Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-19
THE EVENING STAR,
Its History and the Reason OF Its Sue.
cess as Told by 'tThe Journalist"

cess as Told by "The Journalist
From The Journalist. Mayl7.
There is no better example among the news
papers Of the country of solid success, achieved
by thorough journalistic work, than The
EVENING STAR Of Washington, d. C. It has be.
comea by-word that Washington is a newspaper
graveyard. Talent energy and capital have
been invested there in hundreds of fruitless
efforts to establish newspapers or periodical
publications. In the midst of these failures
The EVENING STAR, successful from the start.
has kept on in a career Of prosperity almost
| matchless. To one who has studied the SUBJ
| ject that The STAR should win success is not
astonishing, though the degree of that success
may be somewhat surprising From the be-
| ginning it has been not only a good general
newspaper, but also a thorough local paper,
| loyal to Its community. Its long continuance
| under one management and one editorial head
has given it a fixed character. Wide awake
and energetic 1t has never confounded enter
prise with sensationalism. In no newspaper
Office in the country is there a more strict ad-
herence to the rules of conscientious journal
| ism, and In no Office is there more constant
| recognition of the fact that it is news that
makes newspaper. THE STAR completely fills
| Its held as newspaper and at the same time
commands respect as a journal of the highest
| class.
| The relative importance its publishers at
tach to the news features Of the paper 10 shown
| by the fact that, though an eight-page paper
| IL never prints more than one short column a
| day OF editorials and often much less Its in
| dependence politically is SO generally recog-
| nlzed that no change of administration has ever
| interrupted for u moment its prosperous
growth. Its editorial column always has q de-
clded local cast and the short paragraphs have
! potent influence in shaping local affairs.
BRIEF HISTORY OF 1.-THE STAR"
The first number Of The EVENING STAR was
issued December Is, 1852, by Joseph B. Tate
IL soon, however, passed into the hands of
Hope x Wallaeh, and subsequently into those
OF W: ID. Wallach, the junior member of that
| firm, by whom it was conducted with great
success, both financially and as a newspaper
until October 30, 1867, when il was purchased
oy company consisting Of Crosby S. Noyes,
clarence q. Baker, S. II. kauffmann, A. r.
shepherd and George W. Adams. Mr.. Noyes
mad been editor OF the paper under Mr..
Wallach, for some time; Mr. Baker had been
con nected with the business office and Mr..
hanHmann had had newspaper experience in
ONO. Mr.. Shepherd and Mr.. Adams bought in
as an investment and had nothing to do with
| the management of the paper The circula-
ton OF The STAR at that time was about 6. 900
copies, with the best advertising patronage in
the city, to which it was entitled by reason of
us larger circulation than was enjoyed by any
OF Its rivals Its visible property consisted Of
rour-cyhnder Hoe press, with an
indifferent boiler and engine. and the
type from which the paper was printed.
Inc price PAID Tor the property was 800, 900,
whlcn at the time was regarded as very high
and, In fact, considerably more than it was
worth: The new prOprietors had, however,
ialth IN the future of the city. in the possible
ties OF an enterprising newspaper at the ma
tlonai capital and in their own energy and
capacity; and that faith has been abundantly
Justihed. After conducting the business as
partnership for awhile the advantages of All in
corporated company became apparent and a
special charter was obtained from Congress
under which The EVENING STAR Newspaper
company was organized i'll 1879 and by that
corporation the paper has been published ever
since The stock in the new company was
taken In equal portions by the original partners
and so held until changes were wrought in the
course OF time, by business contingencies and
by death; but the majority of it still remains
III the hands of Messrs. Noyes and Kaufman.
OF the original purchasers, and by whom the
paper Is still conducted on the precise lines
laid down when they first became it's active
managers. 1t is proper to say here that Mr..
ADAMS, who, up to that time, and from the
first issue of the New York World, had been
the Washington correspondent of that paper,
1873, and became actively connected with The
STAR. acting as president of the company until
his death. in October. 1885,
ITS PRESENT PROSPERITY.
From the day Of small things in 1867 The
STAR has grown to be one of the prominent
journals OF the country, recognized every
where as one of the first in its energy and
enterprise In collecting news and the ability
and fairness with which it is conducted
editorially.
The STAR was moved in 1881 from an old
building it had occupied for many years on the
south side of Pennsylvania avenue to a hand
some marble front building purchased by the
company on the north side OF Pennsylvania
avenue at the corner of 18th street This
building and adjoining structure fronting
on llth street, bought at the same time it was
supposed, would suffice for many wears TO
come, but the company was recently obliged to
add to them new building, a four-story
structure having frontage Of SIS feet and a
depth OF 100 feet. The old and new buildings
are united, and together make one of the most
complete newspaper establishments in the
world. 1t includes a spacious composing room.
capable OF meeting all the demands OF a great
newspaper, wel-equipped stereotyping
talnlug three fast perfecting presses, an Illus
| tratng department, besides of course a hand
| some counting room and well-appointed
| editorial rooms
The circulation of THE STAR has steadily
grown from 5000 in 1867, until it ranges now
| from $4,000, the ordinary circulation to over
36,ooo, the number printed On SATURDAYS when
the paper Is Issued in twelve-page or sixteen
page form. what the publishers of The Star
have considerable pride in is the fullness of its
| home circulation. Less than five per cent of
| its large circulation goes out Of the city.
Among journalists The STAR il well known
| for another fact, most honorable to the men
who conduct it. Hardly a newspaper man
enters the local field at Washington without
making an effort to secure place on The STAR's
| staff for such places considered desirable
| on account Of the fair and generous treatment
| rendered employees. Not only the best rates of
| compensation prevail in the office, but numbers
{ OF cases are well known, among newspaper
| men, where employees have been carried on the
rolls during long periods of illness and their
| pay sent to them regularly every week. One
| result OF this consideration of employees is seen
! III their loyal attachment to the paper.
Both the gentlemen at the head of this suc-
cessful newspaper establishment have had life
long experience in journalism.
THE PRESIDENT
| Mr.. s. H. Kaufman, who, as president of
The EVENING STAR Newspaper Company. has
general direction Of its affairs was born in
| Wayne county, Ohio. He learned the printing
business and has been, with the exception OF
| two comparatively brief intervals, connected
| with journalism all his life. first in Ohio and
| at present in Washington, where he became
| one Of the proprietOrs of The STAR in 1867
Since then, except during seven or eight years.
| when he was either travelling abroad or con-
| nected with the editorial department of the
paper, he has been president and general man
| a9er OF the company, but always contributing
largely to its editorial and art and literary col.
umns. He is vice president of the American
1 h..l Il