New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-05
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HEIR DE .IOTRN4LLSM

The annual INDEX to the daily files Of THE
TRIBUNE is IN impressive exhibit of the develop
ment of American journalism. 1t furnishes an an
alysls, at orderly, elaborate and complete of
the contents of "A single newspaper during year.
II reveals the thoroughness and skill with which
the news of each day is collected at home and
abroad the intelligence with which it is sifted, and
the orderly way in which is arranged andpr esented
to the public; and the variety and range of the
topics which are discussed departments
1t affords convincing evidence Of the complex agen-
cies and comprehensive scope of the journalism Of
the time We wonder if there DO any writer for the
press, jaded though he may be with the ceaseless
labor of his calling. who study this record of a
years work in journalism without having feeling
of honest pride in his profession.
The preface TO the new issue Of HE INDEX is the
exhaustive summary of the events of the year,
which The TRIBUNE publishes on the last day of De-
cember This review includes the circuit of the
worlds history from the United States to the
European capitals, Cairo, Tonquin and Australia.
It is a skeleton key for unlocking the files Of the
year, the contents of which are analysed in detail
in the main body Of tho work. This comprises 90
double-column pages, containing an average of $50
reference lines aud dates TO the page, or an aggre
gate of 49, 500 for the entire INDEX, all alphabet
cally arranged from the A.B.C. Union of Grocery
Clerks to Zwngl's Birthday. The thoroughness
of the compiler's analytical work and the
simplicity Of his system of ndeXing en-
large the usefulness of the work, inasmuch
as largo mass of tclegraphc and political
information appears simultaneously in all the
papers of any pretensions and complete index TO
one isa partial index to all. This is point to he
strongly emphasized because we have learned from
many years of experence how great is the saving in
labor effected by this INDEX.
Tus INDEX not only discloses manifold variety
in the great staples of news, criticism and editorial
comment but the processes of ececticism, by
which certain classes Of intelligence are favored
whereas other kinds are either sparngly used, OF
excluded altogether. There is cheap and disrepu-
table order of journalism that appeals TO the lowest
Instincts and passions of newspaper-readers. THE
TRIBUNE has no ambition to excel in the collection
of criminal news and nasty scandals and TnE INDEX
proves that its daily practice is on level with its
principles. For example, there were 228 bits of
criminal intelligence reported In its columns last
year. including SO shooting cases, 90 murders, rs
bappings. and 20 suicides. Many Of these were
brief accounts sent by wire from other cities, and
80 columns il a liberal estimate for the aggregate
space occupied during the entire year by this class
| of news On the other hand, there were printed
during the same period 500 foreign letters, ineud
ing 1872 from our regular London correspondent, 90
| from Mr. Porter on the industrial condition OF
| Europe and I3l from Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome
Constantinople Cairo and other capitals An aver
! age OF column and half " each letter would