Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-04

I purposes when that agency first came into use.
I But that time has long since passed away. In
an age when mos grown persons aud many
l children carry watch. the ringing III a hell "a
| announce church time is coRfc>sedly a mere
form. kept mp from force ot habit and out oi
/ regard for old associations. As notice 10 the
/ public II no longer has any value. The preacher
4 ot the present day who wishes 10 reach the ear
/ and touch the heart of The multitude. or even
/ To bring bis whole cOngre CATION together on
special occasions. must rely upon other and
more certain means of doing ~. He finds il
necessary now Ia use the columns Of the daily
| newspaper in order TO secure an audience pr, 10
/ portioned in numbers Ia the Importance of the
| message he has Ia communicates. Hence .,he
| ministers of Washington are following the
example of their brethren in other large cities.
and advertise in Saturdly's ps Der no, onlythe
location of their respective chlrehes and the
hours of service hat also the text or subject OF
! their discourse. morning aud evening. Of the
| following sabbath. This arrangement is found
! 10 be most advantageous i'm every way. II il a
| great convenience 10 regular church goerS a.
well aS To strangers in the city. aud i'm MANY.
very many instances, secures the presence i'm
| church of those VINO. under other circam
| stances. would not De likely To attend divin.
| service Al all. ID i with sermons aud church
services rs with other things which ii is de
| >irahe To bring 10 the notice of the pabf
| The best means of publicity must b. sough, /:
and as in other affairs Of life there is no. hin
| equal in this respect 10 the columns ol a live.
| widcly-circulaied newspaper, a. progressive
| and earnest preachers of the gospel ~ We'll as
the general pubic are fast finding out
| W 18th the single exception of the -N0tiono'
| Inteaigencer, no other newspaper ever pub
| li>hed in Washington has lived 80 long a. THE
| EVENING STAR. And even in this comnariSon
| the advantage is in one sense with The star
Ii is well known that but for party and gov
eminent subsidies. in one form and anot ner
/ the InteHigepcer would have had To Succumh
| long before it did. and that when such help
was finally withheld from il it WAS compelled
| 10 suspend: whereas THE STAR Was never 80
securely established or So prosperous aS AZ the
! present time. although il has not had a gov
eminent advertisement i'm its columns for
many months, or been the recipient of official
| patronage or partisan support of any kind. On
the other hand the almost uniform usage CT
the office for a long time past has been 10 de
cline business from this source, on account of
insufficient compensation or doubts about
ultimate payment. In other words. 80 far as
the management of this Journal is concerned
both the general and local governments are
placed on precisely the same footing as a pri-
vate individual Ii they see proper 10 pay tine
prescribed rates. and settle their bills prompt
~, their announcements can appear in its
columns, with others, but no other obligation
Is admitted To exist I'm consequence; if not.
then we have better and more profitable use
for the limited space at our command.
A sketch Of the Evening Star.
In work published by George l.. Rowen &
Co. during the Centennial Exhibition las,
year. intended TO illustrate the - Great News
papers of America during the present cen
tuTy, the following succinct sketch of THE
EVENING STAR was given conspicous place:
In 4 greater degree perhaps than any
newspaper i'm the country, The WAsHISC roN
EVENING STAR II the exponent and represe Ia
tive of the interests of the city in which ii is
published. This has been its character from
The beginning and To this distinctive feature
is largely due its pSesent wide circulation and
its high character as an advertising medium.
Founded In 49,. IL Is by many years the Oldest,
as II Il also the most popular aud influential,
Of the many newspapers published al the Ma
tuHal Capital The policy of giving the closest
attention To local interests which Was adopted
10y its founders has not only been adhered To.
hut still farther developed by its present man.
agement into whose hands the paper came by
, purchase, in ISL. Not only this, however.
immediately on assuming control they deter
| mined To solve the problem of publishing a
daily news and business journal, strongly
local in character. so cheap as to be within the
means oil the Yet Wide IN us
scope so high in its aims, and so fun and com
pete IN all its departments as to meet the exact
| ing demands Of those wishing to keep posted
| i'm the daily doings of the whole world. To thi,
end the largest and best attainable force OF ed
| itors. reporters and correspondents is con-
Stantly employed, the telegraph il freely and
literally used, and the fastest and most power
full printing machinery Is called into service.
The result is a daily newspaper which literally
goes into every household i'm the District of Co
| iumbia. II has indeed been conclusively es-
IN lr<h hnf mn II hos t1ala.
three times as many subscribers and more
| than five times as many readers as any other
aai DoI Pa 9sE published led rag in
subscription list is believed to be larger than
| that of any evening paper in the United
| states, no matter where published, while its
circulation Is. IN proportion 10 the population
| of the city where printed ond circulated. the
| lorgea and FULLEST possessed Jy any newspaper
in The .ror'd! Ii follows therefore. that
| within the territory covered by its circulation
it has no rival, nor anything approaching an
| equal, as means of reaching the public. Ii
has. in fact. passed into a maxim that Every
body IL the district Of Columbia who can read.
reads The STAR. and every one who adver-
| ti>es al all adyertises i'm its columns Yet it
| must not be thought that its circulation aud
influence are only local. Ii has a wide distr-
butlon through the mails. and i'm addition to
this every issue of the paper is carefully read
u! lie throngS Of strangers constantly visiting
the National Capitol on business or FOR pleas
ure. and who constitute In a very large degree
the wealthy and purchasing population of the
different States and Territories: so that while
lis field Is in marked degree local, il is never
theless, in the best sense. cosmopolitan and
uncircumscribed i'm its sphere.
But perhaps the history of this remarkably
successful and popular journal can best he
eptOmiZed 10y stating the suggestive facts that
u commenced its career in ls52 with less than
500 capital. was sold TO its present prOprietOrs
Tor $4,000 cash i'm 1867, and is now held TO be
worth noi less than a quarter of a million dol
lars. These figures tell the story of patience
Of sound judgment Of well-directed energy
and enterprise. OF independent action, of fair
dealing, OF defence OF popular rights, and Of
strong hold in public esteem. more plainly
than whole volume o. words. 1t is doubtful.
indeed whether the history of journalism any
where in the world can show, in all respects, a
parallel TO it,
Washington % o Journalistic Grave.
yard.
Washington has earned the reputation OF
being the most unhealthy city i'm the country
for journalistic enterprises. We subjoin a list
OF journals started i'm the District of Columbia,