Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-21

4
Era-The Paper That Was Publish-
ed by Queen Elizabeth.
The germ of newspapers is found in
ancient Rome. The government some
two centuries previous to the Christian
era is known to have promulgated its
edicts by means of written papers affix-
ed to pillars Nor was there much diff
| ference between the style of these acta
| diurnia. as they were termed, and that
which now prevails further than that
1 the former were more brief and simple
| and deficient in Introductory phrases
and the editorial 1--WE" They generally
| gave the news or occurrence in simply
/ Indicative sentences without introduce
| ton or comment of any kind
Most of these acta which have been
| preserved are found to mention but one
or two events. They are headed with
| the date in Roman fashion and the
name of the then consul and para
| graphs such as the following formed
| the staple: 'It Numbered, and an oak
was struck with lightning on that part
| of Mount Palatine called Summa Vevia.
early in the afternoon. ''Murena, the
consul. sacrificed early in the morning
in the Temple of Castor and Pollux,
and afterward assembled the senate in
Pompey's senate house" &C. Caesar set
out for his government in farther
Spain. having long been detained by
his creditors
1t is hardly possible for Us now, with
all the lights of science around and the
shoals of newspapers with which we
are supplied. to form proper notion of
the darkness which, for want of these,
involved the masses of the people for
many centuries after the fall of the Ro-
man empire. We are told that the cru
saders were so ignorant of geography
that at every town they approached in
central Europe they inquired if it was
Jerusalem. When they at length reached
their destination. their exploits would
have remained unknown for years to
their relatives and friends at home had
not at times some few struggling pill
grims found their way back to the
west. Even bad news in those days
could not, contrary to the proverb,
travel fast. Every little community
must then have lived much within it
self
1t was not until the sixteenth century
that anything at all approaching even
TO the scanty Roman acta diurnia can
be found to have revived in the modern
world. The war which the Venetian re-
public waged against the Turks gave |
rise in l SOB to the custom of communi- |
eating the military and commercial in |
formation in Venice by written sheets, |
notiZic scritee. to be read in particu- |
lar place to those DESTROYS of hearing |
the news. who paid for this privilege |
with coin no longer in use, called gaz-
- Ill,
be applied to the news sheet itself both
in Italy and France and subsequently
in England, when this mode of impart-
ing news came into use.
The Venetian government eventually
gave these announcements in a regular
manner once a month. but they were
too jealous to allow them to be printed
Only few written copies were trans
rnitted TO such as subscribed and paid
for them. Thirty volumes of these valu-
able manuscript newspapers exist in
the Maglia Bechian library at Florence.
About the same time advertising wants
the father of Montaigne.
the celebrated essayist, being credited
with the suggestion for making the
wants of individuals known to the pub
lie in France. These We're received at |
offices established fer the purpose and
were first posted on the walls of public
places, receiving the names of affiches.
In time this led to a systematic and I
periodic publication in sheets. These
were termed affiches in consequence CT
their contents being originally fixed up
as placards. though the word itself is ,
French for advertisement.
1t is to England as represented by !
Queen Elizabeth that the honor of COM {
printed sheets of public intel
ligence is to be ascribed. When the
Spanish armada threatened an invasion ,
Of this country. that sage queen. re-
the disadvantage of the vague ,
and alarming minors which circulated
everywhere. resolved to inform her peo- E