Show t first j t A. A t I f 1 ID f G O Os s ao y 1 i 0 Pit I e t e 9 7 I Ai 4 tt t ilL 1 The News Letter Let A 1 II 1 tl C DP p 2 h i Pr Froal r a 10 La 40 f ti Q Ie j M A I. I 1 1 o no JT J ft 1 u No J ft H r AIT oJ I J U A U Y MoW p. p It a- a VI J 4 i. i a A r. r 4 t 1 by W IN t W i W A A. A Ii n f C. 7 q G u. u fw Ar eJ a Y Yi N IG r om m imi feme I MJ 1 tart t pt t tilo rm p not ilo n La hi 7 rufY r. r e k 7 of A itt N A. A L nI M Ml f. J O 0 I N W r t 1 kb k C Col d e. e o- o Cp wf J or D J Ee E N r. r Tm d b t. t WK PW wi n e WA awls nY Y n 4 lh Mini GuLl opals hw ho Aw r. r Ml e tn Mh I k ei of f n. n W of H D lab W IX at J III lt A II or r fl do d rl L IAMa 47 rw o Ill ir w 6 M yet rollI rr Mint d. d f f. f n. n lm nb h. h km f tuta oJ Aa k S ft M w Yan 14 d E by ta II c.- c. N In IM ho r- r G G. id 1 lit 0 of 1 lit III k M I. I 11 II M t n rJ a. f. f rA l V Y ua m M w t M lob A. A Am W wt 1 r. r r I r Yr Ity I k J l oJ r. r 4 f o. o t rM r r rn via 1 ry In nr r i d 4 dl c 4 r. n i S. S na foe k- k 1 w. w or 1 M t- t ihy 1 aN h Tn Tn 1 Ln I. I I f. f n A r lb Ii 4 W fo Ut 00 I r i V. V tuft Witt o J w x oi J b TW kI lt A annl 4 t v l' l t L a raw IM 1 dl Y- Y M I A p r- r p op F Man d 4 Suo Si 6 T g 1 a r L r. r Y Srn v rr C 1 11 p r. r S. S Y f ii 01 Id 1 N c yi p of w Mho trout ft T tt Aw n. n n wk w k ki I 1 W mJ n nf tn i rull 4 Md 4 Ci fr t pp 0 Newspaper facsimile from J. J I f M a t t tin u Ini An lU 4 1 L S I trim of Wn IV k rr tm il w n d. d CW W d 4 ba neT IM Town t f aJ af an d f 01 S Main Current Currents In The H History I II story h T. T m M M. M r p ilM rh r n fn at til JI Mr M Mr Hf C C. C pu r. r tM k G rAw t r I I of If 1 Ia donA l r fo Tto lJ C COUt o of American Journalism n by WI Wll- Wll c I Cr H J f h I Iff M YtM Yn I G h de l p fCo T. T ex 0 D r nil MM AnS w e A vilf vil wk Wl h Yin r D rr ant lard Grosvenor Bleyer courtesy f T M w 14 r iS i W l K r f t I 0 4 rr Ih ih P r. r I 01 l do ik 1 fr lw la W i. i knit S 'S M OIl d dj Ib I. I aA W H Hou Houghton q ht on n company I t Cull III l a a u K n rf M i if lewd yo It J. J I 1 O I F SM t W fh rl w pl il lq 0 l y 7 It t l t. t w 1 i Wu lid wM t WIlt d w iI CIo 01 rt ling E 04 A 11 nl Buff M bin nit nI GM c. c n X 1 yN n M n 8 Ki liu er a n pinta five ears he hll was wan compelled to lx bind 1 ii years lM w Y Y u h f nry amae hi kt rw V Vf a oo n Mia iA t ho ho u n. n J r fee KS B. B kli l r f ita i l. l a M M Y ith ill of jor fb b t I raft Af a l 1 K f I l a suspend It for months month for tor kip I rm oT fin S m. Sift I. I HSI t r or f h nion i I ur f ind a or fj q AMY I wil N want of ot any tj TW M bd Taw din day vv lh rM K of u fir AA I. I Wv fi gement to support It On January Jan wA ft MI ray Me- Me M In dM r r.r. l t W IRei a via Z t u. u 1 lIY nN an Am nOi hm Koff l y I era i 11 pw u nary uary rv 1 1 1710 1110 It U was wan again set lIet seton IoU b ba f e M Ui lV 1 several Foot of or g desire i the o q tb p Foot at r. r ft on an w r.- r. an k a m 4 t i ti 1 4 wy i r i 01 to brUa ew dl hi ho l r J 1 f ro A r Ur N. N In this thir and the Neighbouring c 11 mI k w. w nn w w Yu ad him Im vu la Kim pw k hi mil A he IK i jlia 1 k C. C y h. h T i I Provinces r 0 v particularly of ot the rime 60 JN M K w. w 01 Do Ih ten l w 1 h Town of Boston ton I In n h hopes op es or o I Mu Ini pp Eoa v F Vf Ay h w M d I fW 01 04 A 04 w I I we a h meeting of ot a far better reception tokI c. r t i Ii 1 pair a d lu 1 l M n of Nr Fre r a hG a Ir y qa e e 4 ra t. a l pA both from Pub I Ic k an and d P private Ioa a aft 1 r. r AI J u r t J 1 n. n e t. t vu 1 t. t sf I. I w 14 h Ie i OI hands for tor It Its present support t an and d dI I i J t. t IMo I fou MAm i wl 1 wage r M ri j k Ha future continuance which hitherto hith hith- I fI ut hI lr ealr la o tp eb 4 I erto It has not met with De De- N M 4 ar In w n CN 1 that for the first r fact ra spite the b iN 1 i T t Ar 4 lJ r 1 d. d fret n H er r M rheN fir Wura fifteen years of ot Its exl existence tence It lam E l