Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-19
Slow.Going German Newspapers.

OAo COulu dUluc Guc SlOWuCSS OF all
other things if the newspapers had any
enterprise about them. But they have
not a bit, SO that even this redeeming
feature is not allowed the exiled Amer
lean, used to getting his accounts of
homicides, battles, accidents and affairs
OF State before the victims are fairly
cold or the halls of Government have
ceased to re-echo the last words of the
statesmen. No; your German paper
knows exactly what sort of a public it
will reach. 1t knows that even the
most restless of it's native readers will
be perfectly contented and Just as hap
Ply even if his local news is t~hirty-six
hours old and his accounts of the worlds
doings have been discussed in other
countries until they are worn threadbare
long before he ever dreams that their
occurrence was possible. Therefore,
the German gentleman who sits behind
the editorial desk and molds public
opinion would be astonished if any one
were to suggest to him that itwould be a
good idea not to go to press at six
o'clock in the evening for the next
mornings edition. He would consider
it an almost objectionable insult for any
one to even intimate that the criticisms
of concerts and theaters would be a lit
tie more acceptable if they appeared in
the next mornings paper, instead of the
next days, when the public has had
time to forget all about them. Nor
would the business manager of a Ger
man newspaper take very kindly to any
one who would try to impress it upon
his mind that it would be an accommo-
dation to advertisers to have the bust
ness office open all day, instead of two
hours in the forenoon and two in the
afternoon. He would undoubtedly
shrug his shoulders and remark: ..That
makes nothing" if his attention were
called to the fact that it is rather ag-
gravating to have to get an adj
vertisement into the office before five
o'clockin the afternoon in order to have
it appear in the next mornings paper.
But the German people are used to
such things and they do not object
They have never known anything bet
ter, so they are happy. And 1 don't
know but that they are right. For news
is news, even if it is received a day o.
two after the events have taken place
Still, when one is used to the push, en-
terprise and general aggressive hurry
of the American press, it is rather irri
tating to read a very meager account o
the fall of Alexandria, for instance, in
German newspaper, and realize tina
ones friends, several thousands of mile
distant, have almost forgotten all tn
various incidents detailed in many col
umns of Chronicle type. And your Ger
man newspaper man is rather averse t
spending his money for news. HI
knows that he will not lose a single
solitary subscriber if he has not a col
umn or more of especial kilograms
So he saves his money, sharpens up hi
scissors and waits for the English pa
pers to come along. And he 'cribs'
right royalty from the English ''dis
patches from the seat of war;" No
does he appear to be at all ashamed o
his backwardness. On the contrary,
have no doubt but hat he smiles at tn
greenness Of his English brothers of tn
shears and paste-pot, who spend thou
sands to get the '~'latest." And it is
good thing for the German reader tina
England is SO near and that Englisl
newspapers are so eager to get thei
news as possible. Otherwise, the Ger
man public would be several days be
hind the times.-Berlin Cor. San Fran
cisco Chronicle.