The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-06
ANOTHER FOR MCILIGAN.
GOTHAM'S PAPER WAR.
How Hearst Is Making Pulitzer Get
Up and Hump.

Joe Howard, in Times Herald.
The apparent prosperity of Brother
PulitZer's World during the last six
years was phenomenal. There is ITO
question among experts that for at least
two of those years it netted $l,OOO,OOO
profit each. OF it's circula tion nothing
absoltely deiinitet is known. There are
so many tricks and devices about cir
culation afiidavits that they have passed
into minstrel stage jocosity. and no one
takes any stock in them, a circumstance
the significance of which is greatly en-
hanced by the class of men. bankers,
dry goods merchants, brokers and capi-
talists, selected to make the tests in the
pressroOm. That the World prints
daily several hundred thousand copies
of it's morning and particularly its
evening editions no one doubts, but the
assertion is made. uncontradicted, that
car loads and canal boat loads of uncir-
culated Worlds are sent direct to speci-
fled paper mills, where they are ground
into pulp. My own experience In pur-
chasing and exchanging Worlds, in the
Astor House for instance, convinces me
that the publisher, by sending thirty
copies each of. six distinct editions,
could swear that he had sold $50 copies,
the fact remaining that of those $50
copies at least 13O We're returned and
exchanged. However that may be,
when the World reduced it's price to |
cent, it disclosed to an interested critic
that it's proprietor for once was ratified,
while Jim Benefits retention of his 8
cents was evidence that for once his
head was level. You see our NeY York
field is peculiar People buy the Herald
because they want the Herald, and
nothing could switch them into the pur-
chase of another simply because it cost
less. The general feeling. which may
be wrong but which I share. is that the
World is now losing money little fast
er than it formerly made it.
And all for what?
That it may stem the progress of the
Journal. In other days. when Albert
| Pulitzer owned the Journal, 1t was
! cheap and nasty. Now it's cheap and
sensational, following the rut worn in
| by the World. When John Mclean
came here from Cincinnati he brought
| plenty of money but no sand. After
| he had sunk what in reality was but II
| flea bite in modern journalism. he lost
his nerve. funked. threw up the sponge.
turned tail and ran away. Now that
| Hearst is here, also with plenty of
money. the one and only question
asked is Has he the sand?" If Mr..
Hearst. who is now probably sinking
$40, 900 to $4,000 a week, has sufficient
grit to see his family millions melt
away III tIiItt siy " lilt iuHr
of two millions of dollars, he will have
a prope.ty easily worth from three
| millions to four millions in the open
| market. Thus far he has done well.
| His chief aid, Mr.. Chamberlain, is
| known throughout spaperdom for
his level head, his loyalty, his nose for
| news. The editorial page is in charge
of an old friend of yours. Willis Alb
| bott. and among his assistants are some
of the brightest fellows in the city,
notably A. c. Wheeler. better known
as Nym Crinkle. The pace set is fast
| and furious. The race is hot and ex-
! pensive. Hearst makes no bones about
| seducing and engaging such of the
| Worlds men as he can get hold Of.
| Mr. Carvalho for years Mr.. Pulitzer's S
familiar. his alter ego. his right hand
| man. his eyes and ears, who married
| Miss Cusack. a Chicago newspaper
| girl, left the literal control of the
| World and now wonders nlysteriously
| and almost furtirely through the
mazes of his new employ, not knowing
precisely where he is at. If Pulitzer
was in good health we would see lively
| times along Printing House Square
. The poor fellow hasn't been able, he
! tells ne. to read q copy of his own
paper in five years. but I doubt very
/ much tNe assertion of the London
/ Chroaicl" that he is SO very rich ''he
/ cant tell how many millions he has"
Th,a ilc