The story of the Sun, New York, 1833-1918 / by Frank M. O'Brien.

58

THE STORY OF "THE SUN"

1835 it announced a new press-a Napier, built by
R. Hoe & Co.-new type, and a bigger paper, circulating
twenty thousand. The print paper was to cost fourfifths of a cent a copy, but the Sun was getting lots of
advertising. With the increase in size, that New Year's
Day, the Sun adopted the motto, "It Shines for l \,"
which it is still using to-day. This iiitoto doubtless
was suggested by the sign of the famous Rising Sun
Tavern, or Howard's Inn, which then stood at the junction of Bedford and Jamaica turnpikes, in East New
York. The sign, which was in front of the tavern as
early as 1776, was supported on posts near the road and
bore a rude picture of a rising sun and the motto which
Day adopted.
In the same month-January, 1835-the bigger and
better Sun printed its first real sports story. The sporting editor, who very likely was also the police reporter
and perhaps Partner Wisner as well, heard that there
was to be a fight in the fields near Hoboken between
Williamson, of Philadelphia, and Phelan, of New York.
He crossed the ferry, hired a saddle-horse in Hoboken,
and galloped to the ringside. It was bare knuckles,
London rules, and only thirty seconds' interval between
rounds:
At the end of three minutes Williamson fell. (Cheers
and cries of "Fair Play! ") After breathing half a
minute, they went at it again, and Phelan was knocked
down. (Cheers and cries of "Give it to him!") In
three minutes more Williamson fell, and the adjoining
woods echoed back the shouts of the spectators.
The match lasted seventy-two minutes and ended in
the defeat of Williamson. The Sun's report contained
no sporting slang, and the reporter did not seem to like
pugilism: