The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-05
THE RURAL PRESS.
what 10 the Rural Press !-By Whom IL
10 Conducted and How tt 10 Managed.

From the remarks made by you from time TO time, II is
plain that have exalted opinion Of the country
press. In this opinion fully conncde having from close
observation Of its course, arrived at the conclusion that II
nuisance Of tho most aggravated description. The
folowing facts which have collected in my intercourse
with II, now extending long series Of years and
embracing every section OF the Union, condition
Of journalism grovelling and rotten that s difficult
TO believe that applies to the press Of country boast
ing Of free institutions shows moreover that all thai
the HERALD has ever alleged in regard It's utter
sence local influence strictly correct and that metro
poan firms are literally throwing their money away
in buryng their advertisements in the obscurity Of
cuation which is for the most part fictitious
NUMBER OF INLAND NEWSPAPERS.
II is easier to take the Of the Unon TO &c. at
the ages of the maiden ladies in Yankeedom than 70 get
at the exact number Of inland papers. Their is 10
gon Like the Inferior insects they breed with rapidly
and lead but short life register printed IN 1859
gives tolerably fl list Of newspapers in the United
States and Canada but there in this very publication
the names Of over hundred In the New Eng
land and Middle States alone that have given the ghost
since the date Of it's compilation The nearest approxi
the truth attainabe s the calculation that
there In the Union, outside the city OF New York
some three thousand and fifty newspapers, daily tri
weekly, weekly, monthly and semi monthly. 1t sb by no
10 rural papers die In their second
issue and classification of their Political procvities is
rendered difficult by the fact that the principles OF
nine-tenths purchssable by the highest bidder.
The statistics usually paraded by country papers
relative 10 their numbers influence &C, &c, found
investigation to only equsled in falsehood by the
statements made by the conductors of their clrcala
ton. There many charitably disposed New York
merchants who paying what, in the aggregate,
flr ad ring In mo-.
vncal papers claiming calculations Of and two thou
sand copies that do not really get the benefit Of
OF those amounts to say nothing o. Exchanges tran
sient papers and "dead heads"-which items are set
down as REGULAR circulation. Cheap advertising
good deal like cheap insurance. wild cat companies which
charge than safe rates being a. worthless ~ country
papers that advertise low because nobody sees them
merchant desires TO reach country people the weekly
editions of the metropolitan papers by far the best
medium the country trader who Is worth doing bus
with fats to take At least one leading New
York paper II he takes the 80 ca sheet, II only 10
avoid being abused or TO be supplied with waste paper
INFLUENCE OF RURAL PAPERS.
Apart from the vast ougrowh Of the Independent.
press Of the notwithstanding as 1t does congress
OF intellect in permanent session the state OF tue
country-and which is greatly diminishing Whatever fee
BILE influence the rural papers possessed Ia their
localities, the gross mismanagement Of the country edi
tors has deprived their sheets Of real share in the
formation OF public opinion while they are, often, ut
ter incompetent 10 reflect follow the tide OF popu
lar intelligence, which flows by them without fertilizng
their sterile brans
HOW ARE VILLAGE PAPERS STARTED?
an this question desired, easily FUR
ushed Very often, closely contested local election
some clique OF village politicians wan. M TO
trumpet their praises and get acquaintances with
money han good sense, subscribe few hundred
politicians ~ taking 10 avoid
paying any Of their own funds Backed up by tsoor
a fVnA
founder, come guoramus too lazy 10 thor ,ugh
apprenticeship to INC case is taken IN TOW, aud allowed
TO run the Office 10 suit himself as long he pufs the
would be statesmen who employ him The printer or
cuDn ing elow) usually contrves to two three boys
With scissors and paste pot; nine times out OF ten
he c'ps the Geographic Dispatches from the Herald,
y some leading metropolitan Journal; ani as %
The rest OF bis copy, be cuts 70 At certxn spaces
Country editors of this gradethe lowest Of miserable
ribeare very ~ short pieces becsuse they Ike
brevity for their readers sake, bat BECAUSE half
while making u the forms, they do not have to
bother their nudded brains to know what galley follows
mother emptyipg the matter Agan, as they are usu
Ally behind tine their paper, short pieces enable
lhcm 10 OH fastcr Occasionally cultivated resi-.
dent Of their village VIII submit 70 them for publication
some toerable sketch; but ths they rarely
cept as bcr "rGs" not read Mss nj all and the ed
tor has no knowledge OF the English language thal
he wants for his use.
-. then, We have arst the remarkable spectacle o.
proprietor osnrg nothing but owned, body and SOUL by
he politicians nuc 'econdy n copyn being TO d.
the iyrcs instead Of the tyles being cnt u OF ideas
Whsn the printer eitor himself comp,scs puff n
= har trst has treated trusted him.
dali tradcsman that has given bin hat he ssets Il
tellcacy of the compliment being shown by
the nct III the printer publicly thanks the trades
for value received and then proceeds 10 besoober
him With praises by wholesale Such a notice is, OF
souTse, positive injury TO the local merchant
FRANKLIN AND COUNTRY PRINTERS.
II e well known that Ben. Franklin was printer ~
trade, but sensible man notwithstanding On the
strength Of this nisor cal fac, and few other ouch in.
cevote half csumn more % Informing the public
that printers neocsyiue all very wcnderfa "
ndowtd uen-so that IN. eternal country printer
become nearly as great nrsa &c in the republic
almighty Niger.
IHz RvRAL PRINTERS COLO.
Th's ia quite bad dscri Ter evils produced by
white lead We DO not aluae TO The unpleasant physical
affection produced BY putting tyre metal 10 the mouth
ne N % pressing news brought In At late bour
when some important MSS strsys into their Offices from
source they care not exclude stopping over night
little village between Albany and Syracuse heard
Of the death Of prominent citizen, which had
taken place ssost three IN the Afternoon. The
ard Bro6dsDasi.n type fsee-xss nearly ready for
press when the funeral notice brought la The Editor
wss bad Al work ",oekog up the second page, and
When the boy entered he on and made known bis ousi.
ncss, the gertemsDy typo exclaimed: thunder Why
couldn't Old Blank DE two hours ago."
on another OCCASION country editor related the follow.
rg-He had gone TO attend State vention and In
he publisher N charge. While be away the dele.
gate from bis county fell ~ and the morning Of the day
the We-dg Bunbiet>s went to press the editor scnt
rev liSts Of telegraph 70 the Publisher Of
the paper, and mentioned The delegates nines
When the editor returned he surprised that hrs
telegraph not printed Ca being questioned the pub
her taid the form eli loeb ed when tue dcsuach
sme and h. was not going q delay the paper Tor that
he bad got 10 three hour earlier than usual az be
rantea 20 go on the neat day Spree be put ths
'aper TO prtfs without any convention save what
bc Albany yowucl said cdit0risly. The paper in aacs
ion, 10 should be stated vas democratic Hos tbs
diior got pitched into for changing HIS politics need not
BE- descr lied.
The country printers have supreme contempt for ary
dtora ssss tancc, AMI would give twenty cents
~ rcigeuce direct from the advance Of their
,otemporares. The paper IL conducted with view 1,
he convenierce d the proprietor aud aoytnng saw, re-
prIt, and sfasmodicaly corccvei local items cogcbed
. horrible knssh Is generally tAbooed BY these wonder
Tul village journalists
THE PROVINCIAL PAPERS OF ALBANY.
Albany being the capital Of the state and the home Of
lord rhurlcw and his ds Aehatc', Confidence Cassidy
might be supposed that the sheets plSshed daily In
hat city would at least keep pace with the times
Such. however. Is not the Like the skeleton