Page:History of American Journalism.djvu/71

Rh The second favorite as a title for a newspaper during the colonial days was The Journal.

William Parks, who had learned his trade in England, was the founder of journalism in two of the colonies. To him belongs the honor of bringing out the first paper not only in Maryland, but also in Virginia. In setting up his press in the former colony in 1726 he had been made "Public Printer to Maryland." One year later he began, on September 19, The Maryland Gazette at Annapolis. As the colony was but sparsely settled at the time he had great difficulty not only in getting subscribers, but also in securing advertisements: at times his paper contained no advertising save the notices inserted by himself about the things for sale in his print-shop. He was, however, more energetic in the matter of attempting to gather the news than many of the pioneer printers, and while visiting England in 1730, he made arrangements "by which upon all Occasions, I shall be furnished with the freshest Intelligence both from thence and other parts of Europe." Finding it financially impossible to continue his paper, Parks discontinued The Gazette in 1731, but on December 8, 1732, he brought out the paper again under the title The Maryland Gazette Revived. Associated with him in the revival of the paper was Edmund Hall, but evidently the partnership lasted only one year, for the imprint of December 28, 1733, showed that William Parks was again the sole proprietor. Some time between March and April of that year, the word Revived was dropped from the title and the paper came out simply as The Maryland Gazette. In December the paper was irregular in appearance and finally was totally discontinued.

Another newspaper with the same title, The Maryland Gazette, was started at Annapolis, January 17, 1745, by Jonas Green, one of the greatest editors of the Colonial Period. Consequently, his account of what he hoped to make The Maryland Gazette may be quoted in full to show what the best publishers of that time wanted their papers to be:—