r I 4 t t HaO sf au 6 r r 1 tw ini e lyNU 7 h u r MeA was wall the only paper In the col col w 4 4 4 WeA Ij on onies onner In It never received adequate e 1 s' s o f eu support upp ort rt In 1719 Campbell points By Bv ELMO SCOTT WATSON J out nut In one of his hilt periodic com corn WO AND TWENTY FIVE II years ugo ago there took place 1 In Roston a making history event which gets but scant It If uny any mention men lion tion at all In our schoolbook school book histories his his- tories torten yet It marked the beginning l' l 1 of ot an Institution which for tor the next two centuries was to exert a altal avItal t ii vItal Influence in to shaping our nation na na- tion For on April 21 21 1704 John Campbell postmaster of ot Boston Issued the first number of ot the nos Boston ton NewsLetter News Let ter the first nt successful American newspaper It was only a little single sheet six and nod one fourth y by ten and oM one half Inches In size with two columns col lol anise of ot news Vs matter on each page and printed T on both sides There was not a 0 single advertisement advertise advertise- heat ment or Illustration of ot any ony kind In It The rhe news which It contained was taken from London newspapers newspapers news news- papers of ot more thun than four tour months past pUSI and the small quantity of ot local news was of ot slightly less 7 1 ancient vintage Not a 0 very ery Impressive beginning begin begin- ning for tor American journalism was thIs tills little handbill hand haUl bill yet et from It there has hus grown gronn a profession employing employing em em- hundreds of or thousands of ot workers an Industry which run ranks Its high up among nil all the oth etli other er Industries In the country In point of ot capital Investment In vestment and ond annual earnings and ond a commodity which has hus become to the average o American as much a necessity of tt his dally life liCe as os the food tood he eats or the clothes he wears In calling tho the hoston News Letter the first American newspaper that adjective must be somewhat qualified As I a B matter of fact tact the 11 first ret newspaper Issued In the United States also appeared In Hoston some Bome fourteen years earlier On September 23 J. J 1000 1600 Benjamin Harris an on exiled ex ex- lied newspaper publisher who had settled In la Boston Doston Bos Dos ton tonIS as IS a book seller and proprietor ot of a B coffee coffeehouse bouse house brought forth a B page tour newspaper only three of ot which however bore bom any printing the tho fourth being blank which he called Occurrences Occurrences Oc Oc- Oc- Oc Doth Both and Ills paper paper pa po per however was promptly suppressed by br the governor of ot Massachusetts Day Buy uy Colony and council because it contained Ite Reflections of ot a acry avery avery very cry high nature and sundry doubtful l and Uncertain Uncertain Un Un- certain reports Accustomed lis Aa as we are to the freedom of the press which has been heen in existence existence exist exist- ence since this nation Dation was founded It may seem strange that a newspaper could be thus summarily sum marily disposed of ot by the authorities But nut It ll must be remembered that these were the days when human liberty as we now think of ot it It was practically nonexistent when there was a system of ot licensing for tor nearly everything e Including print print- ing I Every Iery ery colonial governor go ant to America to rule tube the English colonies here between the years tars 1686 1080 and ond 1730 1700 was given the right to regulate the press So this first newspaper venture In ID what is now the United States died n n borning because Harris neglected to secure a 0 and ond because in this paper pup he made a n reference to the French king and the Mohawk k In Indians Indians H wh with 11 it the authorities believed might cause trouble seen veen France and und England it II rr er Campbell was m more re careful not to torun t run afoul of ot the powers that be