History of American Journalism/Chapter 5
CHAPTER V
BEGINNINGS IN COLONIES (continued)
In the printing-plants of the newspapers mentioned in the preceding chapter were trained many of the pioneers who founded newspapers in the other colonies. Especially was this true of the plant owned by Benjamin Franklin who, on several occasions, helped his apprentices to establish their newspapers. Just what financial relations existed between Franklin and these printers must be a matter of conjecture. The partnership agreement of The Pennsylvania Chronicle showed that a third interest had been set aside for Franklin should he desire to avail himself of the offer. This policy of Franklin really made him the first owner of a "string of newspapers." The reason why New Jersey did not have a printed newspaper until after the Colonial Period closed is easily given: there was no demand, for the New York and Pennsylvania papers met all the needs. The Revolution, however, changed matters, and New Jersey came forward with financial assistance for the establishment of its own newspaper. Mention has been made in an earlier chapter of the written newspaper publicly posted in a tavern which supplemented in New Jersey the printed sheets from other colonies. The expressed hope of an early Governor of Virginia that his colony would not have a newspaper "these hundred years" was not fulfilled: the success of the newspapers in other colonies led to the establishment of The Virginia Gazette.
GENERALLY A GAZETTE
The mention of the term Gazette recalls the popularity of this word as a title for a newspaper. In nine of the thirteen colonies the first paper was a Gazette: these colonies were Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia. In the four remaining colonies where the first newspaper had another name, the second paper to be established had the word Gazette in its title. The second favorite as a title for a newspaper during the colonial days was The Journal.
PARKS'S PAPER IN MARYLAND
William Parks, who had learned his trade in England, was the founder of journalism in two of the colonies. To him belongs the honor of bringing out the first paper not only in Maryland, but also in Virginia. In setting up his press in the former colony in 1726 he had been made "Public Printer to Maryland." One year later he began, on September 19, The Maryland Gazette at Annapolis. As the colony was but sparsely settled at the time he had great difficulty not only in getting subscribers, but also in securing advertisements: at times his paper contained no advertising save the notices inserted by himself about the things for sale in his print-shop. He was, however, more energetic in the matter of attempting to gather the news than many of the pioneer printers, and while visiting England in 1730, he made arrangements "by which upon all Occasions, I shall be furnished with the freshest Intelligence both from thence and other parts of Europe." Finding it financially impossible to continue his paper, Parks discontinued The Gazette in 1731, but on December 8, 1732, he brought out the paper again under the title The Maryland Gazette Revived. Associated with him in the revival of the paper was Edmund Hall, but evidently the partnership lasted only one year, for the imprint of December 28, 1733, showed that William Parks was again the sole proprietor. Some time between March and April of that year, the word Revived was dropped from the title and the paper came out simply as The Maryland Gazette. In December the paper was irregular in appearance and finally was totally discontinued.
GREEN'S GAZETTE
Another newspaper with the same title, The Maryland Gazette, was started at Annapolis, January 17, 1745, by Jonas Green, one of the greatest editors of the Colonial Period. Consequently, his account of what he hoped to make The Maryland Gazette may be quoted in full to show what the best publishers of that time wanted their papers to be:—
OUR Intend therefore, is to give the Public a Weekly Account of the most remarkable Occurrences, foreign and domestic, which shall from time to time come to our Knowledge; having always a principal Regard to such Articles as nearest concern the American Plantations in general, and the Province of Maryland in particular; ever observing the strictest Justice and Truth in Relation of Facts, and the utmost Disinterestedness and Impartiality in Points of Controversy.
AND in a Dearth of News, which, in this remote Part of the World, may sometimes reasonably be expected, we shall study to supply that Deficit, by presenting our Readers with the best Materials we can possibly collect; having always in this Respect, a due Regard to whatever may conduce to the Promotion of Virtue and Learning, the Suppression of Vice and Immorality, and the Instruction as well as Entertainment of our Readers.
