Source:Fleming-social
George T. Fleming. "History of the early social life of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh's first newspaper, The Gazette, and the sorrows and triumphs of its editor, John Scull: The tragedy in the death of John Boyd: First postoffice installed in print shop: Printing and publishing carried on soon after first issue—Zadok Cramer and his enterprises—clippings from early Gazette files—some flings at the erudite Brackenridge." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Feb. 15, 1920, sec. 5, pp. 2–3. Newspapers.com 85674464, 85674466.
TAKING up the history of the early social life of Pittsburgh where left off in The Gazette Times of January 18 last, the subject next in order to be considered is the influence of the pioneer newspaper in Pittsburgh, The Gazette, continuously in existence since July 29, 1786, and always with the word Gazette wholly or part of its title and now The Gazette Times.
In the study of the quaint pages of the first Gazettes there is much to interest, and many lessons to be learned aside from the consideration of the educational value and influence of such a publication in a frontier town such as Pittsburgh was for a decade or more after the close of the Revolution. The first lesson is that of patience on the part of the proprietor, John Scull; the second, that of faith in ultimate success of his project, and to this end faith in the future of the town, rough and rude as the editor beheld it on his arrival; third, the lessons of morality, uprightness and patriotism that the paper taught.
The lesson of patience emerges from the tragedy of John Scull's partnerships. Within four months after arrival his first partner, Joseph Hall, died, truly as heroic a soul as Scull. Hall was but a youth of 21 years, and casting his lot with Scull, he had invested his all in the newspaper and printing business in a community hundreds of miles from home and friends. Scull saw his friend borne to the grave, then, seeking another partner, found a man from Philadelphia, whence he and Hall had come. The new partner was John Boyd, who bought Hall's interest and whose name appeared not at the masthead of the little sheet in the firm name of Scull & Boyd, but across the fourth page, full width, at the bottom. This partnership lasted less than two years, when it was terminated by the death of Boyd by suicide. Thereafter John Scull was sole proprietor until he turned the paper over to his son, John I. Scull, in 1816. Boyd came to Pittsburgh with a letter of introduction from H. H. Brackenridge, who was in Philadelphia as a member of the General Assembly.
The announcement of Boyd's association with the Gazette appeared in the issue of January 6, 1787. Money was scarce in Pittsburgh and the country round abou sparsely settled and needing much. Real money was rarely seen, all commercial transactions being consummated in trade. We can discern the application of the word trade to such transactions. Traffic was altogether barter; the exchange of commodities each party to the trade needed. Hence it was but a result of the prevailing stringency in money that December 2, 1786, five weeks before Boyd's connection, an advertisement appeared in the Gazette in which notice was given to all persons residing in the country that the proprietors of the paper would receive country produce in exchange for subscriptions.
Scull was patient. With his new partner he kept getting out the little weekly and distributing it—no easy matter to do with no postoffices and no post routes save the one to Pittsburgh from Philadelphia, which was ordered established September 14, 1786, as appears in a letter in the Gazette September 30, 1786. This letter was from Philadelphia and among other things stated that "Mr. Brison has returned from New York with orders to establish a post from this place to Pittsburgh and one from Virginia to Bedford, the two to meet at Bedford and from thence one will proceed to Pittsburgh. I also understand there will be other internal posts established throughout the state."
However, the government did not award a contract for carrying the mails on the routes for a year, when a postoffice was established in Pittsburgh with mail every two weeks. Mr. Scull was appointed postmaster at Pittsburgh. He installed the office in his print shop on Water street, and served as postmaster until 1797. This advance in civilization came soon after Scull and Hall's arrival and may be accepted as the first uplift of a civic nature that was accorded the town. Its influence for good in our formational period can be readily acknowledged. As the mails could not take the paper the publishers resorted to private enterprise, especially to reach the settlements along the rivers—mainly along the Monongahela and the south shore of the Ohio, for the land north of the Ohio and west of the Allegheny was still Indian land. Though the Iroquois had parted with their title to it by the treaty at Fort Stanwix, N. Y., in 1784, the region had not been surveyed and opened for settlement.
THE method of distribution of The Gazette is shown in an advertisement dated August 30, 1786, that was run for some time, beginning September 2, 1786. This was in the sixth issue of the paper. It was customary to date advertisements. This one reads:
"Pittsburgh, August 30, 1786.
