The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-09
STARTING A NEWSPAPER.

The uniformed individual sees a
paper, and he picks it up, and in
most instances finds it so digestible
a thing that he concludes it is
mere frolic to run a newspaper. The
fact is 1t takes a vast deal oflabor and
years of patient labor and fortunes
to make newspaper. Many papers
are started with grand ideas, and
soon they end with a grand climax.
Not long ago a new daily paper was
started in Baltimore, and it was
given out before hand, that it would
be grand thing, and so it
was. 1t was big paper, and
several experienced journalists be-
ing employed upon it it was a cred
table paper, but in few weeks it
closed its career, and the losses in
CURED in attempting to supplant
old and established papers reached
over a hundred thousand dollars.
Material was left, and that was
all; the prestige that the man
ayers of the new paper expected
TO enjoy had all departed and left
instead depleted pockets, and edi-
tors, printers, and pressmen went
hungry to bed, and the investors
sadly to their bank accounts. So it
has been in many instances, and the
greatest consolation derived from
newspaper adventure must be when
one starts with nothing and winds up
with less, for the deficit is generally
clear gain to some ambitious printer
or publisher. 1t has been stated that
the fewest papers live over five
years, and that when one exists so
long without temporary suspension
it may then aspire to perpetuity,
and it may even attain it with an I'M
abating purpose to exist. The age
of paper is to a very con-
siderable degree its capital
for age produces confidence
aud confidence in the case of Il
newspaper is one hundred cents OIL
the dollar. The Cincinnati Times
Star, in reviewing this subject, says
There has not been a successful
effort to start a new paper in any
of the larger cities during the past
five years, and we do not believe
there will be, for the next ten, A
company with capital of $l00,00(
could not put a new paper on a pay
ing basis in this city by the time the
last dollar was expended. a new
paper, to secure circula
ton must be able to compete will
the older ones. Suppose it be pa
per of the size aud price of the
morning papers of this city, this at.
tempt will, at the least possible
figure, require an outlay of $300,00(
per annum for running expenses
A new paper expanding this sum
would bear no comparison with the
old journals in the perfection of its
ne VS. departments, and the circula
ton iG would pick up at the start Of
people who would take new paper
on account of the novelty would
drop back to the old ones as soon as
the novelty had worn off, and each
paper had to stand on its own merits
If the paper be smaller than the
morning papers, and therefore
cheaper, the experiment would
be still less likely to be
successful, for the margin of profits
which the larger paper has on its
circulation would be so materially
reduced as to cut off the largest
source ofpossible income. A paper
of half the size and at half the price
of our morning papers would sink
money faster than one at about the
same size and price, because there
are many expenses that will be the
same whether the paper be large OIL
small, and while the profit on circu-
lation is reduced it is not possible
10 correspondence reduce the ex-
penses and at the same time make q
paper that will command any
! respect or ever be any
thing but losing concern
The cost of telegraphing, editorial
force, local work and the press
room will be about the same for q
paper that sells for 10 cents per
week as for the one that sells for sc
cents. These constitute large part
of the expense of the paper. The
saving ON the smaller sheet only
comes in on the cost of the white
paper and composition, and the for
mer is not likely to be an item OF
great consideration during the first
few years of new paper. The
great fact to be considered in start
ing q paper is, that, excepting the
single item of white paper
it costs much more to publish the
new paper that has no patronage
and no income at all than il does to
publish the established paper with
an income of $1,000 a day to carry
it along. To the uninitiated il
looks like extravagant talk, but it is
nevertheless true, that there is not
national bank in Cincinnati to-day
wealthy enough to start and sue.
cessfully establish a new daily
paper.
In this connection it may not be
considered improper for the STATES
MAN to speak of itself. Eleven
years ago it was begun, and during
all these years its editions have
been regular as cleck-work. From
day to day and from week to week
it has been a constant visitor among
its readers, and during all this time
it has labored to the bcsi
of its ability to meet public
expectation. During these clever
years the STATESMAN has passed
through the fiercest opposition, anG
one by one, often in rapid success
sion, it has seen one and another
contemporary Incorporated, ant
one after another it has witnessed {
long list of newspaper burials. Sc
fatal has the air'of this capital city
been to newspaper life, that a
times it has trembled al
the uncertainty of such life
in such a climate, but
it lives, and to-day it is yigorou:
and healthy-past the tender age al
which newspapers usually die-and
it begins to boast of age. Fifty
thousand dollars in bank could not
put a new paper in the position the
STATESMAN occupies. More than