The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-08-04
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
WAsH1NeToN, July 10, 1869.

WASHINGTON, July 19, 1869. .
I said in my last letter that if there
was no more news to-day than on last
Monday would give your readers in
lien thereof, description of the local
newspaper press of Washington. AS
there is an absolute dearth Of items to-
day, not even enough to furnish an i'm
aginative man with room enough for a
sensational comment, shall proceed
to redeem my promise, trusting that
your readers may be interested in my
description. The Oldest paper now
living in Washington except the Congress
sionas Globe-the organ of the debates
in Congress--is the Evening Star, which
has the largest circulation and is the
best paying " concern" in Washington.
It.was started originally in 1852, as a
penny evening paper by the late Col.
James NJ. Tat. It was very small
sheet, and despite the fact of its being
the first evening Journal ever publish
ed here, languished for several months
when w. II, Hope g. w. Douglas
Wallach, bought it. Hope soon retired,
and "Dug" Wallach, being man of
large business capacities The Star soon
became an enterprising and profitable
sheet. "Dug" engaged the services of
Crosby S. ,Noyes, New England man,
as his managing and writing Editor,
and espousing Democratic politics, it
received the Government patronage.
Noyes determined to make the paper
successful without extraneous help, and
to do so, gave it "spicy" tone which
brought ppon it the censure of the NOR
al portion of the community, but also
brought their subscriptions and adver-
tisements. Shortly after the war,
Wallach sold The Star to a company
composed Of Alex. R. Shepherd, a. prom
inent business man of Washington,
George NJ. Adams of the New York
World, Crosby S. Noyes, its editor,
Clarence B. Baker, who had been
Cashier Of the paper, and S. II. Kauf-
man, another Washington business
man. The Star is to Washington what
The Sun is to Baltimore, The Ledger to
Philadelphia, and The Herald to New
York. It is the organ of those who de-
sire to call the attention of the public
to "wants," -" for rent and sale," &c.
Its circulation is less now than former
~, not reaching above six thousand
copies, and it's receipts are inferior to
the amount received when "-Dug "
Wallacl, Gran the machine.". 1t,
however, owns its publication Office, a
fine building near the S. w. Corner of
Pennsylvania avenue and seventh street,
and pays its employees larger salaries
than any other Journal in the Capitol.
It claims to be independent in politics.
The National Republican was started in
1860 by Lewis Clephane, afterwards
Collector of Internal Revenue for this
District, and one of the original Repub-
licans Of Washington. The Republi-
can met with varying fortunes until
, about two years ago, when it's present
proprietor VIM. ]. Murtagh, Esq, in
fused some enterprise and energy into
it, and it 10 now confessedly the best
local paper of the city. It claims cir
culation of 5000 copies and unquestion-
ably "pays.' It's corps oflocal editors
and reporters is decidedly the ablest in
Washington, and in all matters OF
newspaper enterprise it distances its
older and wealthier rival, The Star.
In politics it is Radical, but is some
what conservative and free from parti-
Fan rancor.. It is said that Major Bo-
wen, Of this city, owns half of it, he
having advanced the money to put it
upon a good footing" and to employ
a larger corps of reportorial assistants
than any other Journal in Washington.
1t, however, pays but a trifing com
pensation to the majority Of its force
LII, Is puUAASu0u COAuoI AOIu nuN ~
streets.
The Morning Chronicle is published
on 9th street between CO. and sF.
near the General Post Office Depart,
ment. Its publication building is tue
handsomest newspaper Office in Wash.
ington-a reminder of the vast sum,
of money made by John w. Forney
during the war. The Chronicle was
first issued as Sunday paper in 1861
by James B. Sheridan & Co. Sheridan
being merely dummy" Forney be.
ing the owper Of the establishment. A
few months afterwards it was enlarged
to daily, and became the organ of tht
: Radical wing of the Republican party
1t has made deal of money, but now
it's circulation is small, and it scarcely
pays expenses. Were it not for til,
Government advertising, it would stop
1t has ceased to be local paper. ant
the narrow and illiberal policy of it,
publisher towards his employees ha'
reaped its legitimate harvest in making
it decidedly the most uninteresting pa
per in the District. It is kept aliv,
now chiefly on account of being the ad
vertising and "pufRngn agency o
I ~ - IA