INFORMATION CIRCULAR 15 
(Revised 1965)

                            
                       THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

                         CONSTITUENT SERVICES
               SERIAL & GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS DIVISION


                    Public Ledger, Philadelphia

                           March 25, 1836

The issue of the Public Ledger, Philadelphia, for Friday morning,
March 25, 1836, is volume 1, number 1, and for this reason has
been reprinted.  The original is on rag paper and is distinguished
from the reprints by certain details in the cut of a locomotive
which appears twice on page 1 and once on page 3. In the original
the front of the locomotive forms a vertical line with the front of
the smokestack; the rear wheel is larger than the front wheel; and
the bell-like top on the back of the locomotive has two slanting
lines projecting from its base toward the rear.  The following
reprints have been identified:
         1873.   This edition, printed on thin white rag paper,
shows a man standing on the rear platform of the locomotive, and  
the wheels of the locomotive are of the same size. 
         1876.   This edition, distributed at the U.S. Centennial
Exposition, is the same as that of 1873, except that it is printed
on a slightly heavier grade of paper, which has shown a tendency to
deteriorate. 
         1886.   Except for being on newspaper (sulphide) stock,
this reprint is the same as the two earlier ones. 
         1906.   The regular edition of the Public Ledger of March
25, 1906, mentions a reprint of this date issued as a supplement
and gives its dimensions as 9 by 13 1/2 inches. (The dimensions of
the original are 10 1/2 by l4 3/4 inches.) The Library of Congress
does not have a copy of this reprint. 
         1926.   This Sesquicentennial Edition is printed on
newspaper stock and does not show a man on the locomotive platform.
In addition, an asterisk appears at the bottom of the last column
of the last page. 
         1936.   This is identical with the above except that
it bears two asterisks.     
     A reduced facsimile appeared in the Public Ledger Almanac,
1889.     
     None of the reprints or facsimile editions have any
appreciable monetary value.
     The Library of Congress also has a most unusual copy of volume
1, number 1, dated Thursday morning, March 24, 1836.  Its contents
vary from those of the March 25 issue only on page 2, column 4,
and page 3, columns 2, 3, and 4. It seems to be an advance number
of which only a few copies were printed.Ô
Philadelphia for much of this information, especially the
identification by date of specific reprints, and a description of
the original of March 25, 1836.  (The Library of Congress does
not have this original.)



(Revised 1965)                                      16-79002-1 GPO