The "Newspapers From The Past" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching the files of LancasterOnline, reading newspapers from the 1800s.  Since Lancaster Newspapers inventoried and digitized all their newspapers dating back to the late 1700s, I have enjoyed reading the news from different periods in the history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Since I am a subscriber to the print edition of the daily newspaper, I also have the chance to check out the digital issues each day.  And...the digital newspaper is updated several times a day which gives me up-to-date history of my community.  I also have the chance to search their archives which is very interesting.  Looking up relatives from the past, athletic teams I may have played on as a child and young boy and events that influenced myself and the city since the late 1700s.  The original newspapers were mostly 4 pages in length which were set in metal type, by hand, and printed on the Ben Franklin press that is on display in their museum.  

Lancaster Intelligencer from April 11, 1837.  Click on images to enlarge them.

Today I picked out a few dates and began reading some of the news and stories on life in 1837 and 1888.  The story from Tuesday, April 11, 1837 came from the 4-page Lancaster Intelligencer which had an Old English masthead.  A 6-column newspaper which looked to be perhaps 10 point type in order to accommodate the 6 columns.  A bit hard to read, but that may have been because the original paper that they digitized was very light in color due to the ink getting lighter over age.  One of the stories I found on the back page was titled "Man and Wife". I have posted it below so you can attempt to read it for yourself.  A rather unusual story that told about life in Lancaster in 1837.  I really had a hard time believing that it was a real story, but as I searched the rest of the paper, it seems that all the stories were fact and not fiction.  Read for yourself the story which is rather hard to read due to the printing being rather worn.  Remember to click on image to enlarge it.

Story titled MAN AND WIFE

The second newspaper I explored was the Lancaster Intelligencer from Friday, June 15, 1888.  The paper had one more column than the first one I read, but seemed to be easier to read since the type was darker.  Still seemed to be in 10 point type, but it may have been 12 point.  The paper cost 2 cents and had news, advertisements and stories in it much like the other paper I read.  I chose a story from the back page to share with you that was titled, "The Bones Should Be interred".  It is about a new candy factory being built over the site of an old cemetery and finding the human remains of those buried in the graveyard. 

The Lancaster Intelligencer with its logo. 

Read it and see what they did!  Both newspapers had very interesting news articles, but it was the stories that seemed to be a bit more than just news that made reading it much more interesting.  Do we have articles in our newspapers today such as these?  I don't think so unless you live in an area where you get a newspaper only every week or so.  I also realize that many readers don't have the chance to subscribe to a newspaper, and for you...I am truly sorry that you don't have the chance to explore your town and surrounding area by reading about it.  Too many newspapers are finding it not profitable to print a paper anymore and are closing.  So sad to see the history of a city or town not being documented for the sake of history.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "News Desert" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Doing one of favorite things during the day...reading my morning newspaper. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania we have been lucky enough to have had a local newspaper since June 17, 1796 when the first issue of the Intelligencer was published.  

Part of Page 1 from the June 17, 1796 "The Lancaster Journal"

