The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-06

lFrom The Americanl
The Editors Of The news.

siderable newspaper history and has
brought to the notice, of Providence
people several men who thought they
knew how to get blood out of a stone,
and make the sheet pay under the load OF
adverse conditions that have weighted it
down continually.
First came John l.. Heaton, n man de-
signed to follow in the footsteps OF Tho
reau. He had achieved success in the city
OF Brooklyn as an editorial and special
writer. He made two or three visits to
town, and was convinced that people who
persisted in drudging in New York for
salary were very foolish.
Mrs. Heaton was with her husband in
the venture. She had won some fame and
a goodly supply of dollars by writing
Syndicate" fashion articles over the
pseudonym "Ellen Osborn" and her own
name, Eliza Putnam Heaton. She was an
indefatigable worker for The News, writ
ing all departments and doing more than
a mans work.
The Heatons are very delightful people.
They know how to live, and they do much
TO make living endurable for all they
come in contact with. They are 'cultiva-
ted in the best sense OF the word. They
were unfortunate in their choice OF
business manager. They expected to
have Langtry of the Springfield Union,
but he made a deal TO stay in Springfield.
Then, in a dire extremity, while Mr..
Heaton was prostrated with typhoid
fever, man who thought he knew it all
was taken up, and the fortunes OF the
paper went steadily down.
Ii was Under this mans sway that The
News got ithe black eye that has made it
impossible to accomplish anything with
il since. The Heatons left il to its fate
about year ago, and both went to the
New York Recorder, whore he is ex-
change editor, and she has charge Of the
Sunday edition. Mrs. Heaton is now re-
ceiving one of the highest salaries paid in
New York to any one, and perhaps the
best paid to a woman in the United
States.
After the Heatons came regime that
is rather unique, and the history Of which
is not yet quite ready for relation, perhaps.
The paper passed nominally to the
control of George French and George
A. Wallace, and was carried through the
hardest ten months for newspapers that
has ever been known in this country.
While every sort of business was going to
the dogs they succeeded in increasing the
circulation and the advertising patronage.
But as the increase was not large enough
to overcome the terrible reputation the
paper had and pay dividends the power
behind the throne stepped in and forced
the foreclosure of a mortgage.
L am not authorized to make this state
ment, and would not like to be asked to
vouch for it; but 1t is the general under
standing among the newspaper fellows.
At all events, The News was sold by the
sheriff the other day, and the ground for
the proceeding were that the property
mortgaged had deprecated in value and
the security was endangered. The plant
had been added to, and was worth more
than when the mortgage was made, and
the business had increased; yet the plea
was that the security was in danger. Per-
haps it was.
Now comes new combination. Charles
II. Rowland, George F. Makinnon, Mar
tin c. Day and Richard jennings. These
are all Journal men, or men who have had
their newspaper training on The Jour
nal. Thay are good fellows, and have
brilliant parts. None of them have had
experience managing paper, which is
radically different from writing dramatic
criticisms or chasing local items, or being
private secretary to present or past gov
ernor.
What will be the fate of The News now
no man can tell. 1t is related that the
new combination has promised TO earn 80
per cent. the first year. Wen look on and
see them do it.
The News has never been a bad paper,
nor has it ever been as good as it might
have been, and ought to have been. 1t
has never been as good as its editors
wanted to make it. But a purse cannot
be made of sow's ear, nor can one dol
lar be made to do the work of two. The
evil fate OF The News is the record it got
under. the person who posed as business
for the Heatons. To overcome
hat time and money must be spent. The |
new managers will find that wrath con-
fronting them. They cannot shake it off. |
This quartet OF newspaper men has un-
iertaken big job. How they will succeed |
ime will tell, and there is no other way |
o find out. am sure that there are very
cw people in this town who do not wish |
hem well.
New Management.
rFrom The Westerly sun.l
A new management has taken charge of |
he Providence News, with which the
,aper ought to boom. There are no better
men in the state than those
Who are now in control Of that property.
)ne Of the features win be an carly /