The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-05-28
WOMEN AS EDITORS.
THE LAST CENTURY NOTABLE
FOR THE MANY.
A Franklin Widow Tried It-Miss Mary
Katharine Goddard Managed a Sue
cessful Sheet in Baltimore All During
the Revolutionary Period.

Jonas Green edited and published the
Maryland Gazette at Annapolis for Fl
years, and upon his death, in 1857, it
vas continued by his widow, Anne
Catharine Green during the most event
full period in Maryland history, says
the Boston Globe. During a hot news
paper controversy with the Rev. Ben
nett Allen, the fighting parson of
Maryland" who subsequently killed
Lloyd Dulany in a duel, the parson Wis
tied Mrs. Green's printing Office and
threatened "to knock up her press if
she printed any more pieces about
him. His conduct only had the effect
OF making Mrs. Green a popular heroine
and bringing about her election to the
office of printer for the proprietary GOV
eminent, which she held until long
after the revolution. James Franklin,
the brother of Benjamin., published the
first newspaper in Rhode Island, in
Newport, in 1882. He died soon after
ward, and his widow continued the
business several years She was print
er to the colony, supplied blanks to
the public offices, published almanacs,
pamphlets, etc. In 1745 Mrs. Anne
Franklin printed for the colony an
edition of it's laws containing $40 pages.
She was aided in her Office by her two
daughters, who were quick and correct
compositors and very sensible women
A servant of the house usually worked
the press. 1t seems printing with type
was not the only occupation of Mrs.
Franklin, for in an advertisement she
says: 1.-THE printer hereof prints linens,
%calicoes, silks, ETC., in figures, very
lively and durable colors without the
offensive smell which commonly at
tends linen printed here" The first
newspaper printed in Pennsylvania
was the American Weekly Mercury,
issued Dec. %, 1919, by Andrew Brad
ford. He continued it's publication I'M
til his death, in 1742, when it was con-
tinued by his widow, Cornelia Brad
ford. Mrs. Bradford published the pa
per until the close Of 1746, about which
time it was discontinued. Although
at the period of the revolution it was
not customary to employ females in
printing offices, yet a woman master
printer" was not an uncommon thing.
Margaret Draper, the widow of Rich
ard, succeeded her husband in 1774 as
publisher of the Boston News Letter,
n conducted it's concern herself for
some time. When the British evacu-
ated Boston, Mrs. Draper, being a loyal
woman, left with the army, and went
to England, where she received a pen
sion from the government. Mrs. Mary
Holt, widow of John Holt, and publish
er of the New York Journal in 1893,
was appointed printer to the state. The
Journal did great service during the
revolution. Mrs. H. Boyle published a
paper at Williamsburg, Va, in 1774. 1t
favored the British and lived but a
short time. Clementine Bird succeeded
her husband in the Virginia Gazette
in 1772 and continued its publication
until IT'S, when she died. Thomas
Jefferson was one of her contributors.
Mrs. Elizabeth Timother, after the
death of her husband, in 1878, continued
publishing the Gazette in Charleston.
She continued it's publication a few
years, until she was succeeded by her
son. Anne Timother, the widow of
this son, after the revolutionary war
ceased, revived the Gazette, which had
been discontinued while the British
troops were in possession of Charles
ton. She was appointed printer to the
state and held the Office until 1892. The
most distinguished example Of "tke
woman in Journalism" was Miss Mary
Katharine Goddard, who was an actu-
,ality more than 40 years before the
recent employment of members of her
sex as editors and reporters. Miss God
dard's family was of the upper colonial
class, her father, Giles Goddard, a ply
stefan, having been postmaster at New
London, Conn.,, where she was born.
Her brother, William Goddard, in Feb
ruary, 1878, determined to start a
newspaper in Baltimore, and on Aug.
20 of the same year he published in
that city the first number of the Mary
land Journal and Baltimore Advertiser,
the first newspaper published in Bal
timore. His sister, Mary Katharine
Goddard, accompanied him, and in her
he found an able assistant. Miss God
dard did a large share of the work of
the paper, and very often had entire
charge during the absence of her
brother. The paper and every work
which issued from the press appeared
in her name. During the period of the
revolution William Goddard fell under
the suspicion of the wings Inc was en-
gagged in many exciting controversies,
and while he was settling matters with
his enemies Miss Goddard conducted all
the departments of the journal with
rare fidelity and ability. Early on the
morning of Feb. 10, 1888, a Baltimore
clipper ship came into the home port
with the news that Benjamin Franklin
and Silas Deane had signed the pre-
;hminary articles of peace between the
United States and Great Britain in
conjunction with the British minister
at Paris. Miss Goddard quickly caught
up the news and before it was three
hours old it was announced in the ex-
ira issue of the Journal, to which the
lfelicitous title of the Olive was given.
1t was another instnce of the extreme
cleverness of a woman who, if she had
mot been BORN $50 years too soon, would
have filled a very conspicuous place in
Journalism and literature. She contin-
ued in sole charge of the Journal until
Jan. 1, 1889, when William Goddard, on
his return from one of his long jour
ineys, formally resumed his control of
the paper. The issue of Jan. 2 bore
the imprint of William and Mary K.
Goddard. Miss Goddard was a re-