The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-13
From the wilkes-Barre Leader.

From the Wilkes-Barre Leader
One of the pioneer papers published
in this city was the True Democrat.
The editor and proprietor was William
II. Beaumont. The issue was every
Wednesday and the office was on
Main street, opposite of the Office of
c. Denison." 1t was a copy of this
paper that was found among the rec
ords in the corner stone of st.
Stephens when the stone was opened
a few weeks ago The date of this
paper was June Is, 1853. 1t is inter-
esting to look it over. 1t bears no
marks of age, and it is as white in
color as if it came from the press but
Yesterday 1t IS number 3S of vol
une /. showing that the paper was
started just at the beginning of the
year 1858. Under the headline is the
motto, Rather perish than submit
to dishonor Pursue the right and
fear not" The subscription price
was 50 per year. AS found necessary
in many publications of the present
day, the paper announces in the first
column of the first page that '25 per
cent. will be added to subscriptions
not paid in advance This would
very likely, with all due respect to
the character of the earlier newspaper
readers of this city, bring the usual
price of the paper to $3.50 per annum.
This paper was before the day of the
modern syndicate plate sheet and the
whole of it is set up in its own
office. There are no Illustrated
stories, the kind that are 50 familiar
to the reader of to-day.
The paper gives about all its first
page to articles of an ambitious char
acter. The first thing under the busi-
ness announcement as to rates, etc,
is a pretty poem called Musings"
| written by Amelia" of Louisville.
KY, then follow articles entitled
| Thoughts on Marriage" school
| Teachers" Novels" (this is vio-
lent screed against the novel, and 1t
begins by quoting Oliver Goldsmith's $
words. Never let your son touch a
| novel or a romance.") But 1t ought
| to be remembered that in Goldsmith $
| time the fame of the average novel
| was bad. and that the genius of Fan
ny Burney had not been generally
| recosniZed Then other articles in
the paper have the headings: Pain
| full Regrets" Facts in Human
Life" "A Fast Age, etc, etc. Some
| Dewdrops of Wisdom, so called, close
the first page. The editorial page
| indicates that the paper had more than
| local circulation, for the first thing
under the editors name is the an
nouncement that "V. Z. Palmer is our
agent in New York. Philadelphia and
Boston in procuring subscribers and
advertisements to the True Demo-
| crat" Then follows the Democratic
| state nominations or that year: For
canal commissioner Thomas H. For
sythe: for auditor general. Ephraim
Banks: for surveyor general, J. Por-
| ter Bradley.
The leading editorial is on the sub
ject of the charm of Wilkes Barre as a
summer resort 1t begins by recalling
the promise made to our readers to
tell them something of the beauty OF
Wilkes Barre and Wyoming valley, and
then the editorial writer fulfills the
promise most eloquently. He speaks
of the fine prospect of the valley from
Prospect Rock; from the top of In
mans Hill, and from the top of Ross
Hill in Kingston "a 1er some eloquent
periods on the Susquehanna winding
like "a silver thread" he says: How
tame are words, how inadequate al
power of expression to convey even 6
faint idea of the loVeliness of this sum
mer prospect" The article goes on tC
mention some of the places of the
greatest interest hereabout, and amons
the sights as to the coal industry l
speaks of the great Butler mine a
Pittston" and of driving ones carriage
between the great pillars of coal in tht
anthracite coal mines" These mus
have been slopes, and shallow at that
Then next to this is the announcement
of the corner stone laying Of st. Ste
phen'S church. This reads as follows
The corner stone of the new churcl
: will be laid. Providence permitting, b!