Many of my Friends who have honored me with their Visits since my oppressive Confinement in this Place, have advised me, as I intend to devote a considerable Part of my Time to do Justice to the Public, in the Cause for which I am imprisoned, to appoint an Hour from which will be most convenient for me to see my Friends; I do therefore, hereby notify them, that I shall be glad of the Honor of their Company, from Three o'Clock in the Afternoon till Six. I am, Gentlemen,

New Goal Feb. 10, 1770,

With great Esteem and Gratitude
Your very humble Servant,

Alex. M'Dougall.

The Journal of February 15, 1770, in giving an idea of the character of these visits, says:

Yesterday, the forty-fifth day of the year, forty-five gentlemen, real enemies to internal taxation, by, or in obedience to external authority, and cordial friends to Captain McDougal, and the glorious cause of American liberty, went in decent procession to the New Gaol; and dined with him on forty-five pounds of beef stakes, cut from a bullock of forty-five months old, and with a number of other friends, who joined them in the afternoon, drank a variety of toasts, expressive not only of the most undissembled loyalty, but of the warmest attachment to Liberty, its renowned advocates in Great Britain and America, and the freedom of the press. Before the evening the company, who conducted themselves with great decency, seperated in the most cordial manner, but not without the firmest resolution to continue united in the glorious cause.

The only newspaper printed in Delaware, during this epoch, was the Wilmington Courant, which was published for about six months in 1761, by James Adams, who introduced printing in that state.

The third paper in Rhode Island was published in Providence in 1762, and was named the Providence Gazette and Country Journal. It was in the Gazette of 1822 that the well-known song of "Old Grimes," written by Albert C. Greene, was first published. Greene was one of the writers, if not the editor, of the modern Gazette. In 1833-4 he edited the Literary Journal and Weekly Register. He afterward became a judge, and died in 1868.

Away down South the next journalistic enterprise appeared. James Johnston, a native of Scotland, began the publication of the Georgia Gazette in Savannah on the 17th of April, 1763. It was published by Johnston for twenty-seven years, and was the only newspaper in that state before the Revolution.

On the death of the Summary the New London Gazette made its appearance. It was issued on the 1st of November, 1763. Its name was changed in 1773 to that of the Connecticut Gazette, and is the oldest paper in that state.

Another Century Paper.

113

CHAPTER VII.

SPREAD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT.

NEW PAPERS ESTABLISHED.-SCARCITY OF RAGS.-APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE. -HOW PAPER-MILLS WERE SUPPLIED.-CHARLES CARROLL, OF CARROLLTON. EARLY OPINION OF NEWS IN VIRGINIA.-THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THE PRESS.

ANOTHER century newspaper is now announced.

On the 29th of October, 1764, a specimen number of the Connecticut Courant was published by Thomas Green "at the Heart and Crown, near the North Meeting House," in Hartford. The first regular issue of the paper, which has continued without interruption or change of name to the present time, was on the 19th of November, 1764.

Its prospectus read as follows:

F all the Arts which have been introduc'd amongst Mankind, for the civilizing Human Nature, and rendering Life agreeable and happy, none appear of greater Advantage than that of Printing: for hereby the greatest Genius's of all Ages, and Nations, live and speak for the Benefit of future Generations.

Was it not for the Prefs, we fhould be left almoft intirely ignorant of all those noble Sentiments which the Antients were endow'd with.

By this Art, Men are brought acquainted with each other, though never fo remote, as to Age or Situation; it lays open to View, the Manners, Genius and Policy of all Nations and Countries and faithfully tranfmits them to Pofterity.-But not to infift upon the Usefulness of this Art in general, which must be obvious to every One, whofe Thoughts are the least extefive.

The Benefit of a Weekly Paper, muft in particular have its Advantages, as it is the Channel which conveys the History of the present Times to every Part of the World.

The Articles of News from the different Papers (which we shall receive every Saturday, from the neighbouring Provinces) that shall appear to us, to be most authentic and interesting shall always be carefully inferted; and great Care will be taken to collect from Time to Time all domestic Occurrences, that are worthy the Notice of the Publick; for which, we shall always be obliged to any of our Correfpondents, within whofe Knowledge they may happen.

