Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-14
DONE IN PHILADELPHIA
nNE COULD scarcely allow the birth
Philadelphla's newest evening paper


the first evening paper to be published In TINS
country, and IL I am not mistaken, the first
evening paper TO be published In the world
Some OF my Boston friends. VINO have prided
themselves upon what the Hub has done for
journalism as we'll as for ell other branches OF
polite literature, probably will take exception
TO this statement, and hasten to remind me
that there was a Boston Evening Post as far
back as 1885.
In reply, assuming my Boston friends would
make this assault, must remind them that
the Boston Evening Post can scarcely be
classed as an evening newspaper.
Tho Boston Evening Post originally was
known as The Rehearsal, and under that nam
was published about 1881 1t was a weekly, and
more or less a literary paper, after the style
OF SO many OF the little sheets in the eighteenth
century. No reader of the Evening Ledger
would think Of it as newspaper in the
modern sense. However, about two years after
il was in existence, IL became the property OF
Thomas Fleet, WHO for 4 long time was
believed to be connected with the authorship
OF Mother Goose" That question has not been
definitely settled yet but we may let that pass.
Fleet maintained his paper The Rehearsal
for some time, and then, without notice,
CnunBeu It's name 10 the Boston Evening IOSl
The only other change was the time of publi-
cation. It came out Monday evening,
whereas the paper formerly had come out on
Monday morning
But we must be entirely fair There was still
another evening paper published In this
country before the Pennsylvania Evening Post,
Let take a look at it,
This also weekly and was printed in
New York by Henry de Forrest. This was
begun in 1916. but did not live more than
year. II is now known only by name, and
only by students of American journalism It
made impress upon history
But the Pennsylvania Evening Post did make
an indclible impression on American jour-
nalism
1t is rather curious to find that this paper
was connected in It's history with a Public
Ledger, not the present one OF course. but an
earlier and forgotten one.
Benjamin Towne, the publisher of the Penn
syvaria Evening Post, Enelshman,
born in Lincolnshire. according TO Isaiah
Thomas. He seems to have come first to
Philadelphia, as did almost every enterprisng
English cmigrant in the eighteenth century,
and was engaged by Goddard as iourneyman
printer Goddard, who was in partnership
with the Tories. Joseph Galloway and Thomas
in 1865. and was so fair in his treatment of
American topics that he and his partners had
a falling out 1t is most interesting tale
by itself. and one of these afternoons we may
tell more of it.
In the meantime. however. We must speak of |
Townes connection with Goddard's paper !
The lattcr's partners, who leaders OF /
what might be called the Tory party here /
were much anGercd at the publication OF
Dickinsons Farmers Letters, which gave the
American view of the dispute with the mother
country, that they induced Towne to act
a spy for them i'm Goddards Office. Finally,
when Goddard left the city. Townc probably
with the assistance of his former employers
started printing house of his own.
James Humphreys. who was a Philadelphian
born, and who had received his education in
the College Of Philadelphia, had finally, after
several attempts to find himself, taken up the
trade of printing. In the autumn Of Ia he
that he would publish an I'm
partial newspaper There was Il suspicion
among the people that the Ledger would be
Tory paper, ana Towne thought lie saw an op-
10 start an opposition sheet. So he
hastened 70 publish the Pennsylvania Evening
Post before Humphreys could issue his Ledger
Both papers made their appearance about the
same time In l1,5. Towne had tho best of it
from the start. 50 lie became friendly with the
Wings, aud his sheet regarded as a Wing
crSa0, Congress lot him have their proceedings
to print, and he was prospering. But ha was Il
person to whom self interest was uppermost
lie was WhiG so long as the Americans held
the city but when the British came to town
foWne remained and continued to print the Kind
Of news Lord Howe desired. At that time
Humphreys, who had been obliged to leave the
and again issued his Ledger, but Towne was So
successful in carrying water on both shoulder,
tina; he remained master Of the field.
Both mcn a. well as Towne's former op-
poyols. Galloway and Wharton had bae.,
placed on tine LIST ~ persons charged with being
Loyalsts. GALLOWAY Ned with the British ana
went to England Wharton and Towne rs-
uained
BY some strange chance Towne was not mo,
csted when the Patriots returned to the citu
but was permitted 10 continue his business un-
lie continued to print his Evcnins
Post until the close Of the war.
Towne was a high liver, but was siflIpl
printer, aud his work was eNcoIently done
Ills Evening Post was printed three times
week, ON Tuesday, Thursday ana SATURDAY. and
IN" price, "ri1iHtlly two ooppcrs," was raised
20 three coppers," say about cents ana f.,
'cnts a. tho present rate.
Th" Pennsylvania EvcuiD= Post was th, nrzt
.aper 10 print the Declaration of Iudepand.r~e
This appeared on SIS front page for .IuI,, q ,--s
and in one Of its numbers in l77s appeared tna
irst account o' Washngton's historic crossn,
II the Delaware. Either of these pieces or new.
Toud be displayed in very large type b,.
MODERN newspaper. but they were very n7oI.s,
y printed in the Evening Post
Philadelphia seems to have the best claim, o., I