F/xr 
 
NOV t/^^^V 
 
 [Fiom UlUn Tlciahl. Oi'tiil)et>Si*, ISSO.] 
 
 o-Xi^ HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 
 
 The Colonial Newspaper Press 
 Described by Colonel Stone- 
 
 A Communication from President Roberts 
 —The Steuben Monument — New- 
 Members Elected — The Address. 
 
 hi 'Oc 
 
 tbi 'Oneida 
 held in the 
 Htfn. C. W. 
 
 1^ cA' 
 
 The fmonlhly meeting of 
 county historical society was 
 library building last evening. 
 Hutchinson, first vice president, presided. 
 
 After the reading of the minutes, General 
 Dariins, ibe corresponding secretary, re- 
 ported a loug list of gilts to the society. 
 
 A CO.MMIXHATIOX l-liciM THE I'RESIDEXT. 
 
 The following was read: 
 
 Office 01' AssLST .IX r TuEASUJiiiK, U.S., i 
 New Youk City, d tbber 1. ) 
 General C. W. D.irlinf, coiresponding secre- 
 tary Oneida histor cal society, Utica, N. Y.; 
 My Dear General — The Oneida historical so- 
 ciety has treated me witb favor much beyond 
 my deserts, while ir. has commanded mv best 
 efforts for its prosperity and growth. It has 
 rendered valuable service to our country, to the 
 whole Mohawk valley and to our great com- 
 monwealth, and it has a broad work before it 
 in preserving our local memorials, and giving 
 form' and subsiance to the history of the laud 
 of the Iroquois. To Ibe eNtent of my ability I 
 will ask the privilege of laboring in and for the 
 society for the advancement of its high and 
 worthy objects. But I beg that at the coming an- 
 nual election another may be chosen to fill the 
 ofBce of president. 
 
 During the past eigbleen months duties else- 
 where have deprived me of the pleasure of at- 
 tendance at the meetings, and continued ab- 
 sence from the city will prolong that depriva- 
 tion. With a deep sense of the honor of the 
 position, and cordial thanks to the society, I 
 will ask to pass over the office at the close of 
 the year to a successor who wil! have more 
 ability and leisure to perform its tasks, but can 
 not have more zeal or hiebei' purpose in behalf 
 of the organization. Very truly yours, 
 
 Ei.i.i> II. Roberts. 
 The coramiinicalion was received and 
 Dlaced on file. 
 
 TBE NEXT .MKETIXC. 
 
 Rev. O. W. rsigelow of the committee on 
 addresses reported that at the next meetioj. 
 on Monday, Nov. 24, Hon. I), IC. Waser 
 (d Rome would read a paper on "The life 
 of Colonel jiarinus Wilhtl before taking 
 command of Fort Slanwi.v." fie will at a 
 subsequent meeting complete the narrative. 
 
 „ , A , 
 
 The paoers are the result of much re- 
 search, and will present interesting and val- 
 uable information. 
 
 Mtr.JinEUS ELECTED -VND PROPOSED. 
 
 The following were elected; Life mem- 
 bers, Hon. C. W. Hutchinson; Thomas 
 Jenkins, Piilsburg, Pa.; cc responding 
 members. Colonel A. S. Hubbard, San 
 Francisco; Charles K. Alerion, Waterloo; 
 Rev. Calfb D. Rradlee and Rev. George 
 Ellis, Boston; Frank B. Guy, Hartford, 
 Ct. ; Rev. Charles H. Walker, Chittenango; 
 Hon, John W. Yrooman, Herkimer; resi- 
 dent membeis. Arttnir iSl. Beardsley, Isaac 
 N. Maynard, David Foster, George Coven- 
 try, Kdward D. Ma' hews. 
 
