A FREAK NEWSPAPER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 257, 25 July 1919, Page 7

A FREAK NEWSPAPER

THE„"GREENOCK NEWS-CLOUT" "UNRELIABLE NEWS" It ie difficult to eay when 'the first newspaper, using the word in its proper sense, was published, for the transition from the occasional broad sheet to a paper published at more or less regular intervals was a gradual one. The forerunners of the newspapers were the news letters written at first by tho dependents of great men, who were employed to keep their masters or patrons informed of all that transpired during the lattors' atanco from Court. This developed into a business, each writer having his own list of customers, and writing as many letters as lie.hud clients. It is generally agreed that the first English newspaper of which we have any authenio account waa the "Weekly News," issued for the iirst time oh May 23,1622, and purporting to givo tho news from Italy, .Germany, etc. ' The oldest existing British newspaper, 'the "London Gazette," first appeared its the "Oxford Gazette," tho Court then residing at the latter town on account of the plague. The first number appeared on-November U, JGfi. , ), but even then it was merely the successor to Hie "Public. Intelligencer," founded in Cromwell's day. With its twenty-fourth number it '■ became the "London Gazette," and under that name it still continues to appear. When the first halfpenny morning piper appeared it was hailed as a. marvel of cheapness, but in this respect it had been anticipated and surpassed as far back as 1679. In thai year Roster L'Es- ■ trange brought out a paper called tho "Domestic Intelligence," which was stated to be publi='»>d ','ratis for Hie promoting of trade. History is silent as to whether the trades that tho '"Intelligence" promoted defrayed the expense, nor are we IoW how lons the benevolent paper managed to survive. In 1695 the first daily paper, "The Postboy," appeared, bat 1 its fourth issue was its Inst, and it was not until 1703 that the first successful daily, "The Daily Courant," saw the light. Eight years later it. was stated that tne combined circulation of tho weekly papers of the country amount e<l to 40,00(1, and it was about tins time that a new paper, appeared with tho extraordinary title of the "Weekly Picquet or Dimton's Ghost." But it was reserved for the "Flying Post," a papor started in 1796, to inako a new ana altogether novel bid for-sup-port. The feature that it. reliod on may bo gathered from the following announcement which appeared in its pages:—"lf any gentleman iias a mind, to oblige his country friend or correspondent with this account 'of pub'lic affairs, he can havo it for twopence on a sheet of fine paper, half of which, being left blank, he may thereon writo his own affairs, or .the rijitional news of the day." ■' This should have made a great hit in those days, but again history is silent as to whether the venture was a successor not.

Printed on Cotton Cloth, But it was reserved for the last century to witness what was-, perhaps, the queerest venture in newspaper history. This was a newspaper printed on cotton instead of paper, and as it was issued on the banks of the Firth of Clyde, it bore the appropriate name of ■ the "Greenock News Clout." There was method in this apparent madness, for in those days., there ,was. a tax on'newspapers unless (hey were issVd at intervals of more than twenty-six days. John Lennox, a native of Dumbarton, who had moved to Greenock, set himself the task of evading the law, but his first attempts ended in failure. He brought ont a weekly paper, changing its name each week of. the month, but-the revenue authorities were down on him, and he was fined ,£IOO. Looking round for another method, he observed that tho Act und.er which the tax was. levied referred to news printed on paper, sheets of paper, etc.; bu.t was silent on the subject of cloth. News printed on cloth, he ■ argued, was therefore exempt, and determined to test his theory he issued the first number of ■ the "News Clout" on February 7, 1849.. Apparently ho was right in his surmise,. for ..though thirty-, five issues-at least of the "News Clout , ', appeared, there is no. record of any-ac-tion being taken against l him. - Needless to say, the late war brought Many papers, chiefly regimental ones, into existence, and some of these .were produced under rather unique circumstances. Few of them, however, had moro difficulties to contend with than those w.hich hampered the production of the "Ladysmith Lyre," a. paper issued in Ladysmith, while that town was besieged during the South African war, Tliero •was more than a slight connection between the name of the paper and its contents, for,' if the writer remembers aright, the first number' declared that one of the first things necessary for a besieged town was a plentiful supply of thoroughly unreliable news. The "Lyre" did its best to supply, that want, and its picturesque account of General Joubert sending a flag of truce to borrow a tall silk hat . to wear at Cronjo's funeral, while a little later messengers came from Cronje on a. similar errand, only this time the hat was required for Joubert's funeral, must have lightened many a weary hour in'the'besieged town. Ireland has had her own freak papers; the 'Tarrotf' and the "Newtownbutler Herald," for example, and their career,' though brief, was by no means uneventful. Like the "Ladyfinith Lyre," they were chiefly remarkable for their unreliable news, though in this respect they would compare favourably with some of the Sinn tein papers 'of the present day.