The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-06-18
Starting Newspapers.

The firm conviction of two-thirds of
every American community, be it large
or small, that each individual member
thereof is capable of editing and pub
fishing a newspaper of extraordinary
acceptability, is one of the chronic
deceptions of popular belief. The fact
that newspapers are the product of
human thought and human labor renders
it impossible that they should be so
perfect in every regard as to meet the
requirements of human criticism. Am
bilious youngsters, theorizing aged
men, devoted women and solicitous
people of all conditions earnestly believe
that they are able not only TO serve
themselves in the newspaper business
by making money, but advance the in
terests of their fellow men by the advo-
cacy Of especial doctrines. The re-
peated failures of such enterprises do
not shake their faith or self-confdence.
They must know that success is the ex-
ception, and, if they stop to reason, that
skill, the result of careful training in
every branch of the business, including
the most minute details, is the absolute
prerequisite to that success. Friends
who may promise to yield a helping
hand to enterprises of this kind are
invariably ''unable to accommodate"
when the pinch comes, and the expert
ence of the civilized world shows that
only those journals are established on a
permanent basis which are controlled
by adroit business managers and edited
by independent spirits, who strive to
please rather than command, and who
yield personal prejudice to the evident
bent of the public mind. To do all this
and maintain reputation for consist
ency is at once a dificult and dangerous
task.
Papers started with capital nearly
always fail. Year after year we see
papers started with tens, and twenties,
and fifties of thousands of dollars go
down in few short months. The Re-
public, in New York, which sunk its
800, 600 IN seven months The Paper,
in Pittsburg, which in fourteen months
lost $40, 900, and then died ; the Patriot,
in Washington, which perished in ten
months with a debt of $4,000. These
are some examples of what papers that
started ont with capital have done. The
papers that succeed at last are your
tough and spirited fellows who start
without dollar and edge their way in
by hard work and careful management.
The New York Herald started without a
dollar, and found no friends until it
didn't need them. Mr.. Greeley started
the Tribune when he was as poor as a
church rat. Prudence, care and system
are needed. Add to these brilliancy
and Judgment, and success is certain.
And VIII le it is true that capital alone
4ohliuh nnIthnr
can it establish any other legitimate
industrial pursuit requiring business
skill. The same energy, toll, perse-
verance and ability that gave success to
Bennett, Greeley and Raymond, in the
publication of newspaper, would have
secured them prominence in any other
calling. Stewart, Clafin and other
merchants who have risen to the head
of their business enterprises, owe their
success neither to capital nor its absence,
but to those personal qualities OF energy
and ability which secure prosperity
everywhere and there is no royal road
to fame or success in the publication of
a newspaper that does not apply equally
to every other profession. 1t requires
the same careful management, prudent
economy, untiring industry and fair
ability which is required in commerce
or in the learned professions ; so that
those who embark in these enterprises,
lured on by some hopeful confidence III
political or religious enthusiasm, must
always meet with disaster. - Washing
ton National Republican.
THE destruction of life in India by
wild beasts and reptiles appears to be
tho Nv on mn
it is estimated, die annually from snake
bites alone, while the inhabitants of the
border lands are killed by tigers in
alarming numbers. In the three years
from 1866 to 1869 tigers destroyed 946
Europeans in the central provinces
during a period of six years wild beasts
in Bengal cost 13, ,401 lives; and in one
month in 1867, in South Canara, 40 per-
sons fell victims. Mr.. Clements Mark
BAN states that a single tigress caused
the destruction of 13 villages, and 256
square miles of country were conse-
quentIy thrown out of cultivation, while
another tigress in 1869 killed 127 people
and stopped all traffic Oh public road
for many weeks.
By an order from the post Office de
partment, separate pouches for regis
tered letters will sooR be placed on all
the principal mail routes in the country.
This will be invaluable assistance to
the mail robbers. Heretofore they have
been obliged to carry off bags of unre-
munerative letters, and with much care
and toll fish out the letters that had
money in them.
"WHAT's this crowd around here
for ?" demanded policeman the other
night rs be came upon dozen boys
grouped near house on second street.
keep still, - replied one of the lads,
there comes old John, tight as brick,
and we're waiting here TO see his wife
pop him with the rolling pin as he opens
the front door"