The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-20
FIRST AMERICAN NEWSPAPER.

Hartford Courant.

Samuel Green, Jr., of Boston, the First
Colonial Publisher.
Hartford Courant.
The credit of issuing the first newspa-
per in this country has long been given 10
Benjamin Harris, who at Boston on Sept.
%, 1890, issued Public Occurrences, The
claim for Harris's priority in the jour
nalistic field has rested on the fact that
nothing in the newspaper line has come TO
the attention of those interested in such
matters, bearing an earlier date than Har-
ris's first issue. Recently, however, it has
been considered, in the light Of a discovery
made by William Green Shillaber, of Bos-
ton, that this honor rightfully belongs to
Samuel Green, jr., Of Boston. Mr.. Shilla-
Der, who is the secretary of the Club of
odd Volumes of Boston, brought the mat
ter TO the attention of the club at its May
meeting, with the result that his view was
applauded and accepted by those present.
Mr.. Shillaber has just issued a gelatine
print reproduction of this single-sheet
newspaper Of GREEN'S and accompanied it
with an explanatory word which we re-
print:
1T has seemed to the writer that the
credit for making the first attempt at news
paper publication on this side of the At
lantic ocean should be given to Samuel
Green, of Boston, who printed In the fall
of 1853 a sheet which he called 'The Pres
ent State of the New English Affairs and
which is herewith reproduced in facsimile.
The object of the reproduction is to give
those who may be interested in the sub
ject a convenient opportunity to examine
the publication, and decide whether or not
the claim is a reasonable one"
In early times, as is of course well known,
news of general interest passed from one
person TO another by means of news letters,
being exactly what the name implies,
namely, manuscript letters containing the
news of the day. Samuel Green, jr.. is sup
posed TO have been a writer of these news
letters, and he seems to nave originated
the idea of printing several copies instead
of writing one or more. One copy of this
first attempt is eXtant. 1t is in the Massa-
chusetts archives-Volume 30. Page SO.
AS it is printed in two columns, news
paper style, ii is not a broadside. 1t is
folio in size, printed on the recto, the verse
being blank. So far as is known the eX-
pertinent was not repeated by Green. There
is, however. no evidence that this news
PAPER was his only publication of the kind;
others may AVE been printed of which
no copy now exists. The following year
Sept. %, l690-R. Pierce printed for Benia-
min Harris at Boston a similar publica-
ton which he called Public Occurrences.
A comparison of these two newspapers will
snow, at least so IL seems 10 the writer,
that Pierce or Harris copied the idea of
Green, the only important difference being
that Pierce mis- an issue once every
month "or if any glut Of occurrences hap
pen, Oftener." Also, instead of one page
three pages of two columns each are printed
on two leaves, the last page being blank.
This issue. like the one by Green, was the
first and only one. But one copy of Public
Occurrences is known to exist, and il is
kept in the colonial state paper office in
London. 1t has, however, been reprinted
T..
ally allude to it as the first newspaper eff
fort.
1t is likely that Green's experiment was
a success, but he could not reap the re-
suits of his ingenuity for the very good
reason that he died July, 1890. Here was
the chance for a wide-awake publisher,
and in about two months Pierce or Har-
ris took advantage OF it, and Public Oc-
currences'' was issued. Probably Pierce
had no responsibility beyond the printing.
Harris was a man of sagacity and great
energy. He did a large business as a
bookseller and publisher, and was one of
the most enterprising business men of the
period. He was quick to see the oppor-
tunity TO give the public something new
and novel. and at the same time advertised
himself and his business.
The little we know of Samuel Green, jr.,
seems to show that he was a man of abil-
ity. Judge Sewell undoubtedly had conf
dence in him, otherwise he would not have
selected him for the important position of
printer. John Dunton, in his Life of Err
LCASf AAA0 ~ 0NN~Af 0H0 IL lis wv
from New England" frequently mentions
both Mr.. and Mrs. Green in a way which
indicates that a close friendship existed.
Samuel Green. jr., was an embryo journal
list. He looked at the great field of Journal
ism through the large end of the telescope,
What he saw was small indeed, but he was
the frst-the leader Of that great army of
printers, reporters, editors and proprietors
that now cover the field. The period from
this publication to the huge Sunday edition
of to-day spans the growth of the Ameri-
can newspaper:
Boston, Mass, May, 1902.
These explanatory words by Mr.. Shilla-
Der set the matter fully before the reader.
1t might be added that the appearance of
The Present State of the New English
Affairs is so faithfully copied in Public
Occurrences as TO leave almost no uncer-
tainty Of the source of the Pierce-Harris
inspiration in the minds of those who COM
pare the two newspapers. An interesting
sublime on Green's title reads, This is
published to prevent false reports" S
this is avowedly and manifestly the pur-
pose and determination OF the American
newspapers of to-day the claim for Green's
paper as the parent is materially strength
ened by this important statement.
Mr.. Shillaber has had 104 copies of this
reproduction printed at the University
Press, Cambridge, the first hfty-two of
them for members of the Club of Odd Vol
umes. An interesting fact in connection
with the printed title of this publication is
that the inclosing border is a reproduction
of the border on the title page of Eliot
Indian Bible. of which Mr.. Shillaber pos
sesses more than one copy.
Two copies of Mr.. Shillaber's reproduc-
tion have come TO Hartford, one TO Charles
Dexter Allen, a member of the Club of odd
Volumes. and one TO Albert c. Bates, OF
the Connecticut Historical Society.
1t is probable that Samuel Green, jr..
founded the Courant in 1764. The Greens
were printers for many years in the