The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-23
FIRST oyrrcg or TIE KENTUCKY GAZETTE

flhbI offICE OF Ink KENTUCKY GAZETTE.
Mr. William Henry Perrin, of Louisville,
has also written an admirable sketch Of the
papers Of Kentucky looking over the old
papers and noting how very small the places
were in which some OF them were published,
the wonder is that they lived at all. But all
food products were dog cheap, "and printer
could get as much bread, meat, potatoes,
milk, butter. game and whisky for bis fifty
cents day then as he does for his g now.
The Injuries If today he did without, aud did
not know n hat be was losing. In fact, most
of them had not been invented.
Lexington. Ky, claims the honor Of hnv-
ing had the first newspaper IN the west, The
Kentucky Gazette first issued Aug. II, 17S7,
by John Bradford Kentucky was then a
county Of Virginia, and a land Of fighting
and fighters Buckle ought 10 have analyzed
that state in bis History OF Civilization" for
10 is a most perfect illustration Of dis theory
as to the development Of lighting qualities.
No Tribe Of Indians owned the region; all
fought FOR 1t, ard only the most varlikc could
remain Thus itrequired the most determined
fighters from the older states 10 make settle
ments there and Of these only the best fighters
survived and as a resul. Of a century Of
natural selection and survival Of the fighting
est, behold tho kentuckian Of 5000. Il Is
uot surprising. therefore, 20 learn that the
second editor Of The Gazette, Thomas r.
Bcnuiuc. was mortally shot March 9, 1920
by Charles WickAHc, and that ms successor,
George J. TiUtter, killed WickliGe IN L duel
Bradford. founder of The Gazette was n
veteran Of tho Revolution and a successful
printer OF small books aud pamphlets. He
also wrote a work on the carly history Of
Kentucky. The Gazette was ardenily Demo
cratic and opposed 70 the pride Of the Blue
Grnss region Henry Clay 1t therefore ian
anshed i'm the years Of Wing supremacy,
and died Of inanitiol in 1873
The Guardian of Freedom was established
nj Frankfort. Ky, IN l595. also by John
Bradford. IN partnership with his son, and its
"long felt want was the public printing,
which kept 1t alive many years. The Ken
tuclv Herald was established in Lexington in
1885. and in O few years was absorbed 10y the
Bradfords Between that date and 1911
thirty more papers were started in kentucky;
but by this time papers were common in ONO
and other western states. Two features
ulNu. lut tl4 lAtl'tiH 81 "4it"'ii41 Ivy Ie''N
no attention TO local affairs. and rejoiced in
long and high sounding titles One was
called Tho Farmers Library or Ohio lntelli-
pencer another The Repository Of Human
Freedom, and The Liberty Hall and Cincln-
natl Gazette survives 70 the present under a
much curtailed name.
The absence or scarcity Of local items re
manned feature Of papers IN the west, out
side the main cities ull after the war. And
this is all the more surprising in view Of the
fact that the papers were generally started 70
bloom q new town. The IcTe Haute paper
of 1896 dcvotes q few lines % the fact that
the Pioughhoy, tho first steamer on the upper
Wabash, had started for tho regions
above and whole pages 20 publishing
speeches delivered ia congress. In 1913
died Gen. Tilehman A. Howard, charge
daffaires from the United States to Texas,
and the paper in Rockville, Ind, where be
resided, devoted just half column 10 his
life. death. burial and the meeting OF the
citizens TO pass resolutio,s But every issue
for many weeks contained a full speech OF
Henry Clay, John " Stuart or other proml-
nent Wing. and frequently the entire paper
was Ged by speeches, editorials and extracts
from New York papers Nowadays one may
find the complete social history for many
wears Of any country town in the west IN the
files OF the local paper.
r. II e u a.