WE take this Opportunity of making Application to our Learned Correspondents, whose ingenious Productions, if with such we shall at any Time be favoured, will ever find a Place in this Paper, and lay the Printer under greatest Obligations; provided whatsoever is transmitted of this Kind, be consistent with Sobriety and good Manners.
TO render Our GAZETTE useful, as well as entertaining, we shall present our Readers with the best Directions in the Culture of Flax and Hemp, especially the former, in the plainest Manner; which we hope will be of public Advantage to the Community in the present Situation of Affairs, when we can't always be certain of Supplies, and they are not to be had at all but at such Prices as the Generality of the People are not able to give for them.
AS the prosecuting and carrying on an Undertaking of this Kind has been much wished for, and long desired, and must necessarily be attended with considerable Trouble and Expence; we doubt not of meeting with a due Encouragement from the good People of this Province, in a sufficient Number of Subscriptions whereby the Printer may be enabled to carry on and continue it's Publication.
THOSE Gentlemen who are pleased to commence Subscribers, may depend on the most safe and speedy Conveyance of their respective Papers, by having them forwarded to the Court-Houses, and other the most public Places, of the several Counties in which they reside; especially where Want of Opportunity renders it impracticable to send them to the Houses of such Subscribers.
THE Price of this Paper to Subscribers, will be Twelve Shillings, Maryland Currency, per annum, unsealed; or Fourteen Shillings if sealed and directed. It will be Printed on good Paper, and a beautiful new Letter, the same with this Specimen.
ADVERTISEMENTS, of a moderate Length, will be taken in at the Printing-Office in Annapolis, and carefully inserted in this Paper, at Five Shillings each, the first Week; and One Shilling for every succeeding Week, so long as continued therein.
Green at the time he started The Gazette was Public Printer to Maryland, having been appointed to that office in 1740. He came from that New England family which was often distinguished as printers in colonial journalism, and in addition to his home training in the trade, he had worked on both Bradford's and Franklin's papers in Philadelphia before coming to Maryland. It is not strange, therefore, that he made his Gazette, in typographical appearance at least, the rival of any newspaper of his day.
Upon Green's death, April 11, 1767, The Maryland Gazette was published by his widow, Anne Catharine Green, until the first of 1768 when she took her son William into partnership. The latter died in August, 1770, and his mother again became the publisher until her death, March 23, 1775. Two sons, Frederick and Samuel, then continued The Gazette, which, during the War of the Revolution, did much to keep up the courage of the Maryland patriots. The paper was last published in 1839.
JOURNAL FIRST IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Eleazer Phillips, a New England printer, went to South Carolina in 1730 where he established a book and stationery shop in "Charles Town." Associated with him was his son, Eleazer Phillips, Jr. The latter established, on or near March 4, 1730, The South Carolina Weekly Journal. The paper, however, failed to get enough subscribers to warrant a continuous publication and suspended in about six months.
WHITMARSH AND TIMOTHY
The most important colonial paper in South Carolina was The South Carolina Gazette founded January 8, 1732, by Thomas Whitmarsh. Whitmarsh died of yellow fever in the summer of 1733, and The Gazette suspended publication on September 8 of that year. It was revived, however, a year later by Lewis Timothy (printed in the first few issues, "Lewis Timothee"), a printer from Philadelphia who had learned his trade in the plant of Benjamin Franklin. Timothy brought out the first number of the revival on February 2, 1734. Timothy was killed in an accident in December, 1738. For about six years his
paper was run by his widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Timothy. She then
sold her interest to her son, Peter Timothy, who published The
South Carolina Gazette uninterruptedly until May 7, 1772, when,
on his appointment as Deputy Postmaster-General for the
Southern Provinces of North America he leased the plant to
Powell, Hughes & Company. With the issue for November 8,
1773, Timothy resumed control of The Gazette and was its pub-
lisher until 1775, when the paper temporarily suspended on
account of the Revolutionary War. Timothy again revived The
Gazette on April 9, 1777, with the following change in title, The
Gazette of the State of South Carolina. When Charleston fell into
the hands of the British in 1780, The Gazette was forced to sus-
pend another time and its editor went into exile in St. Augus-
tine, Florida. Shortly after his release from St. Augustine he
was drowned, but his wife revived the paper on March 28, 1785,
with another change in title, The State Gazette of South Carolina.
