The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-14
About RalIY NeKspapers.

The journal of Commerce, dwelling
on the fact that during the past thirty
five years no less than ffty-fve daily
newspapers have been started In the
city Of New York, lived for a short
time, and died ont for want of ade-
quate support, after having sunk mill
lions of dollars, moralizes In this IN
struetive vein: sl0
@The reasons why not more than
one out of fsay) fully fifty daily news
papers succeed are not generally IN
derstood. IF they were, instances
would be fewer Of the sinking of
fortunes in the unavailing attempt
to found dally--a waste of money
as literal and complete as if the own
er had burned it in his parlor CRATE.
The first and greatest of difficulties
is the want of sufficient means. Ups
on this point, which has been
often eIucidated, we viii barely touch.
To run first class daily land only
such stands the least chance of sur
viyipg inAthe struggle for existence)
costs not far from 81, 600 day, even
with a moderate circulation. This
! rate of expenditure takes frightful
| daily bites out of the capital; and IN
| less the protector has the purse of a
/ Stewart. Astor, or Vanderbilt, he eau
stand the inroad upon his funds for not
many months or weeks, or days. -ladl
| Among professional newspaper men IN
| this citylthe cash 6n hand required
| to give a first class, newspaper a
I chance of life, Is estimated at from a
| half to three. quarters of million.
Its failure without such sum at Its
| back-Which it is prepared to invest
I boldly and sagaeiously-is certain.
Its success after the money has been
all spent in the WiseSt and most judi
cious manner, is st1if highly pro 5lem
atical. Unless all the circumstances
favor the undertakiug-if there is
weakness or want of tact developed at
any stage of tho amount OF money
can put new daily paper IN protlta-
BILE operation in this city. The fall
| ing NEWSPAPERS are usally brought
| up with a round turn before many
| tens or thousands have beeno sunk,
The hackers become alarmed and
back out. If the new firm is a stock
| company, the subscribers to shares
nav but one or two of the assessments,
and viii then forfeit what they have
4
/ ly1in few cases are men so plueky
1or perhaps we should cay SO fool
l ish-as to go on wasting a real half
million, before abandoning their zlll-
advised newspaper scheme. Dis
enlargement and disgust commonly
supervene by the time that got, OOO or
/ 800, 900 have vanished in this yawnIng
| gulf.
The editor then goes on TO show
that the newspaper business differs
from most others In the fact that
when once fairly established it can be
indefinitely extended, with no risk,
and but littlf extra trouble, and then
adds. 49,
1.-THE most promising fields of first
class daily newspapers being already
occupied, no new journal can COM
mand a great success except By tax
ing away some subscribers from 9TH
er papers. This is a very difficult
thing to do. 1t never can be done
except in cases where the paper to be
supplanted Wantonly and persistently
neglects the interest or abuses the
| confidence Of its subscribers. So long
as it pursues a just, honorable and
| judicious course, meeting the wants
| of its customers in all or most re-
spests, 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. Oc-
casional defects and errors, if such
there be, in q newspaper, are over
looked by those who have become at
itached to it through its daily perusal
for years. They may sometimes be-
come dissatisfied with it on account
of something which has slipped into
its columns, and may stop taking it:
but the absence of the familiar sheet
at their house or Office for a few days
becomes an insupportable depriVa-
ton, and they hasten to take it again,
and possibly to apologize for having
stopped it. This we believe to be a
common experience In the history of
all we'll established newspapers. No
friendship on earth is more constant
/ than that contracted by the reader for
a journal which makes an honest and
earnest effort to merit his continued
1 support.