The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1890-04-23
PROGRESS OF JOURNALISM IN KEN
TUCKY.


French Upton in National Journalist
Fifteen years ago my editorial work
began. During this period 1 have been
familiar with the newspapers of this
State When 1 consider the compare
lively small number of journals then
in existence, and look about me now at
the much greater number, and see, too,
the increase in size, circulation,
outfit and otherwise, the progress
is remarkable.
Then the total number Of journals 10
the State was I27 now it is 233, or
more than IS per cent. increase. The
country weeklies, which may be con-
sidered the bone and sinew of the land,
numbered 81, while now they have in
creased to 1873. From 127 weeklies, in
Guiding agricultural, stock, religious,
literary and other kinds, the growth
has expanded to III.
A decade and a half ago there were
only three semi-weeklies; now there
are seven. Then there were eight dali
lies, which small list has swollen to
nineteen, giving US an increase of 1874
per cent. The semi-monthIies have
grown from two to six, and monthlies
from seven to eighteen.
Improvement iC character is more
marked than in numbers. can recall
but three or four cylinder presses in the
State, outside Of the city of Louisville,
at the beginning Of the period above
mentioned. and only one or two ofthem,
propelled by an engine. tits no unusual
thing, at this day, to find cylinder
presses with steam, gas, hot-air or 9TH
er engines. The improvement IN other
departments has kept pace with the
presses and engines. Seven and eight
column papers were then the rule,
while now those have given place to
eight and nine columns. In those slow
days, when the pressmRn and the devil
worried along with the old Washing
ton hand-press at the rate of two or
three hundred an hour, they wrestled
only with four page papers, while now
many of them are six and eight-psges.
1t was unusual then TO find country
paper with more than one editor, and
he was likewise business manager and
Lord Grand High Everything Else"
Now almost every paper has two edi
tors, or an editor and business manager,
and occasionally a collector or canvass
er, in addition, is employed. Then in
majority Of offices the editor was
practical printer, and did more or less
of his own work; but that, too, has
changed. and the editor who keeps his
paper up to the present high standard
cannot find time to lay down his pen
and take up the stick. In fact, many
of them have never formed an init
mate acquaintance with the cases.
The job departments have grown
along with the newspapers. Nothing
in the line of bOOk-WOrk was under
taken in the beginning of my career,
save lawyers briefs, minutes Of relig-
iOus and educational meetings, and
similar pamphlet productions. Many
offices throughout the State now print
and bind. substantially, accurately and
elegantly, extensive catalogues OF col
leges, sales of thoroughbred animals.
blanks in duplicate and triplicate for
various kinds Of business, embracing
several hundred pages.
There are now thirteen religious jour-
nails 10 the State, the same as fifteen
years ago, yet several have suspended,
their places being filled by new ones.
The stock and agricultural papers have
Increased from four TO six, and the
medical journals from three to four, but
the college, literary and secret society
journals have grown from five to
twenty.
Where there were forty-eight towns
with one paper each, there are now
sixty-nine. Twelve towns with two
papers each are now fifteen. Two towns
with three papers each are now eleven.
Instead of one iowa with five papers,
there are four with five each and
where there was no town with seven
papers now there is one and the city
of Louisville, with twenty -four journals
Of all kinds, now has forty-six, one Of
them, the COurier-Journal, using a
$4,000 press aud setting its type by
machinery.
The increase in numbers has been
greater in localities already occupied by
papers than in those that were not.
The number of counties occupied by
newspapers was sixty three now IL is
one hundred. The thirty seven addi-
tionsl counties contain fcrty-four pa
pers. This number. taken from the one
hundred and six Increase exhibited
heretofore, leaves sixty-six that sprang
up in the counties already occupied, de-
mOnstrsting that it is easier TO run a
newspaper in community where the
people have become educated to news
paper reading than in one where they
have not.
Three counties had papers that now
have none. One of the counties was
divided into two, the new one securing
the paper, and one of the others had a
c0al-Oil boom which subsidized, and with
il the paper. I do not know why the
third one was unfortunate.
A wear ago there was 8 grouD of sew
enteeD counties in the mountains of
Eastern Kentucky that had no paper.
Several were begun during the year,
but 1 do not think they have all sur
yived. That region, however, is rich
in minerals, and railroads are building
into Them. As usual. it will be q close
race between the roads and the papers
as to which shall first gel there. 1 believe