APPENDIX B.

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The following account of the fire in Boston, in the year 1711, was written by the Rev. Dr. Cotton Mather.

"Beginning about seven o'clock in the evening, and finishing before two in the morning, the night between the second and third of October, 1711, a terrible fire laid the heart of Boston, the metropolis of New-English America, in ashes. The occasion of the fire is said to have been by the carelessness of a sottish woman, who suffered a flame, which took the oakum, the picking whereof was her business, to gain too far before it could be mastered. It was not long before it reduced Cornhill into miserable ruins, and it made its impressions into King-Street and Queen-Street, and a great part of Pudding-lane was also lost, before the violence of it could be conquered. Among these ruins, there were two spacious edifices, which until now, made a most considerable figure, because of the public relation to our greatest solemnities in which they had stood from the days of our fathers. The one was the town-house; the other the old meeting-house. The number of houses, and some of them very capacious buildings, which went into the fire, with these, is computed near about a hundred; and the families, which inhabited these houses, cannot but be very many more. It being also a place of much trade, and filled with well-furnished shops of goods, not a little of the wealth of the town was now consumed. But that which very much added to the horror of the dismal night, was the tragical death of many poor men who were killed by the blowing up of houses, or by venturing too far into the fire, for the rescue of what its fierce jaws were ready to prey upon. Of these the bones of seven or eight are thought to be found; and it is feared there may be some strangers, belonging to vessels, besides these, thus buried, of whose unhappy circumstances we are not yet apprised; and others have since died of their wounds. Thus the town of Boston, just going to get beyond four score years of age, and conflicting with much labour and

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sorrow, is, a very vital and valuable part of it, soon cut off and flown away."

In the single number of the attempted newspaper, dated Boston, Sept. 25, 1690, is an account of a fire in that city which may properly be introduced here if it were only for its record of the destruction of the best printing press in the country; but the disastrous conflagration which has occurred while these pages are passing through the press, and the remarkable preservation once more of the South Meeting House, add a special interest to it.-H.

"Altho' Boston did a few weeks ago meet with a Disaster by Fire, which consumed about twenty Houses near the Mill Creek, yet about midnight, between the sixteenth and seventeenth of this Instant, another Fire broke forth near the South Meeting-House, which consumed about five or six houses, and had almost carried the Meetinghouse itself, one of the fairest Edifices in the Country, if God had not remarkably assisted the Endeavors of the People to put out the fire. There were two more considerable Circumstances in the Calamities of this Fire; one was that a young man belonging to the House where the Fire began unhappily perished in the Flames; it seems that tho' he might sooner awake than some others who did escape yet he some way lost those Wits that should have taught him to help himself. Another was that the best furnished PRINTING PRESS of

those few that we know of in America was lost a loss not presently to be repaired."

APPENDIX C.

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As this was the first skirmish between printers of newspapers in this country, I will give the following particulars respecting it, which are extracted from the News-Letter and the Gazette. William Brooker, who succeeded Campbell in the post office, had, in an advertisement, mentioned his appointment; and that Campbell was removed from office; this gave offence to Campbell, who endeavored to make it appear that he was not removed. Brooker then published, in No. 4 of the Gazette, the following, to substantiate what he had asserted respecting Campbell. It was inserted in a large type and filled nearly one half of the Gazette.

Post Office, January 11th, 1719. "The good Manners and Caution that has been observed in writing this Paper, 'twas hoped would have prevented any occasion for Controversies of this kind: But finding a very particular Advertisement published by Mr. Campbell in his Boston News-Letter of the 4th Currant, lays me under an absolute Necessity of giving the following Answer thereunto. Mr Campbell begins in saying, The Nameless Author Intimating as if the not mentioning the Author's Name was a fault; But if he will look over the Papers wrote in England (such as the London Gazette, Post-Man, and other Papers of Reputation) he will find their Authors so. As this part of his Advertisement is not very material, I shall say no more thereon; but proceed to Matters of more Moment. Mr. Campbell seems somewhat displeased that the Author says he was removed from being Post-Master. I do hereby declare I was the Person that wrote the said Preamble, as he calls it; and think I could not have given his being turn'd out a softer Epithet. And to convince him (and all Mankind) that it was so, I shall give the following Demonstrations of it. Many Months before John Hamilton, Esq; Deputy Post-Master General of North America displaced the said Mr. Campbell, he received Letters from the Secretary to the Right Honourable the Post-Master General of Great Britain, &c., that there had been several Complaints made against him, and

therefore the removal of him from being Post-Master was thought necessary. Mr. Hamilton for some time delayed it, till on the 13th of September 1718, he appointed me to succeed him, with the same Salary and other just Allowances, according to the Establishment of the Office; and if Mr. Campbell had any other, they were both unjust and unwarrantable, and he ought not to mention them. As soon as I was put into possession of the Office, Mr. Hamilton wrote a Letter to the Right Honourable the Post-Master General, acquainting them he had removed Mr. Campbell and appointed me in his room Mr. Campbell goes on; saying, I was superceded by Mr. Musgrave from England. To make him appear also mistaken in this Point; Mr. Hamilton not displacing him as soon as was expected, the Right Honourable the Post-Master General appointed Mr. Philip Musgrave by their Deputation dated June 27, 1718, to be their Deputy Post-Master of Boston; and in a Letter brought by him from the Right Honourable the Post-Master General to John Hamilton Esq; mention is made, that for the many Complaints that were made against Mr. Campbell, they had thought it fit to remove him, and appoint Mr. Musgrave in his stead, who was nominated Post-Master of Boston almost three months before I succeeded Mr Campbell, which has obliged me to make it appear that he was either removed, turned out, displaced, or superceded Twice. The last thing I am to speak to is, Mr. Campbell says, It is amiss to represent, that People remote have been prevented from having the News-Paper. I do pray he will again read over my Introduction, and then he will find there is no words there advanced, that will admit of such an Interpretation. There is nothing herein contained but what is unquestionably True; therefore I shall take my leave of him, wishing him all desireable Success in his agreeable News-Letter, assuring him I have neither Capacity nor Inclination, to answer any more of his like Advertise

ments.

"William Brooker."

To the foregoing Campbell made this answer in the News-Letter of Jan. 18, 1719-20, viz.

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Perhaps a long Reply may be expected from the Publisher of this Intelligence to the Introductions of his Successor's News, espe

cially No. 4, the first Page whereof is almost filled with unjust Reflections, unworthy either of his trouble to Answer, or the Candid unprejudiced Readers to hear; who only affirms he was not turn'd out, but resigned voluntarily in December, 1717, two years before their first News Paper, and continued nine Months afterward, till the 13th of September, 1718, Fifteen Months before their first News, when the Deputy Post-Master General had provided another."

No. 6, of Bos. Gaz. contains Brooker's reply, which is as follows,

Since against plain matter of Fact, Mr. Campbell has charged me a second time with unjust Reflections, unworthy either his Trouble to answer, or the Unprejudiced Reader to hear, I do again Affirm he was turn'd out, notwithstanding his pretended Resignation: And I hope he will not oblige me (against my Inclination) to say Things which perhaps may be a greater Reflection on his Candour, and to his Ears, then to the Unprejudiced Reader's.

William Brooker."