and was published by John Dunlap and David C. Claypoole, and called the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser. It was continued till the end of the year 1790 without alteration. In January, 1791, its size was enlarged; it was printed with new type, on a super royal sheet, five columns in a page, and published by John Dunlap. In December, 1793, it was again printed and published by John Dunlap & David C. Claypoole. In January, 1796, it is called Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser; and printed by David C. and Septimus Claypoole. In 1799, it is by D. C. Claypoole only, as proprietor; and October 1, 1800, Claypoole sold his right in the paper to Zachariah Poulson; who continued its publication with great reputation.' This was the first daily paper published in the United States. [See forward, under Booksellers, Philadelphia.]

The Pennsylvania Ledger; or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New-Jersey Weekly Advertiser.

This Ledger was first published January 28, 1775. It had a cut of the king's arms in the title. It was printed on a demy sheet, folio, with new types; the workmanship was neat and correct, and it appeared on Saturdays. Imprint, Philadelphia: Printed by James Humphreys, Jun.,

York, for upwards of $2,000. It consists of about 30 pages, in Washington's hand writing. Mr. Claypoole died March 19, 1849, aged 92.— M.

1 Zachariah Poulson was the son of Zacharia, who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, 16th June, 1737. He was the only son of Nicholas Paulsen, a printer, who left his native country to enjoy liberty of conscience. They arrived in Philadelphia in 1749. Zacharia learned printing of Christopher Saur, the noted German printer at Germantown, and married Anna Barbara Stallenberg. He was a man of the most exemplary piety and manners; his "countenance, on which nature had shed its bounty, was ever enhanced and lit up by the evidences of a happy train of mental associations...... His apparel was a light drab, plain cut coat, and breeches in old-time fashion." He died on the 4th of June, 1804,

in Front-Street, at the Corner of Black-horse Alley ;where Subscriptions are taken in for this Paper, at Ten Shillings per Year."

The publisher announced his intention to conduct his paper with political impartiality; and, perhaps, in times more tranquil than those in which it appeared, he might have succeeded in his plan. He had, as has been stated, taken the oath of allegiance to the king of England; he pleaded the obligations of his oath, and refused to bear arms against the British government;1 in consequence of which, he was deemed a tory, and his paper denounced as being under corrupt influence. The impartiality of the Ledger did not comport with the temper of the times; and, in November, 1776, Humphreys was obliged to discontinue it, and leave the city.

A few weeks before the British troops took possession of Philadelphia, in September, 1777, Humphreys returned, remained in the city whilst it was in their possession, and renewed the publication of the Ledger; but, when the royal army evacuated the place, it was again discontinued,

aged 67. It is recorded of him that he had always been esteemed, by those who knew him, for his integrity, for the sincerity and ardor of his friendship, and for his amiable and inoffensive deportment. His remains were borne to the cemetery of the Moravian church by his brethren of the typographic art (Ritter's Hist. Moravian Church, 90, 91). The son, Zachariah junior, mentioned above, was born in Philadelphia, 5th September, 1761. He served his apprenticeship with Joseph Cruikshank, was eminent as a printer, and was for many years elected printer for the senate of the state. On the 1st of October, 1800, he undertook to conduct a daily paper, having purchased Mr. Claypoole's establishment for $10,000. Poulson continued his paper under the title of Poulson's Daily Advertiser, until Dec. 18, 1839, when it was merged in another concern. He died July 31, 1844, aged 83, "being the last link connecting the publishing fraternity with that of the days of Franklin." He had acquired a large fortune by his paper. His portrait is given in The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians. His son, Charles A. Poulson, died Feb. 15, 1866, aged 77. The Philadelphia North American, with which the Advertiser was united, announced in 1867, that it had entered upon its one hundredth year, and was never more prosperous.-M.