 The following were proposed. For cor- 
 responding members, Elias Vosseller, libra- 
 rian historical society of Hunterdon coun- 
 ty, N. J.; T. Frank Waters, corresponding 
 secretary of the Ipswich historicalsociety, 
 Ipswich, Mass.; resident members. Dr. 
 Theodore H. Bradish, Louis Lombard. 
 
 THE STEIIJEN .MONl'MENT. 
 
 Rev. Daniel Ballou of the special com- 
 mittee on the preservation of the Steuben 
 monument reported as follows: 
 
 /our committee appointed to see what dam- 
 age has been done to the Steuben monument 
 and to recommend what measures .should be 
 taken to prevent vandalism' respectfully re- 
 port: 
 
 First, That after repeated efforts, it was 
 found practically impossible to select a day 
 when a committee of five, representing a 
 teacher, a lawyer, a physician, a printer and a 
 clergyman, could visit the historic sepulcber. 
 
 It was finally agreed that two of your com- 
 mittee should eo on the 5:55 a. m. train, Thurs- 
 day, October 16. 
 
 Your committee was represented at that 
 hour by its chairman, his associate. Dr. Tetit, 
 being detained by a professional call. 
 
 Having arransed for a conveyance fiom 
 Remsen to the Steuben monument and certain 
 of the trustees of the Second Baptist society, 
 who have the grounds and monument in charge, 
 bavins agr el to meet a committee of this so- 
 cietj' on that morning, the chairman proceeded 
 on bis mission, and in company with John G. 
 (irifliths and .John W. Pritchard, representing 
 the Second Baptist congregation, a somewhat 
 critical exammation of the monument and 
 the grounds surrounding was made. 
 
 The Steuben monument is practhally in the 
 center of a five acre lot of mountain land, 
 which is enclosed with a fence of barbed wire, 
 save a short distance on the south side, where 
 a board fence is maintained. With the excep- 
 tion of a small space immediately surrounding ; 
 the monument, and the roadway leading to it, 
 we saw no evidence of the woodman's as or 
 that cattle have been upon the grounds. 
 
 In order to convey as clearly as possible the 
 location on the monument of the vandalism, 
 it appears neoe-sary to briefly describe the 
 structure. 
 
 The first five or six feet above the foundation 
 
e dnDe in rouKb asblcr. upon which reals tlie 
 plinth or platform of cut stoni', perhaps .«ix 
 inches in thi kness. The corners ot this stone 
 are soaicH hat injured by having been broken, 
 and pieces perhaps of the size o( a butt '-rnut 
 and smaller, have been remored, leaving a 
 racBed ondition. 
 
 The column rcstine upon aud rising above, 
 viewed from the ti Tih, bears no marks nor in- 
 juries. I pon thi- cast side is the emblem of a 
 crowu. the seven spires of which terminate in 
 small i;lobeaor balls. Five of these have been 
 broken off. 
 
 The south side b?ars tue name "John Kar- 
 len, O lober 11, IS-i'.i,'' in painted letters and 
 fipuris, perhaps two inches in length. 
 
 Excepting the mutilated corners the west 
 side is tininjurej, save that the cannon ball 
 forming the ape.\ of the pyramid, which rests 
 upon the base of the monument, has been 
 loosened and thrown upon the ground. 
 
 Your representative des-res also to slate that 
 he was cordially received and assisted by 
 Messrs. (irilli hs and I'ritchard, who cheerfully 
 agreed to co-operate with this society in any 
 measures calculated to protect the nionument 
 and grounds, except that they could not bear 
 any linandal expense, since the condition of 
 the society they represent will warrant no more 
 outlay than the inuiiilaming of the fence and 
 general supervision reipiircs. 
 
 .Section 04T of the penal c.ide declar s that 
 a person w hr>. not being the owner thereof and 
 without lawful authority, willfully injures, dis- 
 figures, removes or destroys a gravestone, work 
 of art, etc., is uuilty oi' a misdemeanor; and 
 section 15 ot the iicnul code declares that a 
 person convicted o[ tins crime is punishable by 
 imprisonment in a penitentiary or county jail 
 for not more than one year, or by a line "t not 
 more than $5(p0. or by both. 
 