"The subscriber wishes to inform the inhabitants on the Monongahela river and the neighborhood adjoining, that he is to pass up and down the river, from Pittsburgh to Gasting's Ferry, which is 35 miles by water, every week. All persons on or near said river who have subscribed for the Pittsburgh Gazette, or may thereafter subscribe, can have their papers brought to them every week at a more reasonable rate than any other conveyance and without disappointment.
"JOHN BLAIR.
Scull and Boyd were progressive men. Books had to be brought long distances. They were heavy, and hence costly. All printed matter was expensive. Hence a job office became a necessity in Pittsburgh, and naturally an adjunct to the printing of the newspaper. In May, 1787, Scull & Boyd announced the publication of spelling books, and the "A B C with the Shorter Catechism, to which are added some Short and Easy Questions on Children," a book wherein secular and religious instruction was combined. These books were for sale at the office of the Pittsburgh Gazette in Water street, near Ferry.
The publishing business grew. June 16, 1787, the printers announced it by an advertisement in their paper which is as follows, for a paper with the advertisement is still extant:
"At the printing office, Pittsburgh, may be had the laws of this state passed between the 30th of September, 1775, and the Revolution; New Testaments; Dilworth's Spelling Books; New England Primers, with Catechism; Westminster Shorter Catechism; "A Journey from Philadelphia to New York by Way of Burlington and South Amboy," by Robert Slenner, stocking weaver, Dutch quills, ink powder, sealing wax, wafers, etc. Also a few books for the learner of the French language."
The ink powder was sifted on the written sheet to absorb surplus ink.
In November, 1787, the printers announced the forthcoming of "The Pittsburgh Almanac or the Western Ephemeris for 1788." Mr. Boyd announced the establishment of a circulating library by advertisements in July, 1788. One hundred subscribers were necessary to open the library and start the circulating of the 500 well-chosen books that would compose the library, he said. They never circulated, for Boyd hanged himself early in August. His body was found hanging from a tree on the hill now called the Bluff, but which was known from that time as Boyd's Hill until recent years, the name gradually dropping with disuse like Grant's Hill, Quarry Hill, even historic Herron Hill, which has been dubbed Schenley Heights.
The rash act of Boyd has been attributed to chagrin over the failure of his library scheme—for there is no record of the library afterward. This, however, is mere surmise. The library had not had time to materialize. Boyd's name last appeared in The Gazette August 2, 1788; the advertisement of the library July 19, 26 and August 2, 1788. Boyd was certainly too much in advance of his time. Scull plodded on. He made no mention of Boyd's taking off, simply dropped Boyd's name at the bottom of the page.
When Zadok Cramer came to Pittsburgh in March, 1800, he announced that he was about to open a book bindery. He so advertised in the Gazette and continued to bind books until his death. John C. Gilkison, the book seller of the town, died March 21, 1800, two months after his appointment to the office of prothonotary of Allegheny county. Hugh Henry Brackenridge had advanced the money to start Gilkison in business and it devolved on Brackenridge to dispose of the book store. Cramer bought it on favorable terms. He believed in the efficacy of advertising and thereafter was a firm patron of the Gazette's columns and also of the "Tree of Liberty," the second paper in the town, first published in August, 1800. Its publisher, John Israel, also operated a print shop. At times he and Scull clashed.
Cramer issued his "Almanacs," which Israel printed, and his "Navigators," which Scull printed. Scull had then been in business 14 years.
BUSINESS was so good in Cramer's line that in August, 1805, he announced that he had received a press and a sufficient assortment of new type for the purpose of printing such literary and ecclesiastic works as might be in demand. For seven years Cramer printed book after book in wonderful variety and many of these were pretentious. His press and "very handsome assortment of new type" took away from John Scull a lucrative patronage. Cramer's health soon failed. He lived eight years after he became his own printer, dying in Pensacola, Florida, August 1, 1813. His death was caused by consumption. He was buried in Pensacola.
John Scull's success in the printing business was no doubt Cramer's inspiration, but when Cramer came Scull had also successfully maintained his newspaper for 14 years. Then, too, when Cramer came, the hardest part of the community's taking form had been completed. The town had had a borough form of government for six years, and the tough frontiersmen had gone west—many in the significance given the words in the late war.