Dy By y waiting on hl his I Excellency or Secretary fo tOB foa approbation for tor what Is Collette Ie I.e. news be he was able oble to 10 print tr in a conspicuous plane place under the heading bending of ot hurls his paper Published by Authority and ond thus feel rell no fear of Interference from the law As a 11 mat lust matter ter of or tact fact he seems to have ho been a timid soil who lio was never er much In danger of ot getting Inc Inti trouble on that recount For as os Bleyer says sas InI in tn 1 I his ids Main Currents In American Journalism Campbell edited hi hie hi paper In a painstaking but hu conservative and uninspired manner II lie II was wal scrupulously ly accurate even to the extent of pointing point point- ing out In one Issue that a comma had been misplaced misplaced mis mis- placed place In a preceding preceding- Issue On another occa occasion lon he explained that In an all account of ot a fire nr at Plymouth In the preceding Issue whereas It I II 1 said Flame covering the Darn It should hould be said raid Occasionally he would point the moral of ot a piece of ot news When hen for tor example a woman had committed suicide be he expressed the hope that the the Inserting of ot such an all awful Providence here her may not be offensive but rather a Warning to all others othen to WR watch against the Wiles Wile of It our Grand Adversary Again Attain when a man was wa punished with a severe sever whipping hippIng for selling tar mixed with dirt he explains that the account It JI here only Inserted to be a caveat to others othen of ot doing the like least leest a worse wore thine thing bl fal them Such brief comments we were tb the th only editorial utterances utterance u In inthe the News Letter I 4 With meticulous tit car Campbell undertook In th the I rL I nl a t L limited pace apace of his hie paper to carry carryon on the breed of ot occurrences abroad by reprinting In chronological chronological chrono logical order news gleaned from English newspaper per pers perl By fly this method he was wa nt t times front from nine to thirteen months month behind In publishing foreign Stew Stew- news lIew Ills difficulties particularly In winter he explained In hi hll his clumsy style thus Having In our Numb Given you a Summary Sum mary of the of or l Europe for tor five ave months month time vii via from the middle meddle of August August Aug Aug- ut to the he middle of December And In our outlive live last lat and In this a more particular Account of ot the most mot Occurrences Occurrence of Europe for tor six months and an nn halts half time viz from rota the middle of ot August Augu t to the first lint of March In our Numb And In regard we have not Weekly and 1 Monthly as ns they have In Europe and the West Indies lt whereby to carry carryon on the regularly We Ve shall Rhall now return back where we left oft In our Numb to carry carryon on the of ot Occurrence Occur rence rascal as u methodically a u as It will admit of ot until Vessels from Great Britain or from the West Indies do arrive In any part of ot our Continent when the Undertaker shall give glye you you as he be u usually did dill a Summary and Abridgment Abridgment Abridgment ment of the mo most moat t Remarkable Occurrences Occurrence of ot Europe for tor or the succeeding Months Month The end of ot the first year found this pioneer publisher somewhat discouraged with his job He lie took his readers Into his confidence as os follows This Printed ed News Letter was wu undertaken under taken to be Published hed for tor a Good to give gIn gIna a true Account of ot all Foreign and 0 Oc 0 Occurrences currence and to prevent a great many tales false r re r.