The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-01-19
American Newspapers.

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Some figures compiled from Rowell's
Newspaper Directory show the marvel
Gus growth in periodical literature in
this country since 1871. An idea Of the
relative rapidity with which the news
paper has gained on the population may
be gathered by a comparison Of the pop
ulation's increase with that Of newspa-
pers in the last decade. Comparing the
figures of the population for 1880 and
1890. we find that the population of the
United States increased in that time
some 80 per cent. The figures in the
Newspaper Directory show that in the
same period the number of newspapers
In the country increased more than IA
per cent. Back in 1S71-Jan. There
were in the states and territories only
594 daily papers, all told. Jan. 1, 1898,
there were 1856.
Still 20 years further back, in 1851,
Horace Greeley, on his trip to visit the
Crystal Palace exhibition in London,
gave testimony before a parliamentary
committee on the state of the daily press
Of America. He said there were at that
time about $50 daily papersin the United
States, and that they circulated 1000, 900
copies a day in the aggregate. This as
tonished the English, for in all London
at that time, owing to the stamp duty on
paper. the circulation daily Of all the
journals together was only 10000. What
would Horace Greeley say today if he
could suddenly come to life and find
that one or two dailies in our large cities
alone issue each 1000, 900 copies a week?
For Jan. 1, 1894, the figures are not at
hand, yet even during the past year of
disaster and panic it is certain that the
number Of newspapers has not fallen off
any, though the individual circulation
may have in some cases. The indica-
tons are that the number has increased
somewhat. The table below will be ex.
amined with interest. 1t shows the in
crease in newspapers since 1871. 1t will
be seen that although in 1872 the dailies
fell off a little in number, even the
hard times of 1878 could not stop the up
ward tendency. The list swelled mod
erately but steadily till 1879, when the
daily paper took a bound forward. Pre-
vious to that the increase was in no case
equal to 100 in one year. That was a
phenomenal year, for the increase was
iii. Then the rate dropped a little till
1883. Then it swelled rapidly. In 1888
the number of dailies added to the list
was 116. The gain of 1891 over 1890 was
164.
1t is to be said that the annual increase
in the number OF daily papers has been
chiefly in the smaller cities of the coun-
try. The number of dailies in the large
cities has not increased in proportion SO
much as the circulation of the individual
papers already in existence.
One thing more is to be said too. 1t is
that the character of the journal of the
country and smaller city has improved
intellectually in the last decade. The pa.
per of the small city has at it's command
resources in the way of procuring news,
literature, correspondence and miscel
lany unsurpassed by those of the grea,
daily. These advantages the small daily
and weekly have not been slow to avail
themselves of to their own great profit.
The table showing the increase of the
periodicals is given below. The last col
umn includes monthlies and all period
ical publications. 1t will be seen from
the table that the triweekly newspaper ii
a rapidly vanishing quantity. The dali!
in the small city has probably killed it:
Total pa
pers ant