Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-03-13
Country and City Week
lies.

~
of weekly papers printed only
as such, and the weekly edition
of daily papers which a great
many people, who want one as
cheap as theother, should read.
1T says:
As the time is approaching
when our country friends make
their arrangements for the new
year, we take occasion to say a
few plain words on q subject Of
Importance, at least to rs. In
, istarting out, we insist that every
family should have their home
journal, and where circumstan-
ces will admit. should also take
a frst-class city weekly.
The principal argument used
in favor of tie city weekly is its
cheapness, only $1,75 or $500 a
year, in clubs even less, while
the country paper, not as large
either, costs 81 or $3.50. With
out stopping to examine if
there be any cause for the diff
erence in price, some person at
each post-ofice at once sets out
to get up club for the city
weekly.
Now let lis see how it is that
the city papers are offered at
such low rites, for they are very
low, and furnish reading mat
ter that in any other shape
would cost ten times as much.
The reason is simply this. Out
side the costs Of white paper,
ink and mailing, the city week
lies cost the publisher nothing;
while the entire cost of type-set-
ting, presswOrk, paper, ink,
mailing, ofHce-rent, fuel, etc., is
added to the cost Of a eountoy
publishers paper The typeris
all set up and paid for on the
daily paper of the city publisher,
and it is merely transferred to
the weekly, while the pressman
being hired by the week, re-
ceives nothing extra for the
weekly, so that all the cityyprin--
ter receives above the first cost
of white paper, ink and mailing,
is so much clear gain, and he
can therefore make more money
by furnishing his paper as low 4,
as 81, %, than the country pub
Usher can at So a year.
Again, the city publisher is
sues from ten to one hundred
thousand copies of his paper
weekly, while the county pub
Usher only counts his subscri-
bers at between one and two
thousand only, his sheet being
considered as in u very -four
ishing condition if its circula-
ton is within five hundred of
the latter figures. Ten cents
profit on each yearly subscriber
gives the city publisher hand
some income, while the same pro-
fit on a country publishers list
would not pay his rent. The
country publisher is paid just
when it is convenient; the city
publisher receives his pay in
advance, has no bad debts, and
has his money to work on du-
ring the year, His advertising
counts him from one to two dol
lars per line; the country pub
Usher is considered very '|hard
iu the mouth if he charges two
dollars for a twenty line vendue
advertisement. We might go
on and fill the column withcom--
PARSONS Of a similar character,
but it is useless.
We only ask our friends
when they hear their neighbors
who borrow their Record, COM
planning it costs so much and
they can get city paper so
much cheaper, to just set them
thinking on the facts stated a
bOve. Also ask them when
they want a marriage or death
notice published, why they
don't send it to the city paper;
turn about is fair play, you
know, and it's a poor rule that
won't work both ways. We
don't offer heavy premiums for
new subscribers; We can't afford
to do so.
In order to give our readers
a paper worthy of their support.
we cannot throw money away
in that shape, our subscription
price being as low as can be
afforded. We want all the new
subscribers we can get, and feel
duly thankful to our friends for
any effort in our behalf which
they may see fit to make, but
we find it impossible to give
them all gold watches, sewing
machines or shot guns for their
services.