Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-12-31
CLOSE Of THE 10th VOLUME.

and prosperous>NeW 1ear.
CLOSE OF THE 10th VOLUME
The Alexandria Gazette closes its one
hundred and tenth volume with to-
days ISSUE and another year book
primarily OF the history OF Alexandria
but also containing all the important
happenings OF the world for the past
three hundred and slxty-nve Gays WIT
Jake its place with the files OF this
paper which run back to the year $500
and beyond.
Thirty sht years ago book en-
titled The History OF Journalism IN
the United States" was published in
New York 1t was a large volume and
abounded in interesting 1eading, con-
tanning incidentally much of the thrill
ing annals OF the nation. As might
have been expected, the book was de-
voted more to newspapers which had
waxed and waned in the northern sec
ton OF the country than TO other parts.
Some OF the papers mentioned, and
which are credited as being among the
oldest, we're literally ephemeral, and
died in being brought to the birth,
while other appeared spasmodically,
some announcing ut the outset they
would appear monthly.
According to the writer OF this book,
N Alexandria Gazette stands thirty
s. a seniority, having, according to
yh@Atement, been established Janu-
1S16. Had this writer visited
&ndra before compiling that work
,EEould have been shown bound
jHmes Of the Gazette running back to
3S9, as we'll as copies OF the paper
&;a printed as far back as 1875, and had
y he taken the time and trouble to make
y further investigation he could have
found an order on the record book OF
the court OF the city directing that
certain order be published in the Alex
andria Gazette in May, 1871, which
SHOWS tue Gazette Ssao on institution at
the close of the Revolutionary war. Ac-
cording to this, the Gazette comes
eighth in seniority. being preceded 10y
the Portsmouth, n. II. Gazette; New
port, r. l. Herald; New London, Conn.,,
49, Gazette; Hartford, Conn, Courant;
New Haven, Conn, Journal; Salem,
Mass, Gazette; and Worcester, Mass,
Spy. The above papers were being
printed when the book was published
in 1873. One, however, died few
years ago.
An encyclopedia OF American his
tory, published in the early part OF the
nineties says there we're twenty-seven
daily papers published in the country
in 1910, one of which was the Alexan-
dria Gazette.
This paper is still engaged in bust
ness at the old stand with enlarged
facilities and still showing the age and
body OF the times. 1t afforded tireside
and counting room reading to the
fathers of the republic and to ex-contl-
mental soldiers at the close OF the war
for liberty when, for time, chaotic
conditions prevailed; vas the sine qua
non of households when the second war
for independence was raging; was
chronicing local and national events
when red coats swarmcd in the streets
of Alexandria during the war OF 1872,
and while the Capitol was burning, the
battle OF North Point raging and while
Fort McHenry was being bombarded.
Isl The Gazette has followed the fortunes
OF it's native city through good and evil
report, and while at times its Judgment
has not been with the majority, being
sys democratic in principles, it has never
been found in the camp OF boilers, but
has ever We'd with the majority in
everything that has been inaugurated
which was believed to have been for
the good OF the city.
In the year to come, as IN the past,
it will labor for the advancement OF the
city primarily and endeavor to print
local happenings in extenso, and ct the
same time give all the news OF the
country as we'll as the world.
Every exertion will be made to rem
der the local department interesting by
faithfully recording the city's history as
fast as made, while its press facilities
will enable the publishers to present the
latest news of the world as soon as any
other paper in the country.
The late Henry Ward Beecher once
said:
In the United States every worthy
citizen reaGs newspaper, and owns a
paper which he reads. A newspaper is
a window to which men look out on all
that is going on in the world. With
out newspaper a man is shut up in 3
small room, and knows little or nothing