The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-14
HISTORY OF JOURNALISM
IN NORTH CAROLINA
Story of The Men Whose Labor Has Done more ior
Progress and Education in North Iaronha
Than Any Other Body OF wen.
BY w NJ. HOLDEN.

er, or with any OF its predecessors, oI
any of the numerous papers Whlch
have been merged into it, but in the
Raleigh Daily Observer under HAZE
and Saunders, under nom de
plume. he contributed SUNDAY COL
umn which was very popular ana III
structive. Though he never returned
to active Journalism after he was Gov
ernor and the Standard ceased Dubli-
cation. the ruling passion was so
strong that he never ceased to write
now and then for the paDers. In the
latter years of his life he wrote MAIN
ly upon religious topics. for as he near
ed the portals of the Great Beyond his
mind dwelt upon "house not made
with hands."
Governor Holden was easily one OF
the first editors the State has pro-
duced. He came to the editorial desk
from the case. He began to set tyne
when most boys start TO school. He
was educated in the printing office.
and was we'll educated. He would os-
ten set his editorials in type without
ever putting them on paper. He was
an 'all-round newspaper man, which
accounts for his success. for he made
money in journalism.
In 1881, in response to an invitation
from the North Carolina Press Asso-
Citation. Governor Holden delivered ar
Address on the History of Journalism
i'm North Carolina. which will he OF
much interest to every reader of this
edition of The News and Observer. It
is, therefore, printed below in full:
Governor Holden's Address.
Mr.. President Ladies and Gentlemen
and Gentlemen of the North Caro-
lima Press Association:
learned with equal surprise and
Sfatlnca1on that / had been chosen
to deliver this address; surprise. be-
cause l have not the honor to belong
TO your body, and have been for near
~ ten years out of the editorial har-
ness; qualification, that SO distinguish
ed an honor should have been con-
ferred on me. In this case certainly
the office has sought the man, and
not the man the Office
nave approached the duty of pre-
paring this paper with hesitation and
anxiety. since the task of writing the
history of journalism in North Caro-
INA is one which no man can ade-
quately perform: and since also 1
nave to follow the distinguished edi-
tors, yourself (Mr. Battle) in 1878:
Mr.. Cameron, in 1879. and Colonel r.
Is. Creecv in 1880. who were the Sc
lected speakers for those occasions.
We learn from Martins History of
North Carolina" that printing was in
troduced into this State in 1749. by
James Davis. from Virginia, who ser
up press in New Bern. His paper
was a small weekly. and was called
the North Carolina Gazette" His
paper continued six years. On the
9TH of May, 1853. it's publication was
resumed, and continued until the
Revolutionary war.
The second press was by Andrew
Stewart, Printer to the King. at Will
mington, in 1853 called the Cape
Fear Gazette and Wilmington Adver-
tIser This paper ceased in 1867.
stewards paper was succeeded by
Adam Boyd's Mercury" which ceased
during the Revolutionary war.
The first revisal made In this State
of the laws was printed by James
Davis. New Bern. State Printer, in
1852. From the color of the leather
with which it was bound it was called
the yellow Jacket"
newspapers were printed
at New Bern. Wilmington. Halifax,
Edenton and Hillsboro. Had copies
of these papers. saws Wheeler. been
preserved in the State archives the
history of that period would have
been much better known than it IS.
eigh. New Bern. Wilmington Eden
ton. Marlborough, ENTHUSIASTICALLY,
Fayetteville and Warrenton, but there
was no paper west of Raleigh. Gov
ernor Swain. writing in the "UniVer-
sity Magazine" February, 1861, says:
Eve possess copies IN a pretty good
state of preservation of all the acts of
the General Assembly, passed and
printed during the Revolution. The
pamphlet containing the laws of Oc-
tober session, 1873. consists OF 81
pages, 6 small folio the remainder iii
uuarto. The continued scarcity of pa
per in 1881 compelled the Public
Printer to adopt a similar arrange
ment. Even writing paper was not
always at the command of men in high
official station"
He adds that he had thought that
the earliest paper mill established in
the State was by Gotlieb ShOber, al
Salem. in 1889. but he offers proof
lIldt IlleIc WAS IL pdpCl hiiiA at AIiliS-
Eoro in 1878.
There were four printing offices In
operation during the Revolutionary
war. one at New Bern. another al
Halifax, a third attached to the armv
Of CORVALLIS. and a fourth In the
army of General Greene.
1 have in my possession bound file
Of the North Carolina Chronicle or
Fayetteville Gazette printed in 179c
1t is a very small weekly. six by seven
inches. 1t was printed by George
Roulstone. for John Sibley e Co.. at
Frankl:n's Head. in Greene street
Fayetteville. at three dollars per an
num-" Like all the papers of that
period, and indeed of the early par:
of the present century. this paper con,
tanned little editorial, but is made UP
of foreign and domestic news. adver-
tisements, legislative and Ccngres
sional proceedings. and the like.
1 have also a valuable file (l<indlv
loaned me by John Calling, Esq, OF
Raleigh) Of the Estate Gazette OF
North Carolina printed at Edentor
by Henry Wills. Joint Printer to the
State with A. Hodge, running from
January 10, 1894. to October 49, 1897
This is also quite a small weekly The
post days" at Edenton were. for the
NOrtharn mail T,aCdax,