National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-02-23
How A Newspaper Mas started.

Years ago, an educated. but rather fast
young Englishman, having run througl
all his ready money by long course o
fashionable dissipation in the chief citie,
of the continent, found himself one day il
Paris with his means of livelihood ~ rly
exhausted, and credit entirely gone. This
stat, of things almost face to face with
Want-set him to rejecting seriously, for
IT, first time in several years. "Some-
thing must be done unused lie, "and that
right quickly" "Brcad and butter must
be had, and there is no money in my
trowsers wheiewith TO get it or, at best,
only sufficient To last, with economy, three
or four days longer; aud, then what
Being naturally shrewd, of an inventive
turn of mind, and very ready ink slngist,
he quickly tormed the determination of
turning these qualities TO present account.
Necessity is the mother of invention" II
is said. His resolution to strike out in his
new course was no sooner taken than he
proceeded TO put ii into execution.
On taking account of stock. our impe-
cunious friend finds he has Just sufficient
funds on hand to settle up with his landlady
for his last lodgings, take him across the
channel TO London, and to insert an adver-
tlsement he had studied up and prepared,
three times in two daily papers OF the city.
And what was this curious advertise
mentf' very naturally asks the reader. 1t
simply called for five hundred newsboys
to sell a new daily paper about to start
As their commission for doing this, they
were To receive an extra percentage, but
as n guarantee land here comes in the
joke, eech boy to be employed must leave
with his employer just one pound sterling.
This condition was peremptorily insisted
on in every case. But the extra induce
ment had the desired effect-in fact it took
admirably, for in less than a week the five
hundred boys, or their friends for them,
had applied, registered their names, and |
$500 sterling were duly deposited.
Mr.. Smithson, our embryo journalist, |
now set himself to work night and day to
get up a daily paper. Aside from few .
paying advertisements. and some shilling |
notices. he himself wrote up the entire .
contents of the little sheet, and on the day
the boys were told to come for their
papers. the first number was ready. The |
paper was no longer myth, but n living .
realty. Ilttlt ulu THESE ragged UrCHlHs !
or their friends suspect, however, that the .
whole thing was got up on their money, |
The venture proved great success; but,
IN the other hand, had it been failure
hen whatl All in that case our friend
would suddenly have found it necessary
o resume his travels again, otherwise he
would have found himself tcketed ten
ears, at least, to Bridewell.
From the first number of the paper the
Enterprise rapidly grew and fourished;
he shoeless little fellows, who so unwit-
ngly furnished the capital to set up a
ewspaper, soon had their money returned,
nd none were the wiser, none the worse,
or the clever rise that had been played.
Thus was ushered into the world that
owerful institution, known to-day all
yer two hemispheres as the London Daily {
elegaph. with correspondents in every l
art of the globe, employing corps of
riters and welding an influence second
My to the "Thunderer" itself Mr.. s.,
le protector died several years ago,
ealthy from the proceeds of an enterprise
egotten of sheer desperation, and though q
sh in its inception, yet highly successful "
its results c