The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-04-07
NEWS IN OLDEN DAYS.
CUSTOMS IN VOGUE BEFORE THE ERA
OF NEWSPAPERS.

The LAtser Trace Their Origin to
Rome Long Before the Christian
Ern-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 it's
edicts by mean 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 thar that
the former were more brief and simple
and deficient in Introductory phrases
and the editorial 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
It 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 a 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 hat 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.
It 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 wal which the Venetian re-
public wa2ed against the Turks gave
rise in 1868 to the custom Of communi
eating the military and commercial in
formation in Venice by written sheets,
notizic ~scritee, to be read in a particu-
lar place to those DESTROYS of hearing
the news, who paid for this privilege
with a coin no longer in use, called gaz-
zetta. a name which came in time to
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
name once a month, but they were
too jealous to allow them to be printed.
Only a few written copies were trans
mitted 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
commenced. 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 were received at
offices established for the purpose and
were first posted on the walls of public
places, receiving the names of afiches.
In time this led to a systematic and
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
mencing printed sheets Of public intel
ligence is to be ascribed. When the
Spanish armada threatened an invasion
of this country. that sage queen. re-
marking the disadvantage Of the vague
and alarming rnmors which circulated
everywhere. resolved to inform her peo-
pie truly of the impending dangers.
She began to publish from time to time
a sheet bearing the following title
''The English Mercuire, published by
authoritie, for the contradiction of false
reports. Of this publication three cop
les are preserved in the British museum.
the earliest. No. so. bearing date July
2S. 1888. The first article. dated from
Whitehall, contains advices from Sir
Francis Walsingham that the armada
was seen in the channel, making for the
entrance. with favorable gale. An &C.
count is then given of her majesty's
feet. which consisted of 80 sail, divided
into four squadrons. commanded by
the lord high admiral, in the Ark Royal.