The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-03-02
QUEER Ids OF
COLONIAL DAYS
Old Newspapers Filled with Notices of
Rewards for Runaway
Clavea


news regarding important events in
the carly newspapers published in this
country, especially in the papers OF
the Colonial period. This lack Of news
is to some extent compensated by the
advertising columns, meagre, to be
sure, but sufficiently comprehensive to
give the patient ecker considerable
instructive and curious information
upon the personal life of the settlers
who developed the political principles
which eventually led to Independence.
1t took several years after the cs-
adjustment OF newspapers in Amer
lea for advertising to become popular.
John Campbell, the well-known post
master OF Boston, who in l104 started
The Boston News Letter, the first
newspaper in this country, had great
difficulty in getting his townspeople
to advertise their wares % their
wants More than once, during the
early years Of his weekly paper, he
plainly told his readers that unless
he met with better encouragement the
paper would have to stop.
In New York City, William Brad
ford and Peter Zenger, whose editorial
hostility contributed TO the live gos-
sip of the town, found it difficult to
obtain respectable number of adyer-
tisements and Benjamin Franklin for a
time suffered from the same trouble.
The first real change toward greater
freedom in advertising is shown in
The Pennsylvania Gazette. which
Franklin bought from Samuel keimer
in 1920. II came to be the most pow
erful newspaper in the colonies, and
for many years prior to the Revolu
ton its pages were abundantly filled
with advertisements and frequently an
extra sheet or two had to be printed
10 get them all in.
Notices of negroes for sale and re-
wards for bonded servants who had
run away are numerous In an is
sue of The New York Gazette, 1888, |
an advertisement called attention 60 |
a likely negro girl, for town or
country, has had the small pox; she |
+ about 10 wears old. as also 10 be l
'old sundry drugs and medicines by
John Briggs over against the Meat
Market in New York"
In Zenger's New York Journal Of
Aug. 20, 1894. reward of 40s is Of
cred for the following Individual;
"A negro man. known by the name
# Johnsey, here in town. but writes
lis name Jonathan Stow, about p
iears of age. Of short stature, handy
egs. blubber lip, yellow complexion,
lis hair is neither negro nor Indian,
mt between both and pretty long. He
lad on when he went away home
pun jacket. pair of trousers and
peckled shirt
One morning in lT77 New Workers
ad this interesting item Of informa
ion to read;
"A Negro Wench, Runaway. Sup
osed 20 Flatbush on Long Island.
rhere she was lately purchased of
ornelius Van Der Neer. Jun, is about
? years old. called Betty. can speak
9th Dutch and English, is of a stub
orn disposition especially when she
Kinks Spirituous liquors which she Is
Dmetimes too fond of is a pretty
tout wench but not tall. smooth face
nd pretty black. Whoever harbors
Pr will be prosecuted but such as give
formation TO William Tongue. her
wner in Hanover Square, shall re-
,i<e f5 reward with thanks"
In 1913 Richard Morris advertised
i ability as a stay maker in Riveng
ms New York Gazette. saying that
, takes this method To return his
ncere thanks to his friends and Gus
mcrs for their past favors and to ac-
iaint them that he nov has the
west fashions from the Queens
ay- maker in London. such a. have
4 been made in these parts. He
Sewise makes all soris-of stays and
mps. plain and turned. for thick or
in ladies. at any distance. by send
2 their measure
Under the heading Of Medicinal
gords,- the following remarkable ad
rtisement appeared in William Brad
rd's Gazette on March N .1T3f,
Lately imported. q choice parcel Of
rords. the blades are old. but the
ndles are made after the neWcst
shien. fhev may b. worn indifer
iiy by men, women and children
ihout hurting themselves or any
Der person. TIE blade. By being
ieed in = certain mathematical posi-
N have contracted stfrh extssorinary
tue that they VII even prevent TIE
rson Who wears them from being
isonrd
An idsa q tie Fopuisr mrds q