~’Jhen I visited the ancient Habitation at Port Royal, Nova ScoTia last summer, I had never heard that it was the site of the first dramat i c producti on in North America. As every American schoolboy knows, the Pi Igrims landed in New England in 1620, and 13 years earlier in 1607 an English colony had settled aT Jamestown in Virginia. But it was a year earlier than that, in the summer of 1606, when a dramatic spectacle was produced at Nova Scotia!s Port Royal.<\/p>\n
That product i on was not rea I I y a stage sh ow; it was rathe r a wate r show, what Bi Ily Rose might have called an aqua spectacle. Its author, j\\1arc LescarbOT, directed and produced it in boaTS and canoes in the harbor in front of the Habitation that Champlain had established on the shore in 1604.<\/p>\n
The play was put on to celebrate the return to Port Royal of The fort’s royal governor, who had been on an exploring expedition with Champlain down the coast as far as Cape Cod. When the governor clambered into the sha flop to be rowed ashore from his returning ship, a gay floti Iia came out to meet him. In the first boat stood Neptune with a long white beard, a gold crown on his head, and a trident in his hand. Behind him in other boats came six costumed Tritons and actors dressed to resemble Indians. Each performer in turn addressed the governor. The governor took his cue, as Lescarbot no doubt expected, and invited al I the actors and audience to a feast inside the fort.<\/p>\n
The production was not so much a drama as it was a maSQue, the kind of classical presentation common at the Tudor courts. In the early 17th century Mi Iton wrote such a masque and called it Comus. But Lescarbot di d have a written script for his aqua show. It remained almost unnoticed in its original French for more than 300 years. Only 30 years ago, in 1926, Harriet Taber Richardson of Cambridge, Massachusetts, already known as the restorer of the Port Royal Habitation, brought out the first English translation of Lescarbotfs old play.<\/p>\n
But 350 years went by before the play ever saw a second production. Then, to celebrate the 350th anniversary, the Annapol is Royal Historical Association performed the spectacle on the site where it was first produced. It dupl icated as closely as possible Lescarbot’s original masque. It attracted over 2,500 spectators who, because of loud speakers that would have seemed works of magic to the original audience, could follow the words of the actors probably much better than could the handful of spectators who stood on the same shore in 1606.<\/p>\n
Ten years ago in 1947 the Canadian Authors Association set up a tablet on a pi Ie of sTones at Port Royal. On that tablet are these words: “Praise God for ~\/1arc Lesca rbotwho, I i vi ng he reabouts 1606-1607, w rote and produced nearby Arne rica’s firs t play. H<\/p>\n
One of Watervi Ile!s early newspapers was the It\/atervi lie Journal, publ ished by John Burleigh. I recently had a chance to examine Volume One, Number 41 of that publication, which appeared more than 120 years ago on September 30, 1834.<\/p>\n
As I am sure most of you know, the papers which ambitious printers estabI i shed in rna ny a [1.1a i ne town i n the first ha I f of the 19th century were not what we would call newspapers at all. They contained very little local news. In fact the only way a reader, a hundred years afterward, can get a picture of the community in which the paper was published, is through its advertisements. John Bur Ie i gh! s paper carri ed the capti on, ‘iDevoted to sc ience, I iterature.~ mora I ity, rei igion and news1′, but one looks in vain for any of the last named item, at least any with local import. That issue of September 30, 1834 consists of eight pages, 14 x 10 inches. The first page is devoted entirely to what the heading describes as HReligious ~.1iscellany:’. Then about midway on page two is something called \\;General MiscellanyTi, which in this instance proves to be a description of the big cave at Matanzes on the island of Cuba. It is copied from the Boston rJiercanti Ie Journa I. Th i sis fol lowed by an item from the New York Journal, tel I ing how a man had his coat containing $2,300 in bank notes stolen ina Manhattan barber shop. From the Boston Sentine I comes an item about insurrection in Barbados.<\/p>\n
