The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-05-05

How NEWSPAPER WAS STARrED.-Years
ago an educated but rather fast young Eng
lshman, having run through all his ready
ton in the chief cities of the Continent, found
himself one day in Paris with his means of
livelihood nearly exhausted, and credit entire
ly gone. This state of things-almost face to
face with want-set him to rejecting seriously
for the first time in several years. Something
must be DONE" unused he, "and that right
and there is no money in my trowsers where
with to get it (; or, at best, only sufficient to
last with economy. three or four days longer;
and, then what " Being. naturally shrewd, Of
an inventive turn Of mind, and very ready
writer, he quickly formed the determination Of
turning these qualities to present account
" Necessity is the mother Of invention" it is
said His resolution to strike. ont in his new
course was no so6net taken than lie proceeded
to put it into execution. On taking account of
stock our impecunious friend finds he has just
sufficient funds on hand to settle mp with his
across the channel to London, and insert an
advertisement he had studied mp and prepared,
three times in two daily papers of the CITY,
g. And what was this curious advertisement! :"
for five hundred newsboys to sell q new daily
paper about to start. AS their commission for
doing this they were to receive an extra per-
centape. but as q guarantee land here comes in
the ioke), each boy to be employed must leave
with his employ just one pound sterling. This
condition was peremptorily insisted on in every
case. But the extra luducement had the de-
sired eff.ct-in fact it took admirably, for in
less than a week the five hundred boys, or
their friends for them, had applied and register
ed their names, and f5O0 sterling were duly de-
posted. Mr.. Smithson, our embryo journalist,
now set himself to work night and day to get
up daily paper. Aside from few paying adj
vertisements and some shilling notices, he him
self wrote NJ the entire contents of the little
sheet, aud on the day the boys were told to
come for their papers the first number was
ready. The paper was no longer a myth, but
q living reality. Little did these ragged urch-
ms or their friends suspect, however, that the
w hole thing was got mp on their money. The
venture proved Il great success; but, on the
other hand, had it been y failure, then what
All! in that case our friend would suddenly
have found it necessary to resume his travels
again, otherwise he would have found himself
ticketed ten years at least to Bridewell. From
the first number of the paper the enterprise
rapidly grew and fiourished: the shoeless little
fellows, who UNI itingly furnished the CAPT
tai to set up q newspaper, soon had their
money returned, and none were the wiser,
none the worse, for the clever rmse that had
been played. Thus was ushered into the world
that powerful institution, known to-day all
over two hemispheres the London Daily
Telegraph with correspondents in every part of
the globe, employing a corps of writer's and
welding an influence second only to the
"rhunderer' itself. Mr.. s., the protector, died
several years ago, wealthy from the proceeds of
an enterprise begottcn of sheer desperation,
and though rash in its inception, yet highly
successful in its results.