'See vol. I, page 263.

and never afterwards revived. Whilst the British remained in Philadelphia, the Ledger was published twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday, market days, and was called The Public Ledger and Market Day Advertiser. The last number was published May 23, 1778, and the British army quitted the city about the middle of the following month.

The Pennsylvania Evening Post,

Was first published January 24, 1775, by Benjamin Towne. It was well printed on half a sheet of crown paper, in quarto, and published three times in a week, viz; on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings; "Price two pennies each paper, or three Shillings the quarter." This was the third evening paper which made its appearance in the colonies; the first was The Boston Evening Post, and the second The New York Evening Post. The Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, member of congress, and some other distinguished personages of thatday, it has been said, furnished the Evening-Post occasionally, with intelligence and essays. Although the printer of the paper had been the agent of Galloway and Wharton, he was on the side of the country until the British army entered the city in 1777. He remained in Philadelphia after that event, and continued the Evening Post under the auspices of the British general, until the city was evacuated. Towne was proscribed by a law of the state of Pennsylvania; he did not, however, leave Philadelphia, but again changed his ground; and, without molestation, continued his paper until 1782, about which time the publication of it terminated. After this he occasionally published handbills, headed "All the News, for two coppers." These were hawked in the streets by himself.1

1 See Towne's Recantation, in vol. 1, Appendix H.

Story and Humphreys's Pennsylvania Mercury and Universal Advertiser.

The Mercury first came before the public, in April, 1775; and was published weekly, on Friday, printed on a demy sheet, folio, with types said to be manufactured in the country. A large cut decorated the title; Britain and America were represented by two figures, facing each other, and in the act of shaking hands; underneath the figures was this motto: "Affection and Interest dictate the Union." Imprint, "Philadelphia; Printed by Story and Humphreys, in Norris's-Alley, near Front-Street, where Subscriptions, (at Ten Shillings per Annum), Advertisements, Articles and Letters of Intelligence, &c. are gratefully received."

The Mercury was short lived. The printing house whence it was issued, and all the printing materials therein contained, were destroyed by fire in December, 1775; and, in consequence of that event, the paper was discontinued.

This was the last attempt to establish a newspaper in the city before the American revolution. At the conclusion of the war another paper by the same title was published by Humphreys, handsomely and correctly executed, and was continued for several years.

GERMAN NEWSPAPERS,

PRINTED IN PHILADELPHIA PREVIOUSLY TO THE YEAR

1775.

A newspaper in the German language was published weekly, in Philadelphia, as early as May, 1743. The printer

of it was Joseph Crellius, who first lived in Market street, but during the year removed to Arch street, where the paper was probably printed and published several years. In November, 1743, Crellius advertised in the Pennsylvania Journal, that he had opened his "Winter Evening German School, and continued to print his Weekly German Newspaper," the title of which, I am informed, was The High Dutch Pennsylvania Journal. I have not been able to procure a copy of this newspaper, but I believe it was the first that was printed in Philadelphia in the German language.

In February, 1748, Godhart Armbruster commenced the publication, once in a fortnight, of a newspaper in the German language. His printing house was then in Race

street.

By an advertisement in The Pennsylvania Gazette of September, 1751, I find there was at that time, "A Dutch and English Gazette, containing the freshest Advices, foreign and domestick, with other entertaining and useful Matters in both Languages, adapted to the Convenience of such as incline to learn either," printed "at the German PrintingOffice, in Arch-street; price five shillings per annum." "At the same place Copper-plate Printing was performed in the best Manner." The title of the newspaper was Die Zeitung. The name of the publisher of this paper is not mentioned; but it is ascertained to have been Godhart Armbruster, who, in 1747, went to Europe. He returned in 1748, and brought with him a copper plate printer by the name of Behm, and a.supply of new German types. This Gazette was probably that which he first published in 1748. It is mentioned in his Almanac for 1749, and was then published weekly, at ten shillings per annum. In 1751 it was printed only once in a fortnight, as at first. A press for the German language had been established in that city, for some years, at the expense of a society in