The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-09-03
a DAT AND NIGHT AT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
NEW YORK HERALD.

OF the various phenomena presented by the rapid
sdvanees of science and the useful arts, during the
second quarter Of the nineteenth century, none L
more interesting, or more astounding, than that ex-
hhited In the manufacture of newspapers 10 the
careful observer, on reviewing the whole process
mental, ~artistical, and mechanical-it would seem
that the utmost bounds Of human ingenuity, energy
and Rgacity had been attained, and the modus ope-
rosdi now pursued at the principal establishments In
this and other large cities had reached the acme OF
sxcsllence- Yet, of the millions who daily or weekly
receive and peruse these prime sdvancers of civiliza-
ton and refinement, scarcely one person in a hun
drsd appreciates the mental, physical and pecuniary
capital expended upon a sheet which costs them but
two or three cents, any more than they realize that
serial publications have attained an influence vitality
affecting the whole social economy of humanity.
History informs Us that the diffusion Of intelligence
BY manuscript bulletins was p~racticed at Rome before
the Christian era, yet three centuries have not elapsed
snee the first newspaper was printed II was called
tas Eagttsh Jhsrcurle, and appeared in London, on
tas 23rd Of July, 1888. The first newspaper pub
Gshsd in North America was the Boston .Nstcs Let
nT, which was commenced on the 24th Of April, 17O4,
by John Campbell, q Scotchman, who was q book
seller, and at the time Postmaster Of the town. 1t
Vas q sheet twelve inches by eight, printed in small
plea type, and made up in two pages folio Of two col
umns each The advertising patronage was not e1-
tensiye, as sometimes one would appear, out oftener
none Il reached 9 circulation of three hundred in
the fourteenth year Of its existence, at which time the
publisher announced that, his weekly halfsheet being
Insufficient 10 keep up with the foreign news, re
should issue an extra each fortnight The first news
paper in this city was the New York Gazette, which
appeared on the 18th Of October, 1a2S- 1t was a
weekly, and nearly sixty years ELAPSED before a daily
issue was attempted In 1871, the whole number Of
nswpape-s in the United states was two hundred; in
1851, there were two thousand three hundred and
two; at the present time, from the most reliable data,
Il - estimated that there are nearly four thousand, OF
which number about seven hundred are published in
tas State Of New York.
The Liberty of the press may be said to be perfect
IN this country; therefore, the United States has be-
come the greatest newspaper producing, while its
people are the greatest newspaper reading, commu-
nIry N the world. Another cause Of the profusion
OF newspapers Is the economical manner in which
many Of toe country newspapers are conducted. We
haze known instances where the duties of editor,
publisher, compositor and pressmen were all combin
II q single individual, and can point to more than
one example where such a display Of enterprise has
led to fame and fortune. Even in this city, twenty
Ave years ago, ten thousand dollars was considered a
fir capital TO start q daily newspaper. One prin-
cipai editor, with an assistant, constituted the whole
Literary force. One or two editorials, a column or
two OF items, q list of marine arrivals, a few market
reports, notices and advertisements, constituted the
new matter of the day. This was contained on the
second age-the remainder of the sheet being filed
with unreliable advertisements, the most of which
were unchanged from one years end to the next, and
at0rding profit to neither publisher nor patron.
however, during the last fifteen years, the whole sys-
tsm CT city newspapers has been metamorphosed.
len times ten thousand dollars would not duplicate
The machinery department alone Of the New York
6sr1id establishment The literary corps, besides
the edItor-in chief, consists Of over twenty assistant,
regularly employed in the Office, and scores Of con-
triout0rs II every civilized portion of the gloLe. The
employees in the mechanical and business depart
@ents number hundreds Instead Of standing adj
v~ert;sements,n nearly the whole sheet is renewed every
day; and, while the literary and news departments
present 9 repertory Of all occurrences of moment or
~lnterest, the advertising department is scarcely less
Interesting as 3 universal directory to minister to all
our wants Thus, by the aid Of steam and electric
ty, togstner with the highest Intellectual ability, our
leading journals have become, as il were, the pulse of
the body politic-rot only originating, but controlling
public opinion. by rejecting every phase of life, be-
sides historically recording all passing events.