Some of the advertisements in the first issues of the Gazette have a news story in them, and not a few a human interest side. Locations of stores were always specific. Numbered houses did not come for 40 years or more. This advertisement, dated July 28, appeared August 19, 1786:
"Just received from Philadelphia, and to be sold by Wilson & Wallace at their store on Water street, next door to Mr. David Duncan's tavern, the following goods which they will dispose of on the most reasonable terms for good merchantable flour, beef cattle, butter or cash, etc."
Then followed a list of "everything under the sun," as modern advertisers put it, forgetting that a century and a third ago, Pittsburgh's "emporiums of trade" were all departmental in nature; perhaps the departments crowded each other a bit and their contents became a bit jumbled, especially after a few lady customers had dropped in with butter or beef cattle, but the goods were there and the most favorable terms were always given; in fact, no other terms were ever advertised. In time, such stores became known as general stores, from the general assortment of goods carried, and they exist today just as in the days of our great-grandfathers. The location of Wilson & Wallace near a well-known tavern was most advantageous and easily found.
In the same issue as this advertisement there appeared a notice of the dissolution of the pioneer trading firm of Craig, Bayard & Co., which was formed in 1784, and operated a distillery, a sawmill and a salt works. The firm consisted of Maj. Isaac Craig and Lieut. Col. Stephen Bayard, and the company was the Philadelphia firm of Turnbull, Marmie & Co., which was early in Pittsburgh trade. The firm of Daniel Britt & Co. settled the Craig–Bayard business.
Mr. Scull seems to have had a bit of experience not uncommon to newspaper publishers since. He published a card, December 9, 1786, after a close inspection of his subscription list, a habit not infrequent with editors and proprietors. He said: "For the satisfaction of such as are doubtful respecting the commencement of their payments I do hereby inform them that the payment for the Pittsburgh Gazette commences from the date of the first paper each subscriber receives.
This gentle admonition had good effect, which Editor Scull gracefully acknowledged and expressed the hope that many more of his friends and neighbors would take due notice and pay up. Even then a printer could not live on pi alone. There were some appreciative subscribers then as now, and some "wrote in" and some signed their real names. About this time (September, 1786) Editor Scull's heart was made a trifle gladder by receiving this letter:
"To the Printers of the Pittsburgh Gazette:
"I have been a subscribed [sic] from the first and sent in a dollar the other day by William Guy when he went to the contractor's store to buy an ounce of snuff for his wife. My neighbors think a good deal of the paper and I have as many of them about me between sermons on a Sunday to hear the news as Matthew McConnell has on his justice days when they come about law business.
(Signed) "ANGUS MacMORE."
Mr. MacMore would have written more, but his messenger, Robert Richie, was in a hurry to get to town and wouldn't wait.
In the olden time they always printed the words, "signed," in brackets before the subscribed name. It seemed necessary, for some might think the signature forged or not a real name. It was only carrying out the rule for printing, and was then and since "a guarantee of good faith." This letter was from Washington county, for Matthew McConnell was then a justice of the peace for both Cecil and Smith townships, both in the northern part of the county. It will be seen that the Gazette had some thrifty readers also. November 24, 1786, some one was musically inclined, for The Gazette's aid was invoked to secure the desired end. A want ad read that day:
"WANTED—A man who understands vocal music; who can teach it with propriety. Such a person will meet with encouragement from the inhabitants of Pittsburgh."
There was no notice of where to apply.
Marriage notices were of frequent print. Sometimes a week or two after the wedding. Here is one that is in The Gazette December 2, 1786:
"Married, on Thursday, 23d ult., at Woodville, the seat of Gen. John Neville, in Washington county, Major Abraham Kirkpatrick to the amiable Miss Mary Ann Oldham."
MAJ. KIRKPATRICK was a Revolutionary soldier whose farm of over 700 acres comprised about all of Mt. Washington, his mansion and barns at Grandview avenue and Kearsarge street, that street formerly Kirkpatrick street. The site can be readily located, for the Presbyterian Church and the Mt. Washington Branch Library are on it. Eight years later Major Kirkpatrick was present with the little band who valiantly but unsuccessfully attempted to defend Gen. Neville's home against a mob, and he saw the beautiful mansion, where he had married his wife, burned to the ground. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was Mrs. Neville's sister. Kirkpatrick's barn was burned about the same time by the whisky insurrectionists, a fire which caused the utmost alarm in Pittsburgh, for the people were afraid of the "whisky boys." Washington county, previous to 1788, when Allegheny county was formed, included all the territory west of the Monongahela and south of the Ohio rivers.
