The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-03
BACKWOODS SKETCHES.
"REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD NEWS
PAPER MAN.

WOrn-A Prospectus That Attracted
Attention.
Copyright, 1891. b. the Urited Prsss)
NEW YORK, Jan. At is now sixty years
since 1 first found myself, very young
man, buried in the depths OF the wild woods
Of Canada, between thirty and forty miles
due north Of the present towns of Cobourg
and Port Hope on the shores Of Lake On
tario.
The village in which took up my abode
was not long previously born, so to speak,
when it appeared as cluster Of log shan
ties, two or three small stores, a saw and
grist mill, few clspboarded dwellings with
q school house, poseofice aud a couple OF
meeting houses. The Indians were sill to be
met encamped on ''the plains" which formed
portion of the site on which It stood, and
exchanged their furs, tanned buckskins,
mOccasIns, baskets as well as their splendid
ETe-pOinb government blankets for whisky,
powder and shot, red flannel factory cotton.
or whatever else served the purposes of the
wigwam or the chase.
This settlement, which was called Peter
borough, had, of course, but few inhab-
itants, and few industries, or articles of
local manufacture to trade or exchange
with the storekeeper for pork, flour, wesr-
ing apparel or other necesSaries of life This
led TO the adoption OF a spurious cur
rency, the existence of which will be
scarcely credited In this day-a monde
script medium which was accepted in
small sums, for trihing household necessa-
ries, and consisting of round pieces of cop
per punched out of a sheet of that material
or any old vessel composed Of it; nor was 1t
considered viliated if even mixed with q
favn ho h,yf viii ba
beaten Hat into them 80 that they should lie
smoothly together.
There appeared to be no immediate rem
edv for the undesirable condition of affairs
until it began to be mooted in certain quar-
ters that the establishment of weekly
newspaper would obvlate many, II not all,
of the embarrassments, lnasmuch as it
would lend to attract the attention Of out
side capitalists and OF immigrants, and
enable the storekeepers TO advertise their
| wares, and 70 get their posters and circulars
printed without being obliged to send
TO the Front" a. Cobourg and
Port Hope were then called. Any number
| of advertisements and subscribers we're said
to be ripe and ready for such an enterprise.
| Upon closer examination, however. the
| grand idea was permitted 60 sink into OBJ
| livion; nor was It revived until five or six
years after ward, when. on the eve of Mao
kenzies rebellion, certain John Dorcas
caught it up and famed it into fame.
| Mr.. Dorcas, who was a great loYalist and
! pridsd himself on being an "Apprentice
| Boy" was well educated, bat without even
the slightest knowledge of business or OF
printing Office He had some means. how
| ever, and being rs reckless as he was plucky
| and egotistical, he on receiving "the fulles5
assurance" Of ample support decided to pro
coed as once to THE 'FRONT.' and purchase a
| press aud types, together with everything
| necessary to bring out the first number OF
| small weekly newspaper. Now, let IL be
| understood that so awful the condition OF
! the roads in spring and fall leading from
Peterborough to Cobour% or Port Hope
they were impossible TO any vehicle what
| ever, except al OK cart, and that it usually
took, at these seasons, three or four days tt
perform the journey one way In fact.
paths worn through the dense forest by the
foot Of the Indian or blazed trees, were tn,
usual means employed by the settlers
who would traverse the woods in any di-
| rectiou.
1t will, therefore, be difficult to perceive
the necessity for the establishment, Ia ta'
midst Of the unbroken forest, 60 to speak, o
the Peterborough BGckUoods8adn ana
Sentinet, which was the name Mr.. Dorca
and his friends had decided to give the new
weekly. Being educated and the pro-
prietor he was. Of course, to become
the editor, end seeing that rebellion wa
rife in both Upper and Lower Canada, and
that no was one OF The Apprentice Boys
of Dana's, " he at once adopted for the com
ing journal the motto, mo Surrender. u
That he Thought would enable him tx
stand well with The Family Compact !,
willis his journal muistared st tho same
time to the local necessities that prompted
its existence.
AT this precise juncture nearly the who'll
of the male population of Peterborough
wore blanket coats made of the blanket
sold by the Indians; aud most comfortable
coats they we're in winter, when fur cap
aud buckskin moccasins aud mitts were il
great requisition also. Unfortunately, Mr.
Dorcas was unable to undertake tn
Journey to Tho 'front.' until til
end Of November when the roads had be
come utterly impossible for horses or TO
any animals save oxen. But nothin
could deter the Derry Boy so otf ne DC
early one morning for Cobourg and Por
Hope, in an ox-cars well wrept in his blan-
ket coat and bear skins, and seated on som
bundles o. hay. 4 Tow days before his de-
psrture he fitted up the largest room in hi
small cottage Tor u press aud composing
room with the aid Of a superanuated typ
who knew a good deal of the business
although 1t was long since he had stood a
the case.
After three days Of blowing throug
roads almost up to the oxens bellies, Go
bourg was at last reached, and sma
secondhand press aud q printing Office pun
chased, together with paper, ink and tw'
sheet copper roller molis A ptactca
printer was engaged also, and numerou
ODDS and ends purchg sed under his guid
anoa. In due course, the OK teaIn, hesvil
laden, was on It's way back, movin
laboriously and at q snaii's pace. Twsnt
= times during the Journey did Nj
Dorcas and bis man, who had to foot /
along the side of the road, help it out Q
some nludhole in which both cart and oZe
appeared 10 be hopeIess!y stuck, and no
until niRhtfall on the evening of the lift
day from the time they started had the
reached very lonely uphill grade, within
a couple of uliles of their destination. Ru
here il will be necessary for me to retrac
, NV steps for few moments:
No sooner had the OK team started TO
"The Front" than the office was visited b
one of the Mud Lake Indians. who spok
English well, and professed himself please
with the project of White Chief Dorca&
His mis- ion, for all that, was not one o
good will; for some of his tribe bad beel
informed by an evil-minded person and a
enemy of Mr. Dorcas, that this coming Oh
zine of civilization was to be brought {
bear against their claims on the govern
Inent, and to countenapce the continuanc
of their annual subsidies.
The object of the Indians visit just nov
was to ascertain when The OK team was OK
Dected back with It's freight, aud to lear
al he cA1tld In raietiOn 70 the aims and oh