New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-01
PACIFIC COAST JOURNALISM
A MIRROR OF STRANGE WESTERN LIFE.

CALIFORNIA GOLD FEvEE-sINGgLAR FEATURES
OF THE MOUTHPIECEs OF MINER AND RANCH
MAN.
IRON Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE rRibuNh'i
SAN FRANCIsCo. MAY 10.-Pacifc Coast
Journalism has many pecuAares. Founded on Eastern
models by men who hada sronglove for Old conser'a'o
fashions 10 outgTew all traditions II diners '"
the journalism OF Atlantic states a. the Caliorn""
differs from the Down East Yankee II has many I'll '
virtues OF the typical Western with It must Oe con-
fessed liberal portion Of his vices. II Il generay %
from can't cowardice afecttion, but ~ the same '
IL is fr reckless i'm it, methods TO SUIT
ueople and il Is much given % self gloidcann ~
the pride which pufeth up the editorial heart IL cans
q spade a spade but it seldom makes assurance douhy
sure before attacking Institutions II Is ae3re
sve personal sensational; yet II has an eye 70 le ~
chance and seldom fails 20 look ont for ts own interest
These are the salient features Of nineenths oil lhe
papers this coast: the few exceptions only Ser'o
prove the rule.
No doubt character is reflected largely IRON inc
people The ATgonant has been Gcided by Bret harte
and the other who have cleaned AFTER MN '
field OF California fiction; hut II the truth must ne '
the early pioneer this coast furnished poor mster
for the fa-hionlng Of a hero. His aims we're purely
mercenary and he had less nan the usual assortheh'o
virtues. He brave, generous. reckless and theS'
were the qualities which h!s life brought out 'h"
strong relief He also gifted with strong conihon
sense evidences Of which may DC aeon in the early care
for education and the prompt demand for the news o. inc
world one led 70 the establishment Of public school
system which has superior in any OF the ola +elru
States of the East; the other resulted in the establish
ment Of large number OF newspapers some oil winch
still flourish.
A NEWSPAPER BONANZA.
The journalistic boom which struck the coast soon
after the discovery OF gold jim old Suffers MIL race n'
continued up 10 the present time great deal mas ne
said of the rapid growth OF vine and ru-uee IN I'm
fora ~ the fabulous prOueveBess OF its wheat heldS
but the half been told Of the fecund po"e Vt
newspapers here; OF the scores OF journals "h'cn
have sprung into life f0urishcd during the oTiel 'o "
a mining fever, and then collapsed: or the o'h'r
scores which have survived many velsStndes ana SUI"
cater 70 the million and half readers scattered All the
way from Puget sound down to the Cult ~ Caliiorna
For when taking any estimate of Journalism on this
coast II must borne IN mind that the entire sIlP oi
territory along Plchc boasts " population n' A.
large as l. included in the limits Of NeTYork and Brook
vn In this territory If would he diremt IN say no"
many newspapers published. but some Tea OF the
number nav ~ obtained from. a few cities aud towns
san Francisco has not to-day So many people - -
Louis yet it has six daily morning papers ana seven
evening papers. besides host of weekly anu monthly
Journals and trade organs There no question that me
field Is too thicklv crowded but shows the tendency III
tlls direction and smaller cities bear out the same
truth Take Wala walla a small city ot about 3o"o
population in Washington Territory 10 has I'm dy
newspapers Only OF which receive line OF teie-
rrarhc news The others depend for their support upon
local Intelligence and the doctrine Of the survival OF the
fttcst f. refed by them. for they all manage To ara"
the breath II life though at times weak and spasmodc
Take any California Of 10000 people and you vi"
seldom md less four daily newspaper AL alpaf
entlv well supported and many showing real ability IN
their edltoria al management.
A PUBLIC EAGER FOR NEWS.
