The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-05-28
HOW NEWSPAPERS ARE
STARTED

A wealthy lawyer, merchant or man
ufacturer, feeling that the town o
county in which he resides is but {
"pent.up Utica" for the disply Of abil
ties such rs he possesses, and fretfull,
longing for m Arena 1T -orafS"Sa Pasof'a
Washington, takes into serious con
sideration the probabilities OF his evel
reaching either Of the goals Of his am.
bition. lie rates himself in the pri
vacy Of his officer as a smart man, bu
every voter in his district don't know
1t. Now among the ways and means
that have been tried for the advance.
ment Of mans political fortunes, a
daily and weekly newspaper has some.
times proved very efficient engine.
Our ambitious and wealthy friends
straightway furnish (sub rosa) trust
worthy agent with Sreenbacks sufficient
to cover expenses, and in a reasonable
time the first number Of the new jour
nal is issued. It's nominal editor has
elastic principles and advocates the
claims of his patron through thick and
thin. lie receives the nomination, wri-
ties leaders for his own paper, in which
he alludes to his superrsmeminent claims
to the suffrages Of bis intelligent fellow
citizens. The first cost Of establishing
the paper was greater than he expected,
the weekly expenses have been much
greater than he anticipated but never
mind, election day will bring its re.
ward. This eventful day arrives at
last, and after shutdown the ballots of
rival candidates are counted-when 10 !
our friend hears with mingled feelings
Of rage and disappointment, and bit
ter consciousness Of being "stuck in,"
that he lacks just five votes of being
elected. Is it any wonder that he is
Disguised with the whole arrangement
that he wishes the whole thing was
of his hands--that he advertises
newspaper for sale, terms easy
Well, some daytime or stormy-a
journeyman printer permanently To-
Gated or on his travels) snaps at the
terms, signs the necessary papers takes
formal possession, roots out the slack
typesettlers, and buckling in stoutly
himself, without stopping to consider
whether eight or ten hours constitute 4
days work, eventually makes the Office
pay. But he is obliged to live like an
anchorite. He sleeps in the Office on
the imposing stone, or under a stand
on fourteen inch plank, aud reduces
his board bill to the lowest figure. lie
has experienced no great difficulty in
charging bis political principals 10
those Of his paper; but as he cannot
afford to employ professional editor,
he does feel little diffidence in occu.
pying the editorial chair himself
uenius, OF course, will assert itself
under the most adverse circumstances
Out even genius as we'll as talent |,
Az .ne better W little preliminary
training. But 1t 30 happens that onr
newly-made editor and proprietor -
not q genius, and never has been one
noi even a man Of more
tnan ordinary ability. He il
familiar with the details of TYNE.
setting, and ordinary press. work; but
ms literary experience has never led
MN into the domains of ancient and
modern classics, or the boundless fields
science, and theoretical acquisitions on
government, or political economy have
never never seemed interesting to him. la
10Y sunday papers and modern nov.
eis nave constituted his main cours. a,