The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1921-06-11
|IS NOTABLE DATE
May 23 Anniversary Of Birth Of
English Journalism
Two Hunderd and Ninety-Nine Years
Ago Nathaniel Butter Got Out
First Newspaper In London.

May % was the 299th anniversary
of the birth of English journalism. The
first English newspaper was founded
in London by Nathaniel Butter May
%, 1922. There previously had been
from time to time efforts toward the
sale and distribution of news. The
Tohing-pao. paper OF the Chinese
court, enjoyed continuous issue from
the year 713 to 1900, when 1t ceased
publication and gave it's name to sue
cessor published In Peking today.
Ancent Rome had Its Newspaper.
the Acta Diurna. 1t was the organ OF
the capital. containing military re-
ports, political comment and the latest
sport "dope" concerning lions and
Christians. Parents of young Romans
used to hide the paper from their sons,
who, strange to say, preferred to look
| at the feminine sandal ads rather
| than view the actual article always
| on display along the Appian way.
Sporting editions were eagerly bought
by business men in the Forum. A
record sale was reported the day
Rome's pet gladiator, Bambinus Ruth
icus swatted a full-grown tiger over
the bleachers out the Coliseum. Final
ly, the paper with the rest OF the Eter-
nal city fell into the hands of the Ger
man invaders and soon after ceased
to exist.
There were no. papers during the
years that followed, but toward the
close of the Middle ages there came
into circulation what were known as
continental news letters. These let
ters were unauthentic reports with no
fixed date of publication, to which the
early correspondents contributed sto-
ries of the Crusades, the discovery OF
America, or the latest anti-Semitic
movements in Austria. The accounts
were always highly colored and the
facts distorted. The publications were
never sold They were read in taverns
on the payment of fixed sum. The
writer's were not held responsible and
the news was little better than gossip.
From this source which had found its
way into England came Nathaniel But
ter's weekly.
Buffers paper was called the Week.
| ~ Nerves. anu u uliH SocS lhC oiSIAnN-
ton of printing all the news OF the
day upon single sheet and publishing
it regularly week by week upon fixed
days and of giving 1t distinctive title
at time when there was nothing that
could with strictness be called news
paper"
1t was formerly stated and for long
time believed that the first English
newspaper made its appearance in the
year 1888. The London museum con-
tanned copies of the old Mercury publi-
cations bearing the date 1888, but not
long ago students at Cambridge dis
covered that these papers we're Forged
| copies, according to the Columbia Mis-
sourian The type of printing employed
!n producing these papers was not in
vented until many years after that
date. In fact, it was nearly two hun
| dred years later.
No less person than King Charles
| used the columns Of Buffers paper.
He was probably the first of that vast
army of persons who seek lost dogs
| through the pages of the public prints.
| An old copy of the paper contains an
advertisement for strayed spaniel
very dear to his majesty. reward Is
offered.
Batter introduced the editorial 1--WE"
! into the newspaper for the first time.
| He also employed ''newsboys," who
were women, to hawk the paper on
| the street. These news vendors were
frequently interfered with by persons
who sold the news booklets or PAM
phlets that came into use toward the
close of the Sixteenth century.
In his early days Butter was consid-
cred wealthy, but through misfortune
he lost his possessions. He was
member of the Royalist party In Eng
land. He died on one of Prince Rup-
ert's ships in 1649.