Page:A General Biography of Bengal Celebrities Vol 1.djvu/74

 THE -ORIGIN OF THE HINDOO PATRIOT. 65 " Babu Modhoo Shoodun Roy of Bara Bazar who had a Press at Kalakur Street first conceived the idea of starting a newspaper, and it was from his Press that the Hindob Patriot was first issued in the beginning of the year 1853. The first Editors were the three well-known Drothers of the Ghose family at Simla, viz, BabuS Srinath Ghose, Girish Chunder Ghose, and Khetra Ghundra Ghose. Babn Srinath'Ghose was then head clerk of the Calcutta Collectorate, under Mr. Arthur Grote, who has now retired. They were assisted now and then by Babu Hurish Chunder Mukherjee, a clerk in the Military Auditor General's office (now called the Military Comptroller General's office) on a monthly salary of Rs. 100. After 3 or 4 months, the brothers Ghose gradually severed* fheir connection with the paper, and the entire task of editing thus fell on Hurish Chunder Mookherjee. In those dark days of the pre-University period of English Education in Bengal, the native journalist had uphill work to' perform. He had no constituency to support and cheer him. The European com- munity took no interest in Indian affairs, and native news- papers in English, however ably conducted, were little appre- ciated by the public. There were few in those days who could read English newspapers, and fewer still who could afford to pay for them. Even the' better classes were apt to think, that a paper edited by a native could not be up to the mark. Hence the circulation of the Hindoo Patriot was confined to a' few only, and received very little public support. The location of the office and the press in one of the back lanes of Bara Bazar, moreover stood in the way of its success." * *- * It was about the year 1854 that Babu Modhoo Shoodun became seriously ill and had jto go up- country for a change. The press was therefore sold to a third party, and the Hindu Patfiot was published from Satyagyan Shuncharini Sova's press at Bowani- pur. Hurish Chunder then established a press of his* 9