Page:History of American Journalism.djvu/47



The issue on March 7, 1728, published the following item about Campbell's death:

On Monday Evening last the 4th Currant at 8 a-Clock, died, John Campbell, Esq; Aged 75 years, former Post Master in the Place, Pub- lisher of the Boston News-Letter, for many years, and One of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Suffolk.

Such a notice does scant justice to the man who founded the first regular newspaper in the British colonies of North Amer- ica. Because so little has been written about the service he ren- dered American journalism something more should be said than that he was simply editor " for many years " of The Boston News- Letter.

CAMPBELL AND HIS PAPER

John Campbell was of Scotch ancestry, coming to Boston about the year 1692. He was a son of Duncan Campbell. His brother, also Duncan, was a bookseller and was at one time postmaster of Boston. In fact, John Campbell succeeded his brother in that office.

It is seen from the material between the lines of his News- Letter that John Campbell was practical and purposeful. No useless words appeared in his announcement of the first issue no promises of what the publisher intended to do. No adver- tisement costing over five shillings was to be inserted. That he did not enlarge on matter is proved in the copy of March 18 to 25, 1706, "On Thursday night last, Sampson Waters, a Young man went well to Bed, and was found dead next morn- ing." Nothing more!

Campbell was a man who could wax indignant over dishon- esty. This fact is shown in his editorial in The News-Letter of July 24 to 31, 1704, in regard to the arrest of a band of counter- feiters and the seizure of their plate and press. He also made many telling comments on immorality and profaneness (Octo- ber 30 to November 6, 1704). In the issue of August 6 to 13, 1705, he concludes an obituary notice of a suicide with, "She was esteemed to be a Person of a Pious and Sober Conversa- tion: And we hope the Inserting of such an awful P