Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-10-21
A SUCCESSFUL FRENCH NEWSPAPER.
The Petit journal with Its Phenomenal
Circulation of 100000.

xne fettt journal Win fncuomchht
Circulation of 100000
IFortnightly Revlewl
The greatest French newspaper Is The
Petit Journal, the circulation Of which, at
the present moment, exceeds 100000, and
before the end of the year, thanks to the ex-
element of election times, 1t win certainly
reach the unparalleled circulation OF 100000
copies day. According to the latest sta
tistics there are in France about 6.000 900
persons who read newspapers, and admit
ting that each copy OF The Petit Journal Is
read by three or four persons, which Is
low average, one may say that The Petit
Journal is read by half the reading popula-
ton of France. The Saturday literary sup
plement Of The Petit Journal, although 1t
has only just completed the first year Of Its
existence, has already attained a circula-
tion Of 200, 900 copies, and IL able to promise
its readers original contributions by lola,
Halevy, Sardou, Dumas, Claretie, Daudet,
etc.
The results obtained by The Petit Journal
are certainly marvellous, and its chief edi-
tor, M. Henri Escoffier Thomas GRIMM,
has displayed remarkable tact and modera-
ton In working the paper up to its present
position. Owing to the immense number
and variety Of its readers, Its articles must
be absolutely moderate, unmilitant, and un-
obtrusive in the expression Of opinion. A
single word too strong, too decided. too pos
lively expressive, in one direction is enough
TO cause an immediate decrease Of $4,000 or
10000 In the circulation. Even In the state.
ment of mere news, OF street accident, for
instance. tho slightest departure from strict
moderation Is Immediately felt In the sales.
The choice of the feuilletons H. equally
l.Is~ n.xsc~ I,lo do Ga IN, T,,Io
Mary, Montepin, Bowler and Emile Richie
bourg are the favorites, and the publication
Of sentimental romance OF the latter gen.
tleman In The Petit Journal suffices to
attract 100, 900 new readers, while fculle-
con by some other writer will cause a cor
responding dimunition The militant in
huence OF The Petit Journal may be very
great. At the time, for instance, OF Mar
shall MacMahon's attempted coup d'etat, in
1877, the steady, calm and impsrturbably
moderate campaign OF this little paper in
favor OF the republic was decisive in secur-
ing France from the grip Of the reaction
aries
At this moment now that politics Is dull,
The Petit journal owes the continuous in
crease Of its circulation mainly to Its ex-
cellent and useful articles on practical mat
tsrs savings banks and everything that con-
Germs the economy and interests OF those
who work. We must not forget, also. the
great attraction, the Two Romans fsuil-
Teton. Since this method Of publication
was discovered by the founders Of 10 Steele,
about 1910, no newspaper in France has
been able to exists without feuilleton novel
The last attempt to dispense with it was
made by the Franco-American Matin, but
a few weeks sufficed to convince it's pro-
prietors that IL was useless to struggle
against a tradition which was backed up by
all the women of France.