San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-07
AN INTERESTING RELIC.
An Indication of the Matter and Purport
of Early American Newspapers.

. An JnS AldJLtT anu
of Early American Newspapers.
Mr.. Chas. N. Wokohn, an intelligent
employe of Messrs. Orynski Il Co., is,
what the LIGHT may term for want Of a
better name, "newspapephile." For
many years he has been collecting old
newspapers. and has now about 1900
specimens Of early newspapers of every
country. 1900 of these specimens REFER
ring TO the United States.
In his collection is a copy of the Ulster
County Gazette, vol. 2, No. IS published
at Kingston. Ulster county. in the state
Of New York, by Samuel Freer & Sons,
Saturday. January 4. 1900. IL consists
OF four pages. each page bei"g ply
inches, and. although it is yellow with
age, IL Is In good state Of preserva-
tion. IL is OF interest nor only of show
ing the character of journalism in those
days, but for the historic Information
that 1t contains. It opens with Presi-
dent John Adams address to the first
congress that assembled after he was
elected president, their replies and his
answers, and then large portion of its
space Is devoted TO the allied war in
Europe. These particulars are avowedly
taken from English exchanges dated Oc-
t0ber Is and ~, which arrived in New
then considered fresh How different
in these days, when the wires give daily
news from all parts of the world, and
English exchanges arrive in New York
in about seven days after publication.
There is also an official report Ofthe bat
tie Of Zurich, by General Ramsey, copies
from the London Gazette, and other Of
fetal documents of a similar character.
The inside pages are in heavy mourning
for George Washington. Instead of
turning the column rules, as we do now,
heavy special rules and dashes are used,
sometimes so thick and clumsy as to
cover the reading. Evidently mourning
in those days necesstated the passing
twice through the press, instead OF once,
as now. There Is a speech of General
Marshall in congress in which he an
nounces the death OF Washington, and
the resolution brought for respectful OBJ
servatiOn, the addresses of both houses
to the president on that occasion and his
reply, the brief report of the entomb-
ment OF Washington, description of the
coffin, details of funeral cortege, list OF
pail bearers, and account of the funeral.
There are some lines from an American
lady poet on WashingtOn's death, show
ing that editors even In those days were
bored by embryo poets" The paper
is well supported by advertising, and
there is good showing of legal and
trade advertisements. Some quantity
expressed, others in dOggerel. Among
those advertisements is found a man ad.
yertising "a stout, healthy, active negro
wench for sale" and Dutchman's-
Matys Won Steenbergh's-nOtice forbid
ding all men to harbOr, keep or trust
his wife, Hannah but Matys don't ex-
plain what's tie matter with Hannah.
This silent record OF the past tells its
own story. 1t shows what journalism
was in those days, and progression that
it has made. 1t indicates that the news
paper then fulfilled its first mission in
furnishing the news as far as lay in its
power. There WAS not line of editorial
in ii to mislead the people, or whereOn
to hang a pretext for big discussion
with rural paper. Editors must have
had dull, mOnOtOnOus life in those
days. 1t is different now.