Mrs. Timothy, following the example set by her mother-in-law,
sold the paper in 1790 to her son, Benjamin Franklin Timothy,
who changed the name to The South Carolina State Gazette and
Timothy and Mason's Daily Advertiser. Timothy was associated
with the paper until its final suspension in 1802.
Not to be confused with the paper just mentioned was The South Carolina Weekly Gazette at " Charles Town," started by Robert Wells, on November 1, 1758. Wells was on good terms with the British, for when the city fell into their hands he was allowed to continue publication of his paper under the title, The Royal Gazette. Volume I, Number 1, of The Royal Edition appeared on March 3, 1781. A year later, when Charleston was evacuated by the British, the paper ceased publication.
J. FRANKLIN IN RHODE ISLAND
After James Franklin, the founder of The New-England Weekly Courant, left Boston, he went to Newport, Rhode Island, where on September 27, 1732, he established The Rhode Island Ga- zette. It was the first newspaper in that State, and while it made a heroic struggle for existence, it only lasted eight months. After Franklin's death his wife, Anne Franklin, made several unsuccessful attempts to revive the paper.
The Franklin imprint, however, appeared on the second news- paper in Rhode Island, The Newport Mercury, founded in New- port on June 19, 1758, by James Franklin, Jr. When the son died in 1762, his mother, Anne Franklin, continued The Mer- cury for a brief time until she went into partnership with Samuel Hale. Upon her death in 1763 Hale ran the paper most success- fully, as he was one of the first editors and publishers to realize that advertising depends upon circulation for its value.
GODDARD'S FIRST PAPER
William Goddard, a name frequently found in colonial jour- nalism, started the third paper in Rhode Island on October 20, 1762. He called his paper The Providence Gazette and Coun- try Journal. Goddard had difficulty as usual in collecting pay- ments for subscriptions, and on May 11, 1765, was forced to sus- pend temporarily, but intended to revive the paper six months later, providing the stamp duties did not make such a resump- tion impossible. The permanent revival, however, did not be- gin until August 9, 1766, and an editorial note informed the reading public that the paper was now in the hands of Sarah Goddard & Company. Leaving his paper thus in the hands of his mother, William Goddard went to New York to seek em- ployment, but sent Samuel Inslee, who later became a pub- lisher of a New York colonial paper, to Providence to help Mrs. Goddard. On November 12, 1768, the paper passed into the hands of John Carter, who had worked in the office of Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, and later became a partner of Mrs. Goddard in the business. Carter made numerous improvements in the paper and ordered new type from England. Before it could reach Providence, however, the Revolutionary War was well on its way, so that when the type finally reached New York it was confiscated by the custom-house authorities of that city. The Gazette was one of the first papers to realize the importance of the battle of Lexington. In an account, which occupied nine inches of space in The Gazette, its editor made this significant statement: " Thus is commenced the American Civil War."
One reason why Virginia did not have a newspaper earlier
than 1736 will be found in an assertion of Sir William Berkeley
who was Governor of the Colony for thirty-eight years. In his
report to the Lords of the Committee for the Colonies in 1671
he said: "I thank God we have not free schools nor printing; and
I hope we shall not have these hundred years. For learning has
brought disobedience and heresy, and sects into the world; and
printing has divulged them and libels against the government.
God keep us from both." On August 6, 1736, however, William
Parks brought out at Williamsburg The Virginia Gazette. This
first paper in Virginia has been described as "a small dingy sheet,
containing a few items of foreign news, the ads of Williams-
burg shopkeepers, notices of the arrival and departure of ships;
a few chance particulars relating to persons or affairs in the
colony; and poetical effusions celebrating the charms of Myr-
tilla, Florella or other belles of the period."
