Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-17
CALIFORNIA; FIRST NEWSPAPER.
An Old Philadelphia Was the handspring
OF Its Early Life.
(San Francisco Cail)

Tho only living member Of the original
staff Of the first newspaper ever printer
In California resides about hVe miles
from the city Of Monterey, in the Car
mel Valley. His name Is Swan, ana every
one calls him Pioneer" Swan, partly TO
please him and partly because he deserves
the title. Few men are interesting at So
but "Pioncer" IS still brigh, and clear
in his memory. and not entirely without
ambition. If you ask him, he VIII zen
you with evident relish about some hlshly.
interesting interviews OF MS TepoItolidi
days.
The small beginnings OF TINS iifst news
paper in California are quite curious as
related by Swan. The original press was
imrorted from Spain by Jose flgueroa'
the sixth Governor Of California under
Mexican rule FiguerOa, whose term OF
office expired I'm 1896. imported the press
with the intention of printing his ollcldl
reports His gubernatorial career now
ever. WIS brief and stormy, ana ne never
found time 10 collect his materials. much
less print his reports so the machine
was consigned 10 a store-room IN Inc on
Quartet. which was the Mexican soldiers
barracks in Monterey. There II lay TO-
getnCr win krb u l4h' ''N'''' Wv"
rubbish and undisturbed until 1876.
This was the year when Cotton became
Alcalde. and. with the characteristic
American restlessness commenced to Sur
things up in the sleepy old town. The
first thing that he did was to commence
an investigation Of all the government
property. Among this property was 'he
Quartet and hero he found the old press
Being a man Of literary tastes ana some
experience, ne decided II start news
paDer and utilize his discovery. First ne
selected partner, Robert Semple' ana
then began search for the requisite
materials There were ink and press
but the ingenuity o. the pair was taxed
to restore the rules and leads, which had
become separated from the press and lost
during its years Of dleness.
In Colton's diary there Is a description
Of the paper Under the date Of August
Is. 1916 ~ writes: To-day the first news
paper ever published in California made
its appearance. The honor, II such 1t may
hc. OF writing the prospectus falls 10 me
II Is 10 be issued every Saturday, and Is
published by Semple x Cotton.
Little did think, when | relinquished
the editorship Of the North American in
Philadelphia, that my next feat In this
lire would be- off here in California"
My partner. Semple. is an emigrant
from Kentucky, who stands feet inches
In his stockings. He wears a buckskin
dress a foXskin cap, Is true with his
rife. ready with his pen, and quick AT
the type-case
"Hc created the materials OF our Office
out Of chaos OF a small concern, which
Jose Figueroa intended to use I'm printing
official reports.
The press is old enough to be pre-
served as curiosity. The mice had bur
roWed i'm the balls. there were no rules,
nor leads and the tyres were rusty and
all in pi II was only by securing that
the letters could be made 10 show their
faces With a jaCk-knife We cut piece
OF tin into lead and rules. Luckily. We
found with the press part Of a keg OF
ink and now came the main scratch for
paper None could be found except what
is used to envelop the tobacco used by
the natives 4 coaster, which was lying
I'm the bay, had a small amount on board.
which we procured. The sheets were
trifle larger than foolscap. A crowd was
waiting when the first sheet was thrown
from the press. There was a good deal
Of excitement. Never was bank run
upon harder; not. however. by the people
with paper to get specie. but just the re-
verse"
English and half in Spanish, TO accom-
modate the Monterey public. Another
difficulty the original proprietors had to
overcome in setting the type for the Eng
lsh portion Of the paper was the lack
of the letter wv" as the Spanish type
did not contain It. 4 "W" was con-
structed by using two "v's." In May, lSi7,
the paper was removed to San Francisco.
where 1t was published for many years,
under the name Of the Alta Californian.
Since ending his newspaper career,
pioneer" Swan has been a rancher in
a small way in Carmel Valley. He has
many visitors. although his location Is
somewhat remote. and he Is very deaf.
On his quarterly visits to Monterey he is
invariably the recipient Of considerable
attention, and his rusty old hat with its
staring inscription Of Pioneer 1si3'
makes him known to easterners, who,
but for this would see nothing in him
except a healthy-looking old man.