Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Romance in FIOWer

most newspapers of its time, the
SENTINEL of that era regarded
politics as the foremost news of
the day.
At least a half of its weekly
content of % columns (four
pages was devoted to the politi-
cal events of the day.
These reports were pungent,
colorfully written, and carried
New York and Luisiana datelineS
as well as the familiar references
to GAINESVILLE, Poolesville,
Damascus and Rockville.
A strong second in reader in
terest, according to Editor-Sheriff
Mat Fields, was fiction of a
melodramatic nature. 1t was in
this belief, apparently, that the
front page of each early issue
presented to readers a short
romance of about three columns
in length.
The fiction, which carried no
by.line, will be unfamiliar to any
student of, the American short
story today. But the plots in.
variably dealt with the trials of
true love in the little-known but
romance-scented islands.
The character of the SEN.
TINEL of 1855 and its contem.
poraries would have been
familiar to DR.. Johnson and his
cronies of the British coffee
houses of a somewhat earlier
period. News articles, as such,
were non-existent. And the edi,
torialS of the day partook of the
nature of Addison and Steele
essays in the Taller and Spec,
tator.
These political essays were
meant for slow, careful con.
sumption. Unquestionably they
were read aloud in many county
taverns over many glasses of
port and with frequent inter.
ruptions of the reader on the
part of partizans in the con
Vicial audience.
The high-flown hyperbole, the
grand metaphor, and illusions to
allegedly parallel situations in
the lives and politics of the early
Greeks and R o m a n were
common. While the style of
writing would be considered
florid and somewhat ostentatious
by modern standards, it conform
ed to the best prevailing usage
in contemporary publications and
bespoke classical education
not possessed by many current
journalists.
Newspapermen of today - in
GLIDING the staff of the Sentinel
of today = yield a begrudging
admiration to the author of the
rolling and majestic phrase who
was a sheriff, an active poll
tician and a printer as well as a
writer. Any one of these jobs
would be considered a "man's
work" in the modern era.
While subscription revenue I'm
doubtedly went further to paying
for the expense of putting out
the Sentinel of 1855 than it does
in the case of any modern news
paper, advertising was appre
ciated, too.
The rates were given in a
modest box in the upper left
hand column of every editions
first page as follows:
Advertisements conspicuous
ly inserted at the rate of one
dollar per square for the first
insertions and Is cents for every
subsequent insertion. Twelve
lines to constitute square.
Communications, the effect OF
which is to promote a private
interest, are matters of charge
and are to be paid for at the rate
of Is cents per square Obit
uary notices will be charged al
the rate of so cents per square.
Ads appearing in early issues
constituted a strange and varied
mixture to modern eyes although
some will seem familiar.
No ad was wider than one
column and the largest size type
rarely went above half a inch in
height.
AS might be expected from the
greater formality and dignity Of
the period, advertising copy was
restrained.
Perry and Brother, Washing
ton dry goods merchants of the
period, headed a / column by six
inch ad, for example, Decided
Bargains. Opened r 0 d "
Items followed in sober terms
such as double width white
flannel at 371a cents per yard
well worth so cents, really"
Bakers Franklin Hotel, corner
of Eighth and d Streets, took an
ad to lure the countian visiting
in the capital stating:
THE Table and Bar will al
ways be furnished in the best
style the seasons can afford. The
l L. A.,