Parks was made "Printer to the Colony," at a salary of two hundred pounds payable in tobacco, the currency of the time. If he was unsuccessful in establishing his paper on a per- manent basis, it was through no fault of his, but due to the opposition to a free press in the colony. In his announcement Parks stated a subscription price of fifteen shillings per annum, and after commenting on the newspapers published in the other colonies, he said: "From these examples and the encouragement of several gentlemen on the prospect I have of success in this ancient and best settled colony of Virginia, I am induced to send forth weekly newspapers here, not doubting to meet with as good encouragement as others, or at least as may en- able me to carry them on."
The Gazette published by William Parks is not to be confused with The Virginia Gazette started on January 3, 1751, by Wil- liam Hunter though the latter may be in a certain sense considered as a revival of the first paper in Virginia. With issue Number 52, on December 27, 1751, Hunter said:
This paper concludes the first year of The Gazette publication and as I have been at a great expense, as well in printing as sending them to dif
ferent parts of the country, by special messengers, I hope my customers will favor me with their subscription money as soon as possible that I may be enabled to continue them I am sensible there are many who complain of not getting their papers so regular as they desire, but hope they will be kind enough to excuse it, when they consider the many in- conveniences the colony labours under both in this and other respects, for want of regular post through the country. However, as we daily expect the arrival of a postmaster-General, we have no reason to doubt, but that the Post-Office will be regulated in such a manner as will give content. In the mean time, as I shall do all in my power to dispatch the Gazettes, as well by different posts, as favourable opportunities, hope my customers will continue their favours, and oblige their very humble servant, The Printer.
The second Virginia Gazette was a great improvement on the first. Hunter was postmaster and had better opportunities to gather news. In addition, his Gazette was better edited. In its columns appeared some of the best-written essays of the Colo- nial Period. For instance, in 1757 a man, under the signature of "The Virginia Sentinel," published a contribution which showed that Virginia in spite of its early opposition to the press was not without literary talent.
A third Virginia Gazette was brought out in Williamsburg in May, 1766, by William Rind with a motto "Open to all Parties, Influenced by None." Rind began his Gazette with the cooperation of Thomas Jefferson, who considered the old Ga- zettes too much under the influence of the Government.
A fourth Gazette was started in Williamsburg on February 3, 1775, by Alexander Purdy and was conducted by him until 1779. Its motto was, " Always for Liberty and the Public Good." This particular Virginia Gazette has the honor of being the first American newspaper to print the full text of the Declaration of Independence which it did on July 26, 1776.
EARLY CONNECTICUT PAPERS
The Connecticut Gazette, the first paper in Connecticut, made its appearance on April 12, 1755, at New Haven. The first num- ber bore the imprint, "Printed by James Parker at the Post- Office near the Sign of the White Horse." Benjamin Franklin had been induced by President Clap to purchase a printing
plant with a view to establishing the former's nephew, Benja-
min Mecom, in business at New Haven. The material arrived
in the fall of 1754, but Mecom changed his plans and Parker was
secured to take up the work. Associated with Parker in The
Connecticut Gazette was John Holt, who had the title of editor
and was a junior partner of the firm of James Parker & Com-
pany. In 1764 The Gazette was suspended for a short time, but
was afterwards revived by Benjamin Mecom on July 5, 1765. In
an editorial announcement Mecom added the following statement
about subscriptions: "All kinds of Provisions, Fire Wood and
other suitable country Produce will be taken as pay of those who
cannot spare money, if delivered at the Printer's Dwelling
House, or at any other place which may accidentally suit him."
On August 8, 1758, Timothy Green the second brought out The New London Summary, or the Weekly Advertiser, at New Lon- don. Green died on the 3d of August, 1763, and the paper was suspended for three weeks. Afterward it was revived by Tim- othy Green, the third printer of that name in New London, under the title, The New London Gazette.
