Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-05-09

have possessed his fathers resolution and
energy, with more knowledge of the world
and better education. 1t was he who
took the first decisive teptowards placing
THE Times at the head of journalism. For
many years the Walters had been printers
to the Custom House, post of consider
able profit. In 1910, the newspaper dis
covered and exposed corrupt practices in
the Navy Department-practices which
were subsequently condemned by an in
vestigating commission. The Admins
tration deprived the fearless editor of the
Custom House business. AS this was not
in accordance with the usages of English
politics, it made great cutlery, and the
editor was given to understand, that, if
he would wink at similar abuses in future
the public printing would be restored to
him. This offer he emphatically declined,
saying that he would enter into no en-
gagements and accept no favors which
would diminish, in any degree whatever,
the independence of the paper.
This was an immense point gained. 1t
was, as have said, the first step toward
greatness. Nor do l believe that any
newspaper has ever attained genuine
and permanent standing in a community
until.it has first conquered substantial
independence. The Administration then
tried to accomplish its purpose in another
way. During the gigantic wars of Ma
poleon Bonaparte, extending over most of
the first fifteen years of the present cen
fury, the Times surpassed all newspapers
in procuring early intelligence from the
seat of war. The government stopped to
the pettiness of stopping at the outposts
all packages addressed to the Times, while
allowing the dispatches for the ministerial
journals to pass. Foreign ships bound to
London were boarded at Gravesend and
papers addressed to the Times taken from
the captain. The editor demonstrated to
the Home Secretary. He was informed
that he might receive foreign papers as a
tarOr from government Knowing that
this would be granted in the expectation
of its modifying the spirit and tone Of the
newspaper, he declined to accept as a
favor that which he claimed as a right.
The consequence was that the paper suf-
fered much inconvenience from the loss
or delay of imported packages. This in
convenience was of small account COM
pared with the prestige which such COM
plimentary persecution conferred.
Another remarkable feature of the sys-
tenn upon which The Times has been con-
Quoted is the liberality with which it has
compensated those who served it. Writing
is peculiar kind of industry, and de-
mands so strenuous and intense an eXer-
ton of the vital forces, that no one will
ever get good writing done who compen-
safes it on ordinary commercial princi-
pies. The rule of supply and demand can
never apply to this case. There are two
things which the purchaser of literary
labor can do towards getting high quail
ity of writing. One is to give the writer
the amplest motives to do his best; and
the other is to prevent his writing too
much. Both these things the conductors
of The Times have Systematically done.
1t is their rule to pay more for literary
labor than anybody else pays for the same
labor, more than the writer himself would
think of demanding, and also to afford
intervals of repose after periods of severe
exertion.
Until the year 1914, all the printing in
Times could only be struck off at the rate
of four hundred and fifty copies an hour.
Hence, the circulation OF the paper, when
it had reached three or four thousand
copies day, had attained the utmost de-
velopment then supposed to be possible;
and when such news came as that of the
battle of Austerlitz, Trafalgar or Water
| loo, the edition was exhausted long before
the demand was supplied. There was a
compositor in the office of The Times
named Thomas Martyr, who, as early as
! 1904, conceived the idea of applying
Watts improved steam engine to print
ing press. He showed his model to John
Walter, who furnished him with money
and room in which to continue his ex-
periments and perfect his machine. But
| the pressmen pursued the inventor with
such blind, infuriate hate that the man
was in terror of his life from day to day,
and the scheme was given up.
| Ten years later another ingenious in
ventor, procured a patent for a steam
press, and Mr.. Walter determined to give
his invention trial at all hazards. The
press was secretly put up in another build
ing, and few men, pledged to secresy,
were hired and put in training to work it.
| On the night of the trial the pressmen in
the Times building were told that the
paper would not go to press until very
late, as important news was expected from
the Continent. At six in the morning
John Walter went into the press-room and
announced to the men that the whole edi-
ton of the Times had been printed by
steam during the night, and that thence
forward the steam-press would be regu-
larly used. He told the men that if they
attempted violence there was a force al
hand to suppress it, but if they behaved
we'll no man should be loser by the in
vention. They should either remain in
their situations, or receive full wages until
they could procure others. This conduct
in a rich and powerful man was no more
than decent. The men accepted his terms
with alacrity.
| A great secret of The Times popularity
has been its occasional advocacy of the
public interest to its own temporary loss.
Early in its history it ridiculed the ad-
vertisers of quack medicines, and has
never hesitated to expose unsound projects
though ever so profusely advertised. Dur
ing the railroad mania Of 1S45, when the
railroad advertisements in The Times
averaged sixty thousand dollars a week,
it earnestly, eloquen.ly, and every day,
week after week, exposed the empty and
ruinous nature of the railway schemes.
1t continued this course until the mighty
/ collapse came which fulfilled its own
prophecies, and paralyzed for time the
business of the country.