 In view of the fact that twenty years have 
 passed, and so little injury has been done, all 
 the members of the committee which have 
 Iteen consulteii— save .Mr. 8 hrciher, who be- 
 lieves an iron fence eiglit feet high desirable- 
 agree in recoinmendiutf thai notices specifying 
 the penalty of the law be duly painted and 
 posted at the int ranee to the grove, and in two 
 or three conspicuous places near the monument. 
 
 -Messrs. (irillitlis an 1 Pritchard said that in 
 their opinion this would be snlTicieu , and that 
 thev would post such notices, when furnished. 
 «especlfullv submitted. 1). Bailoii, 1'. < . .1 
 KeAnjelis, Charles H. TetTt. 
 
 Mr. Ballou also reported that uo inten- 
 tional vandalism seemed to have been com 
 uiilled. The Trenton limestone, ct which 
 the monument i-> built, yields easily to the 
 weather, and lie accounted for the deface- 
 «iient by that fact. 
 
 The conimiiiee was autbori^.ed to secure 
 the signs recommended. 
 
 lion. William M While of the buiidint' 
 committee reported thai the building on 
 J)eveieux street could lie purtliased for 
 :}; 12.0011 or $i:i,Ol)0. 
 
 Edward 0( onu ir. who has kept the silc 
 of Fort i^chuyler in order, was tendered a 
 Tote of thanks. 
 
 Tbe meeiine was then adjourned to Li- 
 brary hall, where Colon ■! William L. .Stone 
 of New .Jersey delivered an address on 
 "The C\ilonial Newspaper Press of Boston 
 and New York." 
 
 > oi.0M;|. STiiSI.'.- .MlDI'.Kss. 
 
 Fol owintj is an abstract of Colonel 
 Stone's address: 
 
 To deliver a lecture on the newspaper 
 press without first paying our respects to 
 the devil and Dr. Faust would be consider- 
 ed not only a violation of all precedent but 
 — as regards those dislinguisbed individ- 
 uals — a po«i ive breach of good minners. 
 They have so loni: been associated together 
 not only in popular tradition but in books, 
 that the greater part of the reading world 
 seems to think that ihey were the original 
 pariuers i i the republic of letters. Indeed, 
 the opinion is even yet (;uite prevalent that 
 the iicvil has been a silent partner, tho' not 
 a sleeping one, in every lewspaper estab- 
 lishment sinct. The proposition to this ex- 
 tent is certainly inadmis-ibic, and yet from, 
 the moral condition of a large portion of 
 :hc press it must be confessed, there is a 
 sliong (iresumptive evidence that in ths un- 
 happy inlluences exercised by the pcrsonaze 
 referred to over the alTairs of men. he is not 
 altogether neglectful of tbe press Be this 
 as it may. an engine of such great impor- 
 tance in the daily alTairs of life — its ener- 
 gies are of such tremendous power, either 
 for good or evil, that 1 believe a few mo- 
 raenis can be profiiably spent this evening 
 in glancing at its rise and early progress in 
 two of the American colonies during tbe per- 
 iod preceding the revolution. 
 
 Tiie honor of setting up the first printing 
 press in tlie .\tuerican colonies belongs to 
 ;>las3achnseils. Onlylfi years had elapsed 
 from the Ian liug ol the Pilgrims at I'lym- 
 outh before a prtss was in operation in C»m- 
 liridge. then as populous as Boston. The 
 project of establishing a press in tbe new- 
 world was conceived, and almost executed 
 by Hcv. Isaic (ilover, a dissenting 
 clergyman in Kngliind. who had interested 
 himself largely in planting the colony, and 
 a portion of whose 'a oily was already in 
 America .Mr (ilover raised tho means of 
 purchasing bis press, types and other ueces- 
 sary apparatus by contributions in Kngland 
 and Hollaad With these he embarked for 
 America in l(53s, but died a few days be- 
 fore his -hip reached the shore. The press 
 was established at Cambridge, and there it 
 remained for tiO years, and Id years before 
 a i^reas was established in another colony. 
 
