The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-09-10

sevenfold. Steam presses were first used in this
country in 1888, and printed q little over two thou
sand sheets per hour. Now our ten-cylnder presses
can throw off twenty-four thousand sheets; showing
an increase Of tenfold in twenty-five years. As be
fore intimated. the great superiority of the lightning
press is now universally acknowledged, on both sides
of the Atlantic; and the Messrs. Hoe are now build
ing two presses, precisely similar to the HeraLd's,
which are to supplant Applegath's in the Office of the
London Times. What a triumph for American in
genuity. One of those bloodless victories which are
most honorable to human nature-man's grandest
efforts for the amelioration of his fellow man. Colo
mel Hoe has earned an imperishable fame. In the
history Of " the art preventative Of all arts,'' his
name must ever stand by the side of a Gutenberg
and q Stanhope.
The mechanical department Of the Herald does not
lack that superior system of arrangement 50 observ-
able in the rami6cations of the whole establishment.
About fifty persons are employed in this department,
as follows: three pressmen, two engineers, two fire
men, txenty-six feeders, two greasers, four hy-board
tenders, two paper hfters, two paper wetters, two
roller casters, one paper divider, three office boys
The paper room is in the su~b-basement, and occupies
q space of forty by sixty feet square; here the bum
dies Of paper are received, dampened, and prepared
for the press.
The distributing department of the Herald occu-
pies the west side of the basement The apartment is
thirty-hve feet wide, and extends from the press room,
On Fulton, to Ann street, q distance Of about two
hundred feet. On the latter street, to facilitate the
movements of the great crowds that assemble, the
means Of entrance and exit are by different doors.
Near these doors is q large picketed inclosure, within
which the salesman and his six assistants transact
their business. Along each side of the large room
are the counters for folding, packing mails, etc. As
fast as the papers are delivered from the presses, they
are carried by the fyboard tenders to the picketed
Enclosure, where they are counted In bundles of nifty
each, and the distribution at once commences. In
all cases the mail packers are first supplied; then the
carriers receive, in their regular order; those from
the most distant districts first, and closing with the
party who serves that portion of the Second Ward in
which the establishment is situated. At times, how
ever, when from any cause the paper is late, the dis
tribution is varied, in order to prepare the bundles
for country dealers, wholesale packers, and those
who vend on cars and steamers, all of which must be
accomplished before six O'Clock, at this season of the
year. There is one interesting feature connected with
the distribution of the Herald that should be men,
toned: Our railroads are now like so many streets
The city carrier distributes his papers at the doors of
his subscribers; the country carrier or agent dis
tributes his along the railroad track almost in the
same way, throwing his papers off at each station or
depot. New England, for instance, with its numer-
Gus railroads, in a newspaper carriers point of view,
is like a large city-the tracks forming the streets,
and the stations the subscribers houses. Subscribers
in Poughkeepsie, ETC., ETC., daily receive the papers
before 9 O'Clock A NJ those residing in the upper
part of the city seldom get theirs at an earlier hour.
When the mail packers, carriers, and wholesale deal
ers have received their supplies, the rush of the re-
tail vendors commences. During this delivery the
4tA&koSt 2 " VI 80
sions, q mass numbering from fifteen hundred to two
thousand persons congregate, each eagerly pressing
forward, cash in hand, for his or her desired quantity
of HeraIds. A more heterogeneous assemblage 1t
would be difficult to imagine; all ages, sexes and
conditions are represented; boys from six to men Of
seventy years of age; girls from eight to the s~prightly,
blushing damsel of sixteen, as well as .decrepit old
woman with gray hairs and sorrowful looks; but the
same anxiety is depicted on every countenance-an
as though their very existence depended on their re-
ceiving their supply of HeraLds; and the numerous
methods adopted to attract the attention of the sales
man is, at times, highly amusing. In some rare in
stances, the pressure becomes so great that it is ne
cessary to invoke the aid of the police before the dis
tribution can proceed; however, generally the great
est good humor and hilarity prevails, and since the
of the new presses, the demands of the
vendors can be much more expeditiously satisfied.
Finally, the whole edition is delivered, and the sales
man proceeds to make up his accounts. Every paper
printed is accounted for; how many the mail, each
carrier, agent, dealer, etc., procured, is precisely
noted; the cash is correctly balanced, and checks and
books returned to the business department.
Nearly twenty persons are regularly employed in
this department, about ten of whom are engaged in
mailing. The whole number of carriers is ~sixty-six,
of whom are engaged in the city proper, |
and the remaining twenty-five in the suburbs. Many
of these carriers are in very comfortable circum-
stances, and a few have accumulated respectable
completeness by the sale of the Herald alone. Each
has his particular district, or " route,'' upon which
no encroachment is allowed.
The following are the various editions of the Her
aid, viz: regular, or morning edition, issued every
day in the year, except on the second of January
and the fifth Of July; evening, or g second edition"
issued at one-and-a-half o'clock p. NJ. I" third edi-
at three P. NJ. The Weekly Herald, the first
and largest, on Thursday, for country circulation;
the second, on Saturday, for city circulation. Dur
ing the week, there are usually two editions of the
European Herald; and on the fifth and twentieth of
each month, an edition expressly for California, Aus
tralia, Sandwich Islands and the Pacific coast. The
4h4-a Nj <L4 .a~r,la. sf,an vt ar Tho |
receipt of intelligence that is deemed of sufficient i'm
portance to require immediate publicity, an :. extra
is issued at any moment. /
Like all newspapers of large circulation, the num-
Der of the daily issues of the Herald varies. Since
the new machinery was put in operation, not less
than seventy thousand, and in some cases as many as
eighty-6ve thousand per day have been distributed.
For some time past, the paper bills have been for
which requires the whole capacity of Messrs. Persse
& Brooks Windsor Locks Mills, which is probably
the largest paper mandatory in the world. The
usual morning edition, if laid in a straight line,
would reach a distance of about fifty miles; and, if
spread out would cover an area equal to seventeen
acres. A tun of ink is required for a weeks supply;
and three hundred pounds of composition for rollers
Is used in the same time.
As near as can be ascertained from observation and
long experience, the Herald directly affords employ
ment, in different capacities, to between one and two
thousand persons; and it may safely be affirmed that
three times the latter number derive a livelihood from
its existence.
Nearly the whole revenue of the establishment is
derived from the advertising patronage. Even for a
double sheet, the price received scarcely covers the
prime cost of paper, ink, and press work; yet Mr..
Bennett has firmly determined that it shall not be in
creased, although he should find it necessary to issue
a triple sheet daily. The advertising patronage is
tremendousLalthough none is solicited by canvassers
or otherwise, and patrons are frequently requested to
practice brevity, and avoid display in their announce
ments-ohen embracing six whole pages of the paper.
The rates Of advertising for each insertion are from