Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-11-26
An Old Vermont PAPER.

The president OF the Vermont Historical
society has recently received from the
Rev. b. w. Atwell. D. D.. of Shelburne.
a copy Of The Precursor Of May IS,
1907. This was the first newspaper printed
in Montpelier VT. 1t was established by
Clark Brown. a printer and preacher,
apparently not over successful in either
calling. Why he gave It its peculiar name
we do not know but his paper was in fact
the precursor of the Vermont Waterman,
Mr.. Brown having sold it before it was
year old to Samuel Goss, of Montpe-
lier. who changed it's name to Tho
Waterman
The Precursor was printed on little
sheet of coarse paper with untrimmed
edges, its page of print measuring nine
and a half inches by fifteen and a half
inches four columns to a page. The num-
Der in question emphasizes strongly the
progress in journalism which has been
made in the past century. The Precursor
was a weekly paper, published In the
capital of the State, town of 100 or
more inhabitants. 1T was one of four
newspapers published in the northern part
of Nermont-the others being printed in
Burlington. Middlebury and Randolph.
The field it supplied with news contained
some 10000 or 1900 inhabitants. What
was the news it gave them? The number
contains next to nothing in the way of
original intelligence, its columns OF read
ing matter being filled with bits of clipped
news from other papers, north and south
the most important foreign Intelligence
being misty and inaccurate news of Ma
poleons Jena campaign, the latest item
relating to reported battle between the
French and Russians, in which Napoleon
lost 40,0NU men, after which he retreated
to Warsaw-all wide of the facts. OF
American news the examination of Aaron
Burr on the charge of treason. i've months
previous, and a single paragraph devoted
to President Jefferson's message to Con-
gross Of the previous December are the
most important. The only item of local
news is one stating that a ferry boat had
been launched Into Onion river" presum-
ably at Montpelier. and that travellers
and teams could now be conveyed over
the river without delay. with the added
information that the bridge would prob
ably be rebuilt In the course of the sum
mer. The only other Vermont item is to
the effect that David j. Hopkins, a stu
dent in Middlebury College. had been
lodged in tho Albany. n. Y, Jail, on a
charge of perjury, he having sworn that
he was knowing to n coalition between the
| "I,ewistes" and Federalists in the late
( election. No Vermont death or marriage
| is noticed. Under the heading Court of
Hymen" the marriage of William Fuller
ton, aged 63, to Miss Nancy Wild, aged 40.
/ in Hammersworth, England. after a court
ship of "a years. is recorded, with the add
ed Injunction: Let all things be done
with moderation There is no editorial
and no indication to what political party
the paper belonged. Only two merchants
advertised In the Precursor, Thomas Reed
offering clocks and w I. Caldwell, blank
writs. George 3. Cove, who had bought
an oil MILL solicited the patronage of the
inhabitants of the twelve surrounding
towns, and offered to pay cash for flax
seed. These with the card of DR.. Samuel
Prentice a farm for sale, and two ad-
vertisements of Jacks" for breeding pur-
poses, make up the sum total of the ad-
vertising in the number. The price of the
pracnreor u,nc n IN TOWN subscriharg