 Having thus Introduced his subject and 
 referred to its beginning, Colonel Stone 
 gave an accura'.e historical review of Ibc 
 early days of the colonial press, and the 
 publication of the Boston News Letter, tbe 
 first newspaper of America, in .Vpril. i7iil. 
 
"** This paper was printed as a half sbeet of 
 
 'o paper like a large size of foolscap. It was 
 
 5^ continued for 15 years, weekly, without a 
 
 rival on the conliuent, and continually 
 
 C,' languishing for wanl of support lu 1719, 
 the editor made a great effort to enlarge his 
 
 o' publication, and staled in bis prospectus 
 that he found it lo be impossible wiiu a 
 weekly half sheet lo carry on all the public 
 occurrences of Kurope, with those of the 
 American colonies and the West Indie-^. 
 He was then 13 months behind the news, 
 and to obviate the difficulty, he resolved to 
 publish every other week a full sheet of 
 foolscap. lie afterwards announced, as the 
 advantage of this enlargement, that in 
 eight months he was able to hrina down the 
 foreisn news to within five mouths of the 
 date of his publicaiion. 
 
 What a contrast between the newspapers 
 of that day and our own. Then news seven 
 days old from New York to Boston was 
 swift enough for an e.fpress. Now if we 
 can not obtain the news ir<ni Washington 
 in less than the same number of minutes. 
 we growl .ind storm and talk of starting 
 more telegraph companies. 
 
 The growth of ine newspaper in Boston 
 was then described at length down lo the 
 tiup.e of the revolution, with brief menliou of 
 the editors of those early days. The publi- 
 cation of the first New York paper, the 
 Gazette, in 1735, and the New York news- 
 papers and their editors were presented with 
 sevei-al anecdotes, which brought out the 
 characters of the institution and the times 
 distinctly. 
 
 Regarding errro:s of the press, Colonel 
 Stone said; Nothing can be nsore annoying 
 to authors and publishers than errors of the 
 press, and yet those who are unskilled in 
 the art of printing can scarcely conceive 
 the difficulty of avoiding them. To arrive 
 at ordinary accuracy in a daily newspaper, 
 requires the reading and correction of at 
 least two proofs, and even then an editor 
 who has not become case hardened by long 
 practice and endurance, will often be 
 shocked at the transformalioa of sense into 
 nonsense or the murdering of one of his 
 happiest conceiis, or the plucking of the 
 point out of one of his neatest paragraphs 
 by a typographical error. A number of 
 amusing incidents of such errors were told 
 in a happy manner. 
 
 From the establishment, however, of the 
 independence of the country until the 
 present day, there has been no attempt to 
 fetter the press by censors, or by law; 
 while the old English law of libel, which 
 prevailed until the begining of the present 
 century, has been so modified as to allow 
 the truth in all cases to be given in evi- 
 dence. For the attainment of this great 
 end, the country is indebted, uiorc than to 
 all other men, to the early and bosom 
 friend of the late Dr. Nott— to the talent 
 and eloquence of one whose memory, tho' 
 more than .'^O years dead, is as fresh and 
 green as the turf upon his tomb. Need I 
 name the man, who like many others com- 
 menced his brilliant career in a country 
 store — the man nho was first in the breach 
 at Yorktown — whose eloquence secured 
 the adoption of that glorious constitution 
 which his wisdom assisted to frame — whose 
 genius called our national system 
 of finance into existence — and upon 
 whose eloquent lips courts and juries 
 and senates hung — need I -but 1 wiU not 
 pursue the picture. The shude of Hamil- 
 ton has already risen before you. [Ap- 
 plause. J ■"■ The public press of no 
 other country equals that of the United 
 States, either on the score of it-; moral or its 
 intellectual power, or for the exertion of 
 that manly independence of thought and 
 action which oueht ever to characterize 
 the press of a free people. 
 
