annum. This was the fourth newspaper in the English language established at Philadelphia, and the first with four columns to a page, in the colonies. The second and third years it was printed in quarto, and the fourth year again ir folio. It was ably edited-having the celebrated Joseph Galloway, Esq. and Thomas Wharton, Esq. as secret partners. It gained great circulation. It became at last too tory in its bias to stand the times. It continued till February, 1773.

The Pennsylvania Packet, or the General Advertiser.

This was issued from the press, in November, 1771, by John Dunlap, once a week. In 1783, he sold out to D. C. Claypole, who printed it 3 times a week, for about a year, and afterwards, daily, making it the first daily paper in all the United States.

Mr. Claypole having been enriched by its publication, sold out his right to the present Zachariah Poulson, by whom it is now continued in very great patronage, under the name of the "American Daily Advertiser."

Of this paper, we have a few words of special notice. It is more properly municipal and domestic than any other which we know. It seems composed to suit the family hearth and fire-side comforts of good and sober citizens, never flaunting in the gaudy glare of party allurements; never stained with the ribaldry and virulence of party recrimination. It is patriarchal,-looking alike to the wants and benefits of all our citizens, as common children of the same city family. It is, in short, a paper like the good old times from which it has descended, and like the people of the former days, its present most numerous readers, it carries with it something grave, discriminative, useful, and considerate.

The Pennsylvania Ledger, and Weekly Advertiser.

This Ledger was first published January 28, 1775, by James Humphreys, jun. at 10 shillings a year. He started to act impartially, but after the British got possession of the city, it was turned to their interest. The last number was published May 23, 1778.

The Pennsylvania Evening Post,

Was first published Jan. 24, 1775, by Benjamin Towne, in 4to, three times a week; price 3 shillings per quarter. This was the third evening paper in the colonies. It continued to be published till the year 1782.

Story and Humphrey's Pennsylvania Mercury, and Universal
Advertiser.

The Mercury came before the public in April, 1775, and was published weekly, on Fridays, on a demy sheet, folio, with home-made types. It was short-lived, for the whole establishment was destroyed by fire in December, 1775.

The German Newspapers printed previously to the

were these:

As early as May, 1743, a German newspaper was started in Philadel phia, by Joseph Crellius, entitled the "High Dutch Pennsylvania Journal."

By an advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette, of September, 1751, I find there was at that time "A Dutch and English Gazette, in both languages, adapted to those who incline to learn either.-Price 5 shillings per annum."

Another German paper was established about the year 1759, by Miller and Weiss, conveyancers, the former ones being discontinued. It was printed for them about two years by Gotthan Armbruster.

Anthony Armbruster, in 1762, began a new German paper, which he published weekly for several years.

H. Miller's German newspaper was began in 1762; and for some time there were two German and two English newspapers publishing in the city.

Der Wochentliche Philadelphische Staatsbothe.

This newspaper was first published in the German language in 1762, by Henry Miller, weekly-afterwards twice a week, on demy size. In 1768, the title was changed to "Pennsylvanische Staatsbothe," i. e. the Pennsylvania Post Boy. It thus continued until May, 1779, when the paper ended.

A public Journal was printed at Germantown, in the German language, as early as the summer of 1739, by Christopher Sower. Its name, Englished, read-The Pennsylvania German Recorder of Events. In 1744, it was continued by C. Sower, jun. under the name of the Germantauner Zeitung; this continued till the year of the war of 1777.

It results from the foregoing notices of our newspapers, (the facts being chiefly derived from Thomas' History of Printing,) that fifty years ago there were only three newspapers published in the city, viz.-two in English and one in German. In contrast with the present numerous Sentinels, watching the public weal, and their own, how diminutive the two weekly affairs of that day ap pear! At the present day the greatest innovation in these "folios and maps of busy life," which meet the eye, as a change for the worse, are the numerous wood-cut signs hung out from the columner lines, like signs from their street-posts, and like them interrupting and disfiguring the whole perspective view. It is an inconsiderate as well as annoying display; for in the very nature of things it ceases to arrest attention whenever it becomes so commen as to be like a wooden block set at every man's door.

OLDEN TIME

AFFECTIONS & RESEARCHES,

"I'll note 'em in my book of memory."

IN writing these memorials of the times by-gone, I have often felt the suggestion pressed upon my mind, whether I am indeed pursuing inquiries and preserving facts which will have the sympathies and countenance of others, or am I so peculiar, as to be only amusing myself. I have thought the contemplation of time past, has something inherently attractive; not indeed in the notice of our personal waste of years, when sufficiently old to see our sun declining, but in the recollections of the exhilarating sunshine beams of our youth. Not that, when the past was the present, we were all satisfied with our situations and ourselves, but that vexations have been forgotten in the lapse of years, and we remember pleasures alone; as in looking back on the landscape we have passed over, the rude hills become softened by distance, and the cliffs that were so difficult to surmount, seem dissolving in the purple sky. For this reason, the recollections of childhood are so captivating to every unperverted mind, though to him whose soul is stained with crimes, they are fraught with pain and remorse.

