Radio Script #68
Little Talks On Common Things
May 14, 1950
Except in libraries and special collections one seldom sees a newspaper that was printed before the Revolution, but Mr. Johnson Parks of Western Avenue, Waterville, has at least one copy of such a paper. It is the Boston Evening Post, dated December 18, 1769, more than 180 years ago. Even earlier copies doubtless exist somewhere, for this particular issue is Number 1786.
The paper has no mast-head, so it is impossible to tell how often it was published, who was its editor, or what was the subscription rate. As was the custom in those days, long term credit was given to subscribers, and apparently the publisher of the Post was getting somewhat annoyed by the practice, for in the lower right hand corner of the first page appears the notice: “All persons indebted for this paper, whose accounts have been above 12 months standing,are requested to make immediate payment.”
The paper is a four-page sheet, 16 inches by 10, three columns to a page.
The leading article under the heading “Journal of the Times” is devoted to the pressing question of treatment of the American colonies by the British crown and parliament. Among other things the article says: “Americans (note the word American was already being used in 1769) are too enlightened a people to be imposed upon by the arts and unfair practices of a British minister who appears lost both to a sense of his own dignity and to true national interest.
The effect of Lord Hillsborough’s letter to the Governor of Rhode Island, warning that no measures can be taken to question the authority of Britain over the colonies, has been treated with due contempt. His Lordship’s promise to take off certain duties is not to be trusted, as past experience bears witness. The merchants of Massachusetts as well as those of Rhode Island will not be thus shaken from their pledged agreement not to import foreign goods until the revenue acts are repealed.”
Thus in a single newspaper, printed 180 years ago, we see a contemporary account of the seeds of the American Revolution. Exactly five years and four months were to elapse before Master Paul Revere would wait on the Charlestown shore to note whether one or two lanterns shed their gleam from the steeple of Old North Church and start on his ride to alarm the countryside to fire the shots heard round the world.
The third page of this paper is almost wholly devoted to advertisements, most of them public notices or auction sales. Among the former are two adjacent notices supporting what I said on this program several weeks ago; namely, that there were two competing grand lodges of Masons in Boston before the Revolution.
One notice reads: “The brethren of the ancient and honorable society of free and accepted masons are hereby notified that the Right Worshipful John Rowe, Esq., Grand Master of Masons in North America, designs to celebrate the festival of St. John the Evangelist on Wednesday the 27th instant, at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern in King Street, where the brethren are desired to attend at one o’clock on the said day. By order of the Grand Master, Abraham Savage, Grand Secretary. N. B. Dinner precisely at two o’clock.”
The other notice says: “Notice is hereby given by the most ancient and honorable fraternity of free and accepted masons that the feast of st. John the Evangelist will be celebrated by the Right Worshipful Master and brethren of the Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston, on Wednesday the 27th instant, at their hall. Tickets to be had of Brother James Carter and at said hall. N. B. The brethren are desired to attend precisely at 11 o’clock A.M. Dinner will be on the table by two.”
Thus at the December festival of Masonry in old Boston in 1769 the brothers of the Scottish Rite got a two hour start on their brothers of the York Rite, who did not convene until one o’clock, though both parties sat down to one of those huge colonial dinners at the same hour of two o’clock.
In another column is the obituary of Samuel Kneeland, Boston’s famous printer, who had died at the age of 73. It had been exactly fifty years earlier that an even more famous printer, Benjamin Franklin, then only 13 years old, had put out his brother’s paper in Ben’s name in order not to violate the Governor’s edict that James Franklin should no longer publish the New England Courant.
In another item we learn that Captain Nixon, in a brig belonging to Rhode Island was to sail from London to Portsmouth in New Hampshire some time in November, full freighted with gOOds for that place. We also learn that New Jersey men are not to be outdone by those in New England in so virtuous an act as the killing of those ‘destructive vermin called squirrels, for a whole New Jersey town had assembled and killed 1,600 of the creatures.
