Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-17
(By Frederick G. Fassett In Bos
ton Transcript, Jan. 12)


ton Transcript, Jan. 12)
An important chapter in the his
tory of newspaper making in New
England is that which has been writ
ten by the kennebec Journal during
/ the century of its existence. AS a
its own history necessarily consti-
tutes an illuminating story Of the
, course of events in its place of publ
cation and in the world outside.
When, therefore. the Augusta news
paper. in observance of its centen-
NAL, printed last week a special edl-
ton of many pages it assembled a
deal of material of general interest
in addition to the interest that CEN
ters In the growth Of a newspaper
that has been and is n constructive
influence in the affairs of its city and
State.
Included in this edition is a fac
smile of the first issue Of the paper.
It affords p good starting point in
the consideration of the progress OF
4 century as revealed in this chapter
Of newspaper history. The early
Kcnncbec Journal was four page
sheet as were most of the neWSpa =
perS of its day. 1t was printed on a
hand press which with type and 9TH
er equipment was hauled into Au-
Custa on the sled of a farmer after
being brought from Boston to Bath
BIZ boat The paper was established
bv Russell Eaton and Luther Sever
arce, two young printers who had
worked on the National Intelligencer
in Washington. They not only print :
81 hut 10 a
they wrote with discrimination and
in excellent style and manner. In
accordance with the customs of the
tines they devoted their attention to
national and foreign rather than To-
cal affairs Their first number thus
gives indication of what people We're
thinking about not only in the little
village of Augusta. on the banks OF
the kennebec, but in the country at
large.
Boston Merchants and Piracy
Audiences in moving picture thea
tres. watching the thrilling exploits
Of Captain Blood" may assume that
piracy on the Spanish Main passed
with the passing Of the seventeenth
century. or at least that it had dis
appeared before the dawn of the
nineteenth. but. long after CommO-
dore Prehle had crossed the seas to
humble the Barbary pirates. piracy
in the West Indies was one of the
pcrilS encountered by American ships
ana scamen. So in January, 1925.
writing the first number of their
journal. the young editors gave the
greater portion of the space devoted
to news to consideration of the
deeds of the pirates in the West In
dies. and the measures that We're be-
ing taken to drive them off the seas.
In the column devoted to Sum
mary of News it is stated that the
merchants of New York and Boston
have petitioned Congress on the sub
iect of piracies in the West indies
Ella borating on this subject to the
extent of more than a column. the
youthful editors arrived at the con-
clusion that the sanction of priva-
tecring in war provided nursery for
pirates. AS to prevailing conditions
in the West Indies. they said:
The alarming and increasing
extent to which piratical depre-
dations have been carried on in
the West Indian Seas. of late
years. has not only been seri-
Gus annoyance to the commerce
OF all nations trading there burt
has excited. at once, the sympa-
thy and Indignation of all benev-
client men, on account of the
heartless barbarity with which
these robberies have been ac-
companied. Dead men tell no
tales" seems to he the motto Of