That first issue had stories in it such as: Poet's Corner with a poem titled "Death of a Friend"; a story telling the cost of a year's subscription was to be $2.00; 699 acres of Lands on the South Branch for sale; Deaths in Lancaster; Story on Foreign Intelligence; Drugs and Patent Medicines; Story about Watches and Jewelry; and William P. Atlee, coppersmith and tin worker.  The four-page newspaper is in the Archives of the Lancaster Newspaper.  The original copy has been copied and digitized and thought it is a bit weathered, is still in remarkable shape for a piece of paper that is almost 225 years old.  Since I pay for home delivery of the LNP, I also have access to the online newspaper.  While vacationing away from Lancaster, I can still enjoy the daily news of my home town.  I truly don't know what I would do if I couldn't read my morning newspaper every day.  Steinman Communications in Lancaster publishes more than the LNP LancasterOnline.  It also publishes The Caucus, The Ephrata Review, Lancaster Farming, Lancaster Farming Locator, La Voz and The Lititz Record Express.  I know that it may be unusual to live in an area where I can buy anyone of those newspaper, since that may be rather rare for most areas of the United States.  Most cities in the country had a local newspaper to read; most on a daily basis.  But then along came December of 1974.  That was the date that the Internet happened.  As recent as 1992 the total circulation of U.S. daily newspapers topped 60 million.  But, by 2018, despite 25 years of population growth, newspaper circulation had fallen to less than half that number.  How sad!  I know...many read online versions of local newspapers as well as perhaps the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Washington Post.  But, local newspapers are really in trouble financially.  An online ad costs less than its print edition which has led to the decline of many print edition newspapers.  And, without a print edition, many newspapers are closing.  It has all led to a depressing new term, "News Desert."  Of the 3,143 counties in the United States, more than 2,000 have no daily newspaper.  For some, that is no big deal.  But, news deserts create a civic danger, since information vacuums diminish the pubic's ability to hold elected officials and business leaders accountable.  Yeah, you can go online, but most sites are either conservative or liberal, just as news on television is presented. Seems that  everybody online or on television has a megaphone to yell their news to you.   Fox News tells it one way while MSNBC tells it another way.  Each sounds totally different, even though it is the same news.  Too many people "know" too many things that simply aren't true.  Everyone on TV or Online has a megaphone, and nobody has a clue.  And, it is drawing our country further and further apart!  We need to begin to once again get the news from something that folds rather than scrolls.  We need to get back to reading the newspaper.  Yeah they aren't perfect either, but they don't argue with you such as those telling the news on TV.  There aren't constant updates that lead you astray from the important items in our world.  A newspaper can only  update the news the next day!  It better be right due to that fact!  The newspaper is therefore a more rational way to consume the news.  There is no "share" button and "comment" thread to hit and type away to express your view.  You actually have to read and reason what you have just read which was written by hopefully responsible writers with no personal option to share with the world.  Those reporters are assigned to the "Opinion" or "Editorial" page of the paper.  Yeah, sometimes you get a rather biased reporter, but they don't last long in print.  It is now time to rediscover the local newspaper before it is too late to revive the publishing industry and our own social sanity.  We need more that TV chaos to bring our country back together once again, and I believe the newspaper can do that.  I hope you do, also!  Go buy a local newspaper and help save the world!   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Postscript:  What you have just read was my version of an article I read on the "Opinion" page of The Centre County Gazette, the local newspaper of State College, Pennsylvania.  My friend Sue, who lives in State College, sent me the newspaper story and said I may want to give my two cents about the content of the article. So, I've actually given you my dime's worth!  The original story was written by Gina Barreca of "The Hartford Courant." Thank you Gina for an enlightening article.

The "Fishing Around For A Good Laugh!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just came back from the grocery store known as Stauffer's of Kissel Hill which is between the town of Lititz and city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  A full-service grocery store, which my wife and I enjoy visiting weekly to purchase home-made items we can't find in other stores.  Though we don't purchase many items, it gives my wife, Carol, and myself a chance to get out and mingle and talk with the neighbors.  Carol used to comment about how my parents would go one day to this store and the next day to another store and the following day to yet another store.  She would tell me she hopes we don't act like that when we get old.  Guess what?   Sound familiar to those over 65, retired and reading this?  

Well, why I really enjoy going to Stuaffer's is to pick up the latest copy of the free publication known as "The Fishwrapper."  The publication is a 16 page, 8 1/2"x11" newspaper printed on nice white paper which is published bi-weekly.  They tell you that their objective is to bring positive news, inspirational articles and information everyone can use.  It got's it name from a practice done long ago when folks wrapped their fish in newspaper and the term caught on and became a slant at the newspaper itself.  One reason I enjoy it is that it is printed in 12 point type, and at times 14 pt. type which makes it easy to read.  Poetry, jokes, comics, puzzles, brain twisters, words-of-wisdom and plenty of advertisements accompany the half-dozen inspirational stories in the newspaper.  Takes about half-an-hour to read every page!  I have never before written about the paper, but today that will change after reading a 1/4 page story called "Chair Philosophy." Just have to share it with you to see if you think it to be as hilarious as I did.  So, here goes...in about the same size it was published...

