Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1892-02-18
HE TALKS SHOP.
A Discourse on Newspapers From q
Practical Printer.

4 Discourse on Newspapers From q
Practical Printer.
G. G. Webster, OF the Minneapolis house
II Marder, Luse & Co., was in the city
Tuesday, introducing to the trade new
agent, Mr.. Hough Mr.. Web
ster is Que Of the best posted newspaper
men in the northwest, having had deal
lngs with all the newspaper offices, large
and small, In the Dakotas, Mime
sofa, Montana and Washington. He has
sold hundreds OF thousands Of dollars
worth of type and machinery in the
and knows as we'll as any man
in the business the conditions on which |
depend the profitable and successful con-
duct of newspaper. By the necessities
of his business, he has become a good
judge of men, student of human ma
ture, and pretty good politician be.
sides. Once IN while the firm makes
loss, but the losses are fewer each year,
and the chances taken are less than they
we're. For cash, the syndicate OF type
founders now give discount of 25 per
cent, where formerly the discount was II
per cent. Mr.. Webster sa ys that strange
as it may appear, collections we're better
under the old rate than under the new.
which has been in force about three years.
Mr.. Webster knows who holds the chat
tel::mortgages, who dictates the policy,
who pays the bille, how the publisher
stands in the community, what his ability
as newspaper man is. how promptly he
pays his bills. and is often better judge
than the publisher of what course to
pursue, because of having no bias or
prejudice to warp him. 1t is often too
true that the greatest encumbrance of
the newspaper is the chattel mortgage, a
fend that stands ready to paralyze the
poor printer at any time. ..
No one knows better than type found
ers what will permit legitimate news
paper business to succeed. They size
town up and can tell at glance, and
many an ambitious young man, who
expected to cut wide swath in journal
ism it be could get plant, has been
restrained from foolish venture by the
sober advice and experience of type
founder, who we'll knows that one steady
going newspaper furnishing the news
and having the confidence and respect
of the majority or the citizens
a of town, is more pro
fitable than two or three papers whose
earnings are not sufficient to pay the
expenses. who stir up factions, encour-
age quarrels, and resort to every kind Of
means to make ends meet, enoing in
disappointment and less oftener than
otherwise. Mr.. Webster always has a
helping hand, however, for struggling
newspaper men, and has tided over
many of the boys in the hard times that
followed the poom days in North Da-
kota.
Montana Is the state where type
founders love to sell goods, statement
that applies largely TO all kinds Of whole
sale establishments. I'm Montana" says
Mr.. Webster, ut Is very different from
here. There, the population is smaller
still, but there is a steadier source of in.
come for the population. They do not
depend on crops. Stock and mining are
carried on regardless Of weather. The
capital engaged is necessarily large to
conduct such enterprises and capital
there means the management of it by
comparatively few persons. All the larger
newspapers in Montana are. with oie ex.
ception, owned by bankers or capitalists,
who are wealthy and expect to pay out
large sums each year to make up
DEFICIENCIES in the expenses. The single
exception referred to is ths Fisk Bros
of Helena, who run the Herald. They
have to work hard for what they get and
are good newspaper men too. The Jour
nal is pas paper, meaning Russell
Harrison's paper, which sells
stock all over the east, and
must be stocked way out Of sight by this
time. hauser pulls strings on the Inde.
pendent. He pays big for it. In Butte
the Miner is owned by Millionaire Clark,
and the Inter. Mountain IS also in control
Of some financial magnates who put up
without grumbling. The Anaconda Stand
ard, run in most expensive style. with
press reports and costly service, is for the
benefit Of Marcus DAILY at the Anaconda
mine. 1t does not make any difference
what the paper costs. In Missoula
trading company owns the best paper
there, and in Great Falls the smelling
interests, and President Hill run the
Tribune. Wherever you 60 in Montana
the press is under control Of the capital
lists. It can hardly be any other way at
present"
From Mr.. Webster's remarks it seems
that the average reader knows little
about the ownership Of newspapers, and
still less about tie motives for many
statements that appear in them. The