The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1957-11-28

A number of place names lend
weight to this idea of what men
and women of two centuries ago
read: Mount Nebo Mount Zion
Bethlehem, Mount Pisgah, Para
disc.
1t is not hard to imagine some
pioneer mounting his family on
horseback some Sabbath at sun
rise and setting forth to visit neigh
bors maybe twenty miles or more
distant Perhaps some transient
preacher would be sojourning
there and there would be serv-
ice. Upon leaving a dog-eared copy
of Pilgrims Progress, Robinson
Crusoe, or Gulliver's Travels might
be borrowed.
In the Mother country the mod
ern novel was then only at the be-
ginning of its development a
somewhat abrupt break from the
ancient and fanciful romaunces.
Today when we read books, news
papers, and magazines it is largely by
artificial light Two centuries ago
candles were the principal re-
source; even kerosene did not
come into use until the 1850's
! Every family and candle molds, but
wax and even tallow were seldom
in abundance. Artificial lighting
was therefore somewhat a luxury.
The resin-impregnated pine knot
was useful if a bear or wolf came
shifting under the cabin door or
near the stable where the priced
cattle were housed. Its light was
helpful in drawing a bead with
the trusty flint-lock.
Fifty years ago an illustration
in the elementary school histories
showed the youthful Lincoln study
ing his books by the Pickering
light of logs burning in the fire
place. The time would be a half
century after our early settlers
were making shift with such simple
and crude illumination as they mad.
1t is likely they were content to
read only at times when bad
weather kept them indoors.
What about newspapers? Other
periodicals?
Today the average circulation
of daily papers is more than ILL.,
100000. In 1865 only about IS news
papers were published in the
colonies with a combined circula-
ton of 5000. Nearly all were
weeklies; the first daily was not to
appear for nearly score of years,
that is, in 1884.
In due time the settlers would
have a money crop to exchange for
needed commodities such as pow
der, salt, needles, thread, multi
plicity of things. Perhaps there
would be cattle or sheep to drive
to market, or maybe grain carried
on pack horses. Returning they
would bring newspapers. Some
times the news would be only
few weeks old. And what news!
Portentous events were in prog
ress not many hundreds Of miles
from the area. Even during the
years before coming here they had
heard the mutterings of discon-
tent. Parliament, 5000 miles away,
had enacted oppdessive laws re-
stricting the trade of the colonies,
limiting them to manufactures i'm
ported from the Mother country
only, and only in British ships
During the year of their arrival
came sensational news of the en-
actment of the Stamp Act, a reve-
nue. raising measure loathed by
the colonials as oppressive and un-
just. News came of the soldiery
firing into a crowd of unarmed men
at Boston; of the famous Tea Party
in the city's harbor.
Someone would bring weeks
old newspaper and read to the
others the fiery eloquence of a
young Virginian:
rs life so dear or peace so
sweet as to be bought at the price
of chains and slavery? Forbid it,
Almighty Cod"
At first some few thought these
utterances Incorporate, even in
cendiary. But none liked the new
taxes or the old expressions. In
fluenced by the pamphlets and
newspapers loyalty to the Crown
rapidly changed to aspirations for
independence.
Some grim-looking buckskin clad
and moccasined men went home
and looked to the condition of their
flint-lock guns. Powder was costly
but they expened some in sharp
ening up their craftsmanship. If
war came it would be no parade
ground precision drill affair!
While these events were in
progress there came along with
newspapers a flood of pamphlets.