The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-27
"NEWs WERE SCARCE"
IN DAYS OF 1773

Baltimore, Nov. 26.-A facsimile is
sue of one of the first journalistic en-
terprises on this continent contain
ing the freshest advises, both foreign
and domestic" CASUALLY about two
"fresh") presents real con-
ception of the preponderant odds
which confronted our forebears in the
first feeble tapping of the resources
of North America.
"The Maryland Journal and The
Baltimore Advertiser" of the issue Of
August 20, 1773, represents the first
small gun of what is now the Balti-
more American, a modern. heavy bat
tefy of influential editorial matter and
complete in every department.
The brave attempts, and successful
they were to boot, to acquire a circu-
lation of some few hundreds by means
of the post roads only exhibit the en-
terprise, even at that early period, of
the keenest journalists in the world.
The title page contains a column
long explanation for the very consid-
cradle temerity of producing paper
Free and of no party" 81 shall al
ways publish with pleasure whatever
is sent me in favour of Liberty and
the Rights of Mankind"
There are two other columns on
haf nf vuhinh a
length, in an editorial manner, into
the disgracing practice of duelling. A
finer piece of writing no modern jour-
nal could produce. Correct, sedate
and yet with punch" that probably
left no reader Of that more or less
calloused day of fighting in doubt for
an instant that duelling was unethical,
unmanly and, in final analysis, es-
sentially cowardly. In later days it
was through the fine influence Of this
growing journal that the unlaudable
practice was finally made unpopular.
The last page contained an adver-
tisement of land for sale by one
George Washington. Mr.. Washington
had for sale some virgin land on the
Ohio and Kanawha Astounding in
fish and small game" After careful
rerusal of Georges lad" we are of the
, opinion that the old boy was some real
estate agent-and from all accounts
he didn't die poor. AS a rule they
don't
And then there is Jacob Mohler and
David Evans advertising that they
live only to ply their trade Of watch
. making, and guarantee to give salts
faction. We wonder just what the
: trade would say nowadays if one oi
their ingenious little lads" appeared
; in a modern journal signed "by theil
very humble servant"
The paper had only one sheet anG
it was folded, making two pages or
the inside. When We disembowelet
the ancient sheet we stumbled upor
|" some gems Of the spreading chestnu
tree-and we found some jokes tina
have a suspiciously modern ring AT
ter immersing ourselves in the laugh!
of 1773 we are unholy enough to de
clare resignedly, nothing new under
the sum-"
The little pioneer makes much o
the astounding fact that by luck.
stroke they have been able to prin
the news from the old country as ear
ly as June-and the sheet was issue,
on August 20!
Even in those days it was an ad
venture to get married" Right ur
derneath a choice lot of obituaries tn
conquests of the god Hymen ar
chronicled.
Maybe the press agents wer
"close" with their passes in those will
and woody months, for, after dill
gent search, we are unable to find tn
theatre criticisms and the cabare
"ads."