MY FIRST NEWSPAPER 



his right hand, grunted his assent. So long as he had 

 his pipe in his mouth, and a stick of tobacco to cut up 

 when the pipe was empty, he was quite happy and 

 would never talk. 



It was arranged that the paper was to come out in 

 three weeks' time ; so leaflets were printed announcing 

 the fact, and I sent them all over the town and to 

 various friends up-country. There were several con- 

 gratulatory replies — letters which I now wish I had 

 kept, as the only congratulations I received were 

 before the publication of this historic journal. I 

 burned the midnight oil writing everything which 

 could be thought of. I praised everyone and every- 

 thing — I thought that would mean two or three 

 thousand copies at all events. In two days the printers 

 had plenty of copy to go on with. To race about and 

 get advertisements was the next thing; these came 

 in most encouragingly. Be it understood that I was a 

 very young man, but felt full of hope and courage and, 

 I think I may add, resourcefulness. After the evening 

 meal I looked in at the printing office, smoking my 

 pipe by the oil lamps, and talking to the partner 

 comps. I sent out for a couple of quarts of colonial 

 ale — it was extremely good in Hobart — and I kept 

 the big partner going with a superior tobacco to that 

 which he was smoking. 



It was an exciting moment when I had the " galley " 

 proof of my first article. Was it the light or what was 

 it ? Something was wrong. I could read the top 

 half better than the middle. Perhaps the lamp was 

 faulty. At any rate, I could not decipher the bottom 

 of the proof at all. I took it closer to the lamp and 

 found that it was set in three different types. On my 

 suggesting that this was curious, I was informed that 

 their fount of long primer had run out, and they had 



52 



