71

possible that Martin's idea came from the Aurora.

The country edition seems to be a variation in im-
pression, rather than a different edition as the name
implies. The edition is made possible by the style of
make-up of these early papers, which consisted of one
folio sheet, folded once, and printed on four pages,
pages one and four being devoted to advertisements;
and the inside pages, two and three, containing the
news, with only a few advertisements. The country
edition became a triweekly by including on one sheet
the news pages for two days, pages one and four carry-
ing one day's news, and the verso, pages two and three,
the next day's. Martin's statement, as quoted above,
that "It shall be ... devoid of advertisements, except
those interesting to its customers" was thus carried
out. The first page of the daily issue usually carried
shipping advertisements, and it was presumed that the
country subscribers, being far from the harbor, would
rarely be interested in such matters. The triweekly
edition of the American was continued until after the
war between the states.

The yellow fever epidemic in Baltimore, late in
the summer of 1800, cast its shadow over the affairs
of the American. On August 24, Martin lost his twenty-
year-old wife, Sally, a niece of the Honourable Benjamin