Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-09

or to listen to it cannot fail to be
source of pleasure and pride to all who
love our city and it's institutions. For
almost three-quarters Of a century the
kennebec Journal has been part of
Augusta, closely connected Win every
phase of its history, and keeping step
with Its progress and prosperity. For
a quarter of a century before Augusta
became a city the Journal was, as ii
has ever since continued to be, the
leading newspaper Of the community
and of large surrounding section
With it have been connected names
that will ever be held in love and honor
not only IN our clty and Stdte, put
throughout the nation.
It is fitting that the Journal should
take an active part in the centennial
celebration of Augusta. Therefore, in
this souvenir supplement, which Is IS
sued in the hope that its features Will
prove of interest to all, we tell the
story of our paper, not i'll complete or
detailed form, but giving merely an
outline of it's beginning and progress,
it's past and present.
THE JOURNALS PREDECESSORS
Before the Kennebec Journal came
. into existence in 1925 the field was &C.
cupied at various times by other pub
locations. Some We're very shOrt-lived,
ana none lived very long. Inc nIet
newspaper in Kennebec county, or in
fact east of Portland, was started in
HallOWell, which at that time included
Augusta, August 4, 1894. 1t was called
hn nd nIIhliShaI Inv
Howard S. Robinson. 1t maintained
feeble existence of about year ana
was succeeded by The Tocsin, pub
llSned by Thomas Is. ant and Jonll ~.
Baker, who had in 1885 established the
Falmouth Gazette, the Oldest paper in
Maine. In September, 1885, they sold
The Tocsin to Benjamin Poor, and it
discontinued publication in 1881
In the meantime the first paper had
been established in what is now Au-
guSta, but what was then the part OF Hal
lowell known as Fort Western, or the
Fort. 1t was the kennebec Intelligent
Ger, published by Peter Edes, who
came from Boston, and the first num-
Der appeared November H,1795. 1t was Il
little affair, 11X17 inches. This paper
enjoyed a life of 20 years under the
management of Mr.. E,des. 1t was not
wholly prosperous, and its name was
twice changed in that time. In 1900 1t
became known as the kennebec Ga
zette, and in 1910 the name was again
changed to the Herald of Liberty. In
1915 Mr.. EdeS gave up the newspaper
business in Augusta and moved to
Bangor, where he founded the Bangor
Weekly Register, which was the FIRST
paper there, and after various changes
of name and fortune, is now known as
the Wing and Courier. He took all the
fittings of his office, types, press, etc,
in a team of six oxen, and the journey
to Bangor and return occupied the
team three weeks.
For a year and a half Augusta was
without newspaper, and then on
March Z, 1917, the first number OF the
Augusta Patriot appeared. The editor
and publisher was James Burton, Jr.,
a son of Augustus first postmaster and
an apprentice of Peter EdeS. Three
years before, in connection with EZe-
kiel Goodale, he had started the Hal
lowell Gazette. The new paper was
strictly non-partisan, and it was an
nounced that personal invective, pollt-
ical rancor, and sectarian heat shall be
rigidly excluded from it's columns. It's
non craftsmanship was it's death war
rant in those times of heated polltlcal
feeling and exciting controversy, ana
the Augusta Patriot soon died for want
of patronage. From this time until the
establishment of the kennebec jour
nal Augusta was without newspaper
These early newspapers are interest
ing reading to us of a century later;
probably they are of even more inter
est than they were to the fist readers
who passed them around each week
through the neighborhood, and eagerly
read and discussed every line by the
uncertain light of tallow dip or the
blaze of the logs in the big fireplace.
1t seems strange to find in them almost
no local news. Probably the editors
reasoned that word of mouth kept the
people better informed on local hap
penings than a weekly paper could do.
They were filled mainly with foreign
and domestic political news, generally
many weeks old, articles from other
papers and books, and communications
on weighty and serious topics. Edl-
torials We're unknown in Them Ad-
vertisements were few and simple, but
they are our best source of local infor-
nation. 1t was an age of artihciallty
and pomposity in literature, and ever y
appeal to voters and every death no
tice was couched in stilted and now
almost obsolete language. Moreover, t
was an age when everything in print
was believed to be true.
In printing one of those little sheets
several kinds of type were often used
in the same article, and the frequent
agency of small caps. and italics to
give emphasis seems to us both strange
and amusing. The papers were irregu-
lar in appearance due to the nom
arrival of mails or delays in the slow
and painful process of printing in the
ill-equipped offices.
PREPARATIONS FOR FOUNDING
THE JOURNAL.
In 1923, when Augusta had been sew
eral years without a newspaper, the
feeling became strong in the growing
town that one must be established.
The business and social interests of the
town demanded it, and moreover a
movement was on foot to make Au-
gusta the seat of government of the
newly formed State of Maine. A pub
lie meeting was held, at which a large