Page:History of American Journalism.djvu/84

 riends.

Wilson, like other colonial printers, had the same "hard-luck tale" to record in his paper. In 1802, shortly after the New Cas- tle County election, he announced to his friends and patrons that he would spend the day at Captain Caleb Bennett's Tav- ern, in New Castle, where he " would wait with his account- books open," hoping that all subscribers will call on him and inquire after the condition of his purse which was affected by a lingering consumptive complaint. The lingering complaint evi- dently proved fatal, for publication was suspended on August 22, 1806.

GAZETTES IN GEORGIA

For thirty years, after Georgia was founded, the colony de- pended for its news upon the papers of South Carolina, and its merchants were forced to advertise their goods in Charleston papers. On April 7, 1763, however, the first number of The Georgia Gazette was issued at Savannah by James Johnson at his printing-office on Broughton Street. On November 21, 1765, it suspended publication on account of the Stamp Act, but was revived again on May 21, 1766, and lasted as late as February 7, 1776, possibly a little longer.

The second paper is not to be confused with the first, although it bore a somewhat similar title. It was called The Royal Georgia Gazette and was started in Savannah on January 21, 1781, by John D. Hammerer and survived until well along in 1782. From 1781 the paper was published by James Johnson a fact which has caused some confusion because he was the founder of the first paper.

On January 31, 1783, Johnson started The Gazette of the State of Georgia the third Gazette with which he was connected. He later shortened the name to The Georgia Gazette, the name of his first-born paper. Under this title the paper long continued to be published save for a temporary suspension on account of the great Savannah fire in 1796.

Such, in brief, was the history of the journalism enterprises in Georgia until the colonies secured their independence.