Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-09
AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS.
THE STORY OF THEIR BEGINNING
AND EARLY PROGRESS.

AND EARLY PROGRESS.
BENJAMIN Harris the First American Pub
Usher - Journals Conducted by the
FrankIIns-suppressed by AN Set of the
LegisIature-Old Style of Printing.
To Benjamin Harris is due the credit of
having published the first American news
paper IL was printed in Boston by Richard
Pierce. the first number being issued on Sept.
%, 1900 Ii was the intention Of the pub
Usher to issue a monthly edition, but on ac-
count Of some unfavorable criticisms II was
almost Immediately suppressed by the author
tiles But one copy is in existence, which is
possessed in London. 1t bears the title Pub
lick Occurrences. Both Foreign and Domes
tick.
The first newspaper that had any consid-
cradle existence was The Boston News Let
ter This was published and printed by John
Campbell, and appeared on April %. 1904. 1t
was issued weekly and continued to appear
until 157G Next in order was The Boston
Gazette, first published ON Dec 81, 1910 On
the 22d Of December of the same year The
American Weekly Mercurie appeared in Phil
adelphia, the famous William Bradford be-
ing the editor.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
The appearance of The New England Cou-
rant, IA weekly newspaper published by James
Franklin, elder brother Of Benjamin Franklin,
took place on Aug. L. l13l. The new journal
at once attracted attention by the slashing
style of its editorials and criticisms and the
life of its editor was byno means an easy one
Franklin began by falling foul of the clergy
and became involved in a fierce controversy
with Increase Mather and other ministers,
and was so liberal in his criticism Of public
affairs that In l132 n resolution passed the
Legislature forbidding James Franklin to
print or publish The New England Courant or
any other pamphlet or paper of like nature,
except il he first supervised by the secretary
of the province. For some time Franklin
yielded obedience TO this edict, but within a
few months after It was issued his paper
again appeared, with the name Of Benjamin
Franklin, boy of 10, and a compoSitor in the
Office, at the head OF the columns as the pro
prietor.
New York could not boast the possession of
a newspaper until Oct. L. 1928. when William
Bradford, founder OF The Philadelphia Mer-
curie, published the New York Gazette In
l72S, Benjamin Franklin established The
Pennsylvania Gazette, which appeared in
Philadelphia. This Journal continued in
existence until 1915, when il was merged in
The North American.
Under Franklins able management it be-
came the leading newspaper of the country,
and during the controversies with England
preceding the Revolution took a strong stand
in favor OF resistance and independence. The
famous letters of John Adams over the
pseudOnym OF Novanglus appeared in its
columns. The first newspaper published in
Virginia was issued at Williamsburg in 1855
1t was entitled The Virginia Gazette, edited
by William Parks, who. during the nine pre-
ceding years, had published The Maryland
Gazette at Annapolis In l71l the first num-
bers of The Massachusetts Spy, edited 10y
Isaiah Thomas. appeared in Boston. IL was
removed 10 Worcester in 1II5, where it is
still published under the title Of The Worces-
ter Spy.
THE FIRST DAILY
At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war
there were IN existence seven newspapers in
Massachusetts,, one in New Hampshire, two
In Rhode Island. four in Connecticut, four in
New York, nine in Pennsylvania, two each
in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina,
three in South Carolina and one in Georgia,
a total Of thirty-seven. With the exception
Of The Philadelphia Gazette, which was pub
lished semi-weekly, all were weekliss. In
1900 the number had increased to 20O. of
which several were dailies.
The Evening Post, established in New York
in loOl, wn- the first regular afternoon news
paper. 1t Is also the oldest journal outside
Of Massachusetts, with the exception of The
New York Commercial Advertiser, which
appeared in 1871. The newspaper has gone
through many changes Of form. The early
English news letters of the time Of Cromwell
,r.n -.
and containing no more matter than is to he
found In two columns of modern pubhca-
ton.
Many were printed from wooden type, and,
in II number of instances, direct hand press
ure upon a superimposed slab Of wood or
plate OF iron was the means adopted for max
ing the impression. The type was mixed by
brush after each sheet was printed. The
old newsletter style, with the addition Of "A
fold, and impressions taken on each Idle Of
the sheet, prevailed up TO the middle Of the
Eighteenth century. The hand press was
used aud the ink laid on by "A roller. The
hand press continued in universal employ
ment in the United States until the end OF
the Revolutionary war.
Franklin set the type and turned the crank
OF the press on his brothers paper. Both
water and horse power have been employed
IN running presses, and steam was not util-
lied to any extent until some time after the
opening Of the present century. Within the
last half century the improvements havs
been immense, and the difference between
the newspapers Of 1910 and the acme Of mod
ern journalism is far greater than that be-
tween those Of the time OF President W. II.
Harrison and FrankLns hand printed sheet
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