The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-16
THE TYPICAL EVENING PAPER.
A Good Deal Of History Crowded Into
Brief Space.


From Texas Siftings.
The evening paper is invariably started
by four impecunious printers, who know
as much about running the business end
Of a newspaper as the pilot of canal boat
does about navigation. They rent a lot of
Old type and press that man has had in
a back room among old rubbish rust, and
cobwebs. The man has a mortgage on the
printing material. They rent the type and
press for IS a week. A large edition of the
first issue is sold. The editorial force have
thrown their whole soul Tor souls) into a
salutatory, the substance of which is
that: I'VE shall defend and uphold the
right and oppose and condemn the wrong;
will be untrammeled in politics, uncon-
trolled by any ring or clique, and always
found advocating what may be for the
best interests of the people," ETC., etc.
There is great deal of personality in
the paper and il looks so much like a sue
cess that the proprietors reeklessly begin
to wear clean shirts, and they order four
massive tin spittoons for Office use. About
the end of the first week the pIblic are
thrilled by the following announcement at
the head of the editorial page:
CAUTION
We warn the public against paying any
money for subscriptions or advertisements
to John Q. Jones, formerly connected with
the management of this journal Jones
has proved himself unworthy of conf
dence He is a viper that we took to our
bosom, and who ungratefully robbed the
concern of $11.75
The Evening News Publishing Co.
The loss of $11.75 seriously endangers
the life of the publishing company. Jones
publishes card in the morning paper in
which he demonstrates that he has been
slandered; that the other stockholders in
the News Publishing Company are black
hearted villains, who have robbed him of
money. and conspired to ruin his good
name in community where he has lived
etc, etc.
Next week there is another financial
crisis. The combined resources of the es-
adjustment are not equal to the raising Of
the weekly IS necessary to appease the
rapacity of the man who has the mort
gage on the type. The crisis is happily
passed by taking into the concern another
partner with capital of SIS in cash. and 81
meal tickets of a 25 cent restaurant
The board of aldermen are next attacked
ana accused of conniVing all sorts of jobs
by which the taxpayers are robbed. The
circulation now runs up to 20 degrees
above freezing point. A saloon keeper,
who aspires to be an alderman next term
L Company an
advertisement and unlimited credit The
prospects Of the paper are now bright in
deed, and prosperity and afiuence seem to
threaten the concern until Alderman Duff
fy, with blood in his eyes and a club in his
hand, calls a the Office, blackens the pres
ldents eye, rubs the contents of can of
ink into the Vice-president's hair jams the
secretary under the imposing stone, pours
quart Of I've down the back of his neck
and kicks the inside forms into 'pi" The
paper comes out that evening as a half
sheet, and the president publishes a card
next day in which he states that from date
his connection with the paper ceases. and
he Will not be responsible for any debts
contracted by other scoundrels who claim
10 own the paper, and who, he says, have
systematically robbed him since the first
day he was associated with them
The Publishing Company is reorganized
Two of the original founders retire taking
for their share in the business a patent
straw cutter and a box of soap that had
been received in payment for an adver-
tisement.
Next, dry goods merchant puts the
paper on firm financial basis. The dry
goods merchant has a brother-in-law
whom he wants the people to elect to the
responsible position of hide inspector. He
wants an archimedean lever TO move pub
lie opinion, and he therefore paws IS for
a controlling interest in the Evening
News.
The News now becomes the UNBIASED.
unbribed and unbought organ of the work
lngman,' and to the workingman, through
its editorial columns, is demonstrated the
fact that the reduction of the price of
breadstuffs, the suppression of vice, the
prosperity of the country and the peace of
Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceanica depend
on the workmen rallying around the
polls and electing dry goods merchants
brothers-in-law to the Office of hide inspec-
tor
The brother-in-law is defeated at the
polls, the dry goods merchant refuses to
avert another impending financial catas-
trophe by advancing more wealth. the
News goes over to the great majority,
and the man who owned the type carries
it back to the storeroom, piles the old
mortgage up on top of it again and leaves
1t there among the old rubbish and cob
webs, until, after several months have
elapsed, some more impecunious printers
feel that they are called on to fill long
felt want with an evening paper, and the
mortgage is pulled down, the type rented
again, and history repeats itself.
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