More important than either of these two Connecticut papers was The Connecticut Courant, first printed by Thomas Green at the Heart and Crown, near the North Meeting-House in Hart- ford, on Monday, October 29, 1764. This first issue was prospec- tus, having the number of 00. The first regular issue, however, was on December 3, 1764. During the War of the Revolution The Connecticut Courant occupied a rather important place in the journalism of the time. The British troops who took pos- session of New York had driven from that city all the patriotic printers, with the result that the circulation of The Courant was greatly increased, so much so that in all probability it was greater than that of any other colonial newspaper then printed. The paper has continued down to the present time and now bears the title of The Hartford Courant.
On October 23, 1767, Thomas and Samuel Green brought out in New Haven the first number of The Connecticut Journal and New Haven Post-Boy . After passing into the hands of many publishers the paper was discontinued on April 7, 1835. On July 3, 1776, The Connecticut Journal published the following
note: "We are very sorry that we cannot procure a sufficiency of paper to publish a whole sheet; but as there is now a paper- mill erecting in this town, we expect after a few weeks, to be supplied with such a quantity as to publish the Journal regu- larly on a uniform sized paper, and to be able to make ample amends for past deficiencies." In spite of its fairly long life the paper passed through the usual newspaper difficulties of the period. Some of the earliest issues were even smaller than that of the common letter paper.
Pretentious, at least in name, was The Norwich Packet and the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island Weekly Advertiser, first brought out on September 30, 1773, by Alexander Robertson, James Robertson, and John Trumbull. Three years later Trumbull became the sole proprietor and the Robertsons began publishing papers elsewhere.
ATTEMPTS OF DAVIS IN NORTH CAROLINA In 1755 Benjamin Franklin, then Postmaster-General for the Colonies, appointed James Davis, who had emigrated from Virginia, to North Carolina, postmaster at Newbern. Follow- ing the example set by the colonial postmasters of Boston, the latter established the same year The North Carolina Gazette. It bore the following imprint: "Newbern: Printed by James Davis, at the Printing-office in Front Street; where all persons may be supplied with this paper at Sixteen Shillings per annum : And when Advertisements of a moderate length are inserted for Three Shillings the first Week and Two Shillings for every week after. And where also Book-Binding is done reasonably." Pub- lished on Thursdays, it usually appeared on a sheet pot size folio. Number 200 of this paper was dated October 18, 1759, and did not colonial editors frequently skip a week and often mix up their numbering it would be an easy matter to figure out by the help of old almanacs the Thursday in 1755 when this, the first paper in North Carolina, made its bow to Newbern. It was published about six years.
Davis madejiis second attempt to found a paper in 1764. He called the new venture The North Carolina Magazine, or Univer- sal Intelligencer. (Its name was somewhat misleading, as the
sheet appeared weekly on Fridays.) The first number was dated
Friday, June 1, to Friday, June 8, 1764. The price per copy was
four pence: at the end of 1764 there was a reduction in size of
one half, but no reduction in price.
Evidently the second venture was not so successful as the first, for on May 27, 1768, Davis revived The North Carolina Gazette. This second Gazette, with intermittent publication, lasted a little over ten years. The word " intermittent" is used, since the issue for March 27, 1778, asserted that the third day of April next completed a year of publication since the paper was last resumed. The last known issue has the date of No- vember 30, 1778.
Davis made still another attempt to found a North Carolina Gazette. The last was on August 28, 1783, two years before his death. His reason sheds considerable light on North Carolina journalism for the Colonial Period: "There has not been a news- paper published in North Carolina for several years." This third Gazette by Davis was an interesting example of newspaper- making, for it had neither headlines nor column rules. Possibly the reason why Davis was so unsuccessful in establishing a per- manent paper may be found in the fact that he printed so little local news. Associated with Davis in this last enterprise was Robert Keith, who came from Pennsylvania. The full name of the paper was The North Carolina Gazette, or Impartial Intelli- gencer and Weekly General Advertiser.
