The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-03
ABOUT NEWSPAPERS.
Their Ups and Downs I'm the city OF New
York.

The Journal Of Commerce, dwelling on the
fact that during the past thirty-fve years no
less than Hfty-fve daily papers have been
started in the City Of New York, lived for a
short time, and then died for want Of adequoto
e1f~9rt, after having sunk millions Of dollars,
u, lA~--in this instructive vein:
90 AnS ss1, reassHS s;tSs why not more than one out
not eenerally uSSliy newspapars succeed are
stances would be- feTStood: II they were, in
tunes in the unavsnRW. sne stnklng n & OF ior
daily aaitsa waste o. money and
!or 'gr=.s. ~ Co. - :. ]. N ~ n'S ~ ~ !
The first end greatest dificultiesIis Il. -.
OF sufficient means. Upon this point, %@n,S
has been frequently elucld dated. we will barsft.
touch. To run a frst-class daily (and only
such stands the least chance OF surviving In
the struggle for existencej costs not far from
$1,000 day, even with moderate circulation.
This rate OF expenditure takes frightful daily
bites out OF the capital; and, unless the pro-
Vanderbilt, he cannot stand the inroad upon
his funds for many months or weeks or days.
among professional newspaper men in this
city the G sh IN hand required to give a fist
class newspaper chance Of life, lis estimated
at from q balf to three-quarters Of q million.
Its failure, without sucb q sum at it's back
which, it prepared to invest boldly
and sagaciously-is certain. Its success
after all the money. has been spent in the
wisest and most judcious manner, is still
highly problematcal. Unless all the circum-
stances favor the uDderlaking--if there is q
weakness or want of tact. developed at any
stage of it-no amount Of money can put q
new daily paper in profitable operation in this
city. The falling newspapers are usually
brought upwith round turn before many tens
become alarmed -and pack out. Ii the new
concern is q stock company the subscribers to
shares pay but one OF twoof the assessmentss
and then forfeit what they have invested rather
than lose more. Only in "a few cases are men
30 lucky-or perhaps we 6ho Id say SO foolish
as to go on Wasting o real half million, be-
fore abandoning their lll-advlsed newspaper
scheme. Discouragement and disgust COM
monty supervene by the time that $50 GOO or
$lO0, 600 have vanished IN the yawning gulf.
The editor then goes on to show that the
newspaper business differs from most others
10 the fact that when once fairly established it
can b. indefinitely extended, with no risk and
but little extra trouble, and adds
newspaper with machinery for printing
20. 600. $4,000 or so 600 copies can throw off
100000 Or $50 600 with but a few hours more
work, The newspapers now existing can sup
ply the widest demands for their issues.
They represent every variety OF public opinion
and interest; no >rson has the least difficulty
IN obtaining . newspaper that meets his views
could spss assb bs sRste ors eaR bsp d 70 jSSn
15 600 copies, then tue supply would fall short,
Of the demand, and there would be room for
other papers filling exactly the same:fslds as
those already established. The lightning
presses Ct New York newspaper offices could,
among them. supply nt least one paper q day
to every adult who cln read Id the United
States. In the dry goods, grocery, boot and
business, where articles des i IN are heavy
and bulky, no ten or a dozen men In one city,
unless they have acres Of buildings and armies
OF clerks, cou:d supply the enormous demand
fn S0oar rxrr do -.
ness is attended at every step by immense ex-
pense5 and new risks, which are not incurred
in the enlargement OF the circulstion Of a na~s
d zen papers 81 can % furnish tho pnbic with In read @
Ing matter Just as speedily as q hundred could
do IT, and at a cheaper rate. t y 49,
The promising fields or. frst-class daily
newspapers being already occupied, now new
journals can command great success. except
by taking away sub scribers from other papere.
This Is o very difficult thing to do 1t never
can be done except in cases where'the paper to
elects the interests OF abuses the conHdsnceIof
it's subscribers. So long; as it pursues o lust,
honorable and iudicious course, meeting the
wants of it's customers in all or most respects,
the ties Of friendship between the subscribers
and the paper are as hard to break by
any outside third party as the links which
bind old friends in business or social life,
Occasional defects and errors, IL such there
those who have become attached to it through
itsr daily perusai &of. years. They may
become dissatisfied with II on
account ofsoEnething which has slipped into 4
absence of the familiar sheet, at their house or
office for few days becomes an insupportable
deprivation. and they hasten, to tske it, again.
and possibly to apologize for having stopped
It.. This we believe to be common experi-
ence in the history OF all established news
papers. No friendship ON earth is more con-
slant than that contracted by the reader 4or
ourDai which makes an honest and earnest
effort to merit bis continued support.