The next section is Foreign News, tel ling brief items brought by incoming ships from England, France and Spain.<\/p>\n
Copied from the Arkansas Gazette is a story of an expedition into the wi Id country of the Pawnees and Comanches west of the Mississiopi.<\/p>\n
Such are the items found in \\vatervi lie’s newspaper 32 years after the town was incorporated. It was a time when the Moor shipyards were at their peak, when sloops and brigs and even ships were being bui It in Watervi I Ie and floated down the Kennebec -. to be rigged for sea at Ha II owe I I or Gard i ner. There must have been many interesting things going on in the town. Yet one would never know it by readi ng John Bur lei gh ‘s I:laterv.i lIe Journa I. I n the enti re ei ght pages there is not on Iy absence of any I oca I news; there is not a sing Ie item about any occurrence in Maine.<\/p>\n
Yet, as I indicated a few minutes ago, the paper gives us a few clues as to what was going on, for like every other newspaper of its time and our time, it could not live without advertising. Let us see what those ads tel I us about VJatervi I Ie in 1834. For one thing, we are reminded that pews in the churches were then persona I property. One ad reads: t~For sa I e or to let. A we I lsi tuated pew in the Universal ist fvleeting House. Enquire at this office.”<\/p>\n
vJe <\/em>also learn that some dishes were called ~!hollow ware”, for Zebulon Sanger announced that he had taken the large white store formerly occupied by Simeon Mathews, where he would soon offer hollow ware, china and common tea sets, and looking glasses. His ad also said that Zebulon had on consignment a lot of prime feathers, which he would sel I at Boston prices.<\/p>\n No town was worth its salt in 1834 unless it had a carriage maker. Such a man in \\vatervi lie was Lemue I Sti Ison, who advertised in Burlei gh ‘s paper that he had on hand new and second hand chairs and wagons, and that he was bui Iding six brand new single gigs that would sel I from $70 to $100 each. Lemuel added that he was also bui Iding six single wagons, a number of which would have swelled bodies, with swelled and stuffed seats and hung on thorough braces. Lemuel guaranteed his workmanship to be equal to any on the Kennebec River.<\/p>\n No realtors had invaded Watervi lie in 1834, but that didn’t prevent private individuals from seeking purchasers for real estate. Russel I Blackwel I announced for sale a one story dwel ling house, pleasantly situated in Watervi I Ie vi Ilage, with a barn, wood house and other outbui Idings; also two stores, one occupied by Mr. H. Nourse, the other by himself.<\/p>\n In another ad the same Blackwell wanted the public to know that he had just received from the Sandwich factory two tons of first qual ity nai Is, which he now offered cheap for cash.<\/p>\n Nowadays, if one neglects to pay his local taxes before a fixed date, he is charged interest. In 1834 the taxpayer was offered inducements to pay early. For in Burleigh’s paper we find the following ad: “Assessors’ Notice. The inhabitants of the town of Watervi lie and all persons liable to pay taxes therein, are hereby notified that the bi I Is containing the assessment of the State, County and Town taxes for the current year have this day been committed to James Stackpole, Jr., Treasurer of said town, for collection. For pavments made within thirty days from the date hereof, a discount of 6% wi II be allowed.; after th i rty and with in si xty days, a discount of 4%; and after sixty and with i n 120 days, a discount of 2X;. Ebenezer Bo Ickorn, Hiram Crowe I I, I sa i ah Mars ton; Assessors. vJatervi lie, July 11, 1834.H<\/p>\n It would be another half century before the patent medicine craze would be in its prime, but it had already started in 1834. The Burleigh newspaper carried this ad: !’Positive or No Pay. By His Majesty’s Royal Letters Patent, Improved Jaundice Bitters or the Grand Anti-Bi I lious Corrective are prepared by David Dennison, under the patronage of the first physicians in Europe and America, where half a mi Ilion persons can testify to their worth. These bitters are for sale by \\villiam H. Dow, agent for \\’1aterville and vicinity.7i<\/p>\n The paper carried two ads inserted by the publisher himself. The firstwas in beha I f of the paper. I tread: !!The Watervi I Ie Journa I, pub I i shed every\u00a0 week by John Burleigh. Two dol lars per annum if paid within a year, or $2.25 if delayed after the expiration of that time. Most kind of country produce taken in payment. Individuals procuring eight responsible subscribers shall be entitled to a ninth copy gratis.”