Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-14
DONE in PHILADELPHfS

the first evening paper to be published In th's
country, and. II I am not mistaken the hrS'
evening paper to be published In the woriu.
Some of my Boston friends, VINO have priue"
themselves upon what the Hub has done ''t
journalism as we'll as for all other branches OIL
polite literature, probably will take exception
to this statement, and hasten to remind me
that there was Boston Evening Post as far
back as 1875.
In reply. assuming my Boston friends wou'u
make this assault, 1 must remind them tne'
the Boston Evening Post can scarcely Do
classed as an evening newspaper.
The Boston Evening Post originally was
known as The Rehearsal, and under that nafn'
was published about 1881. 1t was weekly ana
more or less a literary paper, after the style
of 30 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 atter
It was in existence, It became the property OF
Thomas Fleet, who for 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 hie paper The Rehearsal
for some time, and then. without notice.
changed its name to the Boston Evening Post.
The only other change was the time of pub-
cation. 1t now came out on 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 look at It,
This also was a weekly, and was printed In
New York by Henry de Forrest. This was
begun in 1746 but didanot live more than a
year. 1t Is now known only by name. and
only by students of American journalism. 1t
made no impress upon history.
But the Pennsylvania Evening Post did make
an indellble impression on American Jour-
nalism.
It is rather curious to find that this paper
was connected in It's history with Public
Ledger, not the present one, of course. but an
earlier and forgotten one.
Benjamin Towne, the publisher Of the Penn
sylvania Evening Post was an Englishman,
born in Lincolnshire, according to Isaiah
Thomas. He seems to have come first to
Philadelphia. as did almost every enterprising
English emlgrant In the eighteenth century,
and was engaged by Goddard as journeyman
printer Goddard. who was In partnership
with tho Tories, Joseph Galloway and Thomas
in 1867. and was so fair in his treatment Of
American topics that he and his partners had
a falling out. 1t is n most interesting tale
by itself, and one of these afternoons may
tell more of It.
In the meantime, however, must speak of
Townc's connection with Goddard's paper.
The latter's partners, who leaders of
what might be called the Tory party here,
were so much angered at the publication Of
Dicknson's Farmers Letters which gave the
American view OF the dispute with the mother
country that they induced Towne to act as
a spy for them in Goddard's office. Finally.
when Goddard left the city, Towne, 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 1774 he
announced that he would soon publish an I'M
partial newspaper There was suspicion
among the people that the Ledger would be
Tory paper, and Towne thought he saw an OPP
portunity to start opposition sheet. So he
hastened to publish the Pennsylvania Evening
Post before Humphreys could issue his Ledger.
Both papers made their appearance about the
from the start he became friendly with the
Wings and his sheet regarded Whig
organ. Congress let him have their proceedings
to print, and he was prospering. But he was IL
person to whom self interest was uppermost.
He Whig long the Americans held
the city, but when the British came to town
Towne remained and continued to print the kind
of news Lord Howe desired. At that time
Humphreys, who had been obliged to leave the
city because of his Tory principles returned
and again issued his Ledger, but Towne was so
successful In carrying water on both shoulders
that he remained master of the field.
Both men, as we'll as Towne's former en-
ploycrs, Galloway and Wharton had been
placed on the list of persons charged with being
Loyasts. Galloway fed with the British and
went to England, Wharton and Towne re-
mained.
BY some strange chance Towne was not mo-
Tested when the Patriots returned to the city,
but was permitted to continue his business un-
challenged. He continued to print his Evening
Post until the close of the war.
Towne was a high liver, but was n skIlIfrI
printer, and his work was excellently done
His Evening Post was printed three times =
week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and
the price, originally two coppers" was raised
to three coppers," say about 8 cents and 70
cents at the present rate
The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first
paper to print the Declaration Of Independence
This appeared on its front page for Julv G l77g
and in one of its numbers in l77s appeared the
first account Of Washngton's historic crossing
Of the Delaware. Either OF these pieces or new,
would be displayed In very large type bv
modern newspaper, but they were very modest
ly printed la the Evening Post.
Philadelphia seems to have the best claim 70
having DubIished the frat e,,api, -