St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1949-08-26

for q decent living; where, If they
could not at first attend the pub
lie schools, were given an educa-
ton Of some sort and could learn
of the. vast world about them;
where, IL they could not live in
the best" neighborhoods, could
at least own their own homes;
they did not at first feel the need
of an organ to fight their cause
for freedom.
The freedom Minnesota gave
was such q far cry from the
Southern shacIkIes that they at
first felt safe and secure.
But, as the state progressed, as
migrants Of all nationalities be-
gan to fill the vast Minnesota
territory, and as more Negroes
came into the state seeking free
dom, the Negro began to feel the
pressure on him. Only then did
he seek some course to fight in
his behalf.
Thus, it was not until 1885, al
most rs years after the Negro had
begun settling in Minnesota that
the first Negro newspaper was be-
gun.
This first paper, issued on June
10 Of that year, was a six column
sheet, selling at five cents per
copy. It was printed every Friday
by F. d. Parker, J. T. Burgett and
s. e. Hardy.
These crusading men, some
what idealstic at first, stated the
paper was to serve as a Negro
organ, to give advice, rebuffs,
criticisms and see that justice was
done all.
This paper, The WESTERN
APPEAL, was q strict Republican
sheet. In each issue was a column,
Almost about Everything" in
which, even though it did not have
the use Of Associated Negro Press
or other news service, it printed
news about churches, education
and civil rights from all over the
country.
The first issue of the paper
had advertising In the two right
hand columns on the front page,
q practice not uncommon In
other papers Of that period.
With neat printing that was
easy to read, this early newspaper
had no streamer headlines, but
used long paragraphs, much com
ment in news stories, and sold fol
two dollars a year.
On the top of the front page
stretching over all six columns
was a picture of a traveller Plod'
ding YEARLY toward the NORTH
Star.
The inside pages had little white
space, few heads, and much north
western news outside Minnesota
and some news outside the United
States.
The Editors column, Notes o.
the Times" was chiefly comments
criticisms or compliments Of civ
ic leaders, both Negro and white
the legislature or any other news
worthy events.
There were often long poems IL
the paper, a short story, columnI
such as Northwestern news,
The Old World" History Of tn
Week." and the like, and loca
news, using initials of persons dis
cussed.
There was q directory for
churches and different social
and civic organizations In the
community.
In the fighting for the cause o
the Negro, the editor often blast
ed the Minneapolis TRIBUNE 70
the use of the words "darldes,
"coons," 'cNiggers" in its col
umns.
One very interesting column
was that of a detailed report O
The Markets" with reports @
the price of food, meat, eggs, corr
oats and the like.
The first picture to appear l
the APPEAL was that Of JAIME
Kidd Hilyard in the July IS ed
ton, 1885.
Most of the advertising Of tn
paper was that of business estal
lishments, such as dressmaker
restaurant owners, barbershop
rooms for rent, carpenters, hote
and the like, some advertiser
from department stores. Most
the national advertising concerI
ed the sale Of herbs, cough syruI
remedies for Catarrh, matrimor
ial papers, and vegetable pal
destroyers-
Flowery, unnecessary wort
characterized many Of the sOeii
items. women's dresses were de-
cribed fully and many sentiment
and q few sob stories appeared
BY 1887, the Newspaper had
rnaliInr hnainena nlAee on Ian