Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-04-14
NEWSPAPERS IN ENGLAND.

NEWSPAPERS IN ENGLAND.
FROM THE NEW YORK DAILY ADVERTISER.
We lately re-published. from an English paper, an
article, showing the sum yielded annually by the du-
~ on advertisements in England, and The difference
between the price Of advertising in thai country and
In this. In u London newspaper, an advertisement
making ten lines amounts to ivo dollar and ninety
fur cents for three insertions. In Ney York NJ
per, tho price is only cighty-scvcn cents
As the above article has eActedsome interest a,noup
Printers, well others, have thought that the
account Of the manner in which newspapers are dis
fbuted in London would also possess some interest
When i'll London, three years AGO one of he propr-
etors of the Daily Advertiser took minutes re-
lating to this subject: but, having misaii them he
trusts to memory for what follows.
File price of a daily London newspape- is seven
pence sterling, which is about one shillipr in New
York currency.
The papers ere sold by agents. who arc the only
persons known to the propretors their customers
4hls class of persons respectable men, and in
many instances, possess considerable property They
have sub-agenis, carriers, in number proporton-
ed to the extent of their business. 1t is this class
THE carrers) who make their appearance at the va
rious daily Offices, at the hours of publication md
the moment the papers arc received from the press
purchase them at the counting house of the office
paying III ready money for the number they take or
III some instances, where the credit Of the agent is
Undoubted, receiving limited credit The papers
sold 10 these agents. or carriers at the or;1nnl
rrico of seven pence storing paper w tho cure:
but TO enable them to make living by their business
tne otace counts out to them genty sheets to
the Gure; thus giving them three papers above tho
nominal Number, as their profit for selling, on tho
Gnire.
All these carriers have their routes for each daily
as well semi weekly paper, urited out and be-
yond those limits they consider themselves ms hayino
no right to PASS, each confning himself 10 bis own
district.
The moment the Carriers obtain their papers tbry
go oft at full speed, for the various public places in
their respective districts, from whence the hundreds
ofpuhic coaches, morning and evening, depart for
ali parts Of the kingdom. Here they bcsrt the pass
cngers with ''Buy the Times Sir "Buy the Chron
jcie, Sir "Buy the Sun, Sir" Buy the World
Madam" Buy Lift, IN I.on,Ion, Miss SC. &c
III all keys, from the COARSE dssonant note OF tho
old man, to the firm voice of the middle aocd
and the treble tones Of youth. Others are bespt
ting the strangers IN other quarters, who arc
about rs leave the metropolis by packets and
steamboats, These Carriers, by way of inducenlent
for persons to purchase, often give brief summary
OF the Most interesting contents Of their respective
papers oil claiming that their Journal contains
the most authentic accounts, the very latess news
tue fullest partlculars-no matter whether it he
battle in Turkey in which $4,000 men have been
slain a most dabocal conspiracy discovered in Cato
street in the West End, trial in Court of Law.
Other Carriers axe trudging their round amonr
tinlr customers who pay for them on delivery; or #
they he we'll known and well established, receive
limited credit.
Enc carrlGrs ptrchase greater number Of papers
etIan they have customers for; and US the sales
vary almost daily it may be asked in case of moor
sale, what Is to be done with the papers left on their
hands and as this is frequent occurrence how are
they to be r11nInerated for their time and from
whence arise their profits' To shew how the car
rer manages IT, it will he here necessary to GRO into
SPINE particulars. The carriers daily assemble AZ
their" Hal" which is public place ofresort similar
to an Exchange for Merchants, bringing with them
such papers are left upon their hands, With mem
oTandum OF the orders they may have to purchase |
others some one paper and somr another on accoun,
OF its containing an interesting story in detail, or,
grehaps, advertisement in which their customers
have some interest. At appointed time the ex-
Change business begins the carriers passing rapidly
BY each other, crossing and recrossing, until the
whole assenblage get in notion with papers in
their orders by loud out-ciy somewhat in the fol-
Owing manner: Who has Times to sell'' sWho |
has Courier to SELF 'Wao has Sun to sell,' syyill
any body exchange Morning Chronicle for the
Siooe! Who'll exchange John Bull, for an Eng
zs ab, Who wants to buy the New Tines
The Giohe and Traveller The Sun? s,rhe
Public Ledger! The News! sThe WatchmapI |
sFhe AgeH &c. &c. Thus they run through the
catalogue OF daily, semi-weeky, and weekly papers
The buyer and seller meet and exchange and sell
upon the best terms they can make With each other
until their business is concluded when they separate
each to his respective Offices 10 commence their route
TOR the evening papers It is not little amusing to
see this assembage, to hear their Jokes and ;ifns
their repartees quaint phrases and plebean wit; to
aha addity otphiz, dress, and disparity Of ape
and to observe the tEe. will, which they manare
their exchanges and sales, when in fill meeting
and motion.
Such variety of sounds, and calls, and names,
With their hustle to get through their business, is
Tot less novel than amusing. Notwithstanding the
daily selling ofpaPers, OF less precarions yet
these agents not unfrequently grow rich by their
business, and, to show how they acquire their wealth
we must be permitted to tell the story For instance,
the paper Is sold Monday to Dir. Goodfellow, the
Of the Goose and GridiYon, in ST. PauI'si
Jhurch Yard, for seven pence; he wants it but day
nd lo.- coils 70 - II
carrier, by contract, furnishes it to ss
,nnd third rate house, at the price OF six pence
buysit again on "Wednesday for three pence, and
furnishes 1t to small Vctuallng house the same
day for four pcncc--buys II again or Thursday for
Swo pence, undses it on Friday for three pence to
same low place Of entertanment--on Saturday he
gets for penny halfpenny ard then dispatches i,
u tho country, 81 halfthe original price ofthe paper
where it is read by 60zeas and paid for by the club
what is sometimes called in New York
Z Tappan muster.