The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-03-30
BEWILDERING cHRoMos.

] mistaken Us Tor one OF the Lot family.
BEWILDERING CHROHOS.
/ The question whether chromos develop
or repress a taste or art has been long
and vehemently discussed. Opinions
differ materially ON this point, though
there can hardly be two opinions, one
would think, in respect to chromos, of
fered as an inducement to newspaper
subscribers That there are two opinions,
| however, Is very obvious, from the fact
that publishers continue TO offer them as
premiums, when they must know from
the experience of others that the custom
Is frequently followed by disaster and
always attended with peril. A tremen-
dous responsibility rests on chromos. If
they were human creatures they would
be sued in every court in the land, and
enormous damages obtained for the losses
Of which they have been the cause.
These may be estimated by hundreds of
thousands of dollars, if not by millions,
and new losses are constantly sustained,
and will be, no doubt, while chromos are
manufactured.
There is nothing absolutely harmful in
a chrome In itself it is innocent, not
unhandsome often, and may be 4 source
Of pleasure, yea and of profit. But,
like anything else. perverted in its uses
presenting it as premium, for exam
ple--it may become an active agent for
mischief As premium it is elusive,
Elusive, delusive, and deluding, particu-
larly in regard TO the publisher. OF
course, persons influenced to subscribe
for n newspaper by being told that they
will get gratis really splendid work of
art, portraying Fide and Little Mol
lie, or The Baby at Breakfast" or
% The Kitten in the Milk Jar" are apt
to be disappointed, both in the work of
art and the newspaper. Perhaps they
do not deserve much commiserati0n.
They ought TO be aware that conscien-
tious publishers generally make their
journal inviting by its contents; that
whatever money they may have TO spend
they put into it, instead of into chromos;
that a very good journal and a very good
premium are prone TO he financially in.
compatible.
But the publisher suffers more than
the subscriber, and for the publisher our
pity is chiefly stirred, because we have
been made acquainted with 80 many of
his woes. Chromos are rarely a fatuity
Of daily newspapers; they belong in the
main to weeklies-weeklies Of every
order and variety Many weeklies be
lieve that chromos are indispensable 20
their existence: more money, time and
thought are spent on them and their dis
tribution than on editorials, contribu-
tions and correspondence. There have
been instances, and not a few, in which
weeklies have gained vast circulations
through chromos, or their equivalent,
and have been supposed to be extremely
prosperous, until careful examination OF
the books have proved that the circula-
ton costs more than it brings in. Hard,
cold, undeniable figures have shown
that for each paper sent out two dollars
and fifteen cents was spent, while the
price received for it, including every
thing, is not over one dollar and sixty
seven cents.
Chromos, odd as it may appear, have
often given birth to weekly newspapers.
Men who would never have conceived
the idea of publishing, and whom nature
never designed for publishers, have been
prompted to undertake the business by
discovering lot of chromos that could
be had cheap. Having heard of what
has been achieved by these for weeklies
which were lqnguishing, they fancy they
see their opportunity, and in a brief
while they are at the head of a Journal
whose sole excuse for being is chromatic
The newspapers-so called because it
contains no news-blazes with reasons to |
subscribe; but the reasons are all eu-
volyed from Hamboyant prints. One
finds very little in the arid columns ex-
cept double loaded editorials and dis
played advertisements on the glorious
advantages of possessing chrome COM
pared to which "The TRANSPORTATION .
is a failure and "St. Mark and the Slave"
a veritable daub. You are urged to take
the paper, not on account of anything
in it. but on account of the chrome,
which is the beginning and end of all its
journalistic enterprise. If you can only
secure the wonderful chrome, nSthing
else will be necessary; it will bring in
struction, entertainment, serenity, su-
preme content. II you should miss the
chrome, you will have missed the prize
ofliie, and all your future must hence
forth 60 i'll. Subscribe Subscribe
Subscribe!
Meanwhile, to those who are tempted
let us say, put not your trust in chromosl
They may be gorgeous in hue, and
marvellous as art, but out of them no
newspaper, however, weekly, is legiti
matcly born.-N y Tines.