 The paper of ^Fr Stone exhibited his 
 usual thoro'uess and researcli, and contained 
 many passages of valuable history and fair 
 estimate of men and events. As the son of 
 an eminent New York editor, Mr. Stone in- 
 herits interest in his tiieme. and as himself 
 a historian he possesses the capacity to 
 treat it well. The society is fortunate in 
 having secured such an address from such 
 an eminent source. 
 
 Dr. William H. Watson moved that a 
 vote of thanks be tendered to the speuker. 
 He also spoke of his friendship with 
 Colonel Stone and his family. His refer- 
 ence to the address was cracefully appre- 
 ciative. 
 
 General Darling seconded the motion in a 
 few remarks, and it was unanimously car- 
 ried. 
 
c/Zie 
 
 necaa 
 
 O^U'to'Uca/ (^€€-^el\ 
 
 Ml ^bUca, ^t. W. 
 
 ^<X C^^ : 
 
 ^ 
 
 been vsTought the 
 ies were offered to 
 
 Dear Sir 
 
 The iiim of n, Historical Society is to honor (he meranrial? and associations of the past, because out of it ha 
 results of the present. The lil'e of those who went before us perhaps was difficult and urgent, and fewer facili 
 put on record the story of their work. 
 
 We have a country which has before it such a certain and important future that we have it in trust to prest :re the memory of 
 all the elements which will go to the shaping of that future. This would not be of as much moment if oui present was not so 
 heavily charged with the future of a land whose destinies arc so powerfully to shape those of the world. A ew years from now 
 will give a significance far beyond any present estimate to impulses that having started in the past, are gathc: ing strength in the 
 
 ht for then, which, 
 reciated that many 
 State governments 
 
 present, and will be important elements in the forming of our future. Materials of little value now will be sou<; 
 
 unless sedulously guarded, will be looked for in vain. Sc; thoroughly has this fact been understood and ap[: 
 
 permanent buildings have been erected and endowments made for Historical Societies. In a number of cases th( 
 
 have materially aided the objects of these Societies by an annual appropriation, and by a careful investigatr n made by the late 
 
 Kt. Rev. C. P. Robertson, Bishop of the Diocese of Missouri, and member of the Historical Societies of Missoui i and Virginia; the 
 
 following facts were ascertained: 
 
 In Massachusetts the State Historical Society has its own spacious quarters, and it has issued many volimes of collections, 
 The Maine Historical Society has published its valuable collections, and so has the New Hampshire Histo 
 Vermont Society has put forth numerous transactions, and that of Rhode Island has given to its members, and 
 highly prized historical material. The New Haven Historical Society has given to the people of Connecticut 
 
 of colonial records in which the New Haven Colony occupies a very prominent place. The New York Historicf I Society put forth 
 
 ioal Society. The 
 the country, much 
 uany rare volumes 
 
 xture a memorial 
 with the petition a 
 
 the publication of 
 1 fund, a share in 
 property for which 
 ts j5ublished many 
 
