STATEN ISLAND JOURNALISM. 113 



thing which emanates from a partisan paper, so it is evident that it 

 must finally become a burden, not an aid." 



Editor Hagadorn, of the Mirror, was a genuine patriot, and we 

 find him censuring the people of the Island for not celebrating the 

 "Glorious Fourth." He boldly calls them "a generation of vipers 

 and hypocrites," because they refused to honor the memoiy of 

 Washington and his compeers. An advertisement also appeared for 

 "a travelling agent for this paper in the township of Westfield, to 

 engage in the business of procuring subscribers and superintending 

 the delivery in that quarter of the Island ; one who will find security 

 to the amount of few hundred dollars, and also attend to the collec- 

 tion of moneys, will be able to secure a steady and profitable employ- 

 ment." The following item appeared in the issue, of August 20th, 

 1837: 



"Richmond Village. — A new street has lately been opened in this 

 village, on which seven pretty little houses have been created. These, 

 in addition to the new Court House, give quite a business appearance 

 to the place. 'Who'd have thought it?' Till lately Richmond had 

 been a by- word for inanity." 



At New Brighton "everything was teeming with life and bustle." 

 The editor lectures the Supervisors on account of the condition of 

 old Richmond road. Probably his comments will be appreciated at 

 the present day : 



" * '■• " :: " This is a matter of some importance, gentlemen, and 

 should be so treated. The old road has become warped into its 

 present state by neglect of ages ; like an old, untutored mind, it has 

 followed the inclinations of passion and lawless folly — it has left the 

 sterling paths of probity and truth, and rambled through the mazes 

 of romance and adventure, prompted, it would seem, by nothing but 

 the bent of idle curiosity. So Ave find it — and all the mild persuasions 

 and even the examples of the brave old fences, will afi'ect nothing 

 against the prejudices of age; forcible means must be called into 

 action. The gullies of recklessness must be ploughed up. The 

 rocks of stubbornness must be blasted, and the small stones and 

 weeds of folly must be uprooted. The channels, where the stagnant 

 pools of inanity have planted themselves, must be upturned, and the 

 mud and filth of their sediments must be exposed, in lieu of the golden 

 surface* which now glitter to allure." 



