The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-16
AN OLDER NEWSPAPER
A Mate for Miss Riders Relic of
Earlier Date.
FRANK KENNEDY'S TREASURE
Another Copy of the Newport Mer-
curry Found In Anaconda = Its
News and Advertisements
Contemporary History.

Contemporary History.
The story of that ancient relic a copy
of the Newport Mercury of March IL
1850, in yesterdays Standard brought to
light another copy of that paper that is
older still. Frank Kennedy of this city
has Mercury that antedates Miss Ri
der's paper by nearly two years, having
been printed on Tuesday, December, 49,
lI5s.. Mr.. Kennedy's paper was No. q.
showing that the paper had at that time
been in existence but 27 weeks. 1t differs
from the one owned by Miss Rider in
several ways. and by that difference is
noted an incident noteworthy in the his
tory of the Mercury and of exceeding in
terest. 1t is chronicled by Frederic Hud-
son in his History of Journalism" that
when James Franklin. jr., started the
Mercury 1t is probable that the Mercury
was originally published on the old type
OF the printing office of James Franklin
sr.. who published a paper called the
Gazette in Newport 26 years before the
Mercury was founded, which was on
June II, 1882
The younger Franklin" says Hudson
when he entered upon his new enter
prise, had evidently acquired some expe-
rience in his profession. AS was custom
airy with the earlier journalists he often
asked indulgence of his patrons In one
a new font of type from England and
that he hoped. in the next four months,
10 bring up the arrears of foreign news.
This font of type was presented to him
by his uncle, Benjamin Franklin, who
thus made his brother James ample
amends for the service he had deprived
him of by leaving him so early"
In the earlier paper the old type was
used, and its face shows the wear of
years. Undoubtedly 1t was the same type
which BENJAMIN and James Franklin
USED while together in Boston that after
ward James took with him to Newport.
In the issue of March IL, 1760, among
other changes is noted the new type and
enlargement
The first issues OF the Mercury contain
ed only two columns to the page, which
were about the size of letter sheet. the
whole paper containing less than one
page of the Standard. 1t was called at
first The Newport Mercury or Weekly
Advertiser" For the ornamental head
piece It bears a wood cut representing
Mercury with winged feet flying through
the air from a fertilization on which is a
nag and town, to ship that is leav-
ing the harbor Mercury bears in his
hand a packet. thus signifying that he
Is news-carrier.
In Miss Riders paper, which is Is
months later than that of Mr. Kennedy
part of the title, Weekly Advertiser"
has been dropped out, and in place of
the wood cut is another showing the
lion and the unicorn" The paper is
also larger, having three columns in
stead OF two, and the type is better and |
clearer. giving dumb witness to the fact |
mat the founder was prospecting and |
making use OF his uncle's gift from Eng |
land in the Improvement of his paper.
AT this time Benjamin Franklin was in
england pleading the cause of the Penn
sylvania assembly. which was at war
with Its royal governor about the taxa
ton of the proprietary estates. The gov
ernor contended that these estates should
be exempt from taxation, but the assem-
oy held that they should help bear the
burdens of the government 1t was while
benjamin was in England pleading the
cause or the assembly before the priyv
council that his nephew embarked in the
Mercury enterprise. No one SO quickly
noticed his need of better type as his old
printer uncle. who generously came to
his rescue
This old paper of Dec. 10. contains a
London letter. the authorship of which Il
is not hard to guess as no less than
BENJAMIN Franklin himself
Another piece of important news is the
account OF the capture of Fort Du
Suesne. which was abandoned by the
french upon the approach of the En-
glish army in November of rs The neu,s
nao peen two weeks in reaching New
YORK from Fort Du Quesne. which was
situated where now stands the CITY of
I lttsourg, which. by the way, was chris
tened Pittsburgh at that very time bv the ,
Pitt.
Ii might be remembered too with In ,
lerest that when this old paper was new
ana came damp from the old hand press
5eorge Washington was only an aide de
amp In the army whose exploits are re- {
ated. The humble part that the father
u MS country took did not entitIe him
% notice in the long report of the cam
'aign Ii was on the journey home
lgain that he first won honor in the mill
tary field.
The paper contains advertisements for
ne Following persons: George Hazard 1
,ol. JOB Almy. William Stevens, BENT |
iideon & John wanton. Joseph Gardner '
.haries Handy Chipman's Lottery and |
nathaniel Mumford, secretary of the ?
ancient ana Honorable Society of Free {
nd Accepted Masons." An announce v
nent is also made of the sale of the pri- I
aeeer orlgantine Prince Frederick with a
er appurtenances and warlike stores 5
onsisting of 10 three-pounders eight
wlVei guns and four cohorns. a number Y
small arms. cutlasses and pistols. U
iWo-thlrus OF a column is filed by the
rospeetus of Poor Richards Aiman-
OK for the year 1853. published and to F
sold by James Franklin" r
This interesting voice from the mast g. y
faced by Mr.. Kennedy back To those :,
times to his mothers =
neestors, the Horizons. who lived in q
export and at Tauton, Mass. at the /.
cry time II was printed and who doubt q,
SIS preserved the paper because of the 2,
uesne. 1t is likely they were among tba g
disorders to the Mercury =,