Patriotism after the Revolution was kept alive principally by Fourth of July celebrations. The Declaration of Independence was always read, and some fervid orator spoke of the triumphs of the American arms and "the blessings of liberty that had been secured for ourselves and posterity." All such celebrations were educational and social, and within a few days accounts of them found space in the nearest newspapers. The Fourth of July celebration in Washington, Pa., was written up for the Pittsburgh Gazette August 12, 1786. Washington was then a superior town to Pittsburgh, and Washington county the most populous in Western Pennsylvania, and continued so for at least two decades. The story of Independence Day at Washington in 1786 is as follows:
"The anniversary of American independence was celebrated in the town of Washington by a considerable number of the most respectable inhabitants of the county at a fountain issuing from the side of a hill overshadowed by a grove of spreading oaks, sugar-trees, locusts, etc.
"A table was set in rural style which was plentifully furnished with pig, lamb and other decorations suitable to the occasion. The managers unanimously chose Dorsey Pentecost president; the Honorable Thomas Scott, Esq., vice president; David Reddick, Esq., toastmaster; Capt. Sam Brady, commandant of the section; Dr. David Holmes and Capt. George McCormick were managers. The company heartily partook of the repast, after which the following toasts were drunk with decorum delivered to the toastmaster with the greatest solemnity:
1, The Independence of America; 2, The United States In Congress Assembled; 3, The Illustrious Washington; 4, The King of France, the Friend of Liberty; 5, The Memory of the Heroes Who Fell in the Defense of America; 6, May the Union of the Sister States be Perpetual; 7, May the Friends of American Liberty be as Independent as They Have Been Brave; 8, May American Commerce Flourish Unfettered; 9, May Learning and Religion Illume the Western World; 10, Perfect Freedom to the World; 11, May the Bravery of the Army Which Effected Our Independence Never be Forgot; 12, The State We Live In; 13, The Rising Glory of the West.
"At each toast the section fired with a degree of exactness that would have done honor to veteran troops. The highest degree of friendship and cordiality subsisted throughout the whole affair."
America First and Foremost throughout; not even a suggestion of a League of Nations or any alliance whatever. The "Illustrious Washington" had told them but shortly before to beware of foreign entanglements, and his words lived. We may take it that the commandant of the section of artillery was that heroic scout and Revolutionary soldier, Sam Brady, for he was about Pittsburgh in those years. All the officers of the celebration are noted men in Washington county history. Scott, a member of Congress in 1790 and Pentecost a judge in the county courts. Scott and Reddick had each served as prothonotary.
HUGH HENRY BRACKENRIDGE, who was mainly instrumental in bringing Scull and Hall to Pittsburgh, was from the first a contributor to the columns of the Pittsburgh Gazette. His style was deeply classical and flowery and he quoted from the great English authors and from the classics in such abundance that his pedantry become [sic] offensive to the rugged Scotch-Irish who populated the region and more than one of Scull's readers dropped the paper a line in which the scholarly Brackenridge was touched up with keen thrusts. Brackenridge was a poet of ability and nearly all the poetical effusions in the early issues of the Gazette were contributed by him—some a column long. These were generally under a nomdeplume, but Brackenridge later collected them and incorporated them in his book, "Gazette Publications," published in Carlisle in 1803.
In the Gazette of September 2, 1786, a subscriber, one Gilbert Gichen, writing from Peters Creek, inquired as a reader of the paper, whether or not the editors would confine themselves to the essays of one, two or three authors or whether the plan would be more general. This correspondent had studied the newspaper carefully and had paid particular attention to Brackenridge and his classical lore. Gichen wrote at some length. He said among other things:
"I see by your last paper that you have not been crammed with news. I may, however, be under a mistake, as a repetition of paragraphs may be an oversight in the compiler; at any rate let us know if you will give room to any of our country nonsense. I have a great turn for writing myself and ever since the story of the catfish my brains have been plodding for some piece of plain stuff fit for our country neighbors to read and understand. I am no Latin scholar, neither can I speak French; my father, however, took wonderful pains to teach me the English language. I had no liberty, however, to bodder my brains about Hudibras, Aristotle, or any of those crazy-brained fellows, neither do I or any of my neighbors understand such high-flown terms. You may often use proverbs from these profane authors entirely Hebrew to us. In your last you tell us of a man who speaks about liberty. What use in bringing in such heathenish names, when we ourselves have acted the scene? There is a neighbor of mine who can define liberty better than any of the crew. Then you give us a scrap of Latin about the lawyers. I confess it is as dark to me as all their proceedings in general are.
