Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-11-30
Dr. Talmage ON Newspapers
In the course Of one of his sermsns
recently, DR.. Talmage spoke as fol"
lows of the printing press:

~ '~-N f~@~--@~e3 R'NSS
Paul says that in the city Of
Athens there were people who did
nothing but gather up and tell the
news. Why more so 10 Athens than
in any other city? Because Athens was
the wisest city under the sun; and in
proportion as men became wise they
inquistive, not about small tbingss but
about greater. The great question in
Athens is the great question now:
what is the news?'
To answer this cry for newspaper
the centuries set their wits to work,
and China frst answered the cry, and
there is in Pekin newspaper which
has been published every week for a
thousand years, printed on silk. Rome
answered this cry by publishing the
Asta Diurna, in the same column put
ting fires, political events. marriages,
deaths, tempests and earthquakes.
France successfully answered this
question when in Paris a physician
wrote out the news for his patients.
Thank God that there is no need of
our going around like the Athenians
to hunt up aDd then to scatter. the
news, since the printing press does
both for US.
tell you, my friends, that good
newspaper is the grandest temporal
blessing that God has given to the
people in this century, All the peo-
pie read the newspapers. The old
man looks for the deaths, the young
look to the marriages, the stock
broker looks to the money column, the
importer looks to the shipping, the
philosopher looks to the editorial, the
unemployed look to the wants, and
the Christian looks all through to see
what God is doing among the nations.
Now, 1 think could arouse your
appreciation of this great blessing If
l told you the money, the brain, the
transportation, the anxIeiies, the losses,
tn wear and tear Of heart strings in
volved 10 the publication Of y news
paper. On the theory abroad in the
world that anybody can make one,
inexperienced capitalists every year
are entering the lists, and tits simple
statistic that there is an average OF
lead newspaper every day ofthO year.
Generally three or four fortunes are
swallowed up before newspaper is
established. The large papers swallow
up the small papers, one whale taking
Town fifty minnows. Although we
rave over sever thousand dailies and
geeklles in the United States aud the
}anadas, only thirty six are a halt
century old. The average of newspaSl
,er life is FIVE years. Most of them
lie Of cholera iDfantum 1t Is high
ime it were understood that the most |
uccessful way of sinking a fortune
nd keeping it sunk is to start and
enduct newspaper.
Almost every intelligent man dur
ng his life is smiiten with the news.
aper mania, aud start newspaper, or
ave stock in one, he must or die.
'ut, let me tell you that if you have
Il idea on any moral, social, political,
r religious subject, you had better
barge on The world through the
olumns already established. Do not
axe The idea SC prevalent thai when
man can DO nothing else be eau edi,
newspaper. If you cannot climb
70 bill back Of your house, you had
'etter not try the sides Of the Matter
orn. If you cannnt navigate sloop
P the North river, you had better
OF try to engineer the Great Eastern
yer to Liverpool. E.
To publish newspaper requires the
ill, the precision, the vigilance, the
rstegy, the boldness Of = command.
-iu-chief. To edita newspaper one
,eds to be statesman, 40 esssyist,a
eogrspher, a sta.istican, and, so far
all acquisition is coucerDed, ency-
op@di@. To man aud to propel a
requires more qualities
an any other business on earth. | say
is to save men from bankruptcy. I'll
u feel called to start Or publish al
wspaper, take ii for granted you are
reatened with sof,ening of the brain
row your pocket book into your
fe's lap, and rush up t, Blooming I
le asylum and surrender yourseltl
fore you do something desperate.
rod ohristianizsd the printing press,
hen | see the printing pree standing q
III the electric telegraph on the one
q gathering material, aud the light.
g express train on the other side
iting for the tons of folded sheets
newspapers, | pronounce it the 80
zhtiest force 10 our civilization. So
you to pray for ell those :.
o manage the newspapers of the -
d, for all type settlers, Tor all edi-
S. for all publishers, that, sitting or -
nding In positions OF such great in r
snce, they may give all that infu-