Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-24
MEXICAN NEWSPAPERS.
EXTRAORDINARY IDEAS OF JOURNAL
ISM IN THE AZTEC CAPITAL.

mOrfOW, mind you, ana uulS III Iauu
| where the flies are said to roost low of
nights from sheer laziness. Have you
anything like it in your 30 called enter
prising New York?
It sort Of knocks out the stranger in this
land OF pulque and tortillas to find that he
can read, or rather could read if he under
stood Spanish, Sundays paper while he
reclines at ease in big armchair on Satur-
day evening. 1t takes all the conceit out
of him, and the next day he doesn't carry
his head near so high. 1t is only after he
has mastered the language that his old
time confidence returns, and the American
eagle flaps his wings as Justify as ever to
his eyes, for when he is able to read to-
morrow's paper today he finds that 1t is
really today's paper Of yesterday, or day
before yesterday, or week before last.
NO CONCEPTION OF NEWS.
To be sure the paper is dated tomorrow,
but il he finds any news Of today in it he
puts it down as an exceptional case, and
when night after night, from O'Clock in
the evening until o'clock in the morning,
he hears the cry, III Nacional Tempo
de mananap he comments on it in the
darkness with a plentiful sprinkling Of
swear words, for the Mexican newsboy's
cry is exceptionally shrin and penetrating,
and makes sleep stranger to the nervous
mans eyes. Queer institution is the
newspaper here in this land Of queer insti-
tutions. The word newspaper is really q
libel on the genuine articls, as we know.
Newspaper men have absolutely no con-
ception OF news, and the much coveted
"beat' Of New York journalism is an un-
known factor in Mexico.
And the people seemed to be perfectly
contented with this sort of thing. l have
seen The Monitor Republieano, the chief
daily paper Of the republic, come out,
time after time, without single item Of
original news. Everything in its news
columns was copied from its local con-
temporaries and full credit was given.
This is the practice among all the papers.
They make up their local news by taking
the few original items that appear In the
columns Of their competitors. BY going
carefully through the columns of the city
exchanges they manage to I'LL the space
given to "news," SO called, and as each
paper is enabled to get at least an item or
two of something fresh every day, they
manage between them to keep the pot
boiling and fill from three to five col
umns. Frequently have seen an item
going from paper to paper as the editors
funny, doesn't it: Just imagine the cry
of ''chestnutsp' that would soar heaven
ward If anything of the kind was at
tempted in your city. It's all matter Of
education, however, and after awhile you
learn not to mind tin fact, you rather
like it. do. 1t saves an awful amount
If no
read one paper to get absolutely all the
news that has been printed, II you only
wait long enough. All you require is pa
thence, and you somehow or other accu-
mulate wonderful stock Of it here after
q short residence.
THB ENTERPRISE DISPLAYED.
About the funniest illustration-that is
funny to you New Workers, mean-of
the enterprise displayed by the papers here
in laying the news before their readers,
occurred some time ago, when Mexico ex-
perienced the severest earthquake shocks
OF which there Is any record. Houses
were shaken down in different parts of
the city, the aqueduct was broken, cutting
off the water supply, tho great cathedral
Yves cracked, bridges were ruined and the
people were almost scared to death. This
=
night. In your city you newspaper people
would have worked your reporters nearly
to death and strained the nerves Of every
body in the establishment for the purpose
Of getting full and complete story Of the
earthquake and the damage In Sunday
mornings paper. Here the Sunday papers
had been printed many hours before, and
such thing as an extra or anything of
fh<a kyy1d fNp0 ~&~w va<rfA 1l
Of. As there are NO Monday papers-no-
body works on Sunday except few store
keepers-it was Tuesdays papers that
were looked to for the news.
On Tuesday Ell Monitor Republican,
informed its expectant readers In about
twelve lines, that on Saturday night there
had done much damage. Its staff of re-
porters was bustly at work Investigating
the damage, and in day OK two the paper
would lay its complete account before the
public. And IL did ON Thursday morning,
Just five days after the shock. This paper !
has made great fortune for its propri-
etor; its advertising rates are enormous,
and the advertising department Is more
arbitrarily conducted than that of the
most independent Journal in America. |
II win print NO cats OF any kind or at |
any price. Il VIII accept no advertise |
ment for stipulated days OF for consecu-
tive Insertions The best that You can !
do, II you want to advertise In its columns, |
is to secure a contract for given number |
Of insertions, the dates to be decided |
by the publishers without consulting you !
And this only by paying in advance for |
all the insertions, some Of which may not /
be given for months afterward. Not a /
line Of paid matter can be secured in the 1
reading columns for love or money. Hun /
dreds of dollars Of advertisements are
lost daily because the publisher win not /
increase the size Of his paper, which rs
four page sheet. Its circulation ID about /
4, 0O0 and NO effort has ever been made to /
increase it Like every other newspaper /
God save the mark.-in this city and .
throughout the republic, e Monitor Re
publicano closes its forms at Q o'clock In |
the evening.
Think Of that, you overworked news
slaves of the place known as Gods coun-
Of Mexico Cor. New York
Press.
Making Fortune.
James A. Trotter, the Massachusetts,
gentleman of color, who is now recorder
for the District of Columbia, is making a
small fortune in Washington. He re-
ceives $3.50 for every deed he records
and has sometimes taken in $l25 in one
day.-New York World.
Was II Faith Cure?
A Salt Lake mother arose in the night
at the solicitation of her daughter and
rubbed fifty cents worth Of cough medi-
cine on the la,eer's rheumatic limbs. The |