STEWAET "PRINTER TO THE KING" The second newspaper publisher in North Carolina was An- drew Stewart. Born in Belfast, Ireland, he, like many of the early printers, had come to America to seek his fortune, and in 1758 or 1759 had set up a press in Laetitia Court, Philadelphia, where he ran a bookstore along with his print-shop. Reaching Wilmington, North Carolina, June 24, 1764, with a part of his Philadelphia equipment, he announced himself as "Printer to the King." There is good reason to believe that his bluff worked and that he got part of the public printing. In September, 1764, he brought out the first number of The North Carolina Gazette and Weekly Post-Boy. Wilmington was a better news
center than Newbern, and Stewart printed, for the time, many local items, but the paper did not take with the public and was discontinued for lack of support in 1767.
The second newspaper in Wilmington was The Cape Fear Mercury and was published by Adam Boyd. Number 7 had the date of November 24, 1769, and if there were no omissions in weekly publication, the first appearance must have been on October 13, 1769. An examination of the early issues shows that Boyd was not a practical printer, as his typography was very poor: yet the paper survived till the War of the Revolution broke out, being printed on the press and with the type that formerly belonged to Stewart.
ORIGIN OF JOURNALISM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire got its first newspaper in a rather unique way. Daniel Fowle, after he left The Independent Advertiser of Boston, opened a small shop on Anne Street, where he sold books and pamphlets in addition to doing odd jobs on his press. Arrested in 1754 on the suspicion of having printed "The Mon- ster of Monsters," said to be a reflection on the House of Rep- resentatives, and later sent to jail for having sold a few copies, he became disgusted with the Government of Massachusetts. At the psychological moment, to use a modern expression, a call came from New Hampshire to come over and start a paper in that colony. The call was answered by his removal to Ports- mouth where he brought out Volume I, Number 1, of The New Hampshire Gazette on October 7, 1756.
On November 1, 1765, The Gazette came out with the usual black border, like so many other papers of the same time, and announced that it would cease publication because its printers were unwilling to pay the obnoxious stamp tax. During the War of the Revolution the paper was published rather irregularly and only slightly leaned toward the American cause. In 1776 it printed a communication urging the Provincial Congress not to establish an independent government because such a pro- ceeding might be taken as a desire to throw off British rule. The editor was at once summoned before the Provincial Con- gress, severely censured, and admonished never in the future
to publish articles reflecting upon the Continental Congress or
the cause of American independence.
PAPER OF PATRIOTS
The Portsmouth Mercury and Weekly Advertiser, the second newspaper, came from the press of Thomas Ferber at his "New Printing Office Near the Parade," in Portsmouth, on January 21, 1765. The paper was started because of dissatisfaction of some of the ardent patriots who thought the first paper was not sufficiently strong for American rights. In spite of the fact that the new paper said it stood "Ever ready in exposing arbitrary powers, public injuries and all attempts to prevent the liberties of the people dearer to them than their rights," it did not carry out its policy and consequently failed to obtain sufficient circulation to make the venture profitable. It was accordingly discontinued in about three years.
FIRST VENTURES IN DELAWARE
James Adams, a native of Ireland, was the publisher of The Wilmington Chronicle, the first newspaper in Delaware. After working for about seven years in the office of Franklin & Hall in Philadelphia, he set up a press in that city, but a year later (1761) he moved to Wilmington, where he first printed books and almanacs. In 1762 he started The Chronicle, but failed to get enough subscribers to make the venture profitable and after six months discontinued the sheet.
The second newspaper was also started in Wilmington in June, 1785, by Jacob A. Killen. He called his paper The Dela- ware Gazette; or The Faithful Centinel. The few copies of the early issues which have been preserved show that the paper had numerous variations in its title. From 1787 to 1791 the pub- lishers were Frederick Craig & Company. On March 5 of the latter year, the partnership was dissolved and the paper con- tinued by Peter Brynberg and Samuel Andrews "late part- ners with Frederick Craig." The editorial policy of The Gazette was outlined in its issue for April 2, 1791, as follows: "Particu- lar attention will be paid to agriculture and all communications (post paid) will be gratefully received and punctually attended
to. Political pieces, with spirit and candor, in which measures rather than men, are attacked will always have a place in this paper. For the poet a corner is ever open : and the mathe- matician will not be neglected." In September, 1795, the paper became a semi- weekly. With the issue of March 8, 1796, the imprint became "Printed for Robert Coram by Bonsai & Starr," and the same year it was again changed to "Printed by W. C. Smyth, rear of the New Fire-Engine, Shipley Street, opposite Capt. O'Flinn's Tavern." The Gazette was discontinued with the issue of September 7, 1799. The last issue, however, an- nounced a successor in The Mirror of the Times, to be published a little later by James Wilson. After the failure of The Chron- icle, James Adams took his son Samuel into partnership and started the third paper, The Delaware Courant and Wilmington Advertiser, in September, 1786. It appeared weekly and sur- vived about three yeaTs.
