Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1872-05-02
Helena, Montana, Thursday, May Z, 1872.
How a Newspaper Was started.

Years ago an educated, but rather fast
young Englishman, having run through all
his ready money by long course of fashion
able dissipation in the chief cities of the con-
tinent, found himself one day in Paris with
his means of livelihood nearly exhausted and
credit entirely gone. This state of things
almost face to face with want-set him to re-
fiecting seriously, for the first time in several
years. Something must be done," mused
be, "and that right quickly. Bread and
butter must be had, and there is no money in
my trousers wherewith 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 ink slingist, he
quickly formed the determination of turning
these qualities to present account. "Neces-
sity is the mother of invention" it is said
His resolution to strike out in his new course
was NO sooner taken than he proceeded to put
it into execution.
On taking account of stock our impecuni-
GUS friend finds that 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 insert an advertise
ment he had studied. up and prepared, three
times in two daily papers of the city. "And
what was this curious advertisement very
naturally asks the reader. 1t simply called
for five hundred newsboys to sell new daily
about to start. As their commissions for do
ing this, they were to receive an extra per-
centage, but as guarantee fand here comes
the joke) each boy to be employed must leave
with his employer just one pound sterling.
This condition was peremptorily insisted on
i'll every case. But the extra inducement had
the desired effect-in fact, it took admirably,
for in less than week the five hundred boys,
or their friends for them, had applied, regis
tered their names, and $500 sterling was duly
deposited. -." ~ :
MIR. smithson, our embryo journalist, now
set himself to work night and day to get up
daily Ipaper. Aside from few paying adver-
tisements and some shilling notices, he him
self 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 a myth, but
aliving reality. Little did these ragged urchins
or their friends suspect, however that the
whole thing was got up on their money. The
venture proved a great success; but, on the
other hand, had it been failure, then what
Ha In that case our friend would suddenly
have found it necessary to resume his travels
again, otherwise he would have found him
self ticketed for ten years at least at Bridge
well.
From the first number of the paper the en-
terprise rapidly grew and fourished the shoe
less little fellows, who so unwittingiy fur
nished the capital to set up newspaper, soon
had their money returned, and none were the
wiser, none the worse, for the clever ruse
that had been played. t.1 %" &"
Thus was ushered into the world that
powerful institution, known to-day-all over
two hemispheres as the London Daily Tele-
graph, with correspondents on every part of
the globe, employing corpse of writer's and
welding an influence second only to the
"Thunderer' itself. Smithson, the protector,
died several years ago, wealthy from the pro-
ceeds of an enterprise begotten of sheer des-
peration, and, though rash in its inception,
yet highly successful in its results.