The Nevada Democrat., 1857-12-23
Eailnra in .Iournalism.

Failure in Journalism.
There is ne enterprise in which men embark,
more precarions in its beginning than Journal
ism. The infant newspaper is exposed to almost
as many diseases as the infant child. The shores
of the restless wave of adventure are thickly
str.wu with the wrecks Of newspapers. They
start from port with high hopes, with hearts
elate, with determination to right all the
wrongs of society, and with the broad flag of an
admiral at their mast head, bearing in magnif-
cent letters, the august "We." Down the stream
they 90 for while merriy, discoursing about
the power of the press, and the tolls and trials
Of and editorial life, and entiy-k-chug-
they come up against snag, the broad penant
tnmbles overheard, the power of the press can
not pump the ship dry, the tolls and trials OF the
poor editor are all over, and sinks heavier than
his loaded columns, to the bottom Of David
Jones' locker.
That which brings to an untimely end SO ma
nv hopeful journals is simply the want Of cash,
avulgar and Internal thing, no doubt and often
great curse, but still essential in the publica-
tion of newspaper. There may be talent, tact,
energy and ambition, on board q journal, but
there must be cash in the magazine, or it can
FIRE nothing but blank cartridges, and will soon
have to hush its batteries altogether. During
the last twenty years. upwards Of two hundred
newspapers and magazines have been started
in London, and after involving their piopretors
in immense losses have passed away into the
land of oblivion. There was genius, learning
and newspaper talent enough in those papers
to have graced the London Times bat the pre-
pretors had not sufficient capital to hold on
during the year Of probation, until the money
they had sewn could spring up and bear fruit.
It is said that there are no more newspapers
and magazines published in London now than
there were twenty years ago, and that only one
periodical in a hundred that is begun is ultl-
mately successful. Indeed, the London Critic
says, though we hardly know how to credit the
statement, that the active newspaper press OF
London, with the exception of the Times does
not pay its own expenses.
We have no such newspapers In America as
the Times, though we have many presumptuous
imitators, whose attempts TO rival the indepeR-
dence and power of the Great thunderer, bring
forcibly to mind the fable of the frog trying to
emulate the dimensions OF the OK. The New
York Times has the same name, the New YORK
Herald an equal circulation, the New York Cou-
rier as great arrogance, the New York Tribune
and New York Post as mach unscrupulousness
and reeklessness Of consistency, but the five
combined did not indicate and could not contro
the public sentiment of their own city in the
last Presidential election. The five combined
have not a tithe of the power or the purse o.
the great Jupiter Tonans of newspaperdom
The paper and Typography of the Times are
things unapproached in this country, to say no
thing of the craftsmanship, brains, and knewl
edge that, from that intellectual throne, give
law to the public sentiment Of Great Brittian
Indeed, as an exponent Of public sentiment and
national character, 1t is impossible that In ouI
large cities we should have journal resembling
the Times. The press of Boston refcctsa differ
ent atmosphere from that of New York, and
could scarcely be expected to embody public
sentiment in the Southern States. Nor could
the journals of Charleston exert much influence
in Boston.
We took up eur pen, however, to speak of
unsuccessful, not successful newspapers. About
five hundred thousand dollars, it is said, have
been sunk on the London Daily News, which.
though connected with the great name OF Dick
ems, Is only beginning after many years to have
a prospect of fortune. Investment after invest
ment has been sunk in the London Morning
Chronicle Mr.. Murray, a celebrated publisher
in London, started q daily paper with the aid
Of all the genius Of the day, lost two hundred
ard fifty thousand dollars in a few months, and
then il died. The London Critic. to which we
are indebted for these facts, says there is scarce
ly newspaper in London in which three or
four fortunes have not been sunk, and by which
as many persons have been ruined The Critic
upwards of twenty-five thousand dollars were
sunk in it before it paid its expenses. "The
usual history of a Journal" says the Critic, "is
this: A, thinking to make fortune, starts q
journal; he spends thousand pounds upon it,
and finds it still exhibiting loss.
"Money goes very fast in newspaper, for the
drain is steady one, week by week, without
pause a process that will soon empty the wealth
lest pocket. Having spent 80 much, he does not
like to stop there. He proceeds and another
el,O0O vanishes. He stakes his last e5OO aud
that goes too. Then he is Obliged to sell at any
price. He perhaps gets e10O for that which
cost him e2.500, and he is ruined. Then the
buyer spends another $4,000 in like manner,
and be Is ruined. and sells to q third party for
e2OO perhaps The process may be continued
even for fourth or fifth, until even hope dies,
and the enterprise is abandoned But some
times 1t happens that the fourth or fifth fortune
has succeeded by mere force of living on, and
the journal is made to pay. But even then what
is that profit, commercially consideredH