177

Pennsylvania,²² which proves that the Washington Spy
was obtaining a circulation far beyond its native

valley.

The arrival of the mail in Haverstown proved a
dominant factor in the publication of the Washington
Spy, for it was from the newspapers which arrived
from distant places that Herbert filled his news
columns. Accordingly, when the arrival of the mail
was changed in 1792, the Washington Spy announced that,
instead of its regular Wednesday publication date,

Owing to the present time of arrival of the
mail, the editor finds it indispensably neces-
sary to alter the day of publication of this
paper to Friday.²³

Several miscellaneous items appear in the news-
paper, showing something of the extent of the country
printer's business: Herbert offered "Ready money...
for clean linen rags,"²⁴ and "Cash.., for hog's
bristles"²⁵ and he announced "Wrapping paper for sale
at the printing office";²⁶ and although he had printed
handbills²⁷ and blanks²⁸ before, he advertised the
diversity of his forms: "blank bonds, notes, indentures,

22 Ibid. June 27, 1792.

23 Ibid., November 14, 1792.

24 Ibid. August 16, 1792.

25 Ibid, January 11, 1793.

26 Ibid. July 12, 1793.

27 Wheeler, J. T. op. cit. Bibliography, item

521, and Item 549.

28 Washington spy. April 25, 1792.