The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-10
WAS FIRST ISSUE.
Kansas Herald Came From
Press Sixty-Seven Years Ago.
Type Was Set Under Elm Tree
in Leavenworth.
ORIGMAL COPY ON FILE
William ]. Osborn and William
H. Adams Were Editors.
Newspaper Contained Good Ac-
count of Local Happenings.

It was sixty-seven years ago this
month-two-thirds Of century-that
the first issue of the first Kansas news
paper. printed in English. came off the
press. It was ''Vol. 1 No. 1" of the
kansas Herald. Its editors and pro-
prietors were William ]. Osborn and
William II. Adams The copy for the
issue was prepared and type set prior
to the date of publication, September
is, 1854, under an elm tree in Leav-
sHworth. Meanwhile a building was
being completed nearby ION Levee.
two doors below corner of Broadway
and the plant was moved indoors be-
fore the end of the week
Original Copy of Paper.
In the newspaper department of the
state Historical society. Memorial
building, is an original copy of the
y first newspaper. 1t is interesting to
note that it greatly resembles the
weekly newspapers of today, except
in the appearance of the advertise
ments. These as rule occupied small
spaces and did not contain any great
variety of faces of type. The paper,
7-column four page, in fact contained
much more set matter than the aver
age country weekly of today This
was before the time when boiler
plate" features were available; so
noteworthy that the first newspaper
was "pro-slavery," a staunch support
er of the Democrat party. But quickly
in its wake came many ''abolitonist'
newspapers which numerically pre-
dominated the newspaper field of the
pre-war days in Kansas.
Some twenty years before the pio-
neer Leavenworth newspaper was es-
tablished, however, lothian Meeker, a
missionary among the Indians, set up
small job printing press at the
Shawnee Baptist Mission, in the north
east corner of Johnson county, in the
winter of 1S33-34. The missionaries
devised a phonetic system of spelling
the Shawnee Indian language. using
the English alphabet. Primary texts
were printed with which some of the
more apt Indians were taught to read
and write their own language. Meeker
and ]. kykins. editor, at intervals
from 1886 to 1912 published a little
newspaper in the Indian language.
Some of the articles were written by
the Indian pupils. The papers name
was Shaw-wau-Dowe Kesauthwau
CShawnee SUM - The only original
in existence at this time is in posses
sion of f. F. Heisler, publisher of a
weekly newspaper in Kansas City,
Kan.
Set Type Under Elm Tree.
An interesting account of their ex-
paper, as the Kansas Herald is accred-
tied with being. is contained in the
first issue. 1t follows:
"All the type of the present number
of the Herald has been set under an
elm tree in the city of Leavenworth.
Ourselves and our compositors have
been like the patriots of old, jewellers
in tents for the last two weeks Dur
ing that time we have had almost
every variety Of weather, heat and cold,
rain and dazzling sunshine, mists, fogs
and thunderstorms. In addition to
these duties and difficulties, we have
packed wood, built fires, cooked for
ourselves, fought mosquitoes and slept
on prairie hay on the ground. We
have at the same time superintendent
the building of a substantial office,
which is now nearly completed and
done our best to entertain and give
information to the crowds of visitors,
who have thronged our young city
Our selections have been made, our
editorials written, our proof read, sit
ting on the ground with big shingle
on our knee for a table. Think OF
this, We editors, in your easy chairs
and well furnished sanctums, and
cease to grumble."
The editorial page, in the first is
sue, does not go into the stirring issue
of the time-slavery. The lead edi.
toriaI says:
The Leading Editorial.
1.-THE establishment of the first pres:
in a territory is always an importan
and interesting event; and this, "
feel, to be peculiarly so in the estab
lishment of one in the Territory O.
Kansas. We subscribe will
all our heart to the true and SAT-
Democratic doctrine that the majorit.
shall rule; that its will and decision
shall be the supreme law of the land
We will oppose steadfastly all thos
who endaavor to counteract the sam
and count those as enemies who viii
not submit to the law when legalI
and constitutionally declared"
The Herald was a strong advocat
of prohibition. On the front pag
along with some news items, bio
graphy. Of Gov. A. H. Reeder, the frs
territorial governor of Kansas VIII
ttook office October Z, 1864; a fictiol
love story and a number of jokes an
humorous rolloquies,. was a column
bombardne nt on Wholesale liquor traf
fickers and a half column on West
ern Energy" depicting the advan
tages of the young west. The from
page apparently was made up wit
a view to giving the reader much di
versity. On this printed page-pos
sibIy the first newspaper joke eve
sprung in Kansas-was the following
Sammy, my boy, what are you cry
ing for?" bill threw the Bible an
hit me on the head" "Weu, you ar
the only one in my family on whor
the Bible ever made the least impres
sion.'
Natives on the coast of Norway pick u
on the geashore wood from the shores
49, Amazon and OrinocO rivers and palm