Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-06


proportions, and her demand for old news.
| papers to complete her toilet is not much
cousin.
The tendency of modern civilization is to
aggregate into large communities. The
cites are growing marvellously in popula-
tlon, wealth and Importance. They are the
world granaries, its markets, its empori-
ums of fashion, its receivers and reporters
OF the days doings, and all people look to
them for supplies, for fashions and for
news. Hence it is difficult task. at the
present day, 70 make successful general
newspaper outside of these centres.
ASIDE from locality, the city publisher
has another advantage; he saves the cost
of composition by making up the week "
out of matter used in the daily, and paid
for out of its profits, which enables him to
sell the paper at a fraction above the cost
of stock. No country publisher, Obliged to
pay for every line of composition, can meet
such competition in price, or size of sheet
Nor can he meet 1t in point of ability and
facility for obtaining general news. These
great papers are monied institutions, paving
from so 900 to 500, 600 annually for news
dispatches, which reach the country reader
as soon as they reach the country printing
Office. We do not know of a weekly paper
in Vermont which could pay even S., 900
for news dispatches, in addition to other
Office expenses, and have enough left for a
Fourth of July recreation.
In point Of editorial ability. too, this
competition is beyond the reach of the
country publisher. This is said with be-
coming respect to brothers present, many of
whom are entitled to honor for the ability
with which they use the quill. But while
these city journals pay round prices for
brains, employing from twenty to fifty
writers, eminent as editors, correspondents
and reporters. where is the country pub
Usher who can afford to pay $4,000 even,
for a corps of writers and be able to honor
sight drafts for stock, to say nothing of
bills for help ard other expenses? The
brain work in most country Offices is sup
piled by the proprietor alone, though few
Of the more prominent papers employ n
helper or two at starvation salaries
But whatever may be the literary and
financial ability Of the country publisher,
he finds II impossible to create the general
demand for his paper which exists for the
Journal at a commercial centre, backed by
power of wealth. conducted by a full corps
of eminent editors, which is double the size
Of the country paper and sells for - to 80
driven ont of the broad field of general news
and compelled to confine his enterprise to
his own locality. where these city elephants
cannot annoy him. This field Is his own,
and yields fruit enough, if properly harvest
ed, for generous support.
But before examining that field let Us
glance a moment at the variety of papers
now existing in the country. We live in a
g
no active business man considers the day.
labor completed until he scans the columns
of his daily paper And few farmers, me-
chauics or laboring men are content with
out their local paper. and at least one city
weekly, while in most families are found
from two to eight periodicals of different
kinds
The great progress OF modern times in
every branch of industry and learning is
owing largely 30 the division Of labor
SPECIAL JOURNALISM.
Every trade is divided into ,pecialties,
and carried on by men skilled in their chosen
parts. The old-hshi0ned shoemaker is cut
up into n half dozen different and distinct
individuals-the cutter. the closer. the
binder, the bottomer, the heeler and the
finisher-and these parts will have a case of
=
Crispin is cutting and closing the first pair
In medicine every ailment has it, particular
healing physician, and every branch of law
its special men That no one may know
all things, but that every one may know
much about one thing, Is a principle re-
c0gnzed in all pursuits. In journalism 1t
has not been forgotten by any means, for 1t
has produced excellent periodicals devoted,
specially, 10 literature, to science, to agrl-
culture. 90 politics, to religion, 10 temper
ance. u masonry, 10 woman rights, TO
sport. TO local news, etc, etc. All OF these
papers may have a few columns devoted TO
general and miscellaneous mater, but each
paper succeeds in proportion 70 It's excel
lence in the special department.
In this day of specialties. no reader, if
he take but one paper, has any right To
expect it 10 contain everything. With his
eyes open, be elects
WHAT PAPERS To TAKE
according 10 his individual taste and re
quiremeuts. Ii he would be pas-abiy well
informed. he finds two. lat least, an indi~-
pensable necessity A. instruction begins
at hone, the local paper comes first in i'm
portanee. for no intelligent man can afford
10 De ignorant of the current affairs of his
own county and state. How humiliating
it must be To an American, in pursuit of
accomplishments by foreign travel, to he
obliged 10 confess that he never visited
the White Mountains, never entered the
Mammoth Cave. never saw the Mississippi
OF the Great Lakes never passed a day at
Saratoga. Long Branch or Newport. The
world presume- that men seeking nt0rma-
ton abroad, are familiar with the history,
natural curi0sities. customs of society and
current events of their own country. And
this presumption is carried farther. Every
man who goes away from home. asking
questions about other localities, is presumed
to have such an acquaintance with his own
as the local paper. alone, can give him.
Next in importance comes city journal,
either daily or weekly and this Is indi>-
penSable, for no reader can, with much con-
iidence. venture into discussion ofnational
and foreign affairs on a stock of Informal
ton obtained even from the best local pa
pers
Next. If the reader can afford it land he
can. for the investment will pay good in
tereSt in dollars and cents) should be added
a journal devoted to ones own avOcation in
life. The farmer should add his agricultural
paper. the mechanic. something treating
upon his particular trade, the physician,
hi, medical Journal. and 50 on through the
list of pursuits And in every case ought
to be added Il paper devoted to religion and
morality. for common editors, absorbed m
the discussion of every day business and
political events. are too apt to neglect these
important questions, except when alarmed
bv some resurrected Millerite, who has found
a new date for the final conllagration.
Now, if every reader could afford to take
the three papers first mentioned, II would
enable the proprietor of such to devote ms
entire energy TO his special department,
and the result would be a higher degree OF
excellence in special journalism. The ten
dency certainly Is in this direction but
there are a few readers who take but one
paper. and demand, from that one, a week
iy review of the world, and editors, after
deyoting a certain space to their special de
partment. are compelled to give synopsis
of the general news, miscellaneous reading
&c. for the accommodation of this class.
Scarcely one half the readers of a country
paper read more than the locals and ad-
vertiSements Probably one quarter add TO
this reading the miscellaneous and agrlcul
tural matter. and very few swallow the
paper whole, as the only source OF IN
formation at hand While the interests OF
the last class must not be forgotten, it
should not be regarded at the expense OF the
more important part Of the paper, for 1t
should be kept constantly in mind that the
most successful country papers are
the most intensely local. Readers
take them for the home news. This they
expect, and the more they get the better are
they pleased. With a full and interesting
home department they are quite ready to
overlook shortcomings in other parts OF
the paper
Having determined his field of labor, let
US see what kind of a man we find
THE SUCCESSFUL LOCAL EDITOR
He is usually, but not always, a graduate
Of the printing office, having passed through
the different degrees of devil, compositor,
pressman, foreman, job printer, &c. lfnot
a graduate, he has learned by attentive OBJ
servation to determine what constitutes a
days work. to judge of a good piece OF
printing, TO suggest changes and improve
ments in the typographical appearance OF
his paper. to cast rollers and preserve them