"One of our elders who knows a little Latin has given me an interpretation of it, but I think he may be wrong. He says it means, 'They labor to put themselves in a terrible rage to fill their pockets.' Now I think there are too many words here. If you write any more of this kind, please be so good as to explain it. If you give us liberty to send you any letters, I have a noble selection, and as our committee meets Saturdays, we intend to give you all the news of improvements, land, etc, etc."
This fling at Brackenridge and the lawyers, of whom there were two in Pittsburgh, came from Brackenridge quoting the well-known Vergilian line in his write-up of Pittsburgh in his capacity of the town's first press agent. The line occurs in the Aeneid I, 460, and reads:
"Quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris?" and what he wanted to inform his readers was, that lawyers were all over the world, in fact, there was no place in the world not filled with their adventures, and, in the appeal to faithful old Achates, he thus accounted for two of them in the disreputable border town of Pittsburgh of 1786.
To this letter, Messrs. Scull & Hall, the printers and editors, replied as follows:
As the above correspondent wishes to be informed whether we are confined to the publication of essays of one, two or three authors, or whether the plan is more general, the printers are happy to acquaint him that the Pittsburgh Gazette shall never be a vehicle for conveying abuse abroad, either on public or private characters; they also inform him they will thankfully receive (from any person) essays which may tend to the entertainment or improvement of the readers of this paper. They are sorry to add that many pieces have been received for insertion which if complied with would tend greatly to the injury of the Pittsburgh Gazette."
A SLIGHT jab at Brackenridge as the author of the "Observations on the Country at the Head of the Ohio River," which had been running in the Gazette from the first issue, had appeared in the paper August 26. This read:
"A correspondent would be happy to know how the author of the 'Observations' obtained such an intimacy with the doctrine of spirits as to affect that material objects, or images were impressed upon the mind which is immaterial."
This was unsigned and probably came from the editors, and Brackenridge did not directly reply.
In The Gazette of October 14, 1786, Hugh Ross advertises over the date October 12th:
"On Monday, the 16th inst., there will be opened a new ferry by the subscriber from his house on the Washington side of the river to Rory Fraziers, on the opposite side, in the town of Pittsburgh. The utility of this to the public is so apparent that he has no doubt of their approbation and encouragement, more especially as he intends in the execution of this plan to reduce the ferry rates from 4 pence to 3 pence for man, horse or horse load; and he hereby pledges himself to reduce the rates still more, provided that he finds upon trial that it can be done with safety.
"A commodious house is now fitting up as a tavern, where the best usage and genteel accommodation will be at the service of the public, particularly those friends who reside in Washington county, and as soon as possible convenient stabling, under the management of Mr. George Mitchell, or some other fit person who will be careful to give ready and diligent attendance to sending passengers across without loss of time, and also to provide careful and obliging boatmen and good sufficient boats."
Ross next devotes a paragraph to the absurdity of some persons claiming an exclusive right of ferriage and flatters himself that the public will pay no attention to such claims. "It would be utterly repugnant to the liberty of the state," he asserted, "in the struggle for which so many brave and virtuous citizens suffered." He hopes the Assembly who are the guardians of that liberty will never give any citizens such privilege as will become a tax upon the public. In his humble opinion, "they could not do so without infringing the constitution."
Ross asks for encouragement from the public and promises to deserve, and winds up his advertisement, which takes up six inches of the Gazette's short column, as follows:
"The ferry will be open free to all foot passengers every Sabbath when there is divine service in Pittsburgh, from the hour of 10 in the forenoon until 12 at noon, and from 3 to 4 in the afternoon, so that every person may have it in their power of attending public worship who reside in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Washington county."
Almost any 10-year-old can correct the false syntax in the last sentence.
The head shown today was the second the Gazette has carried, and it was first used as the date line shows.
(To be Continued.)