Mordecai Noah was born in Philadelphia, July 14, 1785. After his removal to New York, about 1816, he became the owner or editor of a number of magazines and newspapers.
The Trangram is full of local gossip and scandal cleverly concealed. Andrew Hamilton figures in it as "Dapper Dumpling." J. N. Barker, the author of "Superstition," is "Billy Mushroom." Joseph Dennie is nicknamed "Oliver Crank." William Warren is dubbed "the tun-bellied manager."
The account of a walk through the city streets ends with "the description of the defence of his friend would doubtless have continued until we reached the end of our journey had we not by this time arrived, where mathematicians never could arrive, at the Square Circle,"—that is, at Centre Square, Broad and Market Streets.
The third number, February 1, 1810, contains accounts of "Jeremy Corsica" (Jerome Bonaparte) and his visit to Philadelphia, and to "Bangilore" (Baltimore), and his acquaintance with Miss "Cornelia Pattypan," or Patterson.
The Beacon, erected and supported by Lucidantus and his Thirteen Friends, was published by W. Brown, and began its course Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1811. It aimed to surpass The Spirit of the Reviews, the Dramatic Censor and the Port Folio, but it is believed to have made only two numbers. The purpose of the magazine was defined in the second number, December 11, 1811: "We propose to develop to our readers the machinery and composition of our Philadelphia Society."
The Luncheon was a monthly satirical paper "boiled for people about six feet high by Simon Pure." Its first appearance was in July, 1815. The second number contained an abusive article upon William McCorkle. In January, 1816, Lewis P. Franks, the editor of the Luncheon, confessed himself the author of the libel and declared that the alleged biography of McCorkle was false, and that the journal would be discontinued.
The Independent Balance was published weekly by "Democritus the Younger, a lineal descendant of the Laughing Philosopher." It was established, March 20, 1817, by George Helmbold, the first editor of the Tickler and late of the United States Army.
The second volume had a vignette of a sportsman shooting a bird, with the motto:
"Whene'er we court the tuneful nine,
Or plainer prose suits our design,
Then fools may sneer and critics frown
At every corner of the town,—
Condemn our paper or commend;
One aim is ours, our chiefest end:
With well-poised gun and surest eyes
To shoot at Folly as it flies."
Helmbold died in Philadelphia, December 28, 1821. The magazine, after passing through several hands, finally became the property of L.P. Franks, who published it at "No. 1 Paradise Alley, back of 171 Market Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets." At this time it was edited by "Simon Spunkey, Esq., duly commissioned and sworn regulator, weigh-master and Inspector General." Its motto proclaimed its purpose to anatomize the wise man's folly as plain as way to parish church: