The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-09-22
WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. %, 1880.

w EDN ESDAY, SEPT. %, 1880.
Nine months have elapsed since out paper
was commenced, and we now regret to announce
that for want of sufficient patronage, it must
DIE We shall make our valedctory as brief
as possible, for we have but few words to say
We are convinced that Groton is unable to sup
port Press."-Groton Herald
Such is the brief annunciation of the exit of
another of those ephemera which are constant
ly appearing and disappearing throughout the
land. The editor is molo convinced that " Gro.
ton is unable to support press" He was told
so before he tried the experiment, by those
whose opinions were entitled to respect, but he
did not believe them. Like the miers about a
candle in the evening, the immolation of his fell
lows,in flying through the fame, would not
satisfy him, till he had tried it himself. Well
is 1t for him, that he is content with the com.
paratlvely slight scorching Of nine months ex.
pertinent, without subjecting himself TO the
deeper and more fatal burning of protractcd
attempt Nothing, perhaps, is more deceptive
and delusive than the prospects held out for
the establishment of new newspapers, of which,
the ruined prospects and blighted hopes ofhun-
dreds who have tried the experiment, bear
mourntul testimony. 1t is a fact, as well es-
tablished as any other, that, in general, a coun.
try paper which on a fair estimation of all the
expenses of publication, has not sufficient pat
ronage to yield an apparent nett income of at
least FIVE hundred dollars, over and above those
expenses, is, in reality, running itself in debt.
ho, ~
Young men have engaged in the business, and
hnding it to be nominally yielding a profit,
they have been led to persevere till their rs.
sources fail them to continue it any longer, when
they find that they have involved themselves
IN emoarrassments, from which, subsequent
lie oil industry and application will hardly suf.
flee to extricate them.
vi the truth OF these remarks, slight exam.
ination into facts will satisfy the most sceptical
mol one paper in FIVE that has been established
IN the State, has ever succeeded in obtaining
permanent foothod The rest have breasted
the current for while and then been overpow.
cred by it, and sunk for ever No town in the
State, with population of less than 5000. nor
even with larger one, unless possessing some
uncommon advantages for controlling the bu
siness OF the surrounding country, except it
were share tOaon, or situated in a county, the
shire town of which had no paper, has ever
been able to sustain the publication of paper
for five years. Even in Roxbury, CAMBRIDGE
Falmouth, Amherst, and S;ockbridqe. the ex.
pertinent has failed; in Dedham. the shire
town of Norfolk, the same result would have
happened, but that the sickly existence of the
paper there has been protracted for while BY
allment administered from the Boston Custom
House +; and, in many of our shire to,ons. mora
attempts to establish and continue papers bave
failed than have succeeded.
Among the papers discontinued within few
days is the Vermont American, one of the hes,
and most ably conducted papers in that S,ate
Inc editor in his valedctory says: &C. am in. I
duced TO this step, from the consideration that
there are more papers in this county (witbout |
ours) than can be we'll sustained-from n ne.
cessty OF calling in large and scattered demands
the result OF two and half years of unremtted
and severe application to business He adds
that his circulation is between SLY and sevon
hundred and his advertising and other patron.
age " better than that of most PAPERS in N,
state" lfprudent and considerable men find !,
necessary to abandon an enterprise under such
circumstances, what must we think of the in.
iatuation which leads men to engage in those
OF similar character, where tho most favora.
Ole nntlcipations do not promise nearly an equal
Tho fact is, the people are generally to blame
Tor the commencement of so many abortive or.
perlmentS of this kind, by holding out expecta.
ions which never can be realized. Wb.n
lew paper is TO be commenced hundreds will ,
ubscribe at the outset, "just to encourage The I
publisher and get him going" without any I
Intention OF continuing subscribers for any con.
iderabie length of time. Others will put in adj 4
ertlsements, to give him a start" Six ]
months or year from that time, an examna. 6
ION shewS' that, of those whose patronage was s
0lcUlAted upon to sustain the publication, but