An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one-question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics.  The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on his desk, and wrote on the board: "Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."  Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in curious fashion.  Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair.  One member to the class, however, was up and finished in less than a minute.  Weeks later when the grades were posted, the rest of the group wondered how he could have gotten an "A" when he had barely written anything at all.  His answer consisted of two words: "What Chair?"

I read it to my wife and her comment was...that's something you would have written.  My response to her was...Thank You!  I rest my case.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Lancaster Newspapers Names New Executive Editor!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  On the front page of the morning newspaper was a familiar face looking back at me...with the words EXECUTIVE EDITOR under his name.  Guy by the name of Tom Murse  was just elevated to the position of executive editor of the LNP/LancasterOnline.  Even though I was familiar with Tom's face, I didn't know him as well as I did his dad and brother.  It was back in the mid-1980s that I first met, or should I say, cursed out, Tom's younger brother Jeff.  Jeff was playing for an opposing team in Little League baseball against my youngest son Tad's team.  I was the coach of the team and when, in the bottom of the last inning of a crucial game, left-hander Jeff came to bat with the game tied.  I looked at my co-manager Wayne and wondered if I should have my pitcher walk him.  Then I reasoned, this isn't the World Series.  This isn't the game of a lifetime.  Let the kid bat.  He's only 9 years old for God's sake.  Should have walked him!  He took a mighty swing and hit the ball further than I probably could have.  Hit it close to 250 feet down the right field line.  My right fielder was reaching the ball when he crossed the plate.  We lost when we didn't score in the bottom of the inning.  Certain plays you witness in your lifetime as a coach never leave forget, and this was one of them.  The following year Wayne and I had the privilege of coaching the 11-12 year old traveling team and one of our first choices in the draft of boys was Jeff Murse.  Over the years he was the force that led us to 6 straight Lancaster County Championship games in different age groups.  And what's neat is his dad helped with the team in each of those years.  Tom was one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet.  He never once questioned how we used his son or where we played him in the field.  Of course, he was one of the best pitchers in the league.  I got to know Tom over the next six years and found he ran a press for Lancaster Newspapers.  He even allowed me visit with him one time so I could see for myself how the press operated.  Great guy with a great family.  

Tom Murse (Lancaster Newspapers)

And now his oldest son Tom, a journalist with 22 years of experience as a reporter and editor, from one of the best families in the county, has been given the responsi- bility of executive editor of the entire newspaper.  He had been a managing editor since 2014 and the digital editor the past few years, but he is now totally in charge of the LNP paper as well as The Caucus, LNP Media Groups award-winning investigative newspaper, which is based in Pennsylvania's capitol of Harrisburg.  The article tells of Tom as a child and watching his dad arrive home after a day of running the newspaper on the press.  In one hand was a crisp, folded newspaper while in the other hand was the ink-blotched lunch pail he carried to work with him every day.  Tom marveled at the idea that at the instant the ink hit paper, those pages conveyed information and ideas that would immediately become the shared knowledge of an entire community.  Everything from the births to the deaths was news, some joyful while others depressing.  And...this is what Tom will continue to do today, just as it has been done for the past 225 years in Lancaster.  It had been reported that most local newspapers would die in the next five years...but, young Tom, as a reporter and editor, proved the Lancaster community loves its news.  Hey, I can hardly wait to get up each morning and head to the foot of my driveway to get my morning newspaper.  Tom tells that change is constant and we will adapt while we get better.  In this article he assured his readers that the reporters, editors, artists and photographers will continue to put out the finest, most comprehensive and impartial news report in the community.  And, I have no doubt, coming from the family that he does, that he will do an excellent job as the Executive Editor of the Lancaster Newspaper.  The task is large, but the new administrator is passionate about his job.  I feel safe knowing my newspaper will be with me 'til the end.  My end...not the newspaper's end!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.