EARLY HISTORY OF OTAGO.

Evening Star, Issue 6808, 23 January 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

EARLY HISTORY OF OTAGO.

No. VIII. Although the ' Otago Journal' can lay claim to having been the first periodical conneutcil with the settlement, still, as it was an Edinburgh publication, and almost oliicial in it-j character, it may be passed over with the single remark that its columns were filled chiefly by extracts from letters of tho earlier settlers to friends .it Home, all of which are highly interesting. I pass on to note tliose which were published on the spot, and are conveniently filled with more genuine information. As stated in a previous paper, the first newspaper printed and published iu Duneclm was tho ' Otago News,' issued on December 13, 18' IS, about ten mouths, after the date of arrival of the first party of settlers. The printer, publisher, and proprietor of the * News' was Mr H. B. Graham, who arrived in one of tho early vessels, bringing all tho necessary plantjwith him. Mr Graham was not in good health on his arrival, and his life here was a short one, as he died at his residence near Port Chalmers on February 28, ISSI, having only survived his paper about two months. He was deeply lamented by his relatives and friends. An able and and fearless writer, and possessing a considerable knowledge of his profession as a journalist, as his little paper,brought out and carried on under considerable difficulty and iu peculiar circumstances, amply tcstilics. A reprint of the leading article in tho first number of the ' News' will give a good idea of the man, his views, and the times : " There's pippins and cheese to come. "It is a well-known fact, founded on past experience, that no pew colony can become of any importance in the universal eye without a public organ like the Press, whose iron-tongue.l mouth may be heard uttering its wants, its benefits, its abuses, its hopes and fears thousands of miles away, and stirring up the hearts t>f men to justice and to act truthfully at Home and abroad. This was one reason we had for establishing the ' Otago J,"ew».' Many others might be named, but the most prominent besides was that we expected benefit from its production ourselves. Selfish it may appear to own it, but should we bo believed if we stated otherwise—that we merely worked and toiled pro bono publico, looking for no reward ourselves ? No; but whilst we acknowledge this, let it be remembered we have the public good ever before our eyes, and this truth we hope will appear in the present and future numbers of our paper. Our columns will embrace every topic of interest connected with the Colony, discussed and commented on with fairness and impartiality. Totally disavowing all party spirit—a narrow-minded bigotry —we are I equally free to expose injustice, and to give our mite of encouragement where encouragement is due. "Correspondence upon auy and every subject of importance to the town and neighborhood of Dunediu will bo gladly accepted and admitted within our columns, but all letters of a personal character will be omitted, believing as we do that a newspaper is not a fitting vehicle for personal invective and satire, creating ill-will and animosity between parties who should live in concord and peace with each other. Public measures are public property ; but the spirit of Christianity and goodwill demand that tho private actions of all men be between themselves and their consciences. It is on this gronnd that we take our stand ; and we hope never to deviate from the plan we have thus marked out for our guidance. " We have also great faith in the future progress of mankind, and we look upon the Press as the great instrument to be used in the moral regeneration of the world. Through it 3 ititluencc we look for 'a good time coming,' when the laborer will be worthy of his hire, and the wealthy and great will go hand in hand with all that is good and noble ; when the poor man, rich in intellect, will find his poverty no bar to bis advancement in society, and the hidden treasures of many a mind will yield up it 3 store to the public good and receive a commensurate reward from the world it has benefited. " To hasten this delightful period will be onr pleasing duty, and we call upon every friend of humanity to join and help us, that we may root out all the bad prejudices and party feelings of the Old World, and inculcate a nobler and better spirit amongst all classes of tho community. The soil may prove ungrateful at first, and our endeavor meet with disappointment; but never despair ; the world is opening a new page of her history; old things are passing away ; and however slow may be our progress at present—however humble our lot or lowly our fare—let us persevere and wc shall find a realisation of the motto .ve hive chosen in the prosperity, mind and body, of those around us."

The ' News' had a sliort and chequered career, bidding farewell to its existence on the issue ot its 91st number on 21st December, 1850. It would have ceased publication at an earlier date had not some friends cotric forward with subscriptions and assisted the proprietor out of his difficulties. One reason given for its unpopularity with the majority was that it took a partial and party view of muiiand thing?. J t wune to grief by stranding on the rooks winch it professed to avoid. The settlement was not, however, long without a newspaper, as on F< b uary 8, ISSI, the ' Witness' was published under a stronger proprietory and editorial start'. It tuok a widely-different view of things generally from that of its predecessor. The objects of the proprietors were announced to be : In the first place, to supply the settlers with the means of advertising and with news from Home and other quarters carefully selected and adapted to the demands of an intelligent public; and, secondly, to circulate such Kceurate statistics and solid information in regard to the state and progress of the settlement as should be useful to the settlers themselves, and of abounding interest to their friends and wcllwishers in the Old Country. Their view as to the position, when there is but one newspaper, was that the principles professed were too great to be entrusted to the guardianship of one man, and therefore they would be placed in the hands of a committee, responsible to themselves and to the public for giving fair effect to the prospectus. Mr Cuttcn was manager and Mr John 15. Todd the printer and publisher. For a time it appears to have been fair sailing, but from want of continued support the ' Witness,' too noirly came to grief. Personal and private matters having been admitted to its columns, to the exclusion of advertisements anil all other matter, some of the largest subscribers threatened to withdraw their support unless the promises of the prospectus were ful tilled. A meeting of the proprietors was held in June, 1851, when it was reaolvod that all such letters as were of a personal nature should be inserted as advertisements only. The proprietory consisted of sixteen shares, held by Messrs John Jones, K. M'Glashan, W. 11. Cuttcn, J. Hyde Harris, Johnston, Macandrew, and XV. 11. Reynolds. These gentlemen, about the end of lSo'2, presented their shares as a gift to Mr Cutten, who thus became sole propiietor and editor. The difficulties attending the issue of a newspaper in those early days may be judged from a few facts. At the commencement of its career, and for the first six months, the issue was once a fortnight, afterwards it became weekly; but its regular appearance was frequently interfered with—it one time for want of paper, at another by the sickness of one of the printers, or too much other work on hand. Sometimes it appeared in one size of sheet, and sometimes in another ; the color, too, varied considerably from white to a pale green or yellow tint. Then a scarcity of news would drive the editor wild ; or at times lie would have to publish an apology for making remarks regarding individuals from mistaken opinions or false information, which sometimes occurs even in later days. A very close and fast friendship existed for a considerable time between Mr Cutten and Mr Macandrew; but whilst attending a meeting of the General Assembly at Auckland a rupture occurcd, which was of a very serious character—so much so that the latter gentlemen determined to start au opposition paper in Dimtdin ; and having, in furtherance of this design made arrangements with Mr W. Lariibert at Auckland, on the 26th December, ISSIJ the 'Otago Colonist' made its first appearance, and very bitter and determined was the strife that at times raged between the rivals on questions that now-

adava would hardly bo considered worth fighting for. In no measured terms each spoke of tho other much to the annoyanco and disgust of some, and to the amazement and delight of others. Hard hits were «iven, it mattered little whethei above or below the belt, but both survived the conflict and, as might be expected, as age cooled the ardor of the combatants, tho attacks were milder and fewer, so that when the golden days dawned in 1861, strength waslcft the ' Colonist' and the ' Witness' to appear as dai'ie ne on its own account, and the other by amalgamations, M'L