Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-30
JOURNALS OF SOUTH
Charleston News and Courier
the Dean of Them.
/
DATES TO 18TH CENTURY
=
Only Three Older Ones in Whole
/ United States.
AGED AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
South Comparatively Free From Vel
low Journalism and Fortunate
in High Minded Editors.
DATES TO 18TH CENTURY
AGED AUGUSTA CHRONICLE

low Journalism and Fortunate
in High Minded Editors.
! BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
/ CHARLESTON. S. c.. March %, 1905
I believe that Charleston is the only
city In America which has copies OF all
fhe newspapers that have ever been pub
ashed within it's limits. | believe, also.
that the Charleston Library is the Oldest
In the country. having been originally es-
tablished In 17nS through the enor's Oh
DR.. Bray, the commissary of the Bishop
OF London, and originally kept in the
Yectory of St. Philips Church 1t was
destroyed by fire during the revolution
Ind was a great loss. because 1t had a
rare collection Of books, maps and prints
numbering about 1000. The newspaper
Ales evidently were saved. or have since
been replaced. Josiah Quincy of Boston
who visited Charleston in the latter part
Of the eighteenth century. fresh from the
scholastic and literary atmosphere or
Cambridge. expresses his amazement at
Hnding SO extensive and important col
lection Of books He mentions "a hand
come, square spacious room, containing
very valuable collection of books, prints
Ind globes
among the treasures is an almost com
blete file of all the newspapers which
have been published in Charleston from
the first. running back for IT'S years. Inc
association has been offered large sum
OF money for them by the Boston Pubic
Library, but esteems them at their full
value, although the building in which
they are kept does not look like very
safe place. 1t is quaint old structure
having been originally erected for the
Bank Of South Carolina. but it is veri-
table fire trap. 1 have no doubt Mr..
Carnegie would be pleased to provide a
new building If the people of Charleston
are not too proud to accept one
Oldest Daily in South.
The Charleston News and Courier is the
Oldest daily newspaper in the south The
Augusta Chronicle dates also back into
the eighteenth century. but has not so
much age as the daily. The Baltimore
American. the Hartford Courant and the
Philadelphia North American are the only
dailfes that outrank the News and Cour-
Ter.
The first newspaper established In the
province Of South Carolina was the Week
iy Journal. issued about 1870 by Eleazar
Phillips. jr.. a New England printer who
came to Charleston with his father to
business His enterprise. however. does
not seem to have prospered because when
he died, July 10. 1882. his father adver-
tised for sale the subscriptions due him
Saturday. January 8. 1882. the South
Carolina Gazette made it's appearance
with Thomas Whitmarsh. member OF a
prominent family. as editor and publisher
ana 1t appears to have been an unusually
good paper for that time. 1t contains
considerable valuable information. and
!ne aovertisements are quite as interest
ing as the literary part. One of them
Isaac Watts Psalms of David. initiated
in the language Of the New Testament"
Wh!tmarsh died of yellow fever in
September. 1893. and the paper suspended
Benjamin Franklin's Venture.
BENJAMIN franklin. In his autobios-
raphy. says: In 1888 1 sent one of my
tourneymen to Charleston, S. c.. where
. printer was wanted. I furnished him
with a press and letters on an agree
Msnt Of partnership. by which / was to
receive one-third of the profits of the
business paying one-third OF the ex-
ignorant In matters of account. and. al
though he sometimes made me remit
tances. I could get no account from him
nor any satisfactory state of our part
the business was, continued by his
widow, who. being born and bred in
Holland. where. as I have been in
formed. the knowledge of accounts makes
a part OF the female education she not
only sent me as clear a statement as
she could find Of the transactions past.
but continued to account with the great
est regularity and exactness every quar-
ter afterward. and managed the bust
ness with such success that she not
only reputably brought up family Of
children. but. at the expiration Of the
term n,;. was Sab. able to purchase Of me the
DR., Franklin evidently referred to
Louis Timothee. Huguenot. who after
ward anglicized his name to Lewis Tim
othy. He appeared in Charleston early
in 1894, and purchased from the Whit
marsh family the plant and good will
Of the South Carolina Gazette. Frank
Inns account Of the situation does not
correspond with local history. The
title, type. size and typographical ap-
pearance Of the paper are precisely the
same as of that printed by Whitmarsh.
hence 1t Is naturally inferred that Tim
othy took the entire plant. which would
have made 1t unnecessary for DR..
Franklin to furnish Timothee with a
press and an outfit.
First Woman in Journalism.
Newspapers were not highly regarded
by the stalwart and dictatorial rulers
OF the province. Gen. Sir Francis Mich
olson. who came as governor in 1921.
locked upon printers with particular dis
favor. The new governor" said a con-
temporary writer. though bred a soldier.
and profane. passionate and headstrong
himself was not insensible of the ad-
vantages of religion to society, and con-
tributed not little to its interests in
Carolina. both by his public influence
and private generosity. Sir Francis
was a picturesque swashbuckler. II is
said. who had already held official posi-
tons. sometimes with credit and always
With eccentricity. In Virginia a few
years before he threatened to shoot
groom. parson and magistrate because his
sweetheart married another. and he
brought the same temper TO Charleston
When II was proposed to establish a
printing press. In order to publish the
iau,s of the province. he wrote:
1t may be seen how very chargeable
II is to have a printer come hither: and
IL any should come / can't suffer him
TO exercise bis trade without giving a
very good security not to print anything
without license. And / can't give him
any for printing the body of the laws
till his majestys. will and pleasure be
known thereon: so that. in my opinion
the money appropriated for printer may
b. disposed for the good Of his majesty's
province"
The laws were nevertheless printed a,
the expense OF the king by "Eleazal
Phillips of Boston. first printer to hi:
ma jesty'