Newspaper

(nūz'pa-pŭr.) (Lit.) A periodical publication printed and distributed for the circulation of news. In the time of the Roman emperors, periodical notices of pa ing events, having the name of acta diurna (daily events), were compiled and distributed. The first N. published in modern Europe made its appearance at Venice in 1536, but the jealousy of the government would not allow of its being printed, so that, for many years, it was circulated in manuscript! The first English N. which could properly be considered a vehicle of general information was the Public Intelligencer, established by Sir Roger L'Estrange in 1663; it was dropped on the appearance of the London Gazette, the first number of which was published Nov. 7, 1665, at Oxford, where the court was residing in consequence of the plague being then in London. The Boston News Letter, the first number being dated April 24, 1704, was the first newspaper published in America, being a half sheet of paper 12 inches by 8, with two columns on each page. It was published (and probably edited) by John Campbell, postmaster of Boston, a bookseller of Scotch extraction. This journal retained a weekly i ue till 1776. The Boston Gazette appeared Dec. 21, 1719, and, on the next day, was followed by the American Weekly Mercurie,from the printing-office of William Bradford at Philadelphia. On Aug. 18, 1721, the New England Courant was established at Boston by James Franklin, elder brother of Benjamin " of that ilk." Oct. 16, 1725, the William Bradford before mentioned commenced the publication of the New York Gazette, the first journal brought out in that city. From 1754 to 1776, the number of newspapers had increased to 37 throughout the American Colonies, and to 852 in 1828. From that time they have gone on gradually increasing in number and size, as well as in commercial and political importance. The number of newspapers in 1879 in circulation throughout the Union is estimated at nearly 8,000. In 1872, the total annual circulation of newspapers printed in the State of New York was 492,770,868 copies; in Pennsylvania 233,380,532 copies; in Ma achusetts 107,691,952; in Illinois 102,686,204; in Ohio 93,592,448; and in California 45,869,408. [s. 643]