The CONNECTICUT COURANT, (a Specimen of which, the Publick are now prefented with) will, on due Encouragement be continued every Monday, beginning on Monday, the 19th of November, next: Which Encouragement we hope to deferve, by a coftant Endeavour to render this Paper ufeful, and entertaining, not only as a Channel for News, but assisting to all Those who may have Occasion to make use of it as an Advertiser.

On the 25th of April, 1768, Ebenezer Watson became a partner in the concern, and its sole publisher in December, 1770. On the 2d of March, 1779, Hudson and Goodwin were the publishers, Mr. Watson having died. Barzillai Hudson married the widow Watson, and

H

assumed her interest. Various changes have occurred, since the first issue of the paper, in the condition of the country and the Press. In running over the early files of a century newspaper, one can trace the growth of that sentiment which led to such great results on this continent. The Courant, in alluding to its past history, said:

*

When the COURANT was started, the utmost deference was paid in words to the English government, and "His Gracious Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects" were full of expressions which now grate harshly on an American ear of fealty to the British throne. As the time wore along, the "Loyal Sons of Liberty" whose doings are faithfully reported by their organ the COURANT, toned up the public mind to the great issue which all sagacious men knew to be not far in the future, and when the war of Independence broke out, the COURANT was bold as the boldest in sustaining the American doctrine. * * *The early publishers of the COURANT were patriotic and courageous in opposing the tyranny of the ministers of George 3d, the stamp act, the tea tax, &c.-Historians like Bancroft, Trumbull, Stuart, Hollister and other writers and politicians have freely quoted and cited from the files of the COURANT. At the time when the acceptance or rejection of the Constitution of the United States was pending, the debate is fully reported, and as such men as Oliver Ellsworth, Jeremiah Wadsworth and Roger Sherman took part in it, no abler debate can be found.

The proprietors of the Courant, during the War of Independence, erected a paper-mill in Hartford, and made the paper on which they printed, and numerous appeals and entreaties are to be seen in the files of the paper to the people to save every scrap of rags or other material that could be converted into paper, and take it to the Courant paper-mill. The want of rags was the great desideratum of the early publishers of newspapers. After starting a paper-mill, it was difficult to supply it with the raw material. Rags were gathered on a very limited scale. Increase of population is an increase of rags. Fashion aids the paper-maker. But to gather the cast-off tatters was a task. Peddlers' wagons now go through towns and villages, and buy up all they can find. They purchase old books, old papers, old manuscripts, for money or tin-ware. Bell-carts go about the cities and collect all they can, but the quantity is too small to supply the great demand. Our paper-makers, therefore, resort to Italy and other foreign countries. Immense quantities are imported. Bell-carts were used in the last century for the collection of rags only. Old books and old newspapers were a rarity then. One bell-cart, and no more, it appears by the following advertisement in the News-Letter of March 6, 1769, and only one paper-mill, in New England in that year:

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Bell Cart will go through Boston before the end of next month, to collect Rags for the Paper-Mill at Milton, when all people that will encourage the Paper Manufactory, may dispose of them. They are taken in at Mr. Caleb Davis's Shop, at the Fortification; Mr. Andrew Gillespie's, near Dr. Clark's; Mr. Andras Randalis, near Phillips's Wharf; and Mr. John Boies's in Long Lane; Mr. Frothingham's in Charlestown; Mr. Williams's in Marblehead; Mr. Edson's in Salem; Mr. John Harris's in Newbury; Mr. Daniel Fowle's in Portsmouth; and at the Paper-Mill in Milton.

Scarcity of Rags for the Paper-mills.

Rags are as beauties, which concealed lie,
But when in Paper, how it charms the eye:
Pray save your rags, new beauties to discover,
For Paper truly, every one's a lover:

By the Pen and Press such knowledge is displayed,
As wouldn't exist, if Paper was not made,
Wisdom of things, mysterious, divine,

Illustriously doth on Paper shine.

115

Ten years later, when the war was in full force, the issue of newspapers was very irregular in consequence of the scarcity of paper. Every effort was made to secure stock for the mills, and the publisher of the Massachusetts Spy of the 16th of November, 1780, appealed to the women of the nation in these words:

CASH GIVEN FOR LINEN AND COTTON AND LINEN RAGS, AT THE PRINTING

OFFICE.