In those days duels, instead of being outlawed, were faithfully reported in the press. We read: “On the 31st of October last, Lieut. Goodacre of the 9th Regiment was shot through the body at st. Augustine in a duel with a gentleman from Pensacola, and died a short time after.”
Now let’s take a look at one of the auction sales of 1769. The notice says: “On Thursday, December 21, at 11 o’clock forenoo~, will be sold by public auction at the auction block opposite the west end of Faneuil Hall Market, several genteel suits of wearing apparel, plain and trimmed with lace, Holland jackets, nankeen and silk breeches, a silver-hilted sword and shield, a pair of silver mounted pistols, a silver watch and other articles.”
William Jones, at his shop opposite the Town House, advertised finest Florence oil in honest flasks, choice new currants, cinnamon, nutmegs, turkey figs, all recently imported in the ship Betsy from London. Jones also sold the conventional drugs of the day: balsam of honey, Jesuit’s drops, female elixir, and the inevitable castor oil.
Four merchants advertised spermacetti candles, and Barnabas Clarke had just put in a big supply of choice Jamaica ·sugars to be sold by barrel or hogshead, both Jamaica and Grandes rum, pepper by the bag, rare ginger, Durham mustard by the box, and the very best of Bohea tea, concerning which Clarke’s ad carefully stated that it was imported before the merchants’ agreement not to import dutiable goods.
Learning was never neglected in Boston. In 1769 Harvard was already 133 years old, about the same age that Colby is now. So it is not unexpected to find in this old newspaper the announcement of a new and accurate spelling dictionary, lately published in London, neatly bound in red, at a price of one shilling six pence, boasting to teach the parts of speech and pronunciation of every word and syllable in the English tongue. It was for sale by all booksellers in Boston who had made proper arrangements with the man who held the London sales rights, Isaac Fell of Pater Norter Row, the very man who was the origin of the famous ditty that begins, “I do not like thee, Dr. Fell”.
An expression still familiar in rural areas and among older people is “Not worth a continental”. When folks of my grandfather’s generation wanted to denounce anything as flagrantly worthless they declared it “not worth a continental”. As I am sure most of you know, the expression originated out of the comparative worthlessness of the American continental currency at the time of the Revolution and during the early years of the Republic.
The story goes that a steamboat going down the Mississippi loaded with cordwood in the early days of steamboating on the big river tied up at a town wharf. A merchant hailed the captain, shouting: “Want to sell your wood?”
“Sure”, replied the captain. “Will you pay specie or paper?” “Paper”, yelled the merchant, “good Ohio paper. How’ 11 you trade?” “Well, seeing’s you want to pay in paper, I’ll trade cord for cord.”
In the collections, even the small collections, of the numismatists, there is usually at least one example of old-time paper money, but many of these are not strictly continentals~that is, they were not issued before the signing of the American Constitution. Mr. Johnson Parks has shown me a fine example of true Continental currency — one item that preceded not only the Constitution, but the Declaration of Independence as well. It is a half dollar bill issued by the Provincial Convention of Maryland at Annapolis on December 7, 1775. On the face of the bill is the usual statement of promise to pay in gold or silver, at the rate of four shillings six pence to the dollar.
On the back is the seal of Maryland, the name of the printer, and the words, “equal to two shillings three pence sterling”.
If the present policies of government spending are not soon checked, some of our currency may come to be “not worth a continental”.
It now looks as if the present Congress intends to do nothing about the cuts in excise taxes already agreed to by the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives. Those cuts would mean lower prices and real savings to the consumer. The Committee proposed to wipe out altogether the 20% tax on admissions to concerts, charity shows, county fairs, and high school sports, as well as the 20% tax on baby powder and baby lotions, on handbags and purses, and on light bulbs and tubes. They agreed to cut from 20% to 10% the taxes on general admissions, on trunks and suitcases, and cosmetics; from 25% to 10% the tax on telegraph ±6lls; and from 15% to 10% the taxes on household phone bills and on travel tickets. Something seems now to have snagged this program, but there is still a chance to revive it, if interested citizens will urge their Congressmen to action.
Year: 1950