Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-03

This fire. which occurred in the forenoon, COM
pleteiy wiped ont tho composing room, stereo-
tipping room and other branches Of the mcchan-
icsl department. TIE STAR did not ON either
occ:ston nilss an issue. its ability to promptly
appear at .he usual hour being due in part to
the helpful kindness Of publishers OF other
papers. After each fire the damage rapidly
repaired, and The STAR quickly resumed its
old home.
A more recent comment on The STAR was
that published by Mr.. mcfarland. the Wash
inS.on correspondent OF the Philadelphia
Record. who said: 'Inasmuch as THE STAR.
though very general, having the news Of both
press associations to say nothing Of its specials
is also very local. it's peculiar position in this
community Is very easily accounted for. Pecu-
iiar ant. remarkable 1t L.. for there is other
city 81 like size in the United States which is
so influenced by one newspaper as Washington
IS by IHE STAR. Its power is simply meal
ouleble, going as it does into every home, read
as 1t Is by every reader and taken AZ guide,
philosopher and friend by SO many. will not
cay nothing can succeed in Washington without
TIE STARS help, but hazard little in saying
that nothing can succeed against its will, for it
If one OF the few modern newspapers which
really mold public opinion directly and
persistently. Its brief editorials, never all to-
gether exceeding q column, and often not
stretching over half a column. make up the
minds of many Washingtonians, and its state
ments Of fact affect the minds of US all. It
would be foolish to say that it always uses it's
extraordinary power Alright. 1t is fallible, like
the rest OF u.s. But its aims are right and it
makes a center shot oftener than most of u.s.
Its great aim is to represent Washington, and
this 1t does on the whole very faithfully and
accurately. Independent in politics, it is the
organ of Washington, and of Washington alone,
having perceived in its beginning the vanity of
trusting in politicians and having Entrusted its
future to the people,"
PAST AND PRESENT
The history of TIRE EVENING STAR illustrates
very well the advances made by American
journalism during its lifetime. At any date
after it was fairly established it would hav Q
stood well In comparison with papers published
in cities of the same population as Washington
Its impcrfections of quarter of a century ago,
as judged from the point of view of the pl esent,
were imperfections due to lack of facilities and
common to all newspapers. As improvements
have been made in printing appliances and
telegraph systems have been extended The
STAR has availed itself of the new facilities
offered. comparison Of The STAR today
with The STAR as it first appeared as to the
amount Of matter printed, can give only an
imperfect notion Of the differences brought
about by the Development of the paper, yet
such a comparison is not unintercsting. When
THE STAR first appeared the paper consisted of
four small pages. the printed matter on each
page being llA inches in width and 16 II
inches long. making about ISL square inches. or
on the four pages 724 square inches. October
81. 1867. when the present company took con-
troll, the printed mitter Is lis inches wide
and 20A inches long, or 307 square inches to a
page and l ,22S square inches to the four pages
! OF which the paper still consisted. Thus in Il
week 1858 square inches Of printed matter was
furnished. At the present time page of The
STAR contains 4l3 square inches, the regular
eight-page STAR contains 1904 square inches,
and the average amount Of printed space sup
piled during the week is $500 square inches.
or nearly four times as much printed matter as
was supplied in 1867. AS the price of the paper
now is the same then. there has been a great
gain on the eide Of tho reader merely in the
matter of space. An equally striking COM
parison can be made respecting the increase of
advertising values given. While the circulation
OF The STAR has increased skiold since 1867
the rates OF advertising have been only slightly
advanced.
But these figures tell only part Of the story
The reader now gets not only much larger
amount of reading matter but he gets the BEN
eft OF a news service which in 1852, and even
in 1867, would have been impossible.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAPER.
As THE STAR has grown it has always been
its pride that it has been thoroughly. identified
with local interests and has been the most