The Dickinson press., 1889-08-24
A NEWSPAPER OF l7l9.
A LlTTLE WEEKLY WHICH PRINTED
NEWS FOUR MONTHS OLD.

NEWS FOUR MONTHS OLD.
An Account of II Hishwayr:an's Dastardly
Deed-A Iiummins Editorial Opinion.
The Inhabitants of Queens County Run
u Horse Race-Some Queer Ads"
In these days when the modern newspaper
counts its circulation by tens of thousands and
even prints millions of copies a week, it Is in
teresting to take a peepinto the files of al an
Gent newspaper, such as The American Week.
ly Mercury, the first paper published in Penn
sylvania- The venture was made by Andrew
Bradford about Jan. l, l;l9,and was one Of tbs
earliest newspapers in America. Newspaper
were something the colony had managed 70
get along without from the time of its found.
ing, thirty-seven years before. The news frou
home came in only three or four times .
year, and then the whole town flocked to tho
water edge to hear the intelligence, already
three months or more old. AS for local mai
tiers, the crier had a monopoly Of lost aud
found, strays, etc. Nevertheless BradfordS
little sheet soon gained Il reputation THROUGH
out the surrounding country. That many Il
its readers were in New York is evinced h
the fact that on March l, l7l9, the day d
publication was changed so as to permit
catching the weekly New York post leaving
Thursday morning.
For many years the paper was but a single
leatlet, Skill inches, though on occasions when
extraordinary news was received The Mm
curry came ont in folio form, in many cases
with the fourth page blank, the superstition
being thai there was not enough to till up.
THE NEws coLuMNs
In the way of news, our forefathers were
not ratified and worried with what had hap
pencil the previous day in London, Paris OF
Timbuctoo, or even by the doings of the Go
thamites. Time mellows all tidings, and The
week between New York and Philadelphia
as well AS the four months age of all Euro
pean news took away much Of its keennesa
The edition of April IA, 1920, is given up for
the most part to a letter dated Hamburg,
Dec. Is, 1919, while the following week a cor
responding space is devoted to intelligence
from Bologna, under date of Dec. 4, l719.
Outside Of the foreign news there is very
little else except reports of clearances at New
York and Philadelphia, together with Bos-
ton market quotations. Then in each and
every issue is told the latest ravages of the
''pyrates," rs the English were pleased to call
their adversaries, the Spanish. Few weah
passed without half a dozen captures being
recorded, always in favor Of the pirates, who,
1t would seem, must nave swarmed along tho
whole Atlantic coast. Now and then .
Spaniard or two were seized by our men, and
In one instance it Is related with great guste
how several were brought to PHILADELPHIA
and Immediately taken out to execution
Before suffering death, however, one of ths
prisoners called for a glass of wine, which b.
Ing furnished lie drank to the confusion and
damnation of tho English and the mayor Of
the city.
Hero is all excerpt from the issue Of Thurs
day, March II, l79O, reproduced exactly as IL
appears except in the use of the long S:
about ten days ago, one Bradshaw, Of
Duck Creek, in Kent County, Riding on tbs
Road between Philadelphia and Darby, was
met by four Highway men. Two on Horse
back and two on foot. One of them rid up to
the Said Bradshaw, Clapt a Pistol to his Brest
and bid him deliver his Money or he was .
dead Man, the other 3 having surrounded him
and he seeing no other way of escape told
them he had but two pistoles, and he hoped
they would spare him something to bear his
Exlsnce on the Journey. They bid him Not
to prate but deliver his Money or Damn him
they would shoot him Immediately. The poor
Man was Obliged to Comply. And as soon a.
they left him he went to Justice Springer, Of
Chester County, and made Oath to the said
Robbery"
NON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.
1t is very rarely any editorial common
whatever Is found in the paper, but there Il
IN exception on Feb. IA, l721. when Mr..
Bradford gives a humlning opinion of tbs
unwise action on the part of the English
authorities in transporting To this country
1870 criminals who had recently landed at
Annapolis. American air seemed even then
to make our ancestors independent In their
speech.
On Feb. 81, 1921, William Burnett, gov
ernor of New York, visited Philadelphia and
received II puff in The Mercury, while the
following weeks issue relates Of a famous
horse race run for the sum of EGO between
the inhabitants Of Queens county on the
+ island of Nassau, and Samuel Bayard, Il
e merchant of New York, where the latter
| won but little"
: There was 10 electric sugar in the ol1en
time, but South Sea stock was a booming sue
!. cess. a letter published in June, dated in
London, March "a, relates that on the pre-
. ceding day South Sea opened at 275, rose to
600 in an hour, fell to $50, 37S, 800 and closed
at 32s. The next day it fell to 300. A pub
Usher i'll London made E5,OUU that LAY,
while like amounts were realized by specu-
lators in Mississippi stock.
After all, however, the advertisements in
these old papers are more interesting than
any other of their contents, retiecting, as
{ they do, more views of the private life of the
day. Take, for example, the following, re-
produced exactly us they appear:
This Day Run nway from John M'Comh,
Junier, an Indian Woman, about II Years
of Age. Fitted in the face OF u middle Stat
ure and Indifferent tatt, having on IL Drugat
Wastcoat and kersey Petticoat of a Light
Colour. If any persona OF persons shall bring
the said Girle to her said Master shall tie Re-
wnrded for their Trouble to their Content.
Right Golden and Plain Spirit of Scurvy
Grass sold at Fifteen Pence per bottle by
Francis Knowles over against the Court
, House in Philadelphia"
"A very likely Negro Woman to be sold.
Aged about IS years, fit for Country Or City
Business. She can Card, Spin, Knit or Milk
and any other Country WORK. Whoever has
a Mind for the Said Negro may repair to An
drew Bradford"
[ "At the House of William Taylor Brasier
in Duke Street New York is to be Sold a Mill
to grind Chocolat, it works in Il cast Iron
Round Pan ~ inches across 6 inches deep
made like the bottom of u Bell and weigha