He returned to Newport as soon as that town was evacuated, and reestablished his press.1

This paper, when first published, had a large cut of the figure of Mercury in its title. Hall exchanged it for a small king's arms. Southwick enlarged the king's arms, and added to the title: "Containing the freshest advices," &c. His printing house was "in Queen Street, near the Middle of the Parade."

Southwick continued the Mercury on the respectable ground on which it was placed by Hall; and, during the contest for the independence of our country, he conducted it with firmness and patriotic zeal. Southwick's successors have continued the Mercury to this time (1810). It is the fourth oldest paper now published in the United States.2

1 It is stated (Hist. Mag., rv, 37), that the British plundered his office of £200. Another report (Newport Mercury, Sept. 12, 1858), states that before leaving the island, Southwick buried his press and types in the garden in the rear of the old Kilburn House, in Broad street; that a tory, having knowledge of the fact, gave the enemy information, and they were dug up, and used by the British during their stay, and that copies of a paper published by them are preserved in the Redwod Library.— M.

Henry Barber, who published the Mercury in 1780, learned printing of Southwick. The family emigrated from England, and settled in Westerly, R. I. He died Sept. 11, 1800, and was succeeded by his sons, William and John H.; they were finally succeeded by William Lee Barber, the son of John H., who died Dec. 27, 1850, aged 25, and the paper, which had been published by them almost uninterruptedly during seventy years, passed out of the family. It is still continued, and is the oldest paper in the country except the New Hampshire Gazette, which is two years its senior See vol. 1, pp. 199-201.-M.

The following item is clipped from the Boston Daily Advertiser of Nov. 15, 1872: "The Newport Mercury was sold to-day to John P. Sanborn, who for two years past has been the editor of the Daily News of this city. F. A. Pratt, the former owner of the Mercury, has been connected with it for thirty years, and from its columns has reaped a profitable harvest with which he will retire from the journalistic field. It is rumored that the day is not far distant when the Mercury will be issued as a morning daily."- II.

PROVIDENCE.

The Providence Gazette, and Country Journal.

Containing the fresheft Advices, both Foreign and Domestick.

This was the only newspaper printed in Providence before 1775. It was first published October 20, 1762, by William Goddard, on a sheet of crown size, folio; a cut of the king's arms decorated the title. It was printed every Saturday, from types of english and long primer. Imprint, "Providence: Printed by William Goddard, at the Printing-Office near the Great Bridge, where Subscriptions, Advertisements and Letters of Intelligence, &c., are received for this Paper; and where all Manner of printing Work is performed with care and Expedition."

The Gazette was discontinued from May 11, to August 24, 1765. On that day a paper was published, headed Vox Populi, Vox Dei. A Providence Gazette Extraordinary, Printed by S. and W. Goddard." After this it was, till January, 1767, "Printed by Sarah Goddard and Co." It then appeared with this imprint: "Printed (in the Absence of William Goddard) by Sarah Goddard & Co." short time after this, it was published by Sarah Goddard and John Carter.

In a

In 1769, William and Sarah Goddard resigned their right in the Gazette to John Carter, who has published it from that time to the present (1810).

This paper zealously defended the rights of the colonies before the revolution, ably supported the cause of the country during the war, and has weekly diffused federal republican principles since the establishment of independ

ence.

The Gazette has, from time to time, been supplied

by various writers, with many well composed political, moral and entertaining essays. Its weekly collection of intelligence is judiciously selected, and it was correctly and regularly printed more than forty years by its respectable publisher, John Carter.

[See Newburyport, Philadelphia, Baltimore.]

CONNECTICUT.

Newspapers were not printed in this colony until 1755, and till this period there had been but one printing house established in Connecticut.

The war with the French at this time, in which the British colonies were deeply interested, increased the demand for public journals, and occasioned the publication of one in Connecticut. Before the commencement of the revolutionary war, four newspapers were published in this colony.

NEW HAVEN.

The Connecticut Gazette.

Containing the freshest Advices, Foreign and Domestick. This paper made its appearance January 1, 1755. It was printed on a half sheet of foolscap, in quarto; but occasionally on a whole sheet of pot, folio, by James Parker & Company; and was published weekly, on Friday. John Holt was the editor, and the junior partner of the firm; he conducted the Journal till 1760, when he removed to New York, and Thomas Green was employed by the company to conduct the Gazette.

By the establishment of postriders to the seat of the war at the northward, and to several parts of the colony, the Gazette had, for that time, a considerable circulation. The

publication was continued by Parker & Company till 1764, when it was for a short time suspended, but afterwards revived by Benjamin Mecom.

Mecom continued the Gazette, and added a cut to the title one which he had used in the title page of The New England Magazine, published by him three or four months in Boston. The device was a hand clasping a bunch of flowers. He afterwards exchanged this for another, which represented a globe placed on the head of a seraph, an eagle with extended wings lighting with one claw on the globe, holding in the other a book encircled by a glory; from the book was suspended a pair of dividers. Motto, "Honor Virtute Paratur." Another motto, extending the whole width of the page, was added after the title, viz: "Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Imprint, "Printed by Benjamin Mecom, at the Post-Office in New-Haven." There were two columns in a page of this paper, which was printed from long primer and pica types.

Holt, and Mecom his successor, appear to have been attentive in making selections for the Gazette, which was Sometimes supplied with original essays on various subjects. It was discontinued in 1767.

The Connecticut Journal and New-Haven Post-Boy.

This paper was first published in October, 1767, soon after the Gazette was discontinued. It was printed on a pot sheet, folio, three columns in a page; types, long primer and pica. A cut of a postman on horseback, copied from The Boston Post-Boy, but badly engraved, divided the title. It was published weekly, on Friday. Imprint, generally, "Printed by Thomas and Samuel Green, near the College." Some years after, the title was Connecticut Journal