The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-04-30
SATURDAY, APRIL 80, 1881.
THE sENTINEL's FIRST YEAR.


sued the first number of The SENTINEL
and it has appeared regularly once a
week from that day until this.
When we started we had no CAPT
tai and few friends. When we pre-
sented our prospectus to those whom
we had hoped to find enthusiastically
in favor of such publication, we met
with little or no encouragement, and
when we called the attention of adj
vertisers to it's merits as a medium
for reaching the general public and
solicited their favors, we received
only an incredulous shake of the
head.
Yet we were determined to issue
The SENTINEL, and issue it we did
The first edition numbered but two
hundred and forty copies, about one
hundred of which went to regular
subscribers, and the balance was sold
by newsdealers and newsboys.
Then the struggle for existence
commenced. There were land now
are) eleven daily and weekly publica-
lions in this city of thirty-fve thou
sand inhabitants, besides two month
lies /; and we were the youngest and
weakest of them all. To add to oul
difficulties we lost in six months over
four hundred dollars by delinquent
subscribers alone, besides consider
able amount by local advertisers anc
swindling agencies.
While we have not by any means
met with phenomenal success, We
have yet in measure succeeded
Our circulation has steadily increased
and on one occasion january LIST
1881, } it reached the really surprising
figure of sixty-six hundred and thirty
seven copies-possibly the largest cir
culation ever given a weekly newspa
per in this city.
We promised in our prospectus t.
give our readers clean Typography
fresh local news, a compendium o
the general news of the week, and K
cheerfully support the men ant
measures which do most to make ou
motto, equal duties-equal rights,
a positive and present reality, ant
earnestly oppose those which are falls,
10 it." Although The SENTINEL, from
mere organ of one particular clas
of the population, has had its field 0
usefulness broadened into that of ;
newspaper for the people, irrespective
Of creed, nationality, or party afilia
lions, we yet can refer, with what we
trust our readers will consider par
donable pride, to our record during
the year, as evidence of how earnestly
and honestly we have endeavored tx
iulill the obligations made in oul
fist issue.
For the future we have few if any
promises to make. We shall endeavol
to continue as we have begun tt
support that which is right, to Oppose
hat which is wrong to be owned by
10 corporation, clique or cabal, bu
by the people only; to battle for thu
American, the German, the Irishman
the Afro-Americ an, or any one else,
they are imposed upon and to crit
Use them when they are in error
ind while we cannot say, as did some
of our exchanges which to-day ar
numbered among the things tina
were, that "no matter what may hap
pen we have come to stay" while w
are by no means entirely relieved
from financial embarrassment, yet
from present indications, we hav'
every reason to believe that The SEN
rrNEL will be read by generations We
unborn.
To those who have SO generousl.
given us their moral and material ait
and encouragement during the yea
past, we return our grateful thanks
and trust that we shall merit and re
ceive their support during the yea
upon whose threshold we are to-day