OF the many circumstances that have combined to
produce these extraordinary results, one Of the most
important was the perfection Of the type-revolving or
Lightning Press, the principle Of which, no longer
Ago than 1851, was pronounced by persons of great
mechanical experience q physical impossibility-s
parallel assertion, In all its bearings, to DR.. Lardner's
prediction IN regard to ocean steam navigation. In
. former number Of the United States Magazine
(Msrch, 1857, we presented a paper illustrating the
Of the Messrs. Hoe, in which this tri-
unph OF American genius and ingenuity was fully
described Since that time Colonel Hoe has still fur
ther extended the capacity Of the machine; and, by
the new ten-cylinder apparatus, the enormous guam
tity Of tLrsafujour thousand impressions per hour
can be produced To effect this, the type-revolving
cyIinder Is prOpeleu al the rate OF lorty revolutions
Der minute the sheets being manipulated at the rate
OF one in every second and a half on each of the ten
cylinders The lamented DIR. Ure, in
speaking Of APPLICANTS machine, by which the Lon
don Tines has been printed for some six years past,
and BY which a speed of nine thousand per hour was
obtained, pronounced it one of the most miraculous
inveations ever made How much more honor,
then, Is due to Colonel Hoe, by whose machine, at
half the expense for labor, nearly three times nine
thousand are produced Our English brethren have,
1t length, become fully convinced of this fact; and
We have the sItisftction to state that our distinguish
ID countryman is now engaged filing orders for the
Tines, Illustrated .Nelrs, and probably other estab-
ishnents in the city Of Lond.n-
We have, however, strayed from our text; We must
leave the presses for the present, and exemplify the
topic of our paper. In the series Of manufacturing
articles which have appeared in this Magazine, it has
heen our aim to select the largest and most perfect
establishments a. the subject of illustration For
this reason, after due examination, we have chosen
the establishment Of the New York Herald to illus
trate the manufacture Of newspapers. Taking it as
. whole, it certainly Is not surpassed, if equaled, in
this or any other country. A short time since, in
company with a corps of artists, we visited the Her
sJj, anl with some difficulty obtained the consent Of
the proprietor to collect such data, and make such
drawings as would suit our purpose. The results it
gives rs pleasure to present our readers.
The establishment Of the New York Herald is 10
Gated on the northwest corner of Fulton an Nassau
streets, IN the very focus Of the commerce and trade
Of the New World The building, a portion of which
was erected expressly for its accommodation, is five
stories high, exclusive Of two Easements, making
seven floors In ell; and extends IS feet on the former.
and 10 feet on the latter street.
The business Office is on a level with the street.
The fronts are composed Of glazed panels-6ve Of
which are doors, two on one street and three on the
other. A about one-third the distance from the rear
wall, : counter divides the apartment lengthwise.
Behind the counter are the bureaus of the superin-
tsndant, cashier, book-keeper, advertising clerks, and
that OF Answers to Advertisements" On the
counter are two raised desks where the advertising
clerks receive advertisements, subscriptions, orders
for papers, etc At the further end are a series Of
figured and lettered boxes for the reception of an
swsrs to eorrespondenee. This latter is quite an ex-
tersive post-ofdce; At times several thousand letters
viii be received and disbursed in a single day. Be
youd this is the entrance to the upper stories, con-
sisting Of the editorial and composing departments,
5ob printing Offices, libraries, wrapper-writing room,
etc. Behind the counter are speaking and signal
tubes. and dumb-waiters for conveying copy to each
door sbove- Between the doors, at the front, are
desks for the accommodation Of customers, to write
advertisements, direct papers, etc. The Office is fitted
with every requisite to facilitate business.
In all, fourteen persons are EMPLOYED In this de-