The fourth paper, The Delaware and Eastern Shore Advertiser , was established in Wilmington on May 14, 1794, by S. and J. Adams and W. C. Smyth. With the issue of March 18, 1795, Smyth withdrew from the partnership in order to associate him- self with The Delaware Gazette, as has already been mentioned. On Thursday, August 1, 1799, the paper appeared without the name of the publisher and in all probability that issue was the last.
PAPER POORLY SUPPORTED
The Mirror of The Times and General Advertiser, mention of which was made in the last issue of The Delaware Gazette, was the fifth paper in Delaware, and was started in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 20, 1799, by James Wilson as a Federal paper. It incidentally attracted a great deal of attention be- cause it was the first newspaper in America to be printed on pure white paper especially prepared by a bleaching process dis- covered by Thomas D. Gilpin, of Wilmington. Its motto told the following tale:
Here sovereign truth for man's just rights contends, Alike unawed by foes, unswayed by f riends.
Wilson, like other colonial printers, had the same "hard-luck tale" to record in his paper. In 1802, shortly after the New Cas- tle County election, he announced to his friends and patrons that he would spend the day at Captain Caleb Bennett's Tav- ern, in New Castle, where he " would wait with his account- books open," hoping that all subscribers will call on him and inquire after the condition of his purse which was affected by a lingering consumptive complaint. The lingering complaint evi- dently proved fatal, for publication was suspended on August 22, 1806.
GAZETTES IN GEORGIA
For thirty years, after Georgia was founded, the colony de- pended for its news upon the papers of South Carolina, and its merchants were forced to advertise their goods in Charleston papers. On April 7, 1763, however, the first number of The Georgia Gazette was issued at Savannah by James Johnson at his printing-office on Broughton Street. On November 21, 1765, it suspended publication on account of the Stamp Act, but was revived again on May 21, 1766, and lasted as late as February 7, 1776, possibly a little longer.
The second paper is not to be confused with the first, although it bore a somewhat similar title. It was called The Royal Georgia Gazette and was started in Savannah on January 21, 1781, by John D. Hammerer and survived until well along in 1782. From 1781 the paper was published by James Johnson a fact which has caused some confusion because he was the founder of the first paper.
On January 31, 1783, Johnson started The Gazette of the State of Georgia the third Gazette with which he was connected. He later shortened the name to The Georgia Gazette, the name of his first-born paper. Under this title the paper long continued to be published save for a temporary suspension on account of the great Savannah fire in 1796.
Such, in brief, was the history of the journalism enterprises in Georgia until the colonies secured their independence.
TARDY PAPERS IN NEW JERSEY
The first printed newspapers did not appear in New Jersey until the War of the Revolution had started. But it is not hard to explain this tardy appearance: Philadelphia and New York newspapers circulated then, as they do to-day, through New Jersey. The suspension of some of these papers, the removal of others to distant points, the increase in subscription price, the poor delivery by post-riders, many of whom were in active mili- tary service all these things, coupled with the exciting events of the War, created an independent demand for news on the part of the patriots of New Jersey. Its Governor, William Liv- ingston, knowing, in addition to the facts just mentioned, how useful a newspaper could be to arouse local public sentiment, made the following plea in a message to the Colonial Legisla- ture October 11, 1777:
Gentlemen: It would be an unnecessary Consumption of Time to enumerate all the Advantages that would redound to the State from having a Weekly News-Paper printed and circulated in it. To facili- tate such an Undertaking, it is proposed that the first Paper be circu- lated as soon as seven hundred subscribers, whose Punctuality in pay- ing may be relied upon, shall be procured: Or if Government will insure seven hundred subscribers who shall pay, the Work will be immedi- ately begun; and if at the End of six Months there shall be seven hun- dred or more subscribers who will pay punctually, the Claim upon the Government to cease. But if the subscribers fall short of that Number, Government to become a subscriber so as to make up that Number. The Price in these fluctuating Times can hardly be ascertained, but it is supposed it cannot at present be less than Twenty-six shillings per Year, which will be but six Pence a Paper.
