Pag Eight
This Year Marks the
190 th Anniversary of
North Carolina Press
(Continued from page four)
Cornwallis, and a fourth with the
army of Gen. Nathaniel Greene.
On August 28, 1783, Davis be
gan his third Gazette, his fourth
newspaper venture. This was
called "The North Carolina Ga
zette, or Impartial Intelligencer
and Weekly General Advertiser."
No headlines or column rules
were used. Assisting him was
Robert Keith, an immigrant from
Pennsylvania.
Leaving large holdings of slaves
and real estate, Davis died in
1781, after a long and active life.
He had served in numerous im
portant positions, in addition to
his journalistic duties, including
the posts of sheriff, judge, gen
eral assemblyman, justice of the
peace, postmaster, post runner,
member of the council of state,
member of the committee of pub
lic safety, and member of the
provincial congress.
Ranks Next to Davie
Stephen B. Weeks ranked Davis
as second only to William R.
Davie, "The Father of the Uni
versity," among the men "who
did the greatest work for the
state in the 18th century."
Publication of the New Bern
paper was taken over in 1793 by
Martin, a French refugee, who
had served as an apprentice
printer and law student. It was
published irregularly and ped
dled around the country.
Another example of how much
outside work those early Carolina
editors did and how many offices
they held is found in the fact
that Martin also served as the
first postmaster of New Bern, the
first post office in the state under
the republic having been opened
there on June 1, 1790. As early
as March, 1793, he inaugurated
mail delivery service in the town,
for 50 cents a year per customer.
Death's Head Stamp
The second town in North Car
olina to have a newspaper was
Wilmington. From the early fall
of 1764 to 1767 Andrew Steuart
published there the North Caro
lina Gazette and Weekly Post
Boy. Cape Fear patriots forced
him to issue the paper without
British tax stamps, a skull and
crossbones appearing in, the mar
gin, with the caption, "This is the
place to affix the stamp."
Steuart was drowned in 1769 in
the Cape Fear river. Afterwards
a son of James Davis, captured by
the British, was beaten to death
near Wilmington for refusing to
obey English orders. Tragedy
thus came there to the families
of the two earliest state news
papermen.
Adam Boyd purchased Steuart's
printing outfit, and on October
13, 1769, he issued the first num
ber of the Cape Fear Mercury,
which lasted until 1775. Boyd
was more of a publisher than a
•• print A. He' was a patriotic cit
izen, and a member of the Wil
mington Committee of Safety.
Paper and Salts
On copies of the paper appear
ed the following notice:
"Boyd's Printing Office in Wil
mington, Cape Fear, where this
paper may be had every Friday
at the rate of 16s a year, one-half
to be paid at the time of Sub
scribing or at 8s every six months.
Subscriptions for this paper are
taken by gentlemen in most of
the adjacent counties, and by A.
Boyd, who has for sale sundry
pamphlets and blanks; also Ep
som and Glauber salts by the
pound or larger quantity. N. B.
Advertisements of a moderate
length will be inserted at 4s En
trance and Is a week Continu
ance; Those of an immoderate
length to pay in proportion."
A newspaper was begun at Hal
ifax in 1784 by Thomas Davis,
another son of James Davis, who
had inherited his father's print
ing outfits, in 1786 a North
Carolina Gazette was published
at Hillsboro by Robert Ferguson
for this Davis.
The North Carolina Chronicle,
of Fayetteville Gazette, was pub
lished in 1789 at Fayetteville by
George Roulstone for John Sibley
& Co. Wilmington had three
other papers before 1800; the
Wilmington Chronicle and North
Carolina Weekly Advertiser,
Hall's Wilmington Gazette, and
one other. At Salisbury there
Was a North Carolina Mercury
and. Salisbury Advertiser begun
in 1798 by Francis Cowpee.
First Newspaper Chain
For 15 years Abraham Hodge
served as state printer. Previous
ly he had followed Washington's
army for press accounts. In 1785
he came to North Carolina from
New York. During his career he
was a strong Federalist and a
personal friend to Washington.
He managed the first chain of
newspapers in this state.
In 1786 Hodge and a man
named Blanchard established a
press at Fayetteville and started
the State Gazette of North Caro
lina. Henry Wills succeeded
Blanchard in 1788, and the paper
was moved to Eden ton. During
1793 Hodge and his nephew, Wil
liam Boylan, managed the' North
Carolina Minerva at Fayetteville,
the True Republican at New
Bern, the Edenton Gazette, the
Raleigh Star, and the North Car
olina Journal at Halifax.
"Davis, Martin and Hodge will
rank in the hereafter with Wil
liam R. Davie, Joseph Caldwell
and Archibald D. Murphy, that
other trio, who in the closing
years of the 18th century did so
much to broaden and strengthen
the intellectual advancement of
North Carolina," later wrote
Weeks.
With aproximately 850,000 in
habitants, North Carolina in 1799
ranked among the four most pop
ulous States of the Union. Re
publicans realized that they must
compete with the Federalists for
the service of the press. Joseph
Gales was persuaded by Nathan
iel Macon and others to locate in
the new capital at Raleigh. *
Gales was an English radical
who had been forced to leave
England to avoid governmental
prosecution for having published
in his paper, the Sheffield Reg
ister, ideas in opposition to the
ministry. Subsequently he had
become owner and editor of The
Independent Gazette to Phila
delphia, then the national cap
ital, and was recognized as one of
the most able and liberal editors
of the era.
First Newspaper War
On October 22, 1799, he issued
the first copy of the Raleigh Reg
ister. Its heading was a budding
staff topped by a cap of liberty,
with a scroll bearing the word,
"Libertas," and the motto:
"Ours are the plans of fair, de
lightful peace,
Unwarped by party rage to live
like brothers."
