Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-19
LOCO Tomb-soues a Year.

The insane desire of the American people
to start newspapers Is pretty well shown by
the statistics OF journalism in this country
for the year 1874 Notwithstanding the dis
couraging facts that more than one thousand
Tapers went out OF existence during the
year; that many others were materially re-
duced in size, that Calculations generally
have fallen Off considerably; and that the
expenses Of publishing have largely increas-
cd, while profits have greatly diminished, 1t
yet appears that during the same period of
time five hundred and sixty four new papers
have been established, or started. rather; for
there is a great difference between starting
newspaper and - establishing one. rs many an
ambitious gentleman has found TO his cost.
But the significant feature Of this long
death roll is found not so much in the num-
her OF papers that have died during the past
year as in the vast sum of money sunk in
the various experiments. II is aScertained
that in the aggregate about eight million
dollars have been lost to all parties inter-
ested in these defunct publications,-one
venture alone carrying down with it nearly
i not quite half a million. Yet, in the face
Of this melancholy exhibit. persons are still
TO be found who are willing to risk their
means in an enterprise that is always haz-
ardOus. and as rule only moderately profit
able even when successful. For, while IL il
true that a few OF the newspapers in some of
the larger cities make money and some of
them great deal, IL is equally true that a
majority of the papers I'm the country m axe
little or none. Indeed, the statistics show
that the net profit on the whole capital in
vested In newspapers In she United States
does not equal IL per cent. per annun, to
say nothing of time and valuable services
frequently given In such way that they
cannot enter into the account
From this showing II is clear that business
men do not as a general thing go into news
paper ventures on sound business princi pies
any more than they would regularly en-
bark I'm the purchase of lottery tickets be-
cause large prizes are occasionally drawn
This view Of the case is borne out by the fact
that majority OF the men who ran these
thousand papers into the ground either hal
hobby or q grievance of some kind, or a
special speculative scheme To promote. The
rest were mostly amateur Journalists, who
left other pursuits under the halIucination
that they had peculiar gifts for newspaper
management, or who were led away in the
beginning Of their career by the igais IGults
of literary ambition. An analysis of their
antecedentS shows that of the number rs
were merchants, mostly with speculative
tendencies, Sij school teachers, 81 lawyers, 10
farmers, and about loo yOung men of no pre-
viOus occupation, who were set up In the
business by indulgent parents or on their
own inherited means.
II is not surprising that they failed. In
deed II could hardly be otherwise with most
OF Them Successful newspapers can only
be established nowadays by the expenditure
of a large amount of money, and in one of
two ways. LIST, by actually paying up and
putting in bank an almost exhaustless capi-
tai TO be drawn upon, and printing an ex-
pensive first class paper from the start, re-
gardless of profit or loss; and, ID, BY beginning
In small way and changing the character
and charging the scope of the enterprise as
success may warrant But in both cases
patience, industry, economy, and pluck are
needed, together with such knowledge of the
wants OF the public and experience in the
business as would justify expectations of
success In any other pursuit in life. In other
words. journalism is profession, like any
other profession, except that il requires
more capital than any other, and TO be prose-
cuted successfully i; must DO thoroughly
This fact great many persons
have found out after expendirg "A great deal
OF time and money; but II seems there are
always few more left who are willing to
buy their knowledge in the same way.