STATE-SUBSIDIZED NEWSPAPER
A committee, to whom the matter was referred, brought in the following recommendations which were adopted: (1) A paper to be printed weekly, in four folio pages, and entitled The New- Jersey Gazette; (2) price to be twenty-six shillings per year; (3) the Legislature to guarantee seven hundred subscribers within six months; (4) a cross-post to be established from the printing- office, to the nearest Continental post-office at the expense of
the State; (5) the printer and four workmen to be exempted
from service in the militia. The printer selected for this State-
subsidized newspaper one of the very few in the history of
American journalism was Isaac Collins, who already had a
plant at Burlington. He was a native of New Castle County,
Delaware, where he was born "2d mo. 16, 1746" (Old Style).
Learning his trade in the shop of James Adams, Wilmington,
Delaware (see " Delaware Papers"), he had gone to Williams-
burg, Virginia, to work for William Rind (see " Virginia Papers ").
His most practical experience, however, he had obtained in
Philadelphia while in the employ of William Goddard, the pub-
lisher of The Pennsylvania Chronicle. ,
Collins, immediately after his selection for the position, began to make preparation to bring out the paper, but owing to the unsettled condition of the country he was not able to "pull" the first number off his press until December 5, 1777. With the issue of March 4, 1778, he took The New-Jersey Gazette to Tren- ton. Contrary to his expectations, the paper was not better supported at that place and at last suspended publication in July, 1783. Collins, however, was a plucky editor and made an attempt to revive The Gazette on December 9, 1783. He strug- gled along until November 27, 1786, when he brought out the last issue. He still continued his shop at Trenton, for the politi- cal plum of public printing had fallen into the lap of his apron.
Before he discontinued The New-Jersey Gazette, he was selling at his printing-office medicinal preparations, dry goods, grocer- ies, etc. : a complete list would read like an advertisement in a country four-corners store. He also received a commission on the negro boys and wenches whose sales he effected through the columns of his paper. He died at Burlington, New Jersey, March 21, 1817.
"JERSEY JOURNAL"
Two circumstances account for the appearance of the second newspaper in New Jersey. One was that when New York fell into the hands of the British the newspapers which continued publication there were loyal to the Crown : the second was that the army of General Washington at Morristown wanted a paper
to tell the news of what the colonies outside of New Jersey were doing. Undoubtedly the latter was the more important, for Shepard Kollock, a printer at Chatham, who, like Collins, had learned the trade with James Adams at Wilmington, started, at the suggestion of General Knox, The New-Jersey Journal on February 16, 1779. The soldiers only five miles away subscribed liberally, considering how pitifully small were the wages re- ceived, and the officers often furnished, in exchange for army printing, the paper upon which The Journal was printed.
At the end of the Revolution, Kollock, finding himself in a place too small to support a newspaper, went to New Bruns- wick, where, on October 14, 1783, he started, with Shelly Arnett, The Political Intelligencer and New- Jersey Advertiser "at the Barracks/* a building used to shelter British troops in colonial days. The partnership was dissolved in July, 1784, and he be- came the sole owner. On April 20, 1785, Kollock brought out his newspaper in "Elizabeth Town." With Number 134, or on May 10, 1786, he changed its title to The New- Jersey Journal and Political Intelligencer. It still survives as The Elizabeth Daily Journal. The change in name from The New-Jersey Journal was made when the paper became a daily on July 17, 1871.