Evening star., 1936-06-13
Life of Press Along 'Potowmack"
Editors Starved and Papers
Died by Dozens-Library
Lists 200.
Bv Cedric Larson.

= IMAGINE a Washington, D. c.,
newsstand bulging with current
copies of about 200 local news
4 papers, Yet that would be the
situation if every newspaper enter
prise which had been launched since
1889, when the first one appeared, had
continued publication down to the
present.
Incredible as it seems that this
number of newspapers have appeared
in lat years of District Journalistic
history, it is none the less true. One
photography alone, compiled by Mr..
Yale Millington of District newspapers
from 1920 to 1850 lists SO titles There
have been, however, usually not more
than six or seven newspapers in the
District at any one time, and many
have appeared for only a year or two.
The history of the fourth estate"
in Washington's annals divides itself
into four logical periods. The first,
the pioneer stage, lasted from 1789
until the taking of Washington by
the British in the War of 1912. The
next division lasted from about 1915
to the outbreak of the war between
the States, and is clearly the most
prolific of any in point of the number
of newspaper ventures launched.
The third period is from 1865 to
the end of the nineteenth century and
marks the decades when journalism
was coming of age" in the Nations
Capital.
The final division begins with the
present century, and witnessed a
highly professionalism calling of
newspaper publishing, which numbers
its adherents by the hundreds instead
of, as a century ago, by the handful
Washington is not only the recognized
news capital of the Nation, but of the
New World as well.
First honors for newspaper publica-
ton may be claimed by one Charles
Fierer, who possessed the intrepidity
to undertake the issuance of weekly
news sheet in February, 1889, The
Times and Patowmack Packet. 1t
was printed in Georgetown, at that
time f1ourishing tobacco market and
shipping center Below the title ap-
peared the legend:
Let it be impressed upon your
Minds, let 1t be inStilled into your
Children, that the Liberty of the
Press is the Palladium of all the
civil, political, and religious Rights
of Freemen."
On the early issues an insignia
appeared, bearing the maxim: I'VE
are governed by our laws only"
THE earliest edition of Mr.. Fierer's
paper extant is dated April %,
1889. A eulogy to Gen. George Wash
ington appeared, as the first President
had just left Mount Vernon to assume
his executive duties:
"The first and best of Citizens
must leave US! Our Aged must lose
their Ornament! Our Youth their
Model! Our Agriculture its i'm
proverl Our Commerce its Friendl
Our infant Academy its Patronl
Our Poor their Benefactorl And
the interior navigation of the
Patowmack, an event replete with
the most extensive utility, already,
by your unremitted exertions,
brought into partial life-its Insti-
tutor and Promotor!"
Fierer's journalistic enterprise strug-
gled precariously along for four years,
when both editor and paper vanished
from journalistic history.
In the meantime, with President
Washington's support, the French en-
gineer, Maj. Pierre Charles L'Enfant,
laid plans for the new Federal Cnpital.
The corner stone of the presiI atial
residence was laid In 17e2 sad the