New-York tribune., 1880-02-08
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
A MONTHLY TRIBUNE INDEX.


SIR: / have taken and filed THE TRIBUNE
since you began the publication OF Index and.
Of course have boughv the latter each year. But vau
able annual index is, no knows better than
yourself how far IL falls short OF meeting the require
mens Of journalists and others for Of reference
newspaper files For every occasion there Is TO refer
to a paper twelve months old, there a dozen
casions refer papers of comparatively dates
and for one, woad cheerfuy pay the price of pour
annual index a month"; II could at that cost Sc
what for practical purposes Is the real desidera
tum. viz; monthly index 10 some hrst-ciass daily
newspaper 7 presume however that monthly
index supplement could be furnished at
much lower price, and would pay better II so furnished
dont know whether the publication Of this annual index
pays. but believe 1t would pay II the real want were
supplied; and a monthly Index supplement might pay
indirectly II issued grauously and sent out with
the after the end OF each month The entries
for the Index being made In separate slips, should
think there would be difficulty in keeping them
assorted that they could prepared for the printer
after The close of the month. 1t might he
sufficient If the monthly Index were arranged by the
intia. letter only or course a monthly Index would
not serve as a substitute for the annual II would
rather inrease the sale Of the latter by cutivang the
habit OF using Index in many who would not other,
tniuk Of dong Each Index supplement- would
be advertisement for the ndeX the compact
aud superior arrangement OF which would be reaO
lily appreciated
aIn writing this because feel the need of the thing
I suggest A current index TO newspaper fles Is as
necessary az an index 10 book and tie time is prob
ably when IL will be considered an essential part oil
every hrst-class Journal. Heartily apprecatiDg what
you have already done in this direction. am very truly
yours. EDWARD :. PETERS,
Washington D. c., Jan. 81. 1896
lTae suggestion which our courteous correspond
ent offers has received mature consideration in pre-
vious years. when similar requests for the publlca-
tion of a Monthly Index have been made by
appreciatiye readers of The Tribune. The occur
rences of the previous month are always tOerably
fresh in peoples memories. and whenever there is
need 0f special investigation the undertaking Is not
formidable Dasmuch rs files of leading Journal like
THE tribune are accessible in every pubic library
and in many newspaper Offices. Let us suppose
that certain facts published in days issue are re-
qured for reference some day next October Ihe
investigator would probably be uncertain whether
to look in tho January or the Jane Index, or IN
some intermediate instament, and consequently,
would turn from number TO number and oftentmes
would be mised by analogous entries. Possibly he
might have neglected to send for the very number
which would contain the key to the mfor-
nation required. The undue multiplied
~ OF artificial helps to memory might
become positive hindrance in the end.
The monthly bulletins published by some public
libraries are of questionable utility, and annual
catalogue gives more satisfaction to their patrons.
In like manner we apprehcnd that the monthly in
stalments of The TRIBUNE INDEX would be of
comparatively slight service to the public, and we
are not disposed to modify present mode of pro-
cedure. We are heartily obliged to Mr.. Peters,
however for the interest which lie manfests in the
mattcr.-Edl