Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-10-18
THE LONDON TIMES.
A WELL KNOWN CORRESPONDENTS
ACCOUNT OF THE JOURNAL.

The Famous Newspapers Beginning One
Eundred Years Ago-Political Shifting
of The Times-How It's Pages Are
Filled-Editor John Delanc.
NJ. Blowitz, the well known Paris cor
respondent Of The London Times, has
been writing an account of his journal in
the luxuriously printed review called Art
and Letters. 1.-THE Times does not mean
the time, nor even the times, but the
ages, the centuries-that is to say, every
thing which, in the existence of peoples,
sO1icits human understanding. In
France it is often quoted as lie Jour
nal de la cite, ;" but NJ. Blowtz has been
designation. It's office, near Blackfriars
bridge, is scarcely, he thinks, part of the
city, while Its leanings, its style, it's pol
itics, and its aim have no relation with
the city, strictly speaking" Everybody
knows, or ought to know, that The Times
first appeared on the 1st of January, 1888,
and that The Morning Post is it's only
senior among English dailias, The Post
having started ten years earlier.
The history of its birth and early strug-
| giles under John Walter has been often
told how that worthy man, being an un-
| derwriter, lost his hereditary fortune of
$50, 600 by the capture Of fleet of Eng
| lish merchant vessels by a French squad
ron, and. failing to get satisfaction out Of
the government, at once started news
paper called The Universal Register,
primarily in order to develop wonderful
printing patent, which has never to this
day been of any use; how, three years
later, he changed the name of his paper
to The Times; how he endured six months
Imprisonment, with the pillory and fine,
for publishing scandalous reports about
the royal dukes, and was on the point of
abandoning journalism in consequence,
but, fortunately, did not do So In 1903
John Walter III, at the age of 27, was in
trusted by his father with the entire
management of the paper, and it's great
ness, influence and prosperity date, we
are told from that moment.
The stiffness of The Times-though it
must be granted that it has been steady
enough lately in the out-and out toryism
is explained by M. Blowitz, but not very
lucidly. From the commencement of it's
existence to our day the line of conduct
of The Times has not been varied, though
1T has often changed sides and combated
today those it supported yesterday, which
is just the case at this moment. But it
has never hesitated to subordinate ques-
tiOns of party or men to questions of
principle, and to what it believed to be
the supreme interest of the nation as re-
garded England, or the supreme interest
of society as regarded foreigners"
Leaving the politics and coming to the
actual composition of the paper, we learn
that in the reign of John Walter III
who reigns, but does not rule-the real
editorial work Of The Times begins about
II p. m. AT that hour the outer sheet,
containing the title, advertisements and
some lengthy articles, is ready printed,
and the editor has given his general
orders He is now conferring with his
Leader writer's, who will shortly retire to
their rooms. From 11:30 o'clock the
printers boys will come and fetch the
copy every ten minutes--fancy the strain
of writing leader under the perpetual
interruption thus indicated-and it is at
once set up by special staff of compost
tors assigned to each article. The editor
meanwhile, with his assistant and sub
editors, proceeds to the arrangement and
revision of the other matters forming the
paper.
As every reader of The Times knows,
there are certain pages unalterably al
lotted to the same subjects. This must
save lot of trouble, and the same re-
mark applies to the fixed headings in the |
columns of foreign news. For how many |
weary months were we daily confronted |
with that same heading, Egypt, England |
and the Soudan," and others of similar
general import. Page five has become of
exceptional Importance since May 4, 1874,
as from that date The Times has received |
continental letters only by wire, from
P. m. till 3 a. M, going from the Bourse
to the newspaper offices. Berlin and
Vienna have daily special wires, and all
other European capitals have them, but
without fixed time. Philadelphia and
Calcutta have the wire on certain days.
Thus every one knows that long Indian
will appear in Mondays edition
Of The Times, and that whether there is
any important news to send or not
The Times is every day printed with
new type. 1t employs sixteen shorthand
writer's in the two houses of parliament.
md the telephone is employed for trans
hitting the ''copy" to the compositor, or,
'ather, no copy" is sent, but the mes
sage is set up directly as it is received by
he compositor's ear. For thirty-two
7ears Mr.. John Delane reached his Office
It 1870 p. M, and LETT at a. M, just
when the first printed copy issued from
he press. About 3 a. m. the maker up
stated the amount of matter, ard Mr.. De-
ane, without looking at this mass of 100
columns, indicated from memory what
lad to be added to or cut out, paragraph
" paragraph, and almost line for line.
ft o'clock he went home, took light
upper, went to bed and arose about
loon. He lunched about l p. M, dis
'atched his correspondence, received
alls, went out about o'clock for ride
n horseback, went to his club, dressed
or dinner, dined nine times out of ten
t the club in town, took glance at what ,
here was to see; and wherever he might
e, took leave at quarter past 10 and I
vent to his Office. II 60 into these de- ]
ails. F" adds M Blowitz, ''to show ct what
ost man can aspire to the honor of
diting the Times. Literary World :
Eo RI olxo