Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-09
York and Boston. purchasing printing
material in both places.

i n
material in both places.
THE JOURNAL ESTABLISHED.
Luther Severance arrived in Augusta
November 20, 1924. coming by boat from
Boston. Mr.. Eaton remained III bos-
ton to complete the purchase Oh sup
plies. and a few weeks later came ny
boat to Bath The river was now
closed by ice, and the young printer
was in a dilemma AT last he met q
MIR. Potter of Wales, who was about
to return home from market WIN ah
unIoaded team. and he induced him to
transport the press and material ny
way of Wales to Augusta, Where 'hey
arrived January l, 1875. Mr.. severance
had made the necessary arrangements
and the office was established III the
Branch" store, a brick building at the
southeast corner of Bridge ana water
streets.
The prospectus and the thorough cir
culation OIL subscription lists hau le-
suited in $50 subscribers, and the young
publishers felt that this was promis-
ing beginning. The price OF the paper
was $500 per annum. 1t had been AT
first proposed to call the new paper
the Augusta journal, and SUBSCRIPTION
lists under this name had been passed
around, but the name kennebec Jour
nal was finally decided upon, as was
explained in the second number. mere
ly because kennebec was considered
more comprehensive name, ana more
descriptive OF what we ardently hoke
the Journal will be: Il paper OF ex-
tended and useful circulation.
On January ., 1925, just week after
Mr.. Eaton joined MI. Severance III
Augusta, and the little Tufts hand
press had been set up i'll the Branch
building, the first issue of the kenne-
bee Journal appeared. and Augusta
once more boosted of a newspaper, this
time IA paper that was to endure. 1t IS
recorded mat on this interesting occa-
sion among those present was BenJa-
mn Davis, a leading business man Vi
Augusta ana 1or "A QUARTER OF CEN
tuly the president ul the freeman
bank, who gave the pull and took tn
first paper from the press, WnIch Was
careIuliy preserved nall century as
a memento.
At the beginning. and for some time
alter, all the WORK OF the ofnce, edI-
torlal and business, mental and me-
cnanIcal, MrItInS, COMPOSITION, press
work and all, was performed by the
two publishers with the assistance or
only one boy. Mr.. Severance was at
the editorial helm, whiie MI. Eaton
presided over the business department.
Mr.. Eaton did the press work, but MI
Severance did his share OF the type
setting. The latter furnished the edl-
torialS, which We're a prominent Tea
ture of the journal from the start, and
like the famous founder OF the >eW
York Tribune he had the habit OF put
ting them in type without whiting.
This was done to save time. thus
uniting as James u. Bialne, uis-
tinguished successor of MIR. Severance
on the Journal, remarked-"with ease
and rapidly, a mechanical and men,al
process which gave early proof OF that
we'll digested and concise mood of
thought which subsequently, distin-
guished him as political writer OF
ready force and condensed power
FIRST ISSUES or Tar. JOURNAL.
The complete files of these early
years are preserved in the safe of the
journal office, today, and furnish most
Interesting and instructive reading to
the student of bygone times. The list
issue appeared Saturday, January S,1o2o.
and Saturday morning continued the
regular time of publication for thee
years, when a change was made and
the paper was issued each Friday
evening. After year as Fiji
day evening weekly the time of publ
cation was changed to Thursday eve
ming, and after a few weeks to Friday
morning, where it remained many
years.
Let us spend a few moments looking
over the first issue of the Journal, as
it greeted the eyes of Augusta citizens
almost three-quarters of a century ago.
1t is little sheet, 25X19 inches, with
five columns to the page. The type is
large and plain to read today, though
the paper is yellow with age. The first
half of the first page is occupied with
the salutatory address, showing well
the plan and purpose of the young
publishers.
Following this long salutatory came
an article from the National Gazette
on The Constitution of Mexico" and
then follow ed a column article on the
timely topic of gardening Git is Januai y
s. credited to the Mohawk Herald. The
last column of the page is devoted to
advertisements, very modestly dis
played. At the top is the announce
ment of the fire insurance agency of
Benjamin Davis, the gentleman who
took the first copy Of the Journal from
the press. Below this Williams a.
Lawson inform the public that they
have received their fall and winter
stock, consisting, among other things,
of "broadclothS, cassimeres, paints
and oil, rosin, dye stuffs, iron and steel,
crockery, Shakers wheels, rum and
molasses." Several other local traders
have similar advertisements of a great
ly varied stock, and in quite a num-
Der Cognac brandy, gin, rum, wines,
whiskey, etc, play a prominent part.
This was before the prohibitory days
in Maine.
The second page is devoted to two
columns of foreign news six months
old, and three columns of Well-written
editorials. In the foreign news the ac-
counts of battles between the Greeks
and Turks remind us that in 1924, as
walI &c in 1907 thaca nations held the