 the first of its numerous works in 1811, and in 1814, through its vice president. Gov. Clinton, it sent to the legi ; 
 praying that the perishing records of the State of New Vork might be preserved and published. In compliance 
 competent person was sent abroad to search and copy the papers relating to the colony, which effort resulted in 
 thirteen volumes of colonial records and four volumes of documentary history. The society lias a publicatio 
 which entitles its owner to a copy of all publications. The Long Island Historical Society in Brooklyn has a 
 $1-10,000 was paid, and its library numbers nearly 100,000 volumes. The Historical Society of New Jersey h 
 volumes of its proceedings, and the Pennsylvania Society, which owns it own properly, has a publication fund of §23,000. and has 
 put out a large number of volumes of collections. The Delaware Historical Society has a building of its own, und the Historical 
 Society of Maryland has the Peabody Publication Fund to meet the cost of the numerous publications it issues. The Virginia 
 Historical Society has its quarters in the elegant Westmoreland Building at Richmond, and the Georgia Histor oal Society has had 
 presented to it a fine structure admirably adapted to its needs. The Ohio Historical Society at Columbui issues an excellent 
 quarterlj'. and is recognized as a State institution. The Wisconsin State Historical Society has a library of over 100,000 titles, and 
 it occupies commodious rooms in tlie State House. The Iowa State Historical Society is accorded room in the Slate University, and 
 has a yearly appropriation from the State of §500. The Kansas State Historical Society receives S4,000 a year from the State, and 
 tlie Minnesota Historical Society, like the Oneida Historical Society of New York, occupies rooms in a government building through 
 the courtesy of city officials. 
 
 The untlersigned has now in hand the preparation of a paper in which facts relative to other Historical Societies will be 
 published as soon as they can be ascertained. 
 
 The Oneida Historical Society now stands in the front rank of Historical Societies, and its mission is to cover in its collections 
 and researches the entire territory embraced in the original civil division of Central New York— the county of Tryon, erected in 
 1773, rechristened Montgomery, in contempt of a royal governor, in 1784; divided in 1791 into the Counties of Montgomery, 
 Otsego, Tioga, Ontario and Herkimer, Oneida being erected out of the latter in 1798. Tlie original Tryon County is peculiarly 
 interesting in a historical point of view, for here lived Joseph Brandt who made the Mohawk Valley memorable as the scene of the 
 fiercest and most relentless Indian and Tory massacres. Here also were the frontier forts and castles of the jfrench, the Indians 
 and the English, as well as of the colonists— Fort Bull, Fort Plain, Fort Hill, Fort Hunter, Fort Dayton, Fort Schuyler, Fort 
 Oswego and Fort Brewerton. Here were fought the battles of Oriskany and Saratoga, and here the Western Ililand Lock Naviga- 
 tion Company made the first attempt at artificial water navigation in America. Here was the scene of the roinantic adventure of 
 tlie Castorland Company, and here is the grave and monument of the brave Baron Steuben. Here w:is tested ine of the first rail- 
 roads ever built, and here was organized the first Express Company. Here the telegraph was put to its first practical utility, and 
 here were erected the first cotton factory and the first woolen factory chartered by the State of New York, and here has been the 
 home of more than a due proportion of the statesmen whose life-work is a part of the history of the nation. ' 
 
 The Oneida Historical Society is the proper custodian of the documents, the manuscripts, the relics, the memorials of every 
 kind which relate to this remarkable history, and it remains for this society to faithfully gather and preserve the valuable materials 
 of local history that still remain scattered and are fast disappearing. 
 
 The Oneida Historical Society has in no way done more to preserve and keep alive local history than by thra monuments which 
 it has helped to erect. The beginnings of the city of Utica are defined by the memorial of old Fort Schuyler, and the column at 
 Oriskany teaches for all time the strategic and commercial relations of the valley of the Mohawk to the contiinent, while it gives 
 immortality to the men who withstood the armed host of invasion. The monument to Baron Steuben, due in 
 tion of our German friends at all its stages had the favor of the first president of this society, the late Gov. H' ratio Seymour. 
 
 The story of the maintenance of the Oneida Historical Society is largely the story of the individual cffa ts of a few persons 
 and yet it is well supported by the very best element of society in Utica. 
 
 What it most needs now is a fire-proof building of its own, separate and distinct from other structures, j,. the preservation 
 of the material which has already come into its hands, and which is yet to be received. 
 
 Respectfully yours. 
 
 QmTt^^^Ajtc^. 
 
 Cor. Sec. 
 
I 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 005 797 090 ft ^