The "A Magazine Is Born: The Saturday Evening Post - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just turned the page on my magazine and saw one of the very first editions of The Saturday Evening Post which was dated Saturday, October 15, 1864.  Had an etching in the upper half of the broadsheet that featured "Fashion in 1764 and The Sedan Chair" which can be found in the October 15, 1864 issue on page 8. Yesterday I wrote of the start of The Saturday Evening Post on August 4, 1821 which makes the magazine 200 years old this year.  The following stories are some of the best and perhaps most historical as well as interesting that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post over its lifetime.  Check out the following and see how many of the stories you may remember.  I picked the rest of my story today from the short stories or articles that were printed in the early The Saturday Evening Post magazines which were part of my latest issue of The Saturday Evening Post that I opened today.  Perhaps you may recognize some of the stories as I did. 

August 25, 1821: NAPOLEON'S DEATH - The passing of the ex-emperor lasted in the whole, six weeks.  During the latter days of his illness he frequently conversed with his medial attendants on its nature, of which he seemed to be perfectly aware.  

Napoleon 

As he found his end approaching, he was dressed, at his request, in his uniform of Field Marshal with the boots and spurs, and placed on a camp bed, on which he was accustomed to sleep when in health.  In this dress he is said to have expired.  Though Bonaparte is supposed to have suffered much, his dissolution was so calm and serene that not a sigh escaped him or an intimation to the bystanders that it was so near.

June 28, 1823:  America Dresses Up - Americans had come a long way from the days when their Puritan forebears regarded all personal adornment and vanity as an invitation to sin.  Women should not confine their attention to their public appearance.  They should accustom themselves to an habitual neatness, so that in the most careless undress, in their most unguarded hours, they may have no reason to be ashamed of their appearance.  They will not easily believe how much men consider their dress as expressive of their characters; vanity, levity, slovenliness, folly, appear through it.  An elegant simplicity is an equal proof of taste and of delicacy.

July 8, 1826: John Adam's Final Toast - Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had become enemies in the early years of the Republic, but late in life, they began corresponding again and reunited in the friendship they had known in revolutionary days.  On the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, they were also united in death.  A gentleman arrived from the Eastward, last evening, informs that the venerable John Adams died at his seat at Quincy, near Boston, on the fourth of July, about 5 o"clock p.m., but a few hour after the sage of Monticello!  United in the grand political concerns of life, thus in death they are not divided.  In the forenoon, a guest asked him for a sentiment to be delivered at table.  He said, "I will give you 'Independence forever.'"  This was delivered within an hour of his dissolution.

April 16, 1836:  THE ALAMO - Readers learned the gruesome details of the violent battle in this breaking news story.  Horrible Butchery, Highly Important from Texas ... On the 6th March, about midnight, the Alamo was assaulted by he whole force of he Mexican army, commanded by (Gen. Antonio López de) Santa Anna in person.  The battle was desperate until daylight, when only 7 men belonging to the Texan Garrison were found alive, who cried for quarters, but were told that there was no mercy for them - they then continued fighting until the whole were butchered.  Gen. (Jim) Bowie was murdered in his bed sick and helpless.  (The Mexican) General Cos, on entering the fort, ordered the servant of Col. Travis to point out the body of his master.  (When) he did so, Cos drew his sword and mangled the face and limbs with the malignant felling of a Comanche savage.

July 28, 1838:  The Coronation of Queen Victoria - Of great interest to Americans, the event was covered in detail.  From an early hour, indeed long before daylight, numbers of persons were to be seen gathering into little knots in the immediate vicinity of Buckingham Palace.  Soon after half past nine, detachments of the Blues and the Life Guards arrived opposite the entrance gate of the palace, and their appearance was  quickly followed by that of twelve of Her Majesty's dress carriages together with the state coach.  At a very early hour a work of perfect supererogation was performed, namely the watering of the roads, for that was quite enough of rain to prevent the least inconvenience from dust.  In about an hour after leaving Buckingham Palace, her Majesty arrived at the west entrance of the Abbey, and was received by the great officers of state. ... Archbishop of Canterbury then administered the oath. ... The Archbishop then placed the crown on her Majesty's head, and the peeresses put on their coronets, the bishops their caps, and the king-of-arms their crowns.  The shouts which followed this part of the ceremony was really tumultuous.

