The Peterborough Examiner e-edition

Several editors tried to make a go of The Register

Part 2 of a look at the village’s long-running newspaper

JEFF DORNAN NORWOODNEWS@NEXICOM.NET

The written word in itself has been around for millennia. However, the origins of what we could call a newspaper are a bit ambiguous. Some historians believe there is evidence to suggest a written informational sheet of some sort was produced during the building of the great pyramids in ancient Egypt nearly 5,000 ago.

In Ancient Rome around 59 BC, citizens concerned about public affairs could read the “Acta Diurna,” translated as the “Daily Acts.” This was a daily gazette of sorts featuring official public notices and information. It was carved on stones or metal and placed like a message board in public places.

The invention of the printing press with movable type by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450 changed things considerably by creating the ability to produce multiple copies relatively quickly.

What we would recognize as the precursors of the modern newspaper originated in Europe, a German-language weekly paper called “Relation, a Collection of all Distinguished and Commemorable News” was printed from 1605 onwards by Johann Carolus in Strasbourg.

All of these events needed to occur for Capt. Thomas Burke to be able to pull the first copy of our village paper, The Register, from his press in 1870. As mentioned last week, in 1884 he sold his paper to John A. Harper, who was, like Burke, a former Peterborough Examiner journalist. Harper’s first order of business was to modernize The Register’s printing process. The original Washington Hand Press used by Burke was pushed to the corner and a new Wharfdale Cylinder Press was installed. The Register’s new press was at the time the largest in the county, including the press that produced the Examiner.

According to one report, the new equipment was “an expression of the cherished ambitions of its young proprietor to make The Register a county paper.”

Harper was indeed young when he took over The Register; he had just turned 19 when he assumed the responsibility and perhaps it was his youth and ambition that helped to carry the paper through those formidable years.

Politics has always been a popular topic for newspapers, although in the late 1800s, support for parties could be fanatical at times (even by today’s standards) and maintaining an independent and neutral paper would not have been an easy task. (Harper himself was apparently a steadfast conservative.)

In later years, Harper spoke about his time as owner and publisher of The Register quite fondly; however, he noted he seemed to be constantly in a state of alarm due to the political environment, “lest I tread on the toes of my politically supersensitive readers.”

He went on to mention that politics of the time were “introduced in connection with the most trivial affairs.” In one particular case, the location of a culvert turned into several weeks of arguing between Grits and Tory interests. Harper did have a few incidents over the years where his editorials apparently offended someone and he was even threatened with some “exaggerated legal action” if he did not retract his story. It would seem some things never change. (Cooler heads did prevail and Harper did not retract the story and there is no record of him ever being sued.)

Harper stayed at The Register for about eight years until October 1892 when he sold it to E.T. Adair. At one time, Adair was a proofreader at The Empire in Toronto before it merged with The Mail. At the time he purchased The Register, he had just left his job at the The New York Herald. Compared to New York, life in the village of Norwood would be considered snail paced. Adair either could not adjust to the slower pace of life in the village or perhaps was just in need of a good rest, whatever the reason his time as editor lasted a little over six months for in the spring of 1893 he sold The Register to R.L. McCally.

McCally, from Norwich, Ont., had a good reputation as an excellent writer and an upstanding citizen, but his background did not give him the experience needed to be an efficient or practical printer. His original occupation was an office clerk and bookkeeper and he unfortunately soon found ins and outs of running a newspaper more than he wanted to, or was willing to, handle.

After only three months he put The Register up for sale and found a willing buyer in J. George Keefer who took over the paper on July 20, 1893. McCally did not give up on his writing ambitions, however; he soon secured a position with a paper in St. Thomas, Ont., where by an interesting coincidence his successor Keefer had gained valuable publishing experience while employed with the Daily Times.

This experience no doubt helped him to lead the Norwood Register as owner, editor and publisher for the next nearly four decades. Keefer’s story continues next week.

John A. Harper was indeed young when he took over The Register; he had just turned 19 when he assumed the responsibility

OPINION

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2022-01-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://thepeterboroughexaminer.pressreader.com/article/281603833852058

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