The causes which operated to induce me to form the present museum of incidents of "men and manners" once, are curious even to myself. The resolution to execute them, was only a passion of a few years; but the love to such objects in general, was as early as my childhood, and has indeed "grown with my growth, and strengthened with my strength." I may now say, I feel gratified that my mind has been thus led to chronicle incidents. Many of them ought to be preserved as the eventful facts of a land peculiarly favoured of Heaven, and as destined, perchance, to future renown. We should not forget these things; and the record of them, in such manner as I have adopted, should be deemed a generous service to all those, who, with grateful hearts, love to consider the causes of their blessings. Piety and patriotism, equally cherish such sentiments.

I have had frequent occasions to lament that these kind of inquiries were not instituted sooner, even by myself; they might have been advantageously begun much earlier, by still older persons.

In now recollecting the aged of my early days, of whom I might have inquired, how many are remembered from whom nothing was attempted! To illustrate these ideas, what a treasure might Dr. Franklin have imparted of all he had seen or knew, from the years 1723 to 1790, when he died! He was remarkably qualified to have given us the materials for such a history as I have attempted in these pages. He must have been familiar with the traditions of the primitive settlers; must have seen many who saw Penn, &c. But his mind appears never to have been drawn to the consideration of their value to us, their posterity. The truth is, very few minds are so abstracted from the daily concerns of life, as to perceive that the things which at any given moment every man knows, may, thereafter, become highly interesting. Another reason may be, that Franklin never saw, at any particular period, any such astonishing improvements, as, since his death, every where arrest attention. Colonial things were too uniform and tame to arouse the mind. All things, in his day, were regularly progressive, gliding to its end with the smoothness of a stream. But if a person of my inquiring mind had had opportunities of drawing from such an observing mind as Franklin's, what a fund of entertainment and information could have been derived for posterity!

For reasons like the above, I, who am but middle-aged, am better qualified to ask various questions which would never occur to the mind of much older men. To me, the field was all new and unexplored, and therefore, with the eagerness of a child which asks questions about every thing, I felt constantly awake to inquiries on topics which would not affect the minds of old persons; things in which they had long ceased to be curious. Owing to this faculty of the mind, the most interesting travels, like Silliman's, are those which record every new thing which most surprises or pleases it. Then such a writer must speak feelingly enough for those who, like himself, have never seen what he so discovers to them. And even to those who have, he refreshes their memories in a way most grateful.

It is probably 17 or 18 years ago, that I desired to see some such work as the present, effected. Not thinking to attempt it myself, I suggested some such scheme to a friend. It met the approbation of the late Mr. Delaplaine, who set upon it with great ardour. My ideas were expressed in the form of a prospectus, which procured a subscription list, it was said, of 4000 subscribers, before the book was even written. With such a patronage, there was a defect of labour or enterprise in procuring the materials, and Dr. Mease was resorted to as composuist, to bring out something to answer the claims of the subscribers. It received the name of "The Picture of Philadelphia,"-but how far like my present result, the reader must judge. The doctor has managed his materials unexceptionably; but the defect was, that he had not the proper staple to weave into his fabric. Had he succeeded better in what were my aims, I

should never have made this attempt; but untouched as my scheme had been, I have made at last, though thus late, my own efforts, although subject to the disadvantage of residing six miles from the city, about which my inquiries and observations are employed,and being withal, fettered with daily official duties, and cares of paramount consideration. From reasons like these, those who know me best, will be readiest to excuse imperfections, whether of style or selection, and critics, if they deign to notice such labours, did they know the irregular hours and intervals in which fragments of time were seized for the purpose, might rather wonder it has been so well, than that it should have been so illy executed. To judge be yond this, may savour of ill-nature,

which taught them still to say,

Whate'er was done, might have been better done!"

To such, I need only say,-"What is writ, is writ,—would it were worthier."

Many of my selections of local facts were abstracted from a very great mass of court papers, and had to be hunted out among files of petitions, recognizances, special presentments for assaults, batteries, felonies, tippling and disorderly houses, &c. being the usual accompaniments of "Quarter Sessions," as is well known to those in any degree acquainted with the criminal docket. Most probably, such a search they have not before had, since packed away as the lumber of office, and such another, I presume, they will never have again! Some local notices may appear too trivial for notice: but who knows what future discoveries may be made, in digging into some of the former "fillings up?" as, for instance, the late discovery of sub-terrene logs, in Chesnut street, by Hudson's alley, (the remains of the old bridge, &c.) which no living persons could explain from memory! If a jewel, or some pieces of coin, (as may occur !) should hereafter be dug out of some of the "breaches" of Front street, (afterwards filled up) some of the foregoing facts may tend to elucidate the cause of their deposit there. As Boswell said, in an apology for his minute mention of the "oak cudgel,”—it was because it might afterwards become the hero of a good tale, in the hands of so interesting a character as Johnson! Johnson's Rambler, too, justly remarks, "nor can it be always safely determined, which should be rejected or retained; for they may sometimes unexpectedly contribute to the illustration of history, and to the knowledge of the natural commodities of the country, or of the genius and customs of its inhabitants."

Poulson's paper of March 6, 1821, contains an article by me, entitled "Old Times" of 1769, &c. It requests others to communicate similar facts. I thus tried to set others at this kind of service, and to exempt myself;-but none heeded my counsel,-and