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NEWS OF MODEEN FLAVOR

Some of the news items published as early as 1747 had a mod- ern flavor. But for the color of the paper and the spelling of the words a second glance for the date-line is almost necessary. When the American colonies were raising men to defend north- ern frontiers against invasions by the French and Indians and were voting appropriations with modern prodigality, there were newspapers which brought charges of graft against the men fur- nishing supplies to the troops. Parker's New-York Gazette and Weekly Post-Boy boldly printed an item which alleged that many of the guns purchased were out-of-date and practically useless, and that the beef for soldiers was more effective than powder because its odor would drive away the enemy. An edi- torial contributor, who had a keen sense of humor, offered the explanation that the guns were supplied by Quakers, who had scruples against the taking of human life, and that the loss on the meat could more easily be borne by the colonies than by the original owners. Veiled attacks were made that favoritism was shown in the selection of men to lead the troops and that incom- petency was common, especially among the British officers sent over to defend the colonies.

NEWS "BOILED DOWN"

The colonial editor was often a master of bis trade in "boiling down" the news: he did not use three columns when three lines would tell the story. The Pennsylvania Gazette on January 7, 1752, saw no "sensational copy" in its item, "We hear that within these few Days, near 400 Five-penny Loaves have been seized among the Bakers of this City, by the Clerk of the Mar- ket, for wanting greatly in their due Weight"; nor did it place any "scare" headline over this one on February 25 of the same year: "Last Week William Kerr (lately mention'd in this Paper) was indicted and convicted at the Mayor's Court, of uttering counterfeit Mill'd Pieces of Eight, knowing them to be such, for which he receiv'd Sentence as follows : To stand in the Pillory one Hour To-morrow, to have his Ear naiPd to the same, and the Part nail'd cut off; and on Saturday next to stand an-