The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-31


perfection of journalistic happiness which we
are sometimes taught to believe exists only in
the absence Of advertisements. Our readers
will therefore share our interest in contem-
plating such a newspaper as we print this
morning, and as we printed on Sunday.
Sometimes we are advised that newspapers
should spurn advertisements. We never hear
such advice without recalling the observations
of the fox, who could not climb the vine, upon
the general unhealthiulness of grapes, or the
recommendations of still another fox, who
had lost his own tail, in favor Of
general abolition of tails in the whole
fox kingdom. A newspaper with a few
struggling advertisements, mainly composed
of insurance notices and warnings to the
afflicted" with rude engravngs of the patent
rat trap and sewing machine and Indians
gathering herbs, and exhortations to "adver-
tise while there is time"-a newspaper in this
plight of fortune reminds us OF pedler who
carries tapes and laces for living, and dis
courses with his patrons at farmhouses upon
the vanity OF human hopes and the folly of
trade and gain. We do not see what subject
could better occupy the peddling mind than
the folly of trade. The one thing he would
hate would be his pack, just as the one thing
which newspaper, blazing with two or three
columns of pills and rat traps, despises "ad-
vertisements."
When we study great business newspaper,
publishing the news as we'll as the advertise
ments we see the map of the busy world. A
perusal of its columns is like q stroll down
Broadway from Grace church to the Battery.
All the world passes before us-the world of
religion, politics, amusement, art enterprise
and business We have the panorama of
great metropolis-the expression of human
hopes, wishes, attainments, employments and
desires The globe seems TO have been put
under contribution to make Broadway. Here
is the church, and hard by the theatre.
This bazaar is filed with the stuffs Of Asia,
the fabrics Of Europe. Here is the taste
Of France, the solid, manly achievements
of British industry. The eye is at
tracted by laces as light and airy as
the trailing arbutus by silks which shine
like gold and FURNISHED silver. AT every step
we have evidences of the greatness of our own
land. the resources of our soil and mines, the
fertile genius and enterprise Of our people
The thoughts which such stroll suggest are
also inspired by study of the columns Of
representative newspaper. Let us take this
journal that lies before us-the HERALD of
March %, 1875. Here is a newspaper of
twenty large pages Were the type here printed
amplifed into volume it would embrace all
the plays of Shakespeare In other words,
here is as much labor in the way OF type set
ting and printing as would print the works
of Shakespeare. We look into these
columns and we find, of the one hun
dred and twenty, seventy-nine devoted to
advertising. These seventy-nine columns
represent the wants Of nearly three thousand
persons. In other words. this one journal
conveys to the world the business and desires
of three thousand people. We look at the
departments and we find there are eighty of
them-eighty different forms of business
demanding the hospitality and consideration
of the world. This spectacle of three thou
sand citizens, each one with special purpose
very dear and close, calling upon the world to
listen to them, is a marvellous illustration of
the strength and utility OF modern journal
ism, and we can we'll understand how it
would disturb the peddling mind, as it tramps
along the road with burdensome pack and
wonders of what use the great city can pos
sibly be to civilization, with it's foundries,
stores ard manufactures, while he stands
ready to supply all the world
We look closely into these columns and the
study becomes more and more curious. Here
are seven hundred people who have houses
and apartments TO let or who seek homes.
And we see right we'll that May Day is at hand,
for here are six hundred who would buy
or sell houses And we have another
evidence that Easter brings good cheer and
promise Of better times in the fact that two
hundred eager, active men seek business OPP
portunities. They do not care. to go West, but
to stay in New York and trust their fortunes
with the HERALD. There is fine array of
auction sales to crafty the Mrs. Toodles mind,
and if our peddling friends should tire of
walking here are hundred chances to buy a
horse or a carriage. We are reminded of the
mutability of human affairs in the two columns
of deaths but we learn that the world is
not all sadness in the wedding bells that peal
through the column of marriages. There are
over four hundred people asking employment
or seeking for help, and we trust they find
their account with us in these inviting spring
days. The world must be amused, as two pages
of theatres, concerts, operas and lectures inform
us, and if we choose to amuse ourselves here
are two columns which tell us where we can
find fddles and harps, flutes and pianos and
other instruments of melody. Altogether,
therefore, we cannot help wondering what
embarrassment and disappointment would
ensue if these three thousand worthy people
who seek our columns We're suddenly denied
IL II