The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-25


We may be permitted to refer-not in
spirit of EMULATION or Boosting, but for tho
purpose of explaining to curious and
friendly readers how the greater feats OF
journalism are dono--to the remarkable con-
trast between the cable news of the HERALD
on Saturday and Sunday and that which
appeared on the same days in the other city
journals. All Europe and America have
been waiting many weeks. with excited, I'M
patient expectation, Tor that great military
event, the crossing of tho Danube by the
Russian FORCES. When at last it came the
readers of tho HERALD were promptly in
formed, but the readers OF no other
journal in this country. The cross
ing took place on Friday On
Saturday morning the HHnALD published
the important news with more fulness OF
details than any Of the London journals
which are so much nearer the scene OF ac-
ton, and our American contemporaries did
not have anything that could DE called
news at all. Yesterday tho HERALD gave
clear, copious history, with precise Details
OF the whole connected military movements
on Friday and Saturday. Of which the other
city journals had only q pinched, meagre
outline. As every journal has an equal in
tcrcst in getting early reports Of important
events it may surprise readers OF the
HERALD who see the other city papers that
the latter could have been 50 distanccd in
matter for which we have all boon intensely
watching for several weeks. In unforeseen
accidental occurrences at places dis
tant from the ordinary channels Of
information it is not strange that one paper
should sometimes be ahead but how can
this happen respecting military events OF
the first magnitude. for which Ill the world
was watching?
This question is not without interest, and
we will answer it, 1t may conduce to the
clearness of the answer to recall criticism
occasionally made on the slight Importance
of some of the HERALDs cable dispatches.
We frequently have cabled whole pages OF
political, social and literary gossip such as
the other papers receive by mail two weeks
later Our contemporaries sometimes amuse
themselves by culling ont trivial incident
from these voluminous dispatches and ex-
patiating on the waste of sending such mat
ter by cable. Such criticism overlooks
the essential conditions OF modern journal
ism. We can only report such things US
happen, and it is not every day in the year
that there are events which will make great
figure in history. But we keep our nets
always spread for such fish as may come. 1t
is by this means that we always make sure
of the valuable fish when they swim in large
shoals. The great thing is to have the nets
always in order, to keep them spread wide
enough, and to haul them in often to find
what is the catch. Those who wait for the
shad or the salmon before preparing nets
wide enough to sweep the whole river will
generally find some hitch in their arrange
ments or some tardiness of execution
at the decisive moment. The HERALD keeps
its capacious news nets always spread and
it's men always in wideawake training, in
order that when anything great occurs it
may be sure not to miss it, Our readers
get important news whenever there is any
in any part of the world, and when there is
not We still keep our organization in per-
feet ORDER giving minor news of interest
until something more striking occurs. Fur
nishing news bears some resemblance to
giving dinners. Cooks and buffers and
servants must be kept up to the mark pretty
much all the time or they will be
awkward and unskilful when you wish
to give great entertainment. Ex-
tensive arrangements for the collection
and transmission of news can no more be
extemporized than great disciplined army.
A nation which constantly maintains such
an army is always prepared to maintain its
honor, as perfectly organized newspaper
is always ready for emergencies Even what
an army does for mere purposes Of drill is
not unimportant, for the drill master has
relation to good fighting, and, to carry out
the parallel, a newspaper which is run
cheaply in a period of commonplace events
is not likely to- be very efficient when events
become Of kindling interest.
s-nI., NForrnxw