or doubts about its
success. But the starting of that news
paper at Danville at that early period
when that enterprise was hedged il
and about with such an array of dis
cOuraging embarrassments, was very
different affair. But Eaton was fOunC
to be the man for that difficult under
taking, and for some time after begin
ming he was proprietor, editor, com
poser, proof-reader and the operator o
the press when working off his paper
Within one or two years after begin
ming his oldest son rendered SOM
assistance in setting type by standing
upon an elevated platform before tn
case, and sometimes either Mr.. viii
liams or Mcfarland went in to worl
the press, which was of the ancien
style, having Il wooden post on eac
side of about ten inches square an
six feet high, their tops being connect
J ed by cross beam of the same siz
for holding the screw. The paper wa
a small-sized folio sheet, of very poo
quality, the type was poor and dul
and the ink was badly applied b
means of large balls. That institution
although poor and weak, was me-
power in the land, but time was It
+ quired to fully develop all its wonder
i full strength. A newspaper, whatev,
n may be its character, must have a res
sonable amount of patronage or it car
not hope for success.
The general state of all the affairs
that country at that time, with ii
3, habits and desires of the people to
reformed and greatly changed, wei
such that only a limited number
subscribers could be expected, viii
the amount of advertising was ne,
: to nothing. The good qualities al
h success of a newspaper depends
D. much upon the liberal support of tt
. public that, in one sense, it may
said that its patrons are makers
their paper. The public should unde
stand that if a good live, instructiv
spicy, and interesting paper is desire
a sufficient amount must not only
, promised, but it must be prompt
paid in and then both the brain al
mechanical work on the paper W
be satisfactory to all concerned. Sor
- people are too poor to take and p
for a newspaper, but they always ha
plenty of money for the circus, hors
race, whiskey, cigars, billiardtab
and numberless other injurious thin.
while they defraud their families
Is the good they might derive from
newspaper. Some people send tn
ie. money to some distant city for tn