Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-05-03
Seleetea Mistel1aag.
The New York Herald.

The New York Herald.
From recent article by the North Amer.
ican Rsvie'o upon the American newspa.
per press, we take the following paragraphs: /:
THE BIRTH OF THE HERALD.
Forty years ago, in the city of New York,
copy of a newspaper could pot be bought
for money. If any one wished to see
newspaper, he had either to 60 to the Office
and subscribe, or repair to q bar-room and
buy glass of something to drink, or bribe
a carrier to rob one of his customers. On
the 9th of May, 1885, appeared the first
number of the Morning Herald, price one
cent. It was born in cellar 10 Wallstreet
pot basement, hut yeritable cellar.
Some persons are still doing business in that
region who remember going down into this
subterranean Office and buying copies of the
new paper from its editor, who used to sit
at desk composed of two -four barrels and
and piece of board, and who occupied the
only chair in the establishment. For a con.
siderable time his Office contained absolute
ly nothing but his -four barrel desk, one
wooden chair and file of Heralds.
THE HERALD As 1T WAS.
Everything appeared to be against his
success. 1t was one poor man in a cellar
against the world. Already he had fallen
three times first, in 1926, when he attemp-
ted to establish Sunday paper; next, in
1882, when he tried party journal re.
Gently, in Philadelphia. With great diff
Guilty, and after many rebufs, he had pre-
vailed upon two young printers to, print his
paper and share bis profits or losses, and he
possessed about money enough to start the
enterprise and sustain it ten days. The
chsapness of his paper was no longer'a
novelty, for there vas already penny pa
per with paying circulation. He had cut
loose from all party ties, and be had no in.
fqential friends except those who had an
interest in his failure. The great public,
to which he made this last desperate appeal,
knew him not even by name. The newsboy
system scarcely existed, and all that curious
machinery by which in these days a new
"oandidate for puplio favor" is placed, at
no expense, on thousand news stands, had
not been thought Of There he was alone
in bis cellar, without clerk, errand boy or
assistant of any kind. For many weeks. he
did with his own hands everythiDg-edito.
rial, news, reporting, receiving ADVERTISE
ments, and even writing advertisements for
persons "unaccustomed to composition"
He expressly announced that advertisers
could have their advertisements written
for them at the Office, and this at time
when there was no one to do it but himself.
The extreme cheapness of the paper render.
ed him absolutely dependant upon his ad
vertisers, aud yet be dared not charge more
that fifty cents for sixteen lines.
THE FIRST NUMBER OF THE HERALD.
He at once produced an eminently sale
able article 1t was. very small sheet
four little pages of four columns each
much better printed than the Herald now
is, and not a waste line it. There was
not 30 much scissorising in 1.-THE scissors
have never been much esteemed in the
Herald ofice-but the little that there
was told upon the general effect of the sheet.
The first numbers we're essentially of the
same character as the number pub.
lished this morning. A leading topic
tLen vas certain Mstthias, one of those
lone. g.bearded religious impostors who used
to appear from time to time. The frst ar.
ticIe 10 the first number of the Herald was
minute account of the origin and early
life of tie fellow-just the thing for the
paper, aod the sure method of exposing
him. The first editorial article, too, was
perfectly in character:
"In debuts of this kind, said the edi-
tor, "mauy talk of principle-political prin-
cipIe, party principle-as sort of STEEL
trap to catch the public. We mean to be
perfectly understood on this point and there
fore openly dsclaim all steel.traps-all
principle, as it is caled-all party-all
politics. Our only guide shall be good,
sound, practical common sense, applicable
to the busipess and bosoms Ct men engaged
in everyday life. We shall endeavor to
record facts of every public and proper
subject, stripped Of verbiage and coloring,
with comments, when suitable, just, indie.
pendent, fearless and good tempered. If
the Herald wants the mere expansion which
many journals possess, We shall try to make
it up in industry, good taste, brevity, varie-
ty, point, piquancy and cheapness.