<\/p>\n But John Burleigh!s second ad in this same issue of his paper reveals the hazards of publishing in the 1830’s and explains why many newspapers in our Maine towns had a short existence. That second ad says: !’The subscriber, wishing to close his business in this vi I lage the ensuing winter, and knowing from experience that it requires a long time to settle newspaper bi I Is, offers for sale the Printing Office of this paper, possession to be taken at any time.<\/p>\n Also the house which he occupies, it being large and near the Academy, is wei I situated for a boarding house. \\>Jatervi lie, June 23; 1834. John Burleigh.’;<\/p>\n There was one graduate of Colby Col lege about whom historians have not even yet made up their minds, although he died many years ago. Benjamin F. Butler, Civi I ~\\Jar general and Governor of r\u00b7. 1. assachusetts was; according to some,_ a great statesman and, according to others, a great scoundrel. The former remembered his bri I I i ant marsha ling of ami I itary command. The I atter remembered his days as Occupation Governor of Louisiana. If Old Ben didn’t steal si Iver spoons from Creole homes in New Orleans, as he was accused of dOing, he did have plenty of provocation to treat the haughty ex-rebels “lith contemot.<\/p>\n That aen Butler had his enemies when he was trying to become Governor of r-1assachuse”tts is shown by a kind of burlesque piece of fake paper money which is preserved today ina Kennebec Va Iley home. I t was apparent Iy put out by the political opposition as part of their propaganda to defeat Ben, who was already a Congressman, but wanted what he considered a bigger plum, the governorship of the old Bay State. On one side the bi II reads: I’The People?s Money, cheap and plenty. This is $1,000, not a mere promise to pay $1,000. If it were a promise, it would have to be redeemed, which would be too expensive. As this bill is no”t to be redeemed, it needs no security back of it. I t is guaranteed that this money wi II be so cheap that it wi II take at least a bushel of it to buy a barrel of flour. It wi I I be as plentiful as it is cheap. Evervone can have a II he wants of it.!’<\/p>\n Then comes the reference to Ben But ler: !’A II who desi re a change to “th is kind of money can vote for B. F. Butler, who has changed from soft to hard money\u00a0 and back again, and whose election would change him from a Congressman to a Governor. Some persons claim that, since f-\u00b7ir. Butler has held public office for over 25 years and has become a very rich man~ it would be a more economical change to compe I him to return to p ri vate life.”<\/p>\n On the reverse side is a picture of Butler feeding to his ducks greenback bills labe led !:Th i sis corn!! and ‘Th i sis mea I r\u00b7. Above the picture is pri nted:<\/p>\n 1~Abso I ute i rredeemab Ie money. As soon as Congress passes the necessary laws, this bi II wi II be receivable for all debts, and the Government wi II immediately use it to payoff a II bonds.”<\/p>\n At one si de is pri nted the f ina I f ling at Ben But ler. I t says: nThe most advanced “thought on the subject of irredeemable paper money advocates that “the expense of printing it should not be imposed upon the Government, nor should its printing be the Government’s exclusive right. The People’s Money should not be a government monopoly. It should be issued by each individual person himself. It is confidently believed that rvJr. Butler wi II soon adopt, if he has not already adopted, this noble view.tT<\/p>\n Year: 1957<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Read the script for “Little Talks” program #328, broadcast on January 20, 1957<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[761,35296],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7708"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7708\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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