- i port qt of the theo a same game me and wee was propounded to b be Printed for one year for a Tryal Tr-al via vex from the Uth ot of April last lut to the first ant of May next to II see If It the Income by the he Sale thereof at a moderate modera price would be sufficient encouragement to the necessary Charge Chance expended In the procuring And Printing of or the he same which Charge Is I. con con- considerable considerable beyond what most mORt people conceive It to tobe tobe be be the trouble and fatigue attending It all which would woul be Le too long here to enumerate yet for some satisfaction we will venture to set et down some of the Charges and trouble that arl arise thereby leave some other tl to rational per persons ons to conceive of 1 1 The Undertaker has several sells sett of ot the several Prints from England sent hm In several lIe Vessels that being time of ot War might have one Sett If Ir the rest should be taken which are ordered to tC come by all nil Vessels coming to out oui Continent where the the- Post Is settled nettled almost five nv hundred miles mile from K Is to W W. from N N. mp J Hampshire to Z 2 S. S Correspondents settled In several sev V. several eral Ports A place our Shipping goes son to for lIen send 1 ing Intelligence 1 1 3 Waiting on Ma Masters Blasters ter Merchants Merchants Mer Mer- chants chant and others other when Ship Vessels have hae from them thern what Intelligence they can give f I. I Waiting on Ills Excellency or Secretary for tor lip approbation probation of what Is la Collected 5 5 6 Paper c. c And when to so done don a as we said before be tore fore we set et the half Sheet at a more moderate price than It was set lIet at In Exeter In I England where they began to print much about shout the same am time that we began legan here here It was walt set et at Id 24 I and there It was at d and that sterling money when sent out to any house houe In Town fown they were to have ha Twenty Shilling Shillings per Ier Annum and It was propounded l here to be sent out fur for Twelve Shillings per Annum tho the paper and labor other Charges here 1 Is four tour time limes at least de dearer ue than It Is la at Exeter And tho It was waR proposed at such Bub moderate nut Kute for both Town Country having had 11 U months month experience of ot the Income A trouble charge charse In procuring Printing It the Undertaker Is lit money out of Pocket has lIa jt it sufficient to defray the necessary Charge and unless some Rome better encouragement be given for forthe forthe forthe the future It must drop therefore several eural being beIn being be be- ing In desirous It should not drop but be continued we thought fit lit to Insert Inert this Advertisement That either the price for far the half halt Sheet a week an and J the Quarterly ad Yearly Yurl Customer Customers must be aus aus- J. J Or else there must mut be more of ot them Sold and more Quarterly Yearly Cu than thaD was wa last lut year Concerning this first editors editor's troubles continues as follows Campbell struggled along alon making makinI frequent ap op appeals peals for tor support and twice during 1706 1705 receiving grants ts from tram the government Finally In March 1709 Caving published the J paper ap r continuously for tor II 7 i firer plaints of ot lack of patronage inai that w rJ 7 Of he cannot vend at an Impression Im Tho some Ignorantly concludes he Sells upwards of a Thousand Obviously Ob Ob- with BO so small a circulation to show Jow for fifteen years of ot struggle he must have carried on the publication more out of a sense en e of ot duty to the community than from any hope of profit In 1710 Campbell lost his Job as os postmaster but refused to turn over o the News Letter to William Wllliam Brooker the new postal Brooker started a 0 rival rhul I paper the nos Boston ton Ga Ga- zette zelle Campbell continued the News Letter for tor three thrle years finally retiring In 1722 and leaving ln U it UIn In iii charge of ot Bartholomew Green who for many years had hud been the printer who got out the paper The The- appearance of ot the Gazette which was first published on December 21 1 1710 1719 was of or more significance sig than thur the fact that It was the second newspaper In the colonies For the printer who set the type |