The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-18
Scissors and Paste.

Scissors and Paste.
Judicious use of the scissors and
paste brush, when confined within
proper limits, is a part of good. journ-
alism. What can be done by it alone
is told by the English correspondent
of the EUenamg Post:
In many out-of-the-way villages the
Christian World and the Police Nesus
are the only papers to be obtained for
love or money, and among the class
which delights in the record of deeds
of blood and violence the latter isguite
bible. The front page is ''drawn"
by one man who Is paid twenty pounds
per week for the job, and the man who
arranges the letterpress and wields
the scissors and paste receives SINH
lar salary. There is not line of orig
inal matter in the whole paper. About
100000 is the weekly circulation,
which yields princely income from
the original outlay of f2OO about
twelve years ago.
1 mentioned just now the Christian
World, and this is another instance of
successful scissors -and-paste journal
ism, although J. would not wish to con-
vev the idea that this widely read re-
ligious paper never contains any
original matter. MIR. James Clarke,
its present proprietor, bought it for
mere song-I believe for f150--when
the concern was in a very bad financial
position. Now the circulation is a
quarter of million copies weekly;
besides which the proprietor runs sew
eral other papers, the printing of
which gives constant employment to
one of the largest firms in Lon
don. The Christian World is not
a particularly brilliant publica-
ton, but it has wonderful
lot of advertisements. Every pious
grocer or shoemaker who wants an
equally pious assistant, every owner of
a quack nostrum, every coupon
dodger, rushes into the Christian World
as capital medium. Wanted, a
young man to look after house, of
the Wesleyan persuasion" "Must fear
the Lord and be able to carry three
hundred weight" Low salary, but
all the advantages of a Christian FAM
ily," are fair samples of the kind Of
thing which graces the columns of the
Christian World. Everybody who
wants to secure country servants at
low wages makes use of this journal.
1t is great favorite with the female
Dissenter, who admires hugely the
-pamby novels which it con-
tains, and which are now issued in
Family Circle. Edition.
But for sheer impudence in journal
ism of the scissors and-paste order, q
weekly paper called zTd- Bits certainly
bears off the palm. Some genius dis
covered that English newspapers We're
very heavy, and that there were
hosts of people who would buy a Jour-
nal which did not require much read
ing and was free from a lot of to-be.
continuedino our-next stories. He
also found that there was a vast
of amateur literary talent
which could be "exploited" for next
TO nothing. Sixteen pages of odds and
ends, anecdotes, short tales, cuttings
from other papers, etc., are served up
for one penny. Each week a guinea
prize is offered for the best "bit'' sent
in, the right to publish any or all be-
ing reserved. By this means Mr..
Newnes, the proprietor and editor,
gets all his ':copy" very cheaply and
at the same time interests large eli
entele in his paper, which, to tell the
truth, is a mighty poor specimen of a
journal. But the concern is great
success, and the sublime
of q man who can get all
his "copy" sent him by his readers
cannot be too much admired. An av-
erage OF aoout 5000 ''bits," more or
less original, pour in every week; one
of these ''bits" costs a guinea, the re-
mainder cost nothing. Nh. Newnes
and mis- office boy cut and paste up the
paper, and Mr.. Newnes pockets $500
per week net profit from the little
venture. Occasionally bigger prize
is given. Six months ago the proprie-
tor offered house as prize for the
best tale, original or selected. A sol
dier at Canterbury came across some
thing interesting in a book he was
copied it out, and sent it to
Mr.. Newnes. 1t happened to please
that gentleman critical literary taste,
and the son of Mars became the proud
possessor of seven-roomed house
upon the sole condition that he called
it the It'd Bits Villa. No less than A.
900 0persons competed for the prize. The
paper is only year OF two old, and
yet there is probably only one other
paper in the world, the Paris Petit
which has larger circula-
tiOn.