It is earnestly requested that the fair Daughters of Liberty in this extensive country would not neglect to serve their country, by saving for the Paper-Mill, all Linen and Cotton and Linen Rags, be they ever so small, as they are equally good for the purpose of making paper, as those that are larger. A bag hung up in one corner of a room, would be the means of saving many which would be otherwise lost. If the Ladies should not make a fortune by this piece of economy they will at least have the satisfaction of knowing they are doing an essential service to the community, which with TEN SHILLINGS per pound, the price now given for clean white rags, they must be sensible will be a sufficient reward.

ISAIAH THOMAS.

The Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania subscribed for Loudon's New York Packet, and Secretary Mallack wrote to have it sent regularly, "in order to have the files compleat." Publisher Loudon replied as follows:

FISHKILL 25th Feby. 1779.

Sir,-Agreeable to your desire the paper shall be sent to you. I have published but few papers for the past three months, owing to scarcity of Paper, but now have a parcel on the way hither and in two weeks shall begin to forward them to you. I am st

Your h'ble serv't

SAM LOUDON.

Imagine such a letter from the New York Herald or the Philadel phia Ledger in February, 1872! But these were only a few of the early struggles of the Newspaper Press of this country. The journalists of the South experienced the same sort of troubles in 1861-65, during the rebellion, and many of the Paris papers were compelled to suspend their issue during the siege in 1870-71. More than half the papers in the Southern States were stopped entirely. Others were printed on light brown paper of no better quality than those of the last century were printed on. Many of the Southern journals were printed on common house-paper, with the news on one side and handsome figured patterns on the reverse. Several of the war correspondents of the New York Herald and other papers wrote their descriptions of Union victories on the backs of rebel state bonds' and Confederate scrip representing hundreds of thousands of dol

lars in an account of a single battle. They took notes on the backs of exploded bank-notes. With cotton every where, they had not mills enough to turn it into paper.

"Water, water, every where,

And not a drop to drink."

All sorts of material are now used. Old blank-books and ledgers, footing up fortunes for their owners in days gone by, old newspapers, old speeches, old sermons, old letters, Congressional documents without end, are made into pulp for the enlightenment of the present age. Old history is ground into new history. There is one concern in New York City alone that has had more curious revelations in old letters on love, politics, religion, and trade, in the tons. of old papers and manuscript that they have purchased, than would fill as many novels and histories as are now on the shelves of our libraries with their wit and wisdom, plots and philosophy, schemes and sentiment, humor and humbug. The advertisement of this concern appears daily in the Evening Telegram of New York, headed with a capital O, a picture of a human eye, and a capital C, and it has paid five hundred dollars for a single page of the New York Herald for one insertion of an advertisement calling for old books and old papers. Here is the advertisement that appears in the Telegram:

The Highest Cash Prices

PAID FOR

OLD NEWSPAPERS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION, OLD

PAMPHLETS of every kind,

OLD BLANK BOOKS AND LEDGERS that are written full, and all kinds of WASTE PAPER from bankers, insurance companies, brokers, patent medicine depots, printing offices, book binders, public and private libraries, hotels, steamboats, railroad companies, express offices, &c. J. C. STOCKWELL,

25 Ann street, N. Y.

Some of the "stuff" thus obtained is valuable. Some of the old volumes of newspapers are of considerable importance in a historical point of view. Some old files have been rescued from oblivion in this way. There was a curious philosopher living a few years ago in Brooklyn named Eben Merriam. He was the veritable clerk of the weather. He kept the New York journals meteorologically posted daily and semi-daily. E. M. came with every rain and every change of wind with his atmospheric "perturbations." So enthusiastic was he in the pursuit of his hobby, that he would often leave. a warm bed and ascend to the roof of his house almost in puris naturalibus, to see how many degrees below zero the mercury had fallen. This singular man saved every scrap of newspaper that contained an idea of any value. When he died his attic was filled with this salt. All was sold to this Ann Street gatherer in bulk by the pound.