Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-09

MackGuaf,
ers Of Philadelphia, Pa.
Undoubtedly the poem of which these lines
are part is the finest tribute OF its kind ever
paid the printer, and, moreover, 1t Is as true Is
1t is beautiful.
However. these lines were written long ago,
and, except for the country towns and the
ordinary lob ONCE of today, they would not
at in with modern methods of printing, where
the pleasing sound of the 'pick-and-cllck" has
given way to the mechanical noise OF the type
setting machines; but sentimentally and theo-
reticaIly they viii apply to the printer, even
though the inventor has supplied him with
different tools to work with.
WASHINGTON has been good printers
city from the very beginning, and, as a
matter of fact, in 1795, five years before the
Government moved from Philadelphia here, an
enterpriSing man from Norfolk, Va, named T.
Wilson thought it would be a good place In
which to start newspaper, and so he brought
along a press and enough type and started
printing the Impartial Observer and Washing
ton Advertiser on May % of that year from
its Office at Four-and-a-hah and streets
southwest.
OF course Georgetown had its newspapers be-
fore this date and consequently employed
printers at an earlier time than did Washing
ton: but the Impartial Observer takes credit
for being the first newspaper publisher here, at
least east Of Rock Greek. But whether Mr.
wilson was himself printer is not known,
though it surely took a man or two to set the
type for the paper, even IL the names are not
recorded. Incidentally, just how long this
paper was printed is not known, except that its
life was brief one and that at first it was q
weekly and later Semi-weekly. All told, only
IL copies of this paper are known to exist, OF
which the Library of Congress has one original
and several photoStat copies. But neverthe-
less, this marks the beginning of printing in
into
q very large industry, as you well know.
Following the publishing of this paper,
however, came into existence other newspapers
and printing Offices, until in January, 1915, the
printers of this city deemed it advisable to
form the Columbia Typographical Society, which
continued in operation until 1t was merged into
Columbia Typographical Union, No. 1O1, In
1867, though the affairs of the Typographical
Society were not actually closed out until Mo-
vember H. 1881, when the secretary, Michael
Cation gave $3.50 to each Of the following
members of the society Gin full of all de-
mands": Charles ]. Canfield, William e. Moore,
A. T. Cavis, William F1emming, M Cation, VIII
liam L. Jones, William NJ Belt, j. w. Law, w.
w. Maloney, Joseph Hammacher, F. M. Det-
weller, John q. Judd, Maurice Joyce, Edward T.
Fletcher, d. p. Kicking. William Elelen,
Thomas Harper, j. G. Franzoni, Edward NJ
0pedden, J. D. Chedal Richard W. Claxton
Thomas r. Maher, H. L. Dawson, John p. Boss,
Charles w. Schell, Charles H. Lewis and James
King.
ITO the writer it is always a fascinating
work to delve into the past and read over
the names Of some Of the citys pioneer cit
liens and connect them with the families Of
the present day, many of whom, no doubt, are
descendants Of Washington's first residents as
wen Is Of the founders Of the Columbia Typo
graphical Society As might naturally be sup
posed, there were not many printers in the
District in 1915, but it is quite likely that
nearly all are included in the following list
of local union printers as handed down to US:
Alexander Graham, Andrew Tate, Francis
Burke, Jacob Gideon, jr.: f. Coyle, Peter G.
.Konkle, H. G. Lewis, Henry Martin John H.
Wade, David McKenna, Christopher Byrne
william RICHTER, John Allen, Robert Allen, w.
T. Nowlands, John Hines, James Pettigrew,
John Erskine, John Morrison, Alexander !.
Lawrence, William Dougherty, H @. Foster,
James b. Carter, Robert DodSon, AugJstin p
Soaring, D. futile, d. Force T. Byrne John
Euter and w. S. d. Grusko.
Jacob Gideon. IT,, whose name appears here.
served as the Societys secretary in 1916, and as
Its president in 1917. He was the son Of Jacob
Gideon, q Revolutionary soldier, who is buried
IN Congressional Cemetery, and the father Of
hgtOn q Georgetown Railroad Co.
The inscription ON the slab marking the
grave Of Jacob Gideon reads: I'm memory Of
Jacob Gideon, soldier Of the Revolution, died
March 3, 1S41, aged 81 years."
The National Intelligencer Of March 5, 1871,
records his death in the following notice:
Died, I'm this city on Wednesday evening the
Bird instant, Mr. Jacob Gideon, ST., soldier
OF the Revolution, aged 81 years
His friends and acquaintance and those Of
his son, Jacob Gideon, jr., are requested to