This paper narrates the history of a young printer, John Prentiss, who established the New Hampshire Sentinel in 1799--a paper which remains a community newspaper today. Examples of writing from Prentiss's training and experience explain why he was able to survive in newspaper publishing when others failed. Acknowledging that the United States today is vastly different from the original thirteen states, the paper attempts to find the similarities that still exist in producing a credible publication. (MAI)