Connecticut western news., 1914-09-10
ROGERS AMATEUR DAYS
interesting Experience of Retired
 Newspaper Publisher.

Newspaper Publisher.
 Mir. Marcus H. Rogers, at present so- journing in Mill River, and for many years editor and publisher of the Berks shire Courier at Great Harrington, was one of the first amateur publishers in the country, having established "The Rising sum- in Mill River when he was boy, in 1854. In an intensely interesting article recently written for the. Boys Herald, MT. Rogers gives . history of his experiences as an ama- teur printer and various incidents in his career as a newspaper man. From this article we reprint a few excerpts which will be of interest of our readers, many of whom remember Mir, Rogers as the successful and capable editor of the Courier: ......
 "The gift of few old type in my schoolboy days, changed the course and established the avocation of my life. They aroused an enthusiasm for print ing, which prompted me to earn some money to gratify the desire. In 1S5t became clerk in the village store and post office in Mill River, during the summer vacation of the schools, which enabled me to buy go pounds of Long Primer type, pair of cases, a compos- ing stick and four feet of brass rule, costing $14, according to the original bill.
 "That was good deal of money in those days for country boy to spend for plaything, but printing presses were too costly to be thought of. had a picture of the press at which Ben Franklin had worked, and with my mothers cheese-press for model, and my fathers workshop and tools at my command, built very good and sub stantial printing press, with platen IS inches square, which is still preserved. I made an ink roller of buckskin leather, having read that mixing balls were made of it, for mixing the forms in the early days of printing.
 When all was ready to print any. thing, the idea came to me to print monthly paper.
 "In November, 1854 I commenced the publication of a little paper, nam ing it. The Rising Sun, folio form 10x1 three columns to the page, and continued it for year while I was attending school, the last issue being named The Setting Sun, for which I made the. additional letters required, casting them in plaster of paris moulds. There were, l suppose, amateur printers before my venture of sixty years ago, but wonder if any of them ever made his own press and printed paper for a year before he had ever seen printer or the inside of a printing office?
 "Some curious and interesting cir originating because of my having published The Rising Sun, opened the opportunity to form part nership and take the management of The Berkshire Courier at Great Bar ,ington, Mass, (ten miles from Mill Riyer.) Accordingly visited New York long enough to study all the newspaper headings could find and to 'uy one, which was used for the first ssue under my charge, January 3, .s62 and has been retained ever since. After three years Ipurchased the estab- lshment and displaced the old hand 'ress with modern power press, brought with borrowed money. The paper prospered wonderfully, its cir. ulatlon Increasing, by reasons to b elated until it exceeded the other apers in the county, and became with ew exceptions, larger than any coun.
 Continued on paoo Ei,,.