Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-19
GREAT LONDON DAILIES.
How Dynnmiters Though, 90 Elevate British
JournaIism-rhe Places In which the great
Dniifcs Are Made.

all the metropolitan police wouid DE ousy
the dynamite party bad intended blown.
10 most, " not all. Of the great Londor
newspaper rofices. Fortunately. thesevera
managing editors were put on heir gnarC
bstines by the courtesy OF one OF theil
colleagues. Newspaper men, / suppose
have their full share OF warning letters
and they are not unduly disposed e
attach 10 them undeserving import
ance, but on the occasion in ques
ton communication, anonymous. re-
celyod by Mr.. Hill. of the Goyernmen
organ, the Udiip Ne'cS, was regarded as
having more weight than waste paper. II
was briefly wordcd. well written, and
signed "An Irish Friend" This CORE
spondent proiessed 10 be informed OF th6
details of plot which, had IT been carried
out. would have struck CONSERVATION
throughout The country, as at that particu'
lar period there was an unusual demand
for news, and the want of the dailies would
have been severely felt II none had been
forthcoming. Acting upon the advice Of
the unknown, the proprietors OF the Dduy
No,6S lost no time in passing the warning
to The other offices. In some measure II
found them already prepared, for since the
attempt on the Times office, in Printing
House Square. newspaper propIietors have
been alive TO the probability OF q repetition
OF the outrage.
When the matter was laid before Chief
Superintendent Williamson, OF the detec-
tive department, he profcssed no surprise.
and declared that IL was quite likely that
the Leading journal and the Daily Telegraph
would be made victims. Singuarly enough,
this belief was shared by the city police,
although the two authorities had not been
In consultation. The political bearing OF
the Daily Ners was IN the same way re-
gardcd rs its chief protection, for what rea-
son l cannot say. Recalling the editorial
expressions o' opinion on May 31st last.
the morning following the attack on Scot
land Yard and the failures in Trafalgar and
ST. James's Squares, / cannot find anything
10 Justify exemption from outrage in the
case Of the Daily Ne,oS.
For my own part do not tIink that the
plot could have been carried out. Every
nook and corner OF the Printing-House
Square buildings is under strict surVeil-
lance. and all the morning journals have
engaged special waichmen 10 guard their
premises. Detectives are not employed. 4.
for they are practically useless. ana some
times make mistakes. Itwould take keen
eye to pick out the spies guarding the aD-
proaches 10 the editorial aud other depart
ments.
Were the Times once to tumble into
ruins the Fleet-street newspaper world
would not be seriously incommOded, for
PrintiDg-House Square is right out OF the
way. But in everything the proprietors
delight in being peculiarly independent
ana self-reliant. Even the red bricks OF
which the not particularly handsome build
ing is constructed were made OF clsy dug
out OF Walters private estate, whilst there
Is hardly a fitting on the premises which
was purchased out Of doors. Machines and
apparatus are all constructed
in the Illness engineering shops. The
furnished with Walter
presses. the invention OF the prOprietors,
is decidedly the best in London. These
machines are largely used at other news
paper offices, including the London Daiig
NeUS and the Edinburgh Scotsman. The
Times can afford TO GO % press much later
than the ordinary dsilies, for it varies the
number OF lis sheets according to pressure
Of advertisements or news. One number
recently comprised twenty-iour pages,
but this Is rare event, and people saw
that the necessity for supplements ="
docs not so frequently occur rs in those
days when the number OF advertisements
placed the income Of the Times at The head
of the list. The returns OF late years have
been falling Off, il is believed. although the
-iminutiOn is not perccptible. The circu-
ation il kept up to about eighty thousand,
ind this comparatively small number is one
son why the printer is given more time
md why "cOpy" can be received later
rom the House OF Commons than is the
rule with the Daily Telegraph. whose
gigantic circulation compels economy in all
directions.
The Tines proprietors have never been
wanting in enterprise. They were the first
md at present the last--to introduce the
ype-setting machine, an innovation which
VAS bitterly resented by the comps"
who began playing some dirty tricks with
he "sct.up' matter. At that period copies
u the Times once or twice commanded
Extraordinary prices, collectors OF curiosi-
les being eager 10 purchase them when
hey Glanced TO contain some Obsccnity.
)n other days. from some jrolk-down
n the arrangements, the early "news-
laper trains starting from London scol
liter a. ". would be missed, and the
Times would have to charter specials At n
.ost OF from .e40 TO eco each. The Times
5 the only London paper which uses the
elephone for the Transmission OF pariia-
nentary copy from Westminster 10 the
in Queen Victoria street,
Blsckirars. The reporters in the galleries
Till write out their notes In the ordinary
but their manuscript, instead OF
icing handed 20 q messenger. is given 10
he telephone clerk, who reads II sufii-
'iently slowly TO enable typewriter re-
ewing the message TO put il in legible
orm for the machine setter.
II you want "sh6w" combined with
apid moDey-making. You must pay a visit
o the Office Of the Daily 1eIegrGph, in
'lcet street. The paper lived upon sensa-
ion until it arrived at such pitch Of pros
,tTity as now enables il to practice in all
Ound independence. But IL owes lis sue
ess to the enterprise OF the Leyy-LawSons,
' bose efforts alone have made IL worth
.2j0, 900 year, although when The pres.
mt proprietary took it over from Colo
el Sleigh, who started it in 1850. the
in the first No. amounted
D no more than shilings 6 pence.
fifteen years later the advertisement in
ONE was estimated at GG00 day. and
he circulation had gone above 10000
oples. To-day ii is hardly possible to say
shat amount the advertisement columns
aily bring in. but il has been stated that
n one day the gross income from that
ource has exceeded 81 600, whilst the sale
I the paper rarely falls below 22O.000. and
reQurntly tops "A quarter OF million. In
be present slack season more than 1000
ere daily received. but
uing the parliamentary season once. and
Ome,imes twice week. the journal IL en-
Urged to twelve pages. and the total num-
er OF ads. published raised TO nearly
900.
In order TO deal with this mass Of matter
nd stupendOus circulation, extensive con-
and machine-rooms are re-
urcd. but these departments stand bicK
rom Fleet street, their entrances being IN |
Peterborough court. The machine-room |
ontsins ten Hoe presses. which generally |
un two hours each, turning ont l2,O0 |
OpieS each an hour. Besides them there |
re some smaller presses and row OF
aper-dampeTs. As much OF the paper |
= possible IS made at the DdaY TEE. !
raph mills. at hartford, IN Kent, ana |
he profit on this item alone reaches G2O,- |
90 per annum. out OF their prlncely re- |
lfns IL is not TO be wondered that the |
.awsons can now and again make dash |
lto some expensive expedition. but they |
ave always an eve 10 the main chance. II
ias not extravaganza which ipstigated
he erection OF the magnificent flontage
II Fleet street, at a cost OF over flOO,-
90, although the lavish appointments,
be- polished OAK wainscOjlng, The |
'sselated floors, and the twelve mar
le columns were not absolutely necessary
lr the accommodation OF ndXertisemenL |