The library acquired nearly complete sets of both the Champion and the Banner.
Kittle trumpets his painting establishment, and incongruously went so far as to promote the fact that he has "Masonic carpets and aprons, executed in satin and lustering silk" available at his shop "just a few doors down from the hotel." Publisher Patterson struggled to make ends meet, and he was constantly pleading with customers to pay their bills. One notice read, "All accounts due me for newspapers and other printings . . . should be settled without delay, as a longer indulgence would be attended with a serious inconvenience." At one point in the winter he said that he would accept cut wood in exchange for what was owed him. After a change of editors the Al1tiMasonic Champion published its last
issue on Nov. 15, 1830. A notice on the back page announced, "Those who have been in the habit of receiving papers of me durmg the past summer are hereby informed that 1 shall supply them no longer." Making one more bid for payment, he ended with the plea, "They are respectfully requested to hold themselves in readiness to pay up all arrearages at this time." After a lapse of only one month a second newspaper sprang up from its ashes. According to Peter Luke, a rare book and ephemera dealer, "The two were likely the same paper, with the second version aimed at a more general audience Indeed, the Banner made no reference to anti-Masonry in its name, unlike the older paper. The look and feel
_ _---'A~nti=MasonicCollection is Wensive
of the new publication was nearly identical to the Chmllpion, but it contained a greater percentage of local news. In addition to expanding the audience, its publisher, Wendell Lansing, attempted to hold on to the original audience. Complimentary copies of the Banner were sent to all former subscribers of the Champion. During its three-year run, subtle changes were made as the paper distanced itself from its roots. The typeface was altered and the name was reset in Old English font. The publisher of record became "Wendell & Lansmg," and more of the pages were devoted to local news. With no mention of its demise, the last issue was published Dec. 31, 1833. The collection purchased by the library is remarkably complete, with only a small number of issues missing. In all, it contams 227 pieces. Although fragile, both sets add to the knowledge of a significant era in the history of Freemasonry. They also appear to be quite rare. Unlike history books, which deal with the cause as a whole, the Challlpion and Banner offer insight into the feelings of the era on a personal and local leveL Much like the feverish anti-Masonic movement across the region, though, both newspapers were unable to sustain momentum. With only one issue as their reason for existence, they both enjoyed very brief lives.
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The Van Gorden-Williams Library at the National Heritage Museum holds an extensive collection of anti-Masonic material. Among the many pieces is this 1830 edition of the New England Anti-Masonic Almanac, published in Boston. The periodical contains many items found in a standard almanac, such as planting tables, astronomical events, and history. In addition, it includes anti-Masonic anecdotes and stories of alleged crimes committed by Masonic orders and members.
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