Despite this peaceful announce
ment, there developed a partisan
press in North Carolina. Within
a short time the Register had be
come so powerful, working dili
gently for the Republican party,
that William Boylan moved his
North Carolina Minerva from
Fayetteville to Raleigh, with the
backing of strong Federalists. Be
tween the two arose great rival
ry, and a clash was inevitable.
After a tilt about the character
of Thomas Jefferson, the two ed
itors fought on the street in Ra
leigh . Gales sued Boylan for
damages. In the trial at Hillsboro
Gales was awarded 100 pounds.
When the fees had been paid
from the sum, the remainder was
donated to the Raleigh Academy.
The second Joseph Gales, with
his brother-in-law, William W.
Seaton, for many years managed
the "National Intelligencer," the
Whig organ in Washington,
"which for dignity, propriety and
intellectual elevation is yet un
matched in the history of Ameri
can journalism."
Weston Raleigh Gales, another
son of the elder Joseph, contin
ued the work of his father in Ra
leigh. From 1823 to 1830 the
j?;&s !ss»ad -as a sefcii
weekly. Probably the first novel
published in the state, "Matilda
Berkeley," came from his presses.
In 1833, when his party came
into power in North Carolina, the
older Gales retired from active
business life. His associates paid
him many tributes. The Register
lived until 1885.
There were ten newspapers in
North Carolina in 1811. By 1851
the number had increased to 44;
in 1858, there were 74; to 1882',
there were 194 papers, including
152 weeklies, 24 dailies and week
lies, and 18 monthlies. During
the century the press grew re
markably also in circulation, val
uation and power.
UNIQUE CASE OF
HONESTY CITED
(Continued from page one)
dent, on leaving the institution,
was unable to pay her account in
full, but gave evidence that she
wanted to square the account,
even going so far as to offer to
deposit with the creditor some
personal effect to insure the debt.
The student went her way,
married and reared a family.
Time passed. The school debt
was merely a memory with the
creditor, but of the deepest con
cern to the debtor, who wanted
to pay but could never find it
convenient to do so.
In 1918 the debtor died, but
before she passed away she se
cured a promise from her son
that he would see that the school
debt in Statesville was paid. In
February, 1939, the head of the
local school of half a century ago
passed to her reward.
A few days ago the minister in
a local church received an in
quiry from a man on the Pacific
coast, wanting to be put in touch
with the lady who conducted the
college here 50 years ago or an
heir of the lady. Communication
with the heir was promptly made.
The writer of the recent in
quiry said that his mother died
20-odd years ago but he had
promised her that he would see
that the obligation was settled.
■ • . . _
THE ELKIN TRIBUNE. ELKIN, NORTH CAROLINA
ELKIN
(Continued from page one)
facts of outstanding, upstanding,
and understanding importance
that ought to be commented on,
but it is all in this edition.. Read
er, if you will read through this
edition, and let it soak in, you
AND ALL COMBINE TO EXTEND
FRIENDLY WELCOME!
That We Are Proud of the Chatham Manufacturing Company and Delighted to Welcome Its
New Elkin Employees as Friends and Neighbors Goes Without Saying! And We're Proud,
Too, to Offer You Our Friendly Services!
CITY TRANSIT COMPANY
You'll Save Time and Money by Riding City Transit Buses to and From Work!
Hourly There's no need to operate your car to and from work. Ride 71 7
Schedule OUr sa^e ' com f or table, well-heated buses to and from work at a eous
minimum of cost. Use them, too, for your trips about the Drivers
Safe ( munity and save wear and tear on your car. City Transit Com- Low,
Comfortable pany buses run on regular schedule at convenient intervals* Money-Saving
uses You'll find one going your way. lOL !* Fares
■> - |
FOR QUICK SERVICE , roK ™« ~
CALL A Good Gulf Gasoline
PITV r*A D andoils
LI 1 1 LAB Drive In To |
You'll find all City Cabs thoroughly modern, comfortable, and f. I | Y SF.RV If! K ST A I I 0 mI
well heated. Our courteous drivers will take you anywhere you y I a 1 1 VI!
want to go at any time. Use City Cabs for safety and conven- Complete Auto Service
ience. »
PHONF 2Q2 GOODRICH TIRES
•• * N. Bridge Street Nest to Hotel Elkin
will be amused, amazed and
aroused at the unusual, unpar
alleled, unsurpassed, unexcelled,
unequalled, unapproached, and
undeniable growth and develop
ment of the Town of Elkin.
"When Better Towns Are Built,
Elkin Will Change Her Model."
Patronize Tribune advertisers.
Employees of Plant
Boast Long Service
(Continued from page one)
Owens, Oscar Ray, Blanche Rog
ers, Charlie Sparks, John Swaim,
Pannie Talley, Tyra Wood, Dan
Woodruff, H. D. Woodruff, Evie
Yarboro, Dave Mastin, Bruce
Lewis, Lola Holcomb, Bill Gold
en, Irl Shamel, Reef Gentry, Ar
thur Cranfill, Callie Cranfill, Bob
Newman, Mallie Upchurch, Delia
Chambers, Thurmond Eldridge,
J. E. Everidge, Jesse Barker.
Patronize Tribune Advertisers
They Offer Real Values.
Talked to Death
Boogy: Do you believe that
people can be talked to death?
Woogy: Sure—the census fig
ures prove that they can be and
are. The feminine population
averages nearly two years older
than the masculine. So that
proves that the women must out
stay the men.