Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27
CURIOUS OLD LAW BOOKS.
THEIR GREAT VALUE TO HISTORICAL
STUDENTS.
Usually the First Books Printed In a New
American Comm unity -Thc Building
of states from tho Northwest Ter
ritory-Chicago'sN Narrow Escape
from Belonging to Wisconsin.

interviewer with the history of early
printing in this country and the romance
of American geography" said Mr.. TheU-
dore l.. Cole Of the statute Law Book
company of Washington. "rhc first books
to be printed in any new American com
muuity are usually its laws. The trst
book printed northwest of the Ohio river
WAS the laws of the Northwest Territory.
rhc first book printed west Of the Mis-
sissippi was the laws of the then Louis
rama Territory. In the Mexican cession,
The first book printed in English WAS the
code of laws put in force by General
Jlearncy, and promulgated by him in
Sarta Re. The laws of Indiana. Illinois,
and Wisconsin were also the iirst books
printed in what is now those states, and
this Is true of other Of the western and
tlso of some of the ePstcru States, nota-
by New York, Vermont, Virginia, North
Carolina and Georgia. Hence, com
plete list OF the statutes and session laws
OF any State, or community, often fur
nished a rather complete history of the
art of printing within its borders, as well
US an accurate mirror OF its economic and
tooidl conditions.
I'm many of the States the first book
81 laws was not printed at home, even If
the first book then printed as a book Of
laws. The first Virginia laws were print
cd in London in 1862, long before the in
PRODUCTION of printing into that colony
1hc first book of laws of both Indiana
bllu llllnOlS was III luNSb III ny ~
nIana's in 1902 and Ilinois's in 1872. Print
Ing WAS introduced into Kentucky at Lex
ington in lI9- ana III the decade that FOL
lowed this art had moved westward, so
mat by 1902 there was a printing press in
the middle OF the State. where Indiana
first law book was printed, in still anoth-
nr decade, Illnuiss first law book was
printed in eastern Kentucky. Lexington
was an Athens in those days, people
went there from hundreds of miles to get
their education at the great TransylNanA
Institute, often travelling on horseback
and from Lexington radiated not ony
learning and education but the arts that
go with them, including printing. The
introduction of printing west of the Miss
issppi probably came from this prosre'-
yiNe line toward the west. At all events,
the first book printed west of the Missis-
fippi was The laws of the Louisiana T"rrl-
tory printed at ST. Louis in 1903. This
book is somewhat more common than the
kentucky, Indiana and Illinois first books
Uf laws, which are very rare, ana the rev
copies known TO be in existence are most
~ in Libraries. 1t is It remarkable fact
that collectors of rar, books uaNe here
tofure generally neglected this western
field. Books relatively as early, and as
rare, pertaining to the eastern states or
10 Europe would bring tentold what these
western books sold for.
The Kcarney code, the first book print
ed in English in the Mexican cessation,
was prepared by two or three of the OF
iicers in his command who happened to be
lawyers and was printed on type and an old
press found in the palace of Santa Fe.
1Vh,t mas neconc Of this Koarney press
! 10 nat know hut at Nontnelier VT in
the rooms of the state Historical society,
may be seen an old press known to be the
hrst operated within the State of Vermont.
II vas taken there from New London.
Copr INV Judah Paddock and Alden
Snoonor Vermont's first urinters The
,roditirn & that This nress was the one
hrorybt m Nav I ondon in 1905 or ,iOo bv
,rhomas short Connecticut's first printer.
~ Lod bougbt il in Roston or cam
hr,dpe some authorities maintain tina
II VS. tn, identical prcss on which Steph-
en- Dave i'm 1C3e u,.inted the first book in
:he Eritish colonies Of America. The
Arst n,Intinf- nro.s used i'm Wisconsin was
In ReI,nnui in 1S36 a town. bv the way.
Which is now almost forsotten This
res lai.r was taken to Dubupue. To-.
"a eror, there is said to have gone 10
q PAN in tho l.te forties and to have
loon rho mans of introducing the art
,,resorvative of an arts in Minnesota II
e. also reasonahlv certain that the first
,,rintire, ,,ress usad IN OREGON az broupb +
,haro fror, tho S,ndvicb Islands ,vhith p
- bad h.a,, ,al,.n I'm isol NV Tho n,ission-
rinr ,,nn, IoSton
an Tho n,,,s,,it of those ola hooks 7
have had some interesting exncricures
disco,.arod he exietenro nf an a,rI, vol
,,r1, cf Ivi.ronsin law: nv means of refer
80 q, IL erattarod tbrougb tho .arIv
journals of the legislature. long before
u,a. nhln m nnd anv ronv Of if, Aft,r
anr,b;,or WISCONSIN from and to end T
ALL, f0urd rho hool, IN Rur1iny,on In
A, ~. tir,o I, No. ,rirtad Iowg Wa a
| ,art of m, territory Of Wisconsin The
i,st raferorca IN mis- hook i'm the ,egis.
intNe journals is thar me edition had hcen
orir,od in rnunsylyania ana was M pitts