June 25, 1849:  THE GOLD RUSH - Americans were captivated by tales of life in California as soon as gold was found.  Truth, it is sometimes said, is stranger than fiction.  About a year ago, a young man failed in his business, and after he assigned his property, his assets fell short of his debts by about $90,000.  He sailed for California before any news had reached here of the wonderful gold discoveries of that region.  He took out with him a small invoice of goods, and the machinery for one or two sawmills.  This cargo was lost in a shipwreck, but he escaped with his life, arriving in San Francisco with $10 to his name.  He immediately opened a negotiation with an old settler for a fine tract of 24 square miles of the best timber land in that vicinity, with several sawmills upon it.  He finally bought it for $60,000 on credit.  Soon after the purchase, the gold fever began.  The consequence was that lumber rose to an enormous price, and the sawmills of our penniless but enterprising adventurer soon began to coin gold for him much faster than the most favored of the gold diggers could find it.  Nothing but some unforeseen contingency can prevent him from speedily becoming the richest man in California.

March 14, 1857:  The Dred Scott Decision - Outrage over this controversial Supreme Court case would fuel the abolitionist movement.  The opinion of the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case was delivered at Washington on March 6th, by Chief  Justice Taney.  The court has decided that negroes, whether slaves of free, that is, men the African race, are not citizens of the United States by the Constitution.

April 22, 1865: LINCOLN"S ASSASSINATION - A remarkably detailed report of the President's demise reached readers at what was then lightening speed - a mere week after the incident occurred.  President Lincoln and his wife this evening visited Ford's Theatre to witness the performance of Our American Cousin.  The theatre was densely crowded and everybody seemed delighted with the scene before them.  During the third act, and while there was a temporary pause for one of the actors to enter, the sharp report of a pistol was heard, which merely attracted attention, but suggested nothing serious, until a man rushed to the front of the President's box waving a long dagger in his right hand and exclaiming, "Sic Semper Tyrannis!" and immediately leaped from the box, which was of the second tier, to the stage beneath, and ran across to the opposite side, thus making his escape, amid the bewilderment of the audience, from the rear of the theatre, and mounting a horse, fled.  The screams of Mrs. Lincoln first disclosed the fact to the audience that the President had been shot, then all present rose to their feet, rushing toward the stage, many exclaiming, "Hang him! hang him!"  The excitement was one of the wildest possible descriptions, and there was of course the Presidential box, where cries were heard, "Stand back!" "Give him air!" "Has anyone stimulants?"  On a hasty examination, it was found that the President had been shot through the head above and back of the temporal bone, and that some of the brain was oozing out.  He was removed to the private house opposite to the theatre, and the Surgeon General of the Army and other surgeons were sent for to attend to his condition.  A military guard was placed in front of the private residence to which the President had been conveyed.  An immense crowd gathered in front of it, all deeply anxious to learn his condition of the President.  It had been previously announced that the wound was mortal, but all hoped otherwise.  It is now ascertained with reasonable certainly that J. Wilkes Booth was the one who shot the President.  The military authorities have dispatched patrols in every direction, in order, if possible, to arrest the assassin, while the Metropolitan Police are alike vigilant for the same purpose.

Assassination of President Lincoln

December 30, 1899: THE ARRIVAL OF THE AUTOMOBILE - Even though a relatively new invention at the turn of the century, it was clear that the motorcar would soon change everything.  The present trolley system is only temporary.  The era of the automobile means a revolution in city and suburban transportation.  It is not a speculation or a promise, but something close at hand.  Every day we see more of them on the streets; every day they come within the reach of the people.  Then as the thoroughfares are better paved, we can look forward to the time when the track will be removed from the streets, and when we shall glide along comfortably and cheaply on rubber tires.

Early car from late 1800s

The previous ten stories or articles were taken from The Saturday Evening Post magazines of the past.  All were written and originally published in the nineteenth century.  My latest The Saturday Evening Post, which came yesterday, had all of these stories, as well as many more, reprinted from original magazines or broadsheets.  So interesting to read and think back to the time when they actually happened.  Many of the stories in the magazine didn't reach it's readers for some time since the publication was not a daily publication.  Hope you enjoyed the stories.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.