169

on March 20, 1796, Gary, Winter's former partner*
found himself with no newspaper. Hagerstown was
equipped with German and English newspapers, Gruber*s
Westliche Correspondenz, and Mrs. Herbert's well-es-
tablished Washington Spy. Frederick had at least
two, the Rights of Man, Bartgis's Federal Gazette,
and possibly a German paper published by Eartgis.

Gary returned to Frederick and opened a printing
office on Patrick Street, "nearly opposite to Mrs.
Kimbol's tavern",³⁶ and from there he proposed pub-
lishing a weekly periodical to be called the Key,
to consist of:

original and selected essavs, natural history,
agricultural discoveries, tales, poetry, &c.
A room will, every week, be opened by the Key
to show farmers and others interested therein,
the current prices of wheat, flour, bacon,
pork, &c. at George-Town and Baltimore - Short
advertisements may be inserted in the last page,
at times, provided they do not interfere with
the main design of the work. Authentic and
important intelligence will have a place, should
it come to hand so as to make this paper the
earliest vehicle for conveying it to the public;
not otherwise, for the editor has no wish to
meddle with news or politics - he wishes to amuse
and be useful. Literary favors, postpaid, will
be thankfully received, and destroyed with
secrecy, if not thought proper for insertion.³⁷

The gey, named in compliment to General John Ross
Key,³⁸ did not make its Initial appearance until

35 Washington spy. June 1, 1796.

36 Bartgis's Federal gazette. March 23, 1797.

37 Ibid, May 4, 1797.

38 Seharf, J.T. op. cit. v. 1, p. 529.