This provcs that the people have either great passion
ror reading newspapers or strong eonscento1-ne-s IN
supporting them; prohabably mixture OF the Two
Califoruans omnivorous readers and unIKe Emer-
son they don't wait for book to get year Old before
reading IT, They want their literature ara tueu NEWS
fresh and they want 10 readable A rule they are
hammered with little reverence they damn book or
revpopcr out OF hand II 10 doesn't suit them. no matter
what learned critics may have lad to say in praise Of
either This is the outeropping Of that hard common
sense which mining life Develops which Judges every
thing by what it will pan out y; which i-fata to pre-
tension founded Family name. tradition, social po-
oD or any other step by which pretenee in older
serted communities often gets IT. head above the
crowd
Aud this clear intellectual vision is found most fire.
,ueutlv in remote mining camps which the postinan
viut. once or twice a week. The daily newspapers Of
San Francisco find their wy regularly u these camps
and are sc Of fir more careful readers than In the city
indeed there Is nothing more astonishing than To LOOK
over the mailing list Of one % the large morning papers
here and note the number of copies ~ent 10 remote
ii, towns flr from the regular lines ~ travel or o
hs co-+ereJ settlements which the base or sup
prs Of the .heephcrders and the stoeSnen These are
fine readers who have few diversions 10 distract Their
minds They dcgour newspaper even to the "l'ertNe-
ment- and they class OF subscribers dear 10 lAe
heart OF the editor.
EARLY CALIFORNIA JOURNALS.
Tho first ENGLISH newspaper on thi, coastwas The cali
fo-,irn published NJ Monterey. then the capital OF the
Territory. i'm 1916. It's type was principally LONG primer
iu Use for many years I'm printing Spanish official edcs
and ~ was given ou,andsh appearance oy the forced
ma..hift of double VS. for VS. In January Of the o'-
loving wear the first paper published in san Fran
cisco saw the uzht Il Wa, Tie "a o-aa sur issued by
-,uiuel Brlnnau. one of the henchmen Of Brigham
Youur who zealO,y gathered uthrs from the faithful
vino had founded camp on the sacramento RIVER nI'
never turned the proce is TO the Mormon Chnrch
In Nav I~l7 Tee Cafyygt1n Was removed To san Fran
cisco but the drowsy of both papers was cut short
bv the discovery Of gold Printers among the first
IN ip the Wild .ampede the mines, and from May 20
Isis 10 the latter part OF JuDe, every one was 50 intent
on gold thai no paper was published ia California
The newspapers which followed were modelled closely
after Eastern journals Their type AMI othef pahI was
brought oat across the Iahmus at much expense ana 80
scarce ws good printing paper that they were fire.
iautlv driven To thc extremity ~ using coarse brown
wrapping paper Yet there was no community Whch
gave 30 liberal support io eood '","peI as .e
t,ope of -au Francisco during the n~t ears OF tntli
history. and none which demanded more "i dh rItor
strong instance was furnished by P'rnaps me mo,'
editor TINS =, ~ ri il , t,j,l,, r. si, 81, had the
.oilr. o hls time when tie cNpre7-lpu oI
,rv oIuiou 90 the ruling class cLpocl an clltoI
,i.,rr death From fhr outset King made wuron c
trnr clJc of gamblers and cut-hrOa- which md taken
uo--,,-i ou OF the political machinery i r CIV IH'5
ducuIv stuffed bal boxes; Judges were tht creatures
tbev were .practicllv omnipocnt until ul- pan az
peared and gave voice To the IIoNil- et.l- vi A.
cufrneut aen-t >ich Outrages on law ana Justice An
excoDvict named Casey. who had served term ia N-
sing running Tor ONCE a. TIE caidte o.. inc 5
hlers lie was notorious bully q man utterly uhHl lo
anv Office o. public trust kuS POSED ul' fgSo an,
aed lf GOOD citizens 10 vote Tor lm Ile result
Na. that tine editor waYili IA the eticel ana -l"'
dovyp by Casey before he had au opportunity o draw
,reanou i'm -eIf-decuce vigilance committee hanger
CASEY on the day and at the hour OF Kings funeral
A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE EPISODE.
Many friends of Casey declared That the execution was
handed bit OF violence. Among the newspapers
tn puplshed IN the city was The Hcraid, started by