Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08

mechanical, writing, composition.
| press work and ali, was performed
| by the two publishers with the as
sistance of only one boy. Mr.. Sew
! erance was at the editorial helm,
! while Mr. Eaton presided over the
! business department. Mr.. Eaton did
! the press work but Mr.. Severance
| did his share of the type-setting. The
| latter furnished the editorials, which
were prominent feature of the
| Journal from the start, and like the
| famous founder of the New York
! Tribune he had the habit of putting
| them in type without writing. This
| was done to save time, thus unit
| ing" as James G. Blaine, distin-
guished successor of Mr.. Severance
on the Jourpal, with
ease and rapidity, mechanical and
| mental process which gave early
| proof Of that we'll digested and con-
else mood of thought which subse-
quently distinguished him as politi-
cal writer Of ready force and con-
densed power"
First Issues OF the Journal
The complete files of these early
years are preserved in the vault of
the Journal office. today. and fur
nish most interesting and instructive
| reading to the student of bygone
times. The first issue appeared Sat
urday, January 8. 1875, and Satur-
| day morning continued the regular
time of publication for three years,
when a change was made and the
paper was issued each Friday even
| ing. After a year as a Friday even
/! ing weekly the time Of publication
was changed to Thursday evening,
and after a few weeks to Friday
morning, where it remained many
years.
At the end OF the second volume
the editors say: "Our success has not
| been such as to fiatter our vanity
much, but it has yet been sufficient
, to encourage us to continued exer-
ton" About this time the office Of
the Journal was changed from the
f, Branch building, at the corner of
! Bridge and Water Streets. to new
building erected on Winthrop Street.
near the old railroad crossing. Here
it remained six years. In 1888 an
other change was made, and the
Journal established itself in the third
story of a new brick building erected
by the Citizens bank. at the corner
Of Oak and Water Streets, where the
First Granite National bank now
stands. This continued the Journals
home until 1857.
On the Sd of November. 1927. the
Journals first rival appeared in the
field. 1t was the maine Patriot and
State Gazette" and was of the jack
sonian political faith. Many a wordy
! war was waged between the two, and
it is needless to say that Mr.. Sever
ance won more than his share of
the victories. In 1881 the Maine
Patriot was succeeded by the Age"
that long continued the immediate
political opponent of'the Journal.
In welcoming the Age into existence.
Mr.. Severance expressed the hope
that no offensive personalities would
mark their intercourse" This wish,
unhappily, was not always gratified.
When the Maine Legislature. in
1882, met at Augusta for the first
time, Eaton & Severance decided to
issue daily edition during the ses-
sion. This was quite an under
taking, but they entered upon 1t
bravely and made success of the
venture. The daily edition was a
very modest affair, 12x9 inches, with
three columns to each of the four
pages. The price was one dollar for
the session. This did not interfere
with the regular form and appear
ance of the weekly. The daily edi-
ton went under the name of the
maine Daily Journal" This con-
tinued through three successive ses-
sions, and then the larger Tri-Weekly
journal was established for the time
of the legislative sessions, and was
continued until 1870. 1t appeared