The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1869-08-18
Daily Newspapers.

This paragraph is circulating among the
newspapers:
During the past thiTty-fyc years no less
than forty-fvc dnily papers have been started
in the city ot New York, lived fora short time.
and then died for want of udrqunt" support
after having sunk millions of dollars. And
many of them tried the experiment nj time
when it did not cost tithc of the sum To car
~ on daily paper which it costs at the pres
Cnt time.
A startling statement which we believe to br
unexnggcatci, although We have not at hand
the list Of the unfortunate furty-hyc.
The reason why not more than one ont Of
(say) fifty daily newspapers succeed are not
generally understood. ii they were, instances
would be fewer uf the sinking fortunes in the
unavaihng attempt TO found daily-a waste
OF money NJ literal and complete ~ if the
owner had burned it in his parlor grnte.
The first and greatest Of difficulties is the
want Of sufficient means. Upon this point,
which has been frequently Clucdat"d We will
barely touch. To run "A first class daily (and
only such stands the least chance Uf surviving
in the struggle for cyistonce) costs not far
from : 900 day, even with moderate cir
Culatinu. This nat" Of expenditure takes fright
ful daily bites ont of the capital; and, unless
the proprietor has the purse of Stewart, As
tor or Vanderbilt he cannot stand the inroud
upon his funds for many months or weeks or
DAYS. Among professional newspaper men in
this city the cash In hand required to give a
hrst class newspaper u chnuc" of life, !, cs;i-
mated nt from u half To- thrc"-quartCr- OF
million. ItS failure. without such SUM nt
It's hnck-which it j. prepared 10 invest boldly
aud sngucIuusly y--iS certain u, success after
ter the money has mll been spent, in the wiScst
and most lUiirlpu- manner, - still highly
rroldcnatcul. Unless all the circumstances
favor the undertaking il th"rc j. weakness or
want of tact developed al any stag. of it. no
a
in pr"itahl, operation i'm this city. tn" r.'l-
iug newspapers are usually brought MP with %
round turn h'tur" many tens of thousands hay"
been sunk. The hackers become alarmed and
hnck ont. II th" new concern II n stock COM
puuy tho Subscribers 10 shares pay but one or
two of the assessments, md thru forfeit what
they have invested rather than los" more.
Only in few eases are mcu - pUcky uI
perhaps we should say 80 fOUlish-lls tp go uu
wasting a ryal half million h"trr" aLmd ming
their ill-u'lvisrd newspaper scheme. bIa"pw-
agcmcnt and disgust commonly intervene, ly
the time that 1000 or SlOOUJU have van
ishcd in the ynwuing gulf.
The newspaper business differs from most
others in the fact that, when ono" fairly os-
tnblishcd, it can he indefinitely extended with
no risk AMI hut little extra trouble. \ news
paper with machinery fer printing ~. 600
10000 or ~, OOn copies, can throw un IOp. 600
or ljO,ODO with but few hours more work
The newspapers now existing IN Now Nurl.
can supply the widest demands for their issues.
AS among them they represent every variety
of public opinion and interest Do person has
the least difficulty in obtaining newspaper
that meets his views and suits his special
wants. II no journal could possibly print
more than 5000, n. 900 or H. 900 copies. then
the supply would fnll short of the demand
and there would j." room for other papers fil-
ing exactly the same fields ms trDscnlrcaly cs-
tnhlishod. The lightning presses of New York
newspaper offices could, among them supply
at least one paper 70 day tu every adult who
cnn read in the United States. IN the dry
goods. T0cCrs. boot and shoe hat and cnu.
drug and other limo of business whcrr articles
dealt in are heavy or bulky, no ten ur u dpzon
mon in one city, unless they have acres OF
buildings and armies of clerks, could supply
the enormous demand for those goods. The
extension of their business Is attended nt every
step 10y immcns" expenses and now risks
which are not incurred in the enlargement oi
the circulation of newspaper that is ono,
well founded. Ten or dozen pnpcrs ran fur.
nish the public with reading matter Just ~
speedily as u hundred could do IT, and nt u
cheaper rate.
The most promising fields Of iirstclass dnly
newspapers being already occupied. no new
journal can command II great SUCCESS except
ny taxing AWAY some Subscribers from OthCi
papers. This ~ very difficult thing io do
II mover can hU done except in cnyC4 whcr,
W, plI'r !" pr SnppihhtCd wuntonly and per
Sistcntly ncglocts the intcrostg or abusrs th,
confidence of its subscribers. SO long as Il
phrsics just, honorable aud iudicious course
meeting the wants Of its customers I'm nIl NJ
most respects, tho tios of friordship bclwcci
the subscribers aud the paper are an h,rd I,
break hy any outside third party ~ tho link
which hiud old friends in business nr ,.nrin
NO Occasional defects and errors. IL gucl
There hc, in newspaper, nrr overlooked H.,
th"so who have become attached tn IL throupi
itS dniiy pornsnl for years. They may some
times beconio dissatisfied with il on accoun
~ something which has slipped into its col
n'ni'S' and may stop taking it hut the AL
~ NJ w 'ho familiar sheet ut ihoir house ~
nihc" Tor u few days becomes nn un.rttunrt.,h
IlLnINnilOn. and lhlN lM-inm ln - N ---,L,.