The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-03
THE FOURTH IN 1898.
Interesting Account From an Old
Philadelphia Daily Newspaper.


Philadelphia Daily Newspaper.
There was daily newspaper in 1893.
1t was published in Philadelphia, where
the first daily newspaper appeared. 1t
was originally the Philadelphia Packet
and General Advertiser. issued as a
weekly, and a complete file OF II is
slowed away ON the shelves of the
Congressional library at Washington.
The Packet exists today as the Phiia-
delphia North American. The nrst issue
of the Packet as a weekly appeared
Oct. IS, 1771, Afterward 1t became a
triweekly and on Sept. 21, 1874. a
daily. Associated with John Dunlap
In its publication was David c. Clay
poole. Dunlap is said to have been the
first man to have printed ,hs Declara-
ton of Independence. So II Is appro-
pirate, says the New York Commercial
Advertiser, that we should take an ac-
count OF the celebration or Independ-
ence day a hundred years ago from
the files of his paper, then known as
Dunlap's American Daily Advertiser.
Dunlap did not respect the Fourth Of
July, as some of the newspaper pro-
| prictors OF today do, by declaring a
holiday for his employees and getting
out no paper. On the contrary, he Ina
proved the day by publishing In a pa
triotic spirit the text OF the Declaration
of Independence. with an editorial in
PRODUCTION which indicates that Liberty
was not SO fully established on her
pedestal as she might have been. He
says:
AT time when some OF our citizens
are disposed TO view monarchical power
with different eyes from those with
which they viewed II in 1776 we hope
1t will not be amiss to remind them OF
the PRINCIPLES and feelings OF the citi-
Gems OF the United States in that mem
orable year by republIshing the Dec
laration of Independence on the aani-
yersary of the day which gave birth to
the freedom or our country and which
we hope will continue TO furnish a
precedent for deposing tyrants in ey-
cry part of the world"
Then follows the Declaration in full,
win some little variations In punctua-
ton, spelling and general style which
would appear inelegant today: But we
have reformed our language a good
deal in century,
There IL one little news paragraph
about the observance of the day in the
issue of the Fourth. There was no te,e
graph in those days and 70 steam rail-
road, aad news came in by carrier
slowly. So there is no reference to the
plans for celebration In ather cities
and under the head of philadelphia
july 4,a there is only q short para,
graph telling that the firing Of the
morning gun ut daybreak had an
nounced the birthday of American in
dependence and that fifteen guns
would be fired at noon and fifteen Al
two different periods srterward. Most
| OF the public places OF entertainment
1t was stated, would be '.open for the
reception Of company" and the even
ing wepld be closed with q grand dis
play of fireworks. Thus" says Mr.
, Dunlap, philadelphia will exhibit per
haps the most splendid scene Vt any
part of the eoAtinept On this joyful in
/ PRODUCTION OF the eighteenth year oI
. glorious liberty"
The reason for firing Q salute OF fif
teen guns was that in 1892 Vernon
/ and Kentucky had been admitted 4
! | the Union. increasing the numtss y
; states from the original thirteen Z
! fifteen.
: In the issue of the paper for the 5tl
of July is an account OF the loeai eeie
! bration, It was not complete Littl
scraps OF this story We're publishes
from day to day for nearly q weel
I and the arrival Of letters from New
I York furnished additional news, s
A that the story of the celebration wa
5 not cleaned up I'm n few hours. as
would be today. but was scattere
q over two good weeks.