The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-18
THE GREAT PAPER OF PARIS.

THE GREAT PAPER OF PARIS,
4 Sketch Of the Famous Figaro, the Sole Rep
Tesentative OF Newspaper Enterprise
on tho Continent.
Some Account of the Men Who Make II, and
q Glimpse at thu Inside Workings
OF the Esta Enlistment.
PARIS, Special Correspondence, Dec. g.
A little less than thirty years ago . newspaper
was established in this city on . capital Of
/ $500. which cleared last year 8 net profit for
Its stockholders of moro thar $500, 900. /
'efer to LIE Figaro, which on the continent
holds the same position that the London Times
does in the United Kingdom, and that the
Boston Herald and New York Herald do in
America Hippolyte do villemessaut came up
to Paris from the village Of Blois in 1889 and
entered upon journalism two years later
as s reporter, signing his articles in
the Presse with the pseudonyn of Louis
de Saint Loup," the n anne of his grandmother.
There was then, as now, an advertising agency,
Dolligen 4 Co.. and il was the head OF this
firm, who, in 1854. with Do villemessank, es-
tabished a journal Which has since become a
power throughout the world. No newspaper
is bnlder, no editorial etar comprises more
talent, no paper is moro often quoted, mono is
more frequently praised or more often blamed
than this same great daily of the Rue Drouot
1t lad its earlier STRUGGLES, its years
OF poverty before it became rich and
influential, bnt there were entarprising men in
the office and it achieved final success. OF
this success the following anecdnte is q proof:
During that secon ! reign of terror called the
commune, M lie V:ilemessant took refuge in
Switzerland. One morning he discovered that
he bad very little money, and wishing to cut
down his exnenses, discharged his valet dc
chamhre. after having paid him his wages
with four shares OF stock in the Figaro. These
shares had each a face value OF O francs,
but they were probably not worth more
than half that aum. Well, those four
shares are still In the family of the ex-valet do
chambre, and they ara now worth 80. 900
francs. Thev pay IL per cent per annum, and
have been doing 80 for q good while on that
amount The paper began to pay well after
the war with Germany. In 1879 the profits
were 650,O0O francs: in 1882 it cleared
$500. 1873 francs. NJ. ds Villemessant WAS a
born journalist, one Of the three grand and
powerful workers which the French press has
produced. The first was Berth. the oldest OF
that name, who founded, atthe dawn of the Rev.
%olution tha Journal des Desbats. Forty
years later came Emile de Girardin,
or an active na'ure and a bold innovator, he
founded q new school Of news-gathering, which
rapidly became popular. Then came De Vii
lemsssant, who, after numerous attempts, dis
covered . new sort of journal-a lively, brill
liant, attractive sort, with its own individual
stamp and personality-the journal of the
boulevard. which under his skillful personsl
management became the powerful organ that
it is to-day. He had a passion for journalism
and a love for his raper. The Figaro was the
great work Of his lifetime, snd his last words
were about the management Of the Figaro. Iu
April, 1879, after a long and painful illne,s,
he breathed his last at Monte Carlo. For years
he had never failed the first thing in the morn
ing when he awoke to unfold his paper, glance
rapidly over it TO see about the 'smake-up,'' and
then he read every article in it from beginning
to end.
NAMING HIS SUCCESSORS.
Dying, he determined that Francis Maynard.
A. Perivier and Fernand de R,days should
collectively be the power which should carry
on his ideas in the Figaro Office. In fixing on
these gentlemen Do V,ilemessant wished above
all thin es to leave behind him on the Figaro
something which would take the place vacated
by his death. He WAS at one and the same
time reporter, editor in chief, and business
manager, and he now found it necessary 10
detail off this work TO those who would survive
lhlm, Having designated them by lame, his
last words were, as they stood in tears around
his bedside:
the handle Of the stove. Always m.Ie up the pa
per as though you know l were going to read 1t the
next morning.
N. de Viilemessant builded well when he
tplaced this triumyirate in charge of the jour
Inal, aud the stockholders have never had occa-
lsion to regret their appointments The editorial
department belongs, "a o matter OF right, to
N. Maynard. He commenced his journalistic
career, so to speak. in the paper of which he is
now the editor. He was the first TO establish
tParis au Jour de jour-, which is ma 10 up Of
many small articles in the shape of condensed
lmatter from the other newspapers of the day
before. thus giving the reader a chance TO
know what is being said by other Journals, and
1.-THE situation Of the various political parties.
Generally half . dozen lines, hardly
lever more than q .tstickful," these
ARTICLES are the quintessence OF common
sense, and as examples OF condensation are
lquite tho equal of anything that ever came
from under the pencil of tho famous DR.. Wood,
so long a part aud parcslo of the New York Sun.
Some years before the death of his chief Mr..
Maynard filled the post OF secretaire de Ia re-
%dactlon, a position very similar to that Of man
aging editor. Whenever M de VilIcmessant
was away tho whole responsibility OF getting
out the paperdevolved on Maynard. and he thus
showed his capacity for the work which he was
subsequently called Oh TO perform. Beside this
important aud complicated Task of managing the
paper, NJ Magnard, rarely allows q day TO pass
without writing his opinion on passing events
in a short. clear leader, which. judging from .
French point of view, is certainly an editorial
gem. In . paper like the Figaro, read by 40
many different kinds of people. it is no easy
matter to priut y political article without giving
serious offense. Claiming to be independent,
Ithe Figaro Ia quite conservative in its political
views, although rs a matter OF fact j believe 1t
ito be in favor of a monarchy rather than
= republic. A hard worker, q skilled
Journalist. q man of NOW honesty
iof conviction, q frank, honorable and umiabIe
gentleman is this same editor of the Figaro.
I should guess him to be about forty-three
Years OF age. He is not only highly educated
and a learned bibliophile, but he has a most
remarkable memory. Nothing thnt he has
read or seen is ever forgotten. 1t is this tena-
Icious memory which makes NJ. Maynard one
OF the best informed men in Paris, and Ii is
this also which makes him such q severe judge
flor all the copy which comes under his eye.
He is, however, a just and impartial man, and
has been known to retain on tue paper an ex-
~|cellent writer for whom he had much personal
|antipathy, simply because he believed the man
(of value to tho Figaro.
PER1yIER AND HIS SCOOP.
NJ. Perivier, the secre,a:re de la reduction,
lie the right man in the right place. Unlike
most Frenchmen. he has Travelled a great deal:
land, what is more to the point, he has profited
Thereby. / don't know how he commenced
Journalism, but he gained his spurs" by an
larticle in the Figaro whick informed an anx-
|ious public as to tho